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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a totally fun, odd novel! Total departure from Koontz typical works and I loved it! Reminiscent of George Saunders and Jack Pendarvis.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I simply did not care for this. It wasn't at all what I expected in all the wrong ways, and just wasn't for me.
This was DNF for me. I made it about 25% of the way through and was completely bored and did not realize this was not like Koontz’s other books. I couldn’t bring myself to finish it.
Koontz might be half of my favorite author, and the fact that I don’t know which half is great.
TL; DR: Another delve into the delightful, DK weaves a story both whimsical and charming that only suffers a little from a chronological kerfuffle.
I will maintain that I hate plot armor, I despise stories where the author winks and nods, and stories that act like they’re cleverer than they are are painful to get through.
But…
I always enjoy these books from Dean Koontz; I don’t know what it is about his writing or how I may be interpreting or misinterpreting things, but I love it. These kind of books make me happy, be it Bad Weather Friend or Odd Thomas, it all feels like something Koontz wanted to write. I think that’s what lost me in the last book of Odd Thomas was, it didn’t feel like a continuation. It felt like a deadline he was given and a story that needed an ending. It is what it is, but this has the same vibes and tone. I loved it, even with the flashbacks.
Characters: I loved Benny, gosh he’s such a sweetheart, Harper and Spike too. I was charmed by the craggle and his spirit as well as the daring almost PI and her spunk. I delighted in their journey and story and how hard the ending was for Benny (no spoilers, but it’s like not what you think). I delighted in hating the villains, even if they only showed up for a bit, and I couldn’t have been happier with the evolution of certain characters. Twas delightful.
Setting: A variety of them, but honestly nothing Koontz does too intricately; it’s usually the weakest part for me, but I don’t not appreciate the mini details without too much description. It lets the story roll along and the spirit of the tale with it. Solid enough I’d say.
Story: Gah, I loved it. I was enjoying every second I got to watch the people interact and move down the list. The only gripe I have is the flashbacks. Gosh dang those flashbacks yanked me out of the story every time. I would’ve rather had them less spread out and gotten more at once, even if it meant a longer interruption. It was a lil painful. Otherwise though, great story, me gusta.
Writing: Fabulous, I’ll always marvel at how many interactions Koontz comes up with for a simple conversation between people who met quite a bit earlier in the story. On top of that, I liked how natural this felt; every bit of writing that was too wordy or just odd as it would’ve been in another story felt pretty right here. I’m certain there were multiple times Koontz was chuckling to himself while writing and as a result, I got to do the same reading it. Fantastic work.
The flashbacks knocked this down from a much higher rating and stop it from hitting the rounded up grade, but still a respectable foray into DK’s “for fun” books. It’s pretty solid, almost as solid as a craggle.
4.4 🌟
TL; DR: Another delve into the delightful, DK weaves a story both whimsical and charming that only suffers a little from a chronological kerfuffle.
I will maintain that I hate plot armor, I despise stories where the author winks and nods, and stories that act like they’re cleverer than they are are painful to get through.
But…
I always enjoy these books from Dean Koontz; I don’t know what it is about his writing or how I may be interpreting or misinterpreting things, but I love it. These kind of books make me happy, be it Bad Weather Friend or Odd Thomas, it all feels like something Koontz wanted to write. I think that’s what lost me in the last book of Odd Thomas was, it didn’t feel like a continuation. It felt like a deadline he was given and a story that needed an ending. It is what it is, but this has the same vibes and tone. I loved it, even with the flashbacks.
Characters: I loved Benny, gosh he’s such a sweetheart, Harper and Spike too. I was charmed by the craggle and his spirit as well as the daring almost PI and her spunk. I delighted in their journey and story and how hard the ending was for Benny (no spoilers, but it’s like not what you think). I delighted in hating the villains, even if they only showed up for a bit, and I couldn’t have been happier with the evolution of certain characters. Twas delightful.
Setting: A variety of them, but honestly nothing Koontz does too intricately; it’s usually the weakest part for me, but I don’t not appreciate the mini details without too much description. It lets the story roll along and the spirit of the tale with it. Solid enough I’d say.
Story: Gah, I loved it. I was enjoying every second I got to watch the people interact and move down the list. The only gripe I have is the flashbacks. Gosh dang those flashbacks yanked me out of the story every time. I would’ve rather had them less spread out and gotten more at once, even if it meant a longer interruption. It was a lil painful. Otherwise though, great story, me gusta.
Writing: Fabulous, I’ll always marvel at how many interactions Koontz comes up with for a simple conversation between people who met quite a bit earlier in the story. On top of that, I liked how natural this felt; every bit of writing that was too wordy or just odd as it would’ve been in another story felt pretty right here. I’m certain there were multiple times Koontz was chuckling to himself while writing and as a result, I got to do the same reading it. Fantastic work.
The flashbacks knocked this down from a much higher rating and stop it from hitting the rounded up grade, but still a respectable foray into DK’s “for fun” books. It’s pretty solid, almost as solid as a craggle.
4.4 🌟
I normally love Dean Koontz, but I could not get through this book. I kept thinking "Dean wrote this??". Several times, I sat it down, left it for weeks, tried to pick it back up again. Still could not get through it. I wanted to be pulled in by the mystery of what's in the box...but it felt like I was drug along with back stories and side stories that were so dull instead. Unfortunately, I won't know what was in the box. But, at this point, I suspect knowing what was in the box wouldn't have made this book any more bearable.