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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
If there is anything about the Odd Thomas books I really enjoy, it's the characters. Each book has characters that are well fleshed out and so strangely mixed together that the cast really drives home how "odd" the books can be.
In Brother Odd, for instance, you have a former school counselor turned nun, a mob hit man turned monk, a Russian librarian who ends up being...well, I won't ruin it. Add to that the main character being a fry cook who sees the departed along with shadowy harbingers of disaster, who also happens to be followed around by Elvis Presley's ghost and you can see what I'm talking about. Koontz could very well have been flicking through the channels when he decided his character backgrounds, and it's delightful to read.
Why only three stars? I could spoil the book by saying exactly what bothers me, but truth is that I was hoping for more of a down to earth threat looming over the monastery in Brother Odd, and what I got is a bit of science fiction. With the previous books' antagonists being troubled humans doing evil upon the world because of troubling beliefs, Brother Odd's villain had something akin to the villains in a Flash Gordan or Dr. Who episode.
Does Odd Thomas always need to fight off Satanists and Voodoo Witches? Well, no, but I came to expect that the villains were the very example of evil doers, and Odd was battling for good, albeit reluctantly. Book three of the series has Odd fighting evil of a different sort, and perhaps I was expecting something more in line with the previous books.
Perhaps the strongest criticism I could hold out is that Odd Thomas's third book only glances the surface of Odd losing his only love. That story arc is something I'm eager to see more of, and all I seem to get is more of Odd's sense of loss while he happens to be dealing with averting disaster for everyone else. I suppose I can't expect much more than that, but my sense of the Odd Thomas series as a whole is that Odd is slowly marching to be reunited with Stormy; so how do books two and three speak about that eventual reunion in a way that is captivating, dramatic, and makes me worry that it might not happen? So far, I don't question that it would, and these books following the first book seem a little emptier because of it.
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In Brother Odd, for instance, you have a former school counselor turned nun, a mob hit man turned monk, a Russian librarian who ends up being...well, I won't ruin it. Add to that the main character being a fry cook who sees the departed along with shadowy harbingers of disaster, who also happens to be followed around by Elvis Presley's ghost and you can see what I'm talking about. Koontz could very well have been flicking through the channels when he decided his character backgrounds, and it's delightful to read.
Why only three stars? I could spoil the book by saying exactly what bothers me, but truth is that I was hoping for more of a down to earth threat looming over the monastery in Brother Odd, and what I got is a bit of science fiction. With the previous books' antagonists being troubled humans doing evil upon the world because of troubling beliefs, Brother Odd's villain had something akin to the villains in a Flash Gordan or Dr. Who episode.
Does Odd Thomas always need to fight off Satanists and Voodoo Witches? Well, no, but I came to expect that the villains were the very example of evil doers, and Odd was battling for good, albeit reluctantly. Book three of the series has Odd fighting evil of a different sort, and perhaps I was expecting something more in line with the previous books.
Perhaps the strongest criticism I could hold out is that Odd Thomas's third book only glances the surface of Odd losing his only love. That story arc is something I'm eager to see more of, and all I seem to get is more of Odd's sense of loss while he happens to be dealing with averting disaster for everyone else. I suppose I can't expect much more than that, but my sense of the Odd Thomas series as a whole is that Odd is slowly marching to be reunited with Stormy; so how do books two and three speak about that eventual reunion in a way that is captivating, dramatic, and makes me worry that it might not happen? So far, I don't question that it would, and these books following the first book seem a little emptier because of it.
-ic
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
In search of peace, Odd finds room and board at an abbey, where he works to earn his keep. Soon, it turns out that the abbey isn't quite the respite from horror that Odd had hoped for.
The plot of this book is strange in the way that a dream is strange--it doesn't even make enough sense for me to know what questions to ask about it. But I love Koontz's clever writing style, the character of Odd Thomas, and the delightful relationship between Odd and Romanovich. There are a lot of good things about it.
The plot of this book is strange in the way that a dream is strange--it doesn't even make enough sense for me to know what questions to ask about it. But I love Koontz's clever writing style, the character of Odd Thomas, and the delightful relationship between Odd and Romanovich. There are a lot of good things about it.
I have not read Dean Kontz in many years. I had forgotten how supernatural he can be. I just could not like or care what happened.
Closer to a 3 star rating than a true 2. I chose this book to get me out of a "reading fallow time" and while it might not be the best pick for that it did make me want to read again - because there are so much better books out there.
This is a very simple story in a closed scenario (a monastery) and even though it's the 3rd book on the series, I never thought I was missing out on some finer points of the overall story by jumping straight into the middle of the saga.
I would say this is a horror summer read if you will: not too scary, uncomplicated storyline and even predictable once you get to a certain part; some nice interactions between characters - even if the dialogue was not the best at times and the characters while nice for the setting, were not memorable for the most part - and as soon as the book is over you will probably never give it much more thought again. Except...I would like to read about Mr. Romanovich adventures....I wonder if Koontz ever thought about doing a spin off on him.
Anyways, being my first foray into Koontz books I was not impressed, but it has served its purpose.
Maybe now I can finish the 2 other books that have been pending forever on my reading list.
This is a very simple story in a closed scenario (a monastery) and even though it's the 3rd book on the series, I never thought I was missing out on some finer points of the overall story by jumping straight into the middle of the saga.
I would say this is a horror summer read if you will: not too scary, uncomplicated storyline and even predictable once you get to a certain part; some nice interactions between characters - even if the dialogue was not the best at times and the characters while nice for the setting, were not memorable for the most part - and as soon as the book is over you will probably never give it much more thought again. Except...I would like to read about Mr. Romanovich adventures....I wonder if Koontz ever thought about doing a spin off on him.
Anyways, being my first foray into Koontz books I was not impressed, but it has served its purpose.
Maybe now I can finish the 2 other books that have been pending forever on my reading list.
I enjoyed this one a lot more than the last one. So far it's my favorite in the series. I liked the relationship between Thomas and the Russian and his connection with the children. Highly recommend.
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely love this book. I read it in 2 days because I couldn't put it down. Dean Koontz is an amazing author and it doesn't surprise me with what his mind conjures up.
My favorite Odd Thomas book yet. A little further out there than the other 2, but still very good.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This book is pretty outdated and made me cringe. The last quarter of the book is pretty good, but it doesn’t make up for how slow the first 75% is. I also really dislike the humor and dialogue and Odd’s character. The supporting character were passable. The idea of the story is really interesting but the writing is painful