Customer Reviews

One Door Away from Heaven

5 star:		(84)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(50)
2 star:		(47)
1 star:		(47)

 

 

I must admit that I am not usually a fan of Mr. Koontz and his published works. Not that he isn't talented, far from it, it is just that sometimes it takes effort to read his books and follow his line of oft-twisted logic. This book, however, pulled me in from the first page and managed to keep me hooked until the very end. I found myself laughing out loud at times as well. Dean Koontz has crafted a marvelous piece of fiction, and for that he has my praises.
The characters that populate this book are the most memorable that I have come across in any genre. Leilani is hilarious and tragic in her own right- as are Curtis, Old Yeller and Michelina. These people (and animal) seem to jump off the page and become solid representations of the fictional world. I suppose that is what makes this book so great...the characters are beleivable and real.
At its heart, I believe that this novel is a philisophical one, a journey that Koontz wants to take us on so that he can show us some of the truly frightening things that are out there in our world today. While he is not dealing with the fear of fangs and fur, talons and teeth, Dean is showing us that the truth is stranger that fiction.
Koonts takes us on a journey that causes us to question right and wrong and seriously evaluate our morals and beliefs. This is a good thing. Through the eyes of his characters, we gain insight into the lifes of those that are disable, addicted, lost, forgotten and worn out. We also see plenty of compassion, heart and sincerity. This book will make you think. It will make you want to read it over and over again, making sure that you did not miss anything important. I highly suggest this book to readers of any genre, it is one that bridges all gaps.
Told with uncanny wit and humor, it will have you hooked from the first page. I wont reveal any plot details, you can get those from the editorial review put up by AMAZON.COM, but I will say this: If this is the new direction that Dean Koontz will be taking- sign me up on the waiting list for his future novels, perhaps he will become a major mainstay on my bookshelf from now on. Read this book. Think about it, read it again. It is THAT good.

For some reason, even though I like Peter Straub and Stepehn King, I have never been able to get into Dean Koontz. Well, this book is so sharp, original, and compelling that I have not been able to put it down! I am happily surprised to find myself becoming a Dean Koontz fan!

The characters of the book aren't your usual dime-novel fare; they are very unusual, funny, and intelligent. Yet they are also believable. The plot has many elements of bizzareness and realism mixed together to create a sharp-edged collage. From the first chapter, where we meet two characters that you can't help but care about right away, to the actual unfolding of the plot, there isn't a dull moment.

I'm reminded somewhat of "The Talisman" by some parts of this novel, and that's a good thing.

Read it -- you'll like it!!!

Disclaimer: I am a long-standing fan of Koontz's work. Ever since "Strangers" debuted back in 1986, I've been enthralled with the author's unique skill at juggling suspense, technology, and horror atop his overarching theme of individual redemption. In fact, I still have my signed letter from Dean, which he sent to me after I wrote him following "Strangers" (I've never written another author). Right up through "Intensity," Koontz stitched up his plots tighter than any in modern fiction, doling out dread and hope in equally mesmerizing doses. But then the stitching began to unravel.

Following "Intensity," Koontz has slowly degraded into what I can only refer to as "Evangelical Canine Suspense Comedy." Yes, it's certainly a new genre, and as yet untapped, but then "Santanic Feline Sci-fi Parody" would also be a new genre--just not one of interest to me.

Whether you like Koontz's latest, "One Door Away From Heaven," will largely depend on whether you've liked the Christopher Snow novels and his last novel, "From the Corner of His Eye." The same will likely go for whether you will buy the revelation that comes at the end of "One Door," Koontz's idea of the "gift" that will literally save the world. I laughed, and I don't think that was the intended response. No offense to anyone (Dean included) but dogs and feel-good spirituality rarely make for great suspense fiction, and that proves to be the case here.

However, even if you're fond of suspense novels filled with dogs and supreme beings, there is still a major problem with Koontz's writing of late: it's simply too long. Koontz used to rip through his tales, in classics like "Watchers" or "The Bad Place," in under four hundred pages. Of late, he has problems bringing anything in under six hundred pages, and these latter stories are actually leaner than those of old. Even his best novel of the past five years, "False Memory," should have been half its delivered length.

The plot of "One Door" is so bloated and rambling that at times I found myself skipping ahead in frustration. A good editor would have ripped away entire chapters of meandering description. Not only that, but the skeletal plot beneath the fat has huge flaws: one heroine doesn't really live up to the moniker; one major character does essentially nothing related to the main story until the end, and then it's too late; a major death is presented almost as an aside, tossed off with little to no drama.

Yes, the suspense and mood are often intriguing and pull you forward, wondering what is really happening, and the characterizations are often deft. Central to the tale is Leilani Klonk, a nine-year-old born with physical birth defects balanced by a superior mind and great wit. Leilani steals the show, with her dialogue being some of Koontz's best. A pleasure, as well, is Aunt Geneva, an elderly woman who, shot in the head long ago, now confuses her life with that of movies she's seen. Both are nice creations, but neither is substantive enough to boost Dean's latest into the realm of his greatest.

By the end, "One Door" buckles under its own heft and loses severity from its silly, almost child-like philosophy.

I must say after reading "From the Corner of his eye" which was a little slow paced but worth the wait,"One Door Away from Heaven" captured me right from the start and never lost momentum.The story starts with the introduction of Micky Bellsong and Leilani Klonk, whom you immedately feel at home with. The way in wich these two carry on together would make for a good comedy sitcom! The story immedately throws you into a world of a E.T. searching, Phsyco stepdad, doped up mother, and many other wonderfuly interesting characters. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat right up to the last 20 or so pages, Which in my eyes is a big plus!!! I highly recomend this book,Especially if your a die hard Koontz fan!!! Thanks for such a wonderful and thought provoking book Mr. Koontz I am looking for to the next one!!!

It was a relief and a pleasure to read One Door Away, because I was afraid Dean Koontz had lost it with the painful False Memory. After reading F.M. I decided to lay off the author for awhile, but reluctantly picked up his new one. I'm glad I did! The characters are mostly memorable and