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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Look, I tried. I really did.
I've never read Koontz before. Knew of him, obviously. A giant in the horror field. Yet somehow had never picked one up.
So two were recommended to me.
Apparently this is one of his best.
Expectations have been lowered for the other one.
I could live with the first 140-odd pages being used to set characters up if those characters were well drawn.
I could live with a dog being fed chocolate on the grounds people might not known it was bad for them back in '87 when this was written.
I'll even try and get past the black guy being friends with a white guy "despite" being black - although that was a hard one to walk past.
But it's just not that well written.
It's lazy, it's unnecessarily sexual (do we really need to know that the knickers the assailant is about to stuff into his female victim's mouth are "skimpy"?), and - unforgivably for a horror thriller – it's just dull.
The story sounds great, and we get off to a good start with odd doings in the woods....
....but then he starts trying to weave four different narratives together.
And it's not done well.
I'm glad people like his work and that Koontz had brought pleasure to his readers.
Sadly, unless the other book I have is amazing, I won't be joining them.
I've never read Koontz before. Knew of him, obviously. A giant in the horror field. Yet somehow had never picked one up.
So two were recommended to me.
Apparently this is one of his best.
Expectations have been lowered for the other one.
I could live with the first 140-odd pages being used to set characters up if those characters were well drawn.
I could live with a dog being fed chocolate on the grounds people might not known it was bad for them back in '87 when this was written.
I'll even try and get past the black guy being friends with a white guy "despite" being black - although that was a hard one to walk past.
But it's just not that well written.
It's lazy, it's unnecessarily sexual (do we really need to know that the knickers the assailant is about to stuff into his female victim's mouth are "skimpy"?), and - unforgivably for a horror thriller – it's just dull.
The story sounds great, and we get off to a good start with odd doings in the woods....
....but then he starts trying to weave four different narratives together.
And it's not done well.
I'm glad people like his work and that Koontz had brought pleasure to his readers.
Sadly, unless the other book I have is amazing, I won't be joining them.
This is the first book I've read by Dean Koontz and I must say it didn't very much impress me. He may have better stories out there, but nothing here was impressive enough for me to really want to check it out.
The highlight of the book was the dog and that's because I love animals. A cliche scientfic study smart dog escapes from captivity and changes the life of 2 people and starts a love story. But this book is a "thriller" so what was so thrilling? Yeah, the dog gets sick and that was the most intense moment of the book... Oh right, there is also a demonic monster that escaped from the lab decapitating people and chasing down the dog... Yeah, scary. It really isn't that thrilling and the book tends to focus more on the romance of the two main characters and the dog. So yeah, that makes the dog the most interesting character.
The dog is fun, learns throughout the book and communicates with humans through different means. For some reason, it seems to take way to long for them to realize how to communicate with the dog. I felt no threat to the characters throughout the book, the little that was there just wasn't interesting. When it comes down to it, this felt more like a romance than a thriller. I like the dog, that's about it for this book.
2/5, just not that great a book. Easy to read, but not all that interesting.
The highlight of the book was the dog and that's because I love animals. A cliche scientfic study smart dog escapes from captivity and changes the life of 2 people and starts a love story. But this book is a "thriller" so what was so thrilling? Yeah, the dog gets sick and that was the most intense moment of the book... Oh right, there is also a demonic monster that escaped from the lab decapitating people and chasing down the dog... Yeah, scary. It really isn't that thrilling and the book tends to focus more on the romance of the two main characters and the dog. So yeah, that makes the dog the most interesting character.
The dog is fun, learns throughout the book and communicates with humans through different means. For some reason, it seems to take way to long for them to realize how to communicate with the dog. I felt no threat to the characters throughout the book, the little that was there just wasn't interesting. When it comes down to it, this felt more like a romance than a thriller. I like the dog, that's about it for this book.
2/5, just not that great a book. Easy to read, but not all that interesting.
read this one for book club... 2nd half was enjoyable...
