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rlisaacs's review against another edition
5.0
There will be spoilers ahead, so the majority of my review will be hidden this time. You've been warned before you open the spoiler. MAJOR SPOILERS for how this ends. But... I can't not talk about it, hence it being hidden below.
For those who want to avoid that, I understand, and I leave you with this much. I. Love. Odd. Thomas. He is just... the purest soul I think I've ever read in a book. That's not to say he's perfect or anything. He's a character with his flaws, like all great characters are. But his aversion to violence, yet his willingness to resort to it when it is truly necessary to save people? His ability to be terrified of what might come next, yet he's willing to push forward and keep going if it means he can help all the people he possibly can? His love for his friends and his found family. I just... I love this character. And I am so happy to have read this book, and also so sad that this series is over.
Five stars. Five fully smooth and blue stars.
For me to give a book five stars when it made me cry, says a lot about how good it really is. I don't read books to cry. I don't want to read books that I think are going to make me cry. I have been known to do extensive research about a book I'm considering, to ensure that I'm 99% positive it's going to have an HEA, and it's not going to make me cry or break my heart. And yet here I am, at the end of the Odd Thomas road, and I'm crying.
And what's so awesome about that is that it's a mixture of happy tears and sad tears all at once. I was doing so well at one point. I felt them coming near the end, as Odd's final moments are upon us. Here's where the major spoiler comes in, so brace yourself...
Odd dies. Yes. If you've been reading the rest of the books though, you already knew this was where we were heading. We've known that for a while. I have been both dreading and looking forward to it at the same time. Looking forward to it, because we all want to know that the promise that mattered most to him gets kept in the end. "You are destined to be together forever." And it does, it's true! And I'm so freaking happy that it is! But he's also gone now! AH!
This book took me back to the amazing feels of the first ones. The later books dive into exceptionally dark territory, with entities being called upon and strange happenings taking place that I wasn't fully prepared for in these books, but that intrigued me all the same. In this book, we know those things are real in this universe, but we see them less. We more see Odd using his sixth sense to try and thwart yet another, and far more deadly, catastrophe from taking place in his beloved home town, similar to the first book where this all started. But Odd has learned a few things since then. He understands better what holes rest in his own understanding, and he tries harder to accommodate for that, or to try and work around them as best he can. (Which is hard, considering there's still so much he doesn't understand, but gosh-darn-it, our boy tries.)
Still spoiling things, I'm warning you again. Ultimately, through determination, grit, faith, and some luck... Odd manages to be our hero again. A hero who will deny that he really is a hero down to his last breath. And you guys... that is what has ultimately done me in for this book. Our boy dies and gets his promise kept to him, and he's happy in the new reality that has been presented to him in death.
And then the final chapter, which isn't even Odd's. Ozzie, one of his surrogate fathers throughout this series, is the author of that one final chapter. He's also, we come to find out, the person who has provided each of the titles for all of the Odd Thomas manuscripts that Odd entrusted to him to only publish upon his death. And he entitled this final book "Saint Odd" and his description of Odd himself... just... read it...
"I never considered any title but 'Saint Odd'." .... "But what other word so well fits a young man who would give his life to save a friend or even an innocent stranger, and who, in giving it, would think he had not done enough?"
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the exact perfect description of our beloved Odd Thomas. And that is what finally crashed through the dams I'd been trying to hold my tears back with.
This was an amazing ride. I love, love, love Odd Thomas. And I will miss him dearly. (Yes, I'm aware I can reread the books whenever I want, but it will never be the same again.)
For those who want to avoid that, I understand, and I leave you with this much. I. Love. Odd. Thomas. He is just... the purest soul I think I've ever read in a book. That's not to say he's perfect or anything. He's a character with his flaws, like all great characters are. But his aversion to violence, yet his willingness to resort to it when it is truly necessary to save people? His ability to be terrified of what might come next, yet he's willing to push forward and keep going if it means he can help all the people he possibly can? His love for his friends and his found family. I just... I love this character. And I am so happy to have read this book, and also so sad that this series is over.
Five stars. Five fully smooth and blue stars.
Spoiler
To those who have ventured down here... I'm crying.For me to give a book five stars when it made me cry, says a lot about how good it really is. I don't read books to cry. I don't want to read books that I think are going to make me cry. I have been known to do extensive research about a book I'm considering, to ensure that I'm 99% positive it's going to have an HEA, and it's not going to make me cry or break my heart. And yet here I am, at the end of the Odd Thomas road, and I'm crying.
And what's so awesome about that is that it's a mixture of happy tears and sad tears all at once. I was doing so well at one point. I felt them coming near the end, as Odd's final moments are upon us. Here's where the major spoiler comes in, so brace yourself...
Odd dies. Yes. If you've been reading the rest of the books though, you already knew this was where we were heading. We've known that for a while. I have been both dreading and looking forward to it at the same time. Looking forward to it, because we all want to know that the promise that mattered most to him gets kept in the end. "You are destined to be together forever." And it does, it's true! And I'm so freaking happy that it is! But he's also gone now! AH!
