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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Strangers" keeps the mystery alive with a compelling cast of unique characters. Though some parts feel slow, the suspense makes it a gripping read.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dean Koontz’s Strangers is a towering, 900-page epic that somehow never feels bloated. It’s suspenseful, philosophical, and—like most of Koontz’s best work—rooted in deeply human fears and questions. The premise alone is gripping: a group of seemingly unrelated individuals scattered across the country are all experiencing bizarre, life-disrupting symptoms—crippling phobias, memory blackouts, and existential dread. Something connects them, but what? Koontz masterfully draws out this mystery over hundreds of pages without ever losing momentum. The suspense builds steadily, shifting between characters and perspectives, each storyline as compelling as the next. There were stretches where I found myself flying through pages, muttering, “What the heck is happening?” in the best possible way.
What really elevates Strangers, though, is the combination of high-stakes suspense and thoughtful, literary prose. Koontz isn’t just telling a thrilling story; he’s asking big questions about suffering, belief, and what it means to be human. The dialogue and character reflections veer into philosophy and theology, but never in a way that feels heavy-handed. The book has moments of beauty, insight, and real emotional weight. While Koontz has always been slightly more hit-or-miss for me than Stephen King, Strangers makes a strong case that they should be considered peers. It’s dense but deliberate, ambitious without being pretentious, and—despite its size—completely immersive. If you enjoy suspense that’s both smart and supernatural, this book is absolutely worth the time.
What really elevates Strangers, though, is the combination of high-stakes suspense and thoughtful, literary prose. Koontz isn’t just telling a thrilling story; he’s asking big questions about suffering, belief, and what it means to be human. The dialogue and character reflections veer into philosophy and theology, but never in a way that feels heavy-handed. The book has moments of beauty, insight, and real emotional weight. While Koontz has always been slightly more hit-or-miss for me than Stephen King, Strangers makes a strong case that they should be considered peers. It’s dense but deliberate, ambitious without being pretentious, and—despite its size—completely immersive. If you enjoy suspense that’s both smart and supernatural, this book is absolutely worth the time.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence
Minor: Death
One of Koontz' better ones. The only criticism I have is the outdated idea of 'primitive' civilizations as inferior or less sophisticated. I choked on the bs over that part but the rest is pretty good.
Plusieurs gens aux États-Unis vivent des événements qui sortent de l'ordinaire. Certains ont des crises de somnambulisme, d'autres ont peur du noir. Tous semblent avoir un élément en commun : une obsession pour la lune. Le tout aurait peut-être un lien avec un motel qu'ils auraient visité l'année précédente.
Avant de lire ce livre, je ne connaissais pas l'auteur Dean Koontz. Je ne savais donc pas à quoi m'attendre avec ce roman. Je dois avouer que je suis agréablement surpris par le style de l'auteur. J'étais incapable d'arrêter de lire et les informations arrivaient au compte-goutte. C'est certain qu'on voit arriver la fin mais en même temps on veut savoir ce qui va arriver.
C'est un des très bon suspense que j'ai eu la chance de lire.
Avant de lire ce livre, je ne connaissais pas l'auteur Dean Koontz. Je ne savais donc pas à quoi m'attendre avec ce roman. Je dois avouer que je suis agréablement surpris par le style de l'auteur. J'étais incapable d'arrêter de lire et les informations arrivaient au compte-goutte. C'est certain qu'on voit arriver la fin mais en même temps on veut savoir ce qui va arriver.
C'est un des très bon suspense que j'ai eu la chance de lire.
Whew! This was a good, long listen. I enjoy long books with lots of characters with a story line that keeps evolving. People living in various areas of the country begin having similar strange experiences…super power level weirdness. They eventually meet up in California and things become even stranger. I’m a fan of Koontz and enjoyed this one.
This is one of those books I wish I could read again for the first time. I loved the build up to the revelation of the source of the mysterious events.