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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Abandoned towns, possible contagions, sinister entities. All the elements of a great horror read. The middle 3/4 of the book got a little long winded but the storytelling had such great ambiance.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really enjoy Dean Koontz's writing and how he creates a creepy atmosphere. But when it got to the actual action, the description of death and dying were a bit too visceral for me.. I've become sensitive to violence in my old age. If you've never read Dean Koontz, idk if this is one that I would recommend that you try first, but knowing his writing style, the spookiness and creepy atmosphere were exactly what I was wanting so I'm satisfied with this read.
This was my first Koontz novel. Not a big Science Fiction fan, but it was okay. I am more of a psychological horror fan. I would compare it to the movie The Blob. I didn't really care too much for that movie. Read the afterword and found out that this was his first attempt at horror. Given that, I will give his novels another shot. Maybe I will try Whispers next time.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Honestly, the premise and monster and situation is really really well done. As I was reading I kept thinking of all the movies and books in the 90's that talk about Roanoke that probably took inspiration from this single book. Definitely one of Koontz's best books.
That said, I felt like the romance story line was thin and unnecessary. And the ending felt insistent on trying to inject hope and spirituality into the character's lives, which just felt like pandering to readers who Koontz thought would want a happy ending. It was schmaltzy and dumb. A small part of the book, but one I feel like could have been lopped off completely.
Still, it's a great book and still holds up nearly 50 years after it's release
That said, I felt like the romance story line was thin and unnecessary. And the ending felt insistent on trying to inject hope and spirituality into the character's lives, which just felt like pandering to readers who Koontz thought would want a happy ending. It was schmaltzy and dumb. A small part of the book, but one I feel like could have been lopped off completely.
Still, it's a great book and still holds up nearly 50 years after it's release
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Monster design was cool and symbolic until you learn what it actually is and then it's pretty mid. Characters are boring and does stretch a bit too long.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault
Apparently Dean Koontz resented this book because it labelled him a horror writer. This is a fast-paced and easy to read horror thriller. Some of elements reminded me of the Welcome to Night Vale podcast.
#phantoms #deankoontz #horror #thriller #paperback #book #justread #fiction #american #stephenking #bookstagram #headlinebooks #buylocal #swanbooks
#phantoms #deankoontz #horror #thriller #paperback #book #justread #fiction #american #stephenking #bookstagram #headlinebooks #buylocal #swanbooks
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
medium-paced