This book took me back to the amazing feels of the first ones. The later books dive into exceptionally dark territory, with entities being called upon and strange happenings taking place that I wasn't fully prepared for in these books, but that intrigued me all the same. In this book, we know those things are real in this universe, but we see them less. We more see Odd using his sixth sense to try and thwart yet another, and far more deadly, catastrophe from taking place in his beloved home town, similar to the first book where this all started. But Odd has learned a few things since then. He understands better what holes rest in his own understanding, and he tries harder to accommodate for that, or to try and work around them as best he can. (Which is hard, considering there's still so much he doesn't understand, but gosh-darn-it, our boy tries.)
Still spoiling things, I'm warning you again. Ultimately, through determination, grit, faith, and some luck... Odd manages to be our hero again. A hero who will deny that he really is a hero down to his last breath. And you guys... that is what has ultimately done me in for this book. Our boy dies and gets his promise kept to him, and he's happy in the new reality that has been presented to him in death.
And then the final chapter, which isn't even Odd's. Ozzie, one of his surrogate fathers throughout this series, is the author of that one final chapter. He's also, we come to find out, the person who has provided each of the titles for all of the Odd Thomas manuscripts that Odd entrusted to him to only publish upon his death. And he entitled this final book "Saint Odd" and his description of Odd himself... just... read it...
"I never considered any title but 'Saint Odd'." .... "But what other word so well fits a young man who would give his life to save a friend or even an innocent stranger, and who, in giving it, would think he had not done enough?"
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the exact perfect description of our beloved Odd Thomas. And that is what finally crashed through the dams I'd been trying to hold my tears back with.
This was an amazing ride. I love, love, love Odd Thomas. And I will miss him dearly. (Yes, I'm aware I can reread the books whenever I want, but it will never be the same again.)
jonnyj's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
roseleaf24's review against another edition
4.0
The writing is every bit as engaging as usual, and I appreciate the ending, but I would have liked a little more about how everything else resolved.
brooksdac's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
Odd is almost unrecognizable as a character. Comparing the first book to this one is so disappointing. None of the subplots are resolved and the writing is just so boring and weird. The dialogue is painful.
nancy33's review against another edition
2.0
A disappointing end to a great series. Most of the book was devoted to people chasing Odd, very little of the usual interesting plot twists and fantasy elements.
xatanika's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
4.0
marieklaire's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-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? Yes
1.0
thequeenoftoads's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.5
Insufferable.
That would be how I would describe this series.
Odd Thomas is insufferable. "I'm just a fry cook" modest from beginning to end. I stuck with the whole series because:
1) It was cheaper to buy the box set than the first three books in the series.
2) I wanted some explanation for the bodachs and the black rooms.
3) I'm stubbornly optimistic. Or just stubborn.
Every character speaks in the same cadence.
Koontz seems to think that speaking in riddles is the only character trait so much that multiple character in the series talk like that. Its... Insufferable.
Everyone, especially Odd is glib even in the face of horror.
It's repetitive.
He doesn't even try to mask his own opinions and philosophies.
So much of the stories after book one is Odd running around. It's all action.
So much potential that I wish that younger Koontz had written this. Pre-Seize the Night Koontz. Or maybe another author who would have ignored his fat friend's advice to keep it light and gone dark. (Did you know that Ozzy is fat? Or did you miss the hundredth mention of that? How great is Odd that he loves these people who are "ugly"?!).
And then it all just kind of ends.
The only answer you get is to who Annamaria is and it is... underwhelming.
That would be how I would describe this series.
Odd Thomas is insufferable. "I'm just a fry cook" modest from beginning to end. I stuck with the whole series because:
1) It was cheaper to buy the box set than the first three books in the series.
2) I wanted some explanation for the bodachs and the black rooms.
3) I'm stubbornly optimistic. Or just stubborn.
Every character speaks in the same cadence.
Koontz seems to think that speaking in riddles is the only character trait so much that multiple character in the series talk like that. Its... Insufferable.
Everyone, especially Odd is glib even in the face of horror.
It's repetitive.
He doesn't even try to mask his own opinions and philosophies.
So much of the stories after book one is Odd running around. It's all action.
So much potential that I wish that younger Koontz had written this. Pre-Seize the Night Koontz. Or maybe another author who would have ignored his fat friend's advice to keep it light and gone dark. (Did you know that Ozzy is fat? Or did you miss the hundredth mention of that? How great is Odd that he loves these people who are "ugly"?!).
And then it all just kind of ends.
The only answer you get is to who Annamaria is and it is... underwhelming.
woody1881's review against another edition
3.0
When I started this, I did not realize it was the last in the series. I will miss the adventures of Odd Thomas. Very good story, and very good Audible performance.
I read other reviews and realized that there is a lot left to be desired in this last book. There were so many loose ends and questions that never get answered. My main issue, as I ponder it, is the amount of potential for future books left on the table. The story is great, but this last book was, as another reviewer stated, lazy.
I read other reviews and realized that there is a lot left to be desired in this last book. There were so many loose ends and questions that never get answered. My main issue, as I ponder it, is the amount of potential for future books left on the table. The story is great, but this last book was, as another reviewer stated, lazy.