Brother Odd: A Novel (Odd Thomas Novels) [Kindle Edition]

Dean Koontz (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rarely has a character been so instantly embraced by readers as Koontz's unlikely hero, Odd Thomas, the wise and gentle fry cook, who just happens to see dead people. It is just as rare for a narrator to so perfectly capture the essence of a character that it is hard to imagine anyone else giving him voice, but such is the case with Baker. In this third adventure, Odd has left his hometown and taken up residence in a monastery high in the Sierras. Surrounded by loving but eccentric brothers and sisters, Odd hopes to rest and recover from the horrific events of the last two books. But after he discovers the body of one of the monastery brothers, Odd finds himself going up against a supernatural force that threatens the lives of everyone who lives within the monastery walls. Baker beautifully interprets the first-person narration. Like Odd himself, Baker's delivery is mellow and low key, perfectly fitting Odd's calm, self-possessed point of view. Suspenseful, funny and heartbreakingly sweet, this is a fine, enjoyable production.
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From Booklist

The third adventure of Odd Thomas, the boy (well, he's 21, but still . . .) who sees ghosts, has a lighter feel to it than the gruelingly suspenseful Forever Odd(2005) and the funny and moving Odd Thomas (2003). It's reminiscent of a sunny monster-movie sequel--say, Son of Frankenstein--in which stock characters do their shtick with a wink and a nod: "Dontcha just love us?" In this case, yes, we do. Odd has retreated to a monastery in the Sierra Nevadas that permanently hosts a billionaire physicist in an underground lab. The mogul has given his entire fortune to support the monastery and attached convent in their work of housing and educating severely damaged children, the most interesting of which is now a 25-year-old artistic savant. As the story opens, bodachs--animated shadows that gather in anticipation of lethal violence, which only Odd among the living sees--are invading the children's quarters. Can Odd mitigate the coming cataclysm? Of course he can, despite the arrival of murderous bone creatures and grim Death itself, for the monks include quite a contingent of reformed martial sinners, most memorably Brother Knuckles, formerly of the New Jersey Mob, and another guest, a mysterious Russian librarian from Indianapolis, who is more and different than Odd thinks he is. Koontz salts Odd's narration with some wonderful zingers at the expense of cultural degeneracy and political folly. A darned good time should be had by all readers. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 400 KB
• Print Length: 379 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0553804804
• Publisher: Bantam (June 29, 2007)
• Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000SEIJRY
• Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (274 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,749 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

I was born and raised in Pennsylvania where I graduated from Shippensburg State College (now Shippensburg University). When I was a senior in college, I won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition and have been writing ever since. My first job after graduation was with the Appalachian Poverty Program, where I was expected to counsel and tutor underprivileged children on a one-to-one basis. During my first day on the job, I discovered that the previous occupier of my position had been beaten up by the very kids he had been trying to help and had landed in the hospital for several weeks. The following year was filled with challenge but also tension, and I was more highly motivated than ever to build a career as a writer. I wrote nights and weekends, which I continued to do after leaving the poverty program and going to work as an English teacher in a suburban school district outside Harrisburg. After a year and a half in that position, my wife, Gerda, made me an offer I couldn't refuse: "I'll support you for five years," she said, "and if you can't make it as a writer in that time, you'll never make it." By the end of those five years, Gerda had quit her job to run the business end of my writing career. Gerda and I, along with our dog, Trixie, live in southern California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

118 of 121 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Worthy Sequel to Odd Thomas, December 3, 2006

By 

Thriller Lover (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Brother Odd (Odd Thomas Novels) (Hardcover)

Dean Koontz is one of my favorite writers. He has been writing novels for longer than I've been alive (and I'm approaching middle age!). I've read most of Koontz's fifty plus novels, and I'm happy to say that BROTHER ODD is definitely one of the better ones.

BROTHER ODD is the third in a series of novels featuring the character of Odd Thomas, who Koontz introduced to the world in 2003. Many Koontz fans consider the first ODD THOMAS novel to be one of Koontz's best books, perhaps rivaled only by WATCHERS, his 1980s classic.

I personally agree with this assessment. The first ODD THOMAS was a true masterpiece of popular fiction. It is a remarkably well done novel with a highly imaginative plot and fully-drawn characters. Odd Thomas, the title character, is a enormously likable young man from the small town of Pico Mundo who has the uncanny power to see the lingering dead. He is probably my favorite Koontz character of all time. If you have not read ODD THOMAS, I strongly recommend that you give it a try; Koontz has received more reader mail about that book than any other novel in his forty year writing career.

