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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
The book started out really strong! The parts between the outsider and other characters were really well written and the tension held strongly throughout. I especially loved the action! My main issue was my strong dislike for the contract killer and his perverse desire for killing. Of course, the fact that I disliked the character so much speaks for the writing skill of Koontz, but certain parts really disgusted me. Also, since the book was written in the 80s there were certain ways the female character was portrayed which I also could only roll my eyes at.
EDIT: Now that I am further along in my reading journey and have had more time to digest this book I have to lower my rating from three to two stars. I remember that I actually skipped/skimmed close to 150 pages in the end because I just could not care less at that point. OVERALL: I will never recommend this book unless I know the person likes traditional old-school thrillers.
EDIT: Now that I am further along in my reading journey and have had more time to digest this book I have to lower my rating from three to two stars. I remember that I actually skipped/skimmed close to 150 pages in the end because I just could not care less at that point. OVERALL: I will never recommend this book unless I know the person likes traditional old-school thrillers.
3.5 stars. A research dog and an ape-like animal escape from a research lab. The dog is found by a man and taken care of, the ape (which is evil) goes on a run of terror. In the meantime, a hired assassin kills all the doctors directly associated with the creation of these two animals, past and present. I really wanted to like this book better but at times I just got bored with it. And some aspects were just too unbelievable. It's one of the author's favorite books.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is my first Koont read and will be my last. I couldn't get through it - a little too over the top and soap opera-y. I also don't think it's aged well over the past 30 years.
This… didn’t hold up well over time.
It’s a classic 80s style supernatural thriller focusing on a super-secret government lab that has been playing around with genetic engineering – creating super smart dogs and hybrid combat monsters. The prototypes of both escape. Chaos ensues. Ex-Delta Force soldier Travis and timid shut-in Nora find and bond over the adorable golden retriever Einstein, while avoiding an assassin and the feds who are trying to capture both Einstein and the monstrous Outsider who is rampaging across the country.
Einstein is the highlight, though I found the Outsider and the feds’ hunt for him the most compelling part of the story. Koontz’s descriptions were also quite good, giving action scenes that were memorable for their locations and a story that sprawled.
The characters let it down, though, and the plot never really reached for anything beyond basic.
The relationship at the centre between Travis and Nora was embarrassing in both its gender roles and romantic clichés. She’s shy and sheltered from the world. He is worldly-wise but not sure he can love, but he convinces Nora that she’s pretty and worthwhile and she’s safe to navigate the world with him. All through the vehicle of the adoring dog, Einstein. Guys, I gagged in places. It’s laid on thick and the sexism is large. Nora had zero agency other than as a thing for good guy Travis to save and nurture.
I also found the pacing weird. There’s a vicious monster on the hunt, the feds are involved, there’s a crazy assassin… and we spend a lot of time going on dates, having dinner, and going through a notable lengthy subplot where Einstein gets sick. It dragged. I’ll admit I skimmed the ending, because I couldn’t slog anymore but wanted to see where it went. The climax sequence was fast – almost rushed.
The Watchers had a lot of potential in its premise – it could have gone deeper and developed into something really interesting, but it focused on the wrong things and developed a bit too “paint by numbers” for me to really engage with or enjoy it.
It’s a classic 80s style supernatural thriller focusing on a super-secret government lab that has been playing around with genetic engineering – creating super smart dogs and hybrid combat monsters. The prototypes of both escape. Chaos ensues. Ex-Delta Force soldier Travis and timid shut-in Nora find and bond over the adorable golden retriever Einstein, while avoiding an assassin and the feds who are trying to capture both Einstein and the monstrous Outsider who is rampaging across the country.
Einstein is the highlight, though I found the Outsider and the feds’ hunt for him the most compelling part of the story. Koontz’s descriptions were also quite good, giving action scenes that were memorable for their locations and a story that sprawled.
The characters let it down, though, and the plot never really reached for anything beyond basic.
The relationship at the centre between Travis and Nora was embarrassing in both its gender roles and romantic clichés. She’s shy and sheltered from the world. He is worldly-wise but not sure he can love, but he convinces Nora that she’s pretty and worthwhile and she’s safe to navigate the world with him. All through the vehicle of the adoring dog, Einstein. Guys, I gagged in places. It’s laid on thick and the sexism is large. Nora had zero agency other than as a thing for good guy Travis to save and nurture.
I also found the pacing weird. There’s a vicious monster on the hunt, the feds are involved, there’s a crazy assassin… and we spend a lot of time going on dates, having dinner, and going through a notable lengthy subplot where Einstein gets sick. It dragged. I’ll admit I skimmed the ending, because I couldn’t slog anymore but wanted to see where it went. The climax sequence was fast – almost rushed.
The Watchers had a lot of potential in its premise – it could have gone deeper and developed into something really interesting, but it focused on the wrong things and developed a bit too “paint by numbers” for me to really engage with or enjoy it.
All time favorite book by Dean Koontz, I love Einstein. He is my most favorite dog character of all time
Ich bin mir bei meiner Bewertung nicht ganz sicher. Im Prinzip hat mir das Buch gefallen, ich hatte auch wirklich Spaß beim Lesen. Aber die Story an sich... Ich fand die Umsetzung dann doch etwas... Kinderbuch-mäßig? Also natürlich nicht die Morde oder solcherlei Dinge. Aber alles was sich um den Hund und seine Besonderheiten dreht. Also für den Lesespaß gäbe es vier Sterne, für die Story tendiere ich dann aber doch eher zu dreien, auch wenn ich die Idee als solche wirklich nicht schlecht finde.
I loved Einstein, hated Nora more than I can say (particularly at the beginning of the novel), Travis was just okay, and most of the other characters were forgettable. I think I went into this novel with expectations that were a little too high after my mom raved about it so much.
This is the second Dean Koontz book I read. I enjoyed it a lot. It was certainly a hybrid of many genres but that kept my interest. I loved Einstein so I can understand why his editors wanted another book with a smart dog.