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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
Really 2.5 stars, but I'm in a good mood. At its best, it's reliably trashy fun, though the continued references to the crazy '90s instantly date it.
Enjoyable early 90's Koontz thriller. Good guys vs. a supernatural baddy with a "good boy" too (a doggo, for the initiated) with POV chapters, which are always fun.
If my calculations are sound, this is my 53rd Koontz novel. I had kinda given up on him for awhile there, all his books being so similar in the late aughts. I would have to check to confirm but I think this is the first Koontz I've read in half a decade. I'm kind of inspired to look back and fill in the 80's & 90's titles of his I missed. He was so dependably great back then.
The plot of this one is that a group of people come under attack (separately) from a sociopathic killer with powerful supernatural abilities that make him nigh unstoppable. On top of that, he gives a bunch of them the Evil Dead II deadline: "Dead by Dawn!" Great setup for a Koontz novel.
If my calculations are sound, this is my 53rd Koontz novel. I had kinda given up on him for awhile there, all his books being so similar in the late aughts. I would have to check to confirm but I think this is the first Koontz I've read in half a decade. I'm kind of inspired to look back and fill in the 80's & 90's titles of his I missed. He was so dependably great back then.
The plot of this one is that a group of people come under attack (separately) from a sociopathic killer with powerful supernatural abilities that make him nigh unstoppable. On top of that, he gives a bunch of them the Evil Dead II deadline: "Dead by Dawn!" Great setup for a Koontz novel.
this book started off really slow for me started it Sunday only read a few pages before putting it down and didn't pick it back up till Wednesday. thankfully it picked up and while its not as good as some of my fave Dean Koontz books such as Watchers and Life Expectancy, I enjoyed it. He really loves his heroic dog characters
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Oh, man. Koontz, you're killing me.
I write a lot. I've written since I was eleven years old, everything from thriller to horror to nonfiction to fantasy, and I'm all the better for it now, more than seven years later. I don't think my writing was very good a year ago, and I'm still not convinced it's that great today. This book, Dragon Tears, reads like it was written by an eleven-year-old kid. Assuming, of course, that I know what an eleven-year-old kid writes like. For instance: random plot twists that make no sense in the context of the story. Characters that seem to edit themselves for a particular age, using words like "geek", "peabrain", and "jerk", when just slightly stronger language would have cut right to the core. Dialogue that would never, ever emanate from any living person's mouth, under any circumstances (my personal favorite: "More like teleportation. It goes from one place to another, poof, without physically traveling the distance in between." And then, as if that weren't bad enough, his partner proceeds to throw up her hands and shout, "Beam me up, Scotty!"). A host of characters with inexplicable relationships that link up at the end to form a completely unpalatable deus ex machina (or rather, deus ex dog) climax (or rather, anticlimax). An antagonist that is not in the least bit scary, nor threatening, nor unpredictable. Main characters with drab personalities, token life histories, and no particular reason for any of the deeds they commit, fair or foul. This is writing for the sake of writing, dull horror-thriller slag for the sake of publication and profit. You were great in your prime, Koontz old pal (i.e., The Mask, Demon Seed, The Bad Place, essentially everything before 1992), but you've fallen way off. Sorry.
I write a lot. I've written since I was eleven years old, everything from thriller to horror to nonfiction to fantasy, and I'm all the better for it now, more than seven years later. I don't think my writing was very good a year ago, and I'm still not convinced it's that great today. This book, Dragon Tears, reads like it was written by an eleven-year-old kid. Assuming, of course, that I know what an eleven-year-old kid writes like. For instance: random plot twists that make no sense in the context of the story. Characters that seem to edit themselves for a particular age, using words like "geek", "peabrain", and "jerk", when just slightly stronger language would have cut right to the core. Dialogue that would never, ever emanate from any living person's mouth, under any circumstances (my personal favorite: "More like teleportation. It goes from one place to another, poof, without physically traveling the distance in between." And then, as if that weren't bad enough, his partner proceeds to throw up her hands and shout, "Beam me up, Scotty!"). A host of characters with inexplicable relationships that link up at the end to form a completely unpalatable deus ex machina (or rather, deus ex dog) climax (or rather, anticlimax). An antagonist that is not in the least bit scary, nor threatening, nor unpredictable. Main characters with drab personalities, token life histories, and no particular reason for any of the deeds they commit, fair or foul. This is writing for the sake of writing, dull horror-thriller slag for the sake of publication and profit. You were great in your prime, Koontz old pal (i.e., The Mask, Demon Seed, The Bad Place, essentially everything before 1992), but you've fallen way off. Sorry.
I can actually say I hated this book. I thought it was poorly written and never really got anywhere. Lots of useless description, too many POV changes, characters that didnt make me feel anything. Interesting concept but it just never got there. Glad I am done it.
I like Dean Koontz but after this Im not sure I will be reading any more of his books.
I like Dean Koontz but after this Im not sure I will be reading any more of his books.
This book was a very enjoyable read. I think if you’re the type of person who enjoys serial killer lore and psychology, this would be a fun read! That being said, this is definitely not making it onto any must-read lists of mine anytime soon. The plot points were a bit too cheesy and some of the dialogue felt a bit off at times, but overall I think this book is good for people who want something fun to read and have some extra time on their hands.