Due to the overwhelming popularity of ODD THOMAS, Koontz released a lackluster sequel, FOREVER ODD in 2005. That sequel is considered a major disappointment by most fans, lacking the fine characterization and strong plotline of the first book. I personally found it to be Koontz's worst novel in several years. Needless to say, after reading FOREVER ODD, I was not thrilled to learn that Koontz was planning a third entry in the series.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by BROTHER ODD. This novel is a major return to form for Koontz, and is very similar in tone to the first ODD THOMAS novel. I won't rehash the plot, but it involves Odd retreating to a monastery in response to the events of earlier books. This novel has a much stronger plot than FOREVER ODD, and Koontz has wisely decided to spend more time on creating a brand new set of likable and interesting characters. I found this novel to be a pleasure to read. I especially enjoyed the funny and clever dialogue scenes between Odd and the other (highly eccentric) occupants of the monastery.

This novel isn't perfect, however. My major quibble with BROTHER ODD is that it's far too short. BROTHER ODD had a bit of a rushed quality that I found unfortunate. There are a lot of very interesting characters in this novel, but some of them only last for a few pages or so. Koontz writes two or three books a year now, and as a result his novels are dramatically slimmer than they used to be. A shorter length is fine for a fast-paced suspense novel like VELOCITY or THE HUSBAND; but I think the Odd Thomas books should be longer to allow more room for character growth and development. If Koontz had spent a few more months on this novel, he could have produced another masterpiece in my opinion.

Overall though, BROTHER ODD is a winner. If you read and enjoyed the first ODD THOMAS, you should enjoy this third entry. Highly recommended.

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars *********** OH, SIGH **************************, January 8, 2007

By 

Dana Y. Bowles "DYB" (West Chester, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brother Odd (Odd Thomas Novels) (Hardcover)

What can one say? Our beloved Dean Koontz just seems completely unable to recapture the magic readers experienced in the first installment of this trilogy---Odd Thomas. It is only the love affair with Oddie himself which keep many of us (at least myself) coming back for more...
In this, the third of the series, Odd has sought refuge at St. Bartholomew's Abbey. In addition to a religious institution, the Abbey is also a hospital/home to sick, mentally challenged children....who have no one else to care for them. And although the King of Rock 'N Roll is still omnipresent, Oddie can think of no other place more isolated and removed from the ills of the world. Until the day that Odd spots his first bodach, hovering maliciously over one of the children...and realizes that death and destruction will inevitably follow......

The bottom line is that there is no question that Dean Koontz is a great writer...and there is no denying his wit, which is pervasive throughout this novel. However....3/4 of the way through this book, and there is absolutely nothing going on. Endless descriptions of bodachs, hospital hallways, and the infirmed; inane dialogue between Odd and whom we may view at first as an adversary all come together to create an extremely slow-moving tale. With so much potential, the book is almost painful in its disappointment. If not for my love of the ever-quirky Oddie, I would have to let go of this series (clearly, there will be another).

Mr. Koontz has not yet assembled a follow-up worthy of the original Odd Thomas...I am ever-hopeful that eventually he will.


DYB

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Series, Absolutely Perfect!, January 12, 2007

By 

Marion "[e-mail]" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Brother Odd (Odd Thomas Novels) (Hardcover)

I never, ever read a Dean Koontz novel in my life until a few weeks ago when I stumbled across a review of the first 'Odd Thomas' book. I have now read all three of them and I can say that I have never read a series of books with a recurring character that I have enjoyed this much. I hope and pray that there will be MORE!!!!

Odd Thomas is one of the most loveable, humble, engaging and endearing "people" I know....even if he does see ghosts and is only a lowly fry cook! I came away from the series feeling as if I'd made a quirky, sweet, new friend. The scenes with the ghost of Elvis are both bittersweet, heart-rending and funny as hell.

When I finished this book, I was crying my eyes out and my husband walked in shaking his head and said, "I don't think I've ever seen a person crying over a Dean Koontz novel!" I won't give away what made me cry, but it was joyous, poignant, moving and heartrending. I read it again later and cried again.

This is a fabulous, different, enjoyable series and a must-read if you like fabulous characters.