Customer Reviews

Bad Place

5 star:		(95)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Frank Pollard is completely terrified and perplexed upon waking in the middle of an alleyway. He has no idea why he is there or who he is. He remembers his name, but hasnt a clue as to how old he is, where he lives, what he does for work...all he knows is that something or someone is after him for reasons he cant guess...he has to run or die - there is no other choice. While on the run, hopping from one motel to the next, Franks fears begin to escalate as upon waking he is met with one new shock after another. One morning he wakes covered in blood, another morning he is fully clothed and covered in sand after having crawled into bed clean and in his pajamas - and he has absolutely no memory of what events took place. Frank needs help, but because he cant remember who he is, he has no idea who his friends are; whom can he trust? Thats where Bobby and Julie Dakota come in. Frank hires the team of Private Investigators to watch him, follow his every move, monitor him as he sleeps...only NO ONE expected what is ultimately revealed.
The Bad Place was a good, entertaining read. It wasnt a favorite of mine, but still worth it. I am finding that any Koontz book is pretty much a safe bet. The man can write. His characters are so well drawn and his mind comes up with wild and unpredictable turns. I just love his mind. If you have never read Koontz before, I highly recommmend him.

If a Koontz book like this can't scare you- nothing will!! One of his best in my opinion, The Bad Place is about true evil. Beware if you are reading this before you go to bed. But don't worry- when you finish, there are many other Koontz books to satisfy your appetite! You'll be hooked.

There are so many positive things to say about "The Bad Place". It was thoroughly absorbing and suspenseful from beginning to end, never failing to entertain. As usual, Dean Koontz writes about the horrific and bizarre with an eloquent flair. I was really taken in by the character of Bobby. Everybody KNOWS a Bobby...and loves them! Some of the dialogue between Bobby and his wife was hilarious. (I can't remember ever laughing out loud while reading a Koontz novel until now) There is only one reason I didn't give "The Bad Place" a 5 star rating; I got the feeling that the last quarter of the story was rushed and possibly not as well thought out as the rest of the book. Even so, it was a great read and I highly recommend it.

I just finished reading The Bad Place and it was a good book. At first I did not think I was going to be able to get into it. Not that it was low to start, on the contrary it started with a bang. Just for one reason or another I didn't feel it. Well as the story went on the story continued to get better and I ended up really liking it. There was just something there that I can't explain that kept me from rating the book as great.

The charcters are very good. The only one I didn't greatly care for was Mrs. Dakoda. Dean seemed to be trying to make her a little to tough. This is a very, very small flaw though and another reader my not feel that way at all. The villians were very Unique and well thought out. I have never encountered anything quite like them anywhere else.

If you like Koontz and are a fan of this type of story, then I would recommend this book, but there are better Koontz books out there.

The Bad Place is a wonderful novel which combines suspense, mystery and horror into a thrilling book that will keep you on the edge of your seat from cover to cover. This book definetly deserves five stars because of its spectacular descriptions of the characters and their emotions, and the plot which leaves you in a whirlwind of excitement. You haven't read anything until you have read The Bad Place by Dean Koontz.

Howdy Folks. Well, I've reread most of this book recently, seeing how it is my favorite Koontz book and all, and I'm almost as impressed w/ it now as i was the 1st time through. Bobby and Julie Dakota are definitely, beyond the shadow of a doubt my fav koontz protagonists. as for the story...it's scifi, horror, suspense, mystery, comedy, and romance. This mixture of genres makes this novel a bit seminal, I think. There's a film called DARK CITY which its director, Alex Proyas, said was his attempt to create a film that's a hybrid of the SCIFI and MYSTERY genres. That's almost EXACTLY what koontz does w/ this book. Makes me wonder if DArk City's director/writer Proyas has read this novel. those who have seen the film will know what i mean. Anyway, this novel is sheer delight. Koontz has never done better, although i have liked nearly all of them. Kontgrants, Koontz, for a great novel!

.....I loved it. The Bad Place was recommended by a friend, and it seemed to be a good idea. I had read a few of Koontz's other books, and tried it out. The novel was one in a million, and to this day my favorite by Koontz. I've found that I can't make it all the way through some of his books because they drag, but I found The Bad Place a steady paced story. His blend of horror and sci-fi are really key elements to the book, and seem to lace together very well, creating one of the most interesting books by him. I felt a bit dissapointed by aspects of the book, but to me the Bad Place is worth a look.

Frank Pollard wakes up in an alley, not knowing where he was or how he had gotten there with the phrase "Fireflies in a windstorm..." flying through his mind. He does not know what the phrase means, but he knows that he has to get out of there and fast before he gets killed. Hiding out in a motel, Frank wakes up and again finds he does not remember what has happened, even though his hands are covered in blood. It only takes a few days of waking up in different motels and finding strange objects in his hand and pockets for Frank to start being very afraid of going to sleep.

