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biblioflick's review against another edition
1.0
this review might contain spoilers, huge spoilers will be
I've read this in one day, waiting for sleep and waiting it to be good. I read this in merely few hours, despite it's length, since I skimmed most of the parts. It's like a tablet you put in your mouth, after you taste the bitterness, you swallowed it, then wash the bitterness in your tongue with water.
I almost DNF'd this one. It started good, the characters are interesting at first, nice set-up for a bigger mystery. . . then we come to the middle where things are chaotic in the House and the same could be said in this book. The number of POVs in this book is a lot, a lot! I admire the attempt for giving each character a unique voice and character of their own, but it gets really unnecessary at the middle. We usually get almost similar "events", which we already knew from the other people perspective, the descriptions are boringly long - too wordy, and instead of focusing on events that's happening pages of flashbacks (which is unrelated to the happenings) will appear. Jumping from POV of one character to another is sooo tedious. Tons of POVs are unnecessary and the event descriptions are long. . .
When I went to the second part, where characters decided to stay together - so less POVs (but still to much). Then we get to met new characters - and of course with their own POVs as well. . . The characters that manages to grab my interest are Bailey's and Winston's.
The plot is not really unique with having an As much as I wanted to give this book at least two stars, it don't deserve it.
Spoiler
hiddenI've read this in one day, waiting for sleep and waiting it to be good. I read this in merely few hours, despite it's length, since I skimmed most of the parts. It's like a tablet you put in your mouth, after you taste the bitterness, you swallowed it, then wash the bitterness in your tongue with water.
I almost DNF'd this one. It started good, the characters are interesting at first, nice set-up for a bigger mystery. . . then we come to the middle where things are chaotic in the House and the same could be said in this book. The number of POVs in this book is a lot, a lot! I admire the attempt for giving each character a unique voice and character of their own, but it gets really unnecessary at the middle. We usually get almost similar "events", which we already knew from the other people perspective, the descriptions are boringly long - too wordy, and instead of focusing on events that's happening pages of flashbacks (which is unrelated to the happenings) will appear. Jumping from POV of one character to another is sooo tedious. Tons of POVs are unnecessary and the event descriptions are long. . .
When I went to the second part, where characters decided to stay together - so less POVs (but still to much). Then we get to met new characters - and of course with their own POVs as well. . . The characters that manages to grab my interest are Bailey's and Winston's.
The plot is not really unique with having an
Spoiler
"AI" in control, experiment gone wrong, a tear in time-in-space, dying one by one.boneist's review against another edition
3.0
Well, that was better, Mr Koontz, although it sure did drag most if the time! It was not a page turner - at least not for me. However, at least it didn't have goody-goody, never-do-anything-wrong-always-see-the-good-in-things/people characters - they were much more well rounded, although some were almost cartoonish in their villainy!
The ending also wasn't as much of a disappointment as some of his later books were.
Definitely one of your better efforts, Mr K, at least from the past 10 years or so.
The ending also wasn't as much of a disappointment as some of his later books were.
Definitely one of your better efforts, Mr K, at least from the past 10 years or so.
purgatide's review against another edition
The premise of the book was really enticing, but the author's delivery on it was slow-paced to the point of feeling like the book stalled entirely.
booksandthebronxgirl's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
300 pages too long. Some parts were great but it was too long.
bllittwit's review against another edition
4.0
Having recently (and I'm talking last week) discovered the pleasure read that is a good Koontz book, I dug this one out of the pile of to-reads lent to me by friends. Since I discovered Koontz through Odd Thomas, I was unprepared for just how genuinely frightening I found this one. Odd Thomas was creepy, but YIKE! The first night (yes, reading horror after dark, mistake) I read this I had to sleep with the lights on. Once it reaches its turn, I eased up and just spent the last half rooting for the characters, but good grief, this one had me squirming. Once again, however, I found a plethora of characters to care about, and found the ending wholly satisfying. Such a nice change from the vague trailing off of literary fiction which under the guise of echoing life's tendency not have neat endings leaves a reader going, "I read all that for this?" Once again. Great read.
karac3's review against another edition
4.0
Classic Koontz! Eerie, unsettling, bizarre, and strange.
tanya2013's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book in an I-have-to-read-this-with-my-hands-over-my-eyes way. Koontz has one of the creepiest imaginations of any author I've read, and I mean that as a compliment. The entire story takes place in a relatively short amount of time, and is narrated by all of the characters in rotation, so the events are seen through each of their eyes. The e-book I read came with a related novella, but this review is for 77 Shadow Street only.
sandrathe's review against another edition
3.0
Not one of my favorites although I love Dean Koontz books. Can't wait for the next Odd Thomas book!
krista225's review against another edition
4.0
Part haunted house, part science fiction. Every 38 years the Pendleton transitions in time, forcing its residents into the future where the One rules mercilessly over the world.
While the story could have focused on any set of affected residents, there is a reason Koontz chooses this particular group to follow. Among these men, women, and children there is someone who is closely related to the One and will either be inspired or horrified by this bleak future.
As in any good horror story, not everyone makes it through the transitions in time. There are monsters and mysteries. I enjoyed all if it.
While the story could have focused on any set of affected residents, there is a reason Koontz chooses this particular group to follow. Among these men, women, and children there is someone who is closely related to the One and will either be inspired or horrified by this bleak future.
As in any good horror story, not everyone makes it through the transitions in time. There are monsters and mysteries. I enjoyed all if it.