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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Classic Dean Koontz. This novel caught my interest from the first pages, however I was unable to read it over just a day or two - the character of Lee Shackett creeped me out so badly I had to take periodic "rests." Wonderful character development without going over the top (you know those books that give waay too much information that seems totally irrelevant). Woody is a sweetheart; mom Megan a delight without being too goodie two-shows. One of my best reads for 2021.
The first book I read by Dean Koontz was WATCHERS. I loved the characters and adored the dog. Picking this one up, I thought it would be similar however with a passing mention of possible dogs in the past it wasn't. I liked it - more for the dog parts than anything else. I just found there wasn't enough character development and everything happened a little too quickly and the main cast of characters seemed to find everything they needed in a matter of minutes (or so it seemed).
Dean Koontz loves dogs. If you love dogs and Dean Koontz novels, you'll love this one.
Sadly, a let down……. **
In my bedroom is a bookcase with every Koontz novel and short story collection, three of which are signed by him. Needless to say I am a fan.
What I enjoy most about his writing is his mastery of words that make thin plots enjoyable to read. This book fits that to a tee, except for the enjoyable to read part.
One of my favorite novels is Watchers, and this could be described as a sequel to it. Sadly, this one does not have the tension nor story that Watchers had. The characters are poorly developed and true to form the plot is thin, just thinner than most. Unfortunately, the story is completely predictable and upon reaching the end my only thought was, “Okay.”
This book also falls into the trap of when an author is a best seller the editing is not always what it should be. One of the main scenes, and this is not a spoiler, is when the character Shacket is in Megan’s bedroom and he relishes in the smells from the unwashed sheets on her bed, making the point that had they been clean, he would have been disappointed. Later, when she is in bed she notices a stain that should not be there as the housekeeper had just washed the linens. This caused me to come out of the story and go back and check to see if I was correct. To me this is a major flaw in editing.
This one gets two stars.
In my bedroom is a bookcase with every Koontz novel and short story collection, three of which are signed by him. Needless to say I am a fan.
What I enjoy most about his writing is his mastery of words that make thin plots enjoyable to read. This book fits that to a tee, except for the enjoyable to read part.
One of my favorite novels is Watchers, and this could be described as a sequel to it. Sadly, this one does not have the tension nor story that Watchers had. The characters are poorly developed and true to form the plot is thin, just thinner than most. Unfortunately, the story is completely predictable and upon reaching the end my only thought was, “Okay.”
This book also falls into the trap of when an author is a best seller the editing is not always what it should be. One of the main scenes, and this is not a spoiler, is when the character Shacket is in Megan’s bedroom and he relishes in the smells from the unwashed sheets on her bed, making the point that had they been clean, he would have been disappointed. Later, when she is in bed she notices a stain that should not be there as the housekeeper had just washed the linens. This caused me to come out of the story and go back and check to see if I was correct. To me this is a major flaw in editing.
This one gets two stars.
Not my favorite from this author. You get what you expect from one of Koontz's books--a child, a dog, and a mysterious set of circumstances. The boy is autistic and the dog is telepathic. There were some word choices regarding the boy's autism that didn't sit right with me. I'm sure it will do fine with loyal readers of his, but I'll stick with some of the old favorites.
Decent book, bad ending
The slow build up could have led to something more fitting that would have drawn it together, but the ending was lackluster. Not anywhere near my favorite Koontz book.
The slow build up could have led to something more fitting that would have drawn it together, but the ending was lackluster. Not anywhere near my favorite Koontz book.
I always enjoy when Dean Koontz writes about dogs. Especially specially gifted dogs. This is a beautiful story.
A Wonderful Reading
As a fellow golden retriever fan, I was especially enthralled with the story in “Devoted” which contained all the usual ingredients of Koontz’s books; good people, bad people, elements of fantasy and the unbelievable, but best of all, justice and happy endings.
As a fellow golden retriever fan, I was especially enthralled with the story in “Devoted” which contained all the usual ingredients of Koontz’s books; good people, bad people, elements of fantasy and the unbelievable, but best of all, justice and happy endings.
A fantastic story that paired thriller, mystery aspects with the heartwarming relationship between dogs and their people. I enjoyed the whole thing and would definitely recommend.