So he turns to the husband and wife detective team of Bobby and Julie Dakota to watch over him. The Dakotas usually do corporate security investigations, but Frank is so desperate they cannot turn him down. Besides, they are rather curious as to what is really going on with Frank's blackouts and following a client who wants to be watched should be easy. But when Frank goes to sleep the Dakotas learn that where the goes is beyond belief and they first glimpse the forbidding figure that is following Frank. Now all of their lives are at risk on what proves to be the final case for Dakota & Dakota.

"The Bad Place" is what Thomas, Julie's brother, calls death. Thomas has Down's-syndrome and he is at risk in what is happening as well as the Dakotas learn that there are bad places in the real world. Once again Koontz provides a solid hook for getting you involved in the story and how much you like this novel will come down to what you think about the answers to the big questions. Certainly you will not see them coming, which is a good thing because predictability is what dooms most horror stories, which first and foremost "The Bad Place" happens to be. Just because there are private investigators do not think that this is a legitimate mystery novel where you are supposed to be the one solving the clues, because that is not how this novel works. The dynamic between Bobby and Julie gives Koontz an opportunity to inject some humor into the proceedings, although it will be Thomas whom you will find to be most sympathetic.

I rounded up because overall I liked the ending, which is usually where such books disappoint me. Specifically, I liked the way the aftermath played out so that I thought "The Bad Place" ended in a good place, relatively speaking. There are a lot of different elements that Koontz keeps in the air in this one (enumerating them would give away too much of the game), and he takes pains to explain most of them so that you are able and willing to go along for the ride.

"Frank Pollard awakens in an alley, knowing nothing but his name and that he is in great danger. Having taken refuge in a motel, he wakes again only to find his hands covered in blood. As far as he knows, he's no killer. But whose blood is this and how did it get there? Over the next few days Frank develops a fear of sleep, because each time he wakes he discovers strange objects in his hands and pockets - far more frightening than blood."

Enter our heroes, Bobby and Julie Dakota. Frank hires them to keep an eye on him and figure out where he is going, what he is doing and why.

In typical Koontz fashion, this book starts off fast and gets your heart pumping. You can imagine yourself with Frank running for your life and with Bobby in the back of his Dodge van conducting surveillance. Unfortunately, after this portion of the book climaxes, Koontz slams on the breaks and brings you almost to a halt. It's like going from 80 to 5 MPH in a few seconds.

Though it slows down, the book doesn't come to a complete stop. I didn't find this book to be a real page-turner, like many of Mr. Koontz novels, until about the last 100 pages or so, and then I couldn't put it down. It also wasn't until this point that I realized that I had read this book before. I'm not saying that the reader will feel bogged down, it just slows down and is less exciting for awhile.

I really liked the character of Tommy. Tommy suffered from Downs Syndrome though Mr. Koontz showed him in a light that made me wonder if people with Downs Syndrome really suffer and are they really smarter then we think and only have a hard time formulating their thoughts into words to communicate with us verbally.

Mr. Koontz writing style is one that I enjoy. He has a way of setting scenes and painting the characters without going into extreme detail like authors such as Stephen King.

This book, unlike some of his others, doesn't revolve around some experiment that went wrong or anything like that. You will be shocked (maybe a strong word) when you find out what is going on.

If you like good writing, a good plot, Great characters make this book a must read especially if you are a big Koontz fan. For first time Koontz readers I would recommend one of his novels such as Face of Fear, Icebound or Sole Survivor.

I always have a hard time comparing authors to other authors and this is no exception. To me, the most logical comparison would be to Stephen King. If you like King, you will definitely like Koontz.

Some of the other titles I have read by this author are listed below.

Dark Rivers of the Heart (Prometheus Award)
Face of Fear
Fear Nothing (Bram Stoker Award)
From the Corner of His Eye
House of Thunder, The
Icebound
Intensity
Key to Midnight, The
Lightning
Midnight (Bram Stoker Award)
Sole Survivor
Ticktock

Note: The items in parenthesis are awards, which that book, was nominated for.

In all, Mr. Koontz has been nominated for the following awards.

Hugo
World Fantasy Award
Bram Stoker Award (3)
Prometheus Award

I cannot believe that there are so many favorable reviews of this book. I have enjoyed many Dean Koontz books, but this is one does not fall in that category. There is enough going on in the plot for two or three books, but unfortunately the parts do not add up to a satisfactory whole. Koontz has so many other books to choose from -- don't waste your time with this one.