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Dean Koontz and I just don't work - I think the premise is good but his writing style and I just don't vibe. I pushed really hard for my book club but I can't do it anymore. Sorry.
2.5/5
this book opens really strong. man finds dog in the woods and they end up on the run from an unknown horror? pretty cool.
and then the real horror starts…. dean koontz’s writing.
okay fine, it’s not THAT bad. there were bits and pieces of this story that were fun to read (basically any moments involving the outsider, who was my favorite character), but there was a lot of it that came across as pretty amateurish to me.
for a book this long, i kind of hoped for more meaningful character development. it feels like nobody is really wrangling with any conflicting feelings once you’re about a third of the way through. there’s just a lot of unimpressive romance and then some stuff about vince murdering people. which never really went anywhere interesting. it all felt flat, and while i don’t think every book needs to be some outstanding character study or something really deep and impactful, it should at least have something.
this book’s “something” comes in the form of a scientifically enhanced dog named einstein, who i was enjoying right up until he became literate. and then, sad as it is to say, i was fed up with the genius dog. full disclosure, i’m not a dog person. i like them but am not like, crazy about them. so if you’re a dog lover this book probably hits a lot differently.
and then there’s the finale, which i could tell was going to feel rushed when i got there and realized how much book was left in my hand. and it really was just like…. “and then everything happened all at once and it was over.” literally what was vince’s character for?
i don’t find this story to be that profound, but i like this quote: “We have a responsibility to stand watch over one another, we are watchers, all of us, watchers, guarding against the darkness.” i think it sums up the meaning of the book pretty well which is, from what i gathered, that love is what makes us whole. and you should get
just read frankenstein instead
this book opens really strong. man finds dog in the woods and they end up on the run from an unknown horror? pretty cool.
and then the real horror starts…. dean koontz’s writing.
okay fine, it’s not THAT bad. there were bits and pieces of this story that were fun to read (basically any moments involving the outsider, who was my favorite character), but there was a lot of it that came across as pretty amateurish to me.
for a book this long, i kind of hoped for more meaningful character development. it feels like nobody is really wrangling with any conflicting feelings once you’re about a third of the way through. there’s just a lot of unimpressive romance and then some stuff about vince murdering people. which never really went anywhere interesting. it all felt flat, and while i don’t think every book needs to be some outstanding character study or something really deep and impactful, it should at least have something.
this book’s “something” comes in the form of a scientifically enhanced dog named einstein, who i was enjoying right up until he became literate. and then, sad as it is to say, i was fed up with the genius dog. full disclosure, i’m not a dog person. i like them but am not like, crazy about them. so if you’re a dog lover this book probably hits a lot differently.
and then there’s the finale, which i could tell was going to feel rushed when i got there and realized how much book was left in my hand. and it really was just like…. “and then everything happened all at once and it was over.” literally what was vince’s character for?
i don’t find this story to be that profound, but i like this quote: “We have a responsibility to stand watch over one another, we are watchers, all of us, watchers, guarding against the darkness.” i think it sums up the meaning of the book pretty well which is, from what i gathered, that love is what makes us whole. and you should get
just read frankenstein instead
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not a huge horror fan (and actually this isn't sci fi really, but I refuse to create a horror shelf) though I have been known to enjoy some early King. Dean Koontz isn't even a poor man's King, really. Also, his cursory, driveby descriptions of Santa Barbara really amused this SB native.
However, I will say, this book FREAKED MY SHIT OUT. Creepy, evil monster dog of doom vs intelligent talking doggie. Yikes. So, hats off for the Make Holly Not Want to Go to the Bathroom at Midnight-ness.
However, I will say, this book FREAKED MY SHIT OUT. Creepy, evil monster dog of doom vs intelligent talking doggie. Yikes. So, hats off for the Make Holly Not Want to Go to the Bathroom at Midnight-ness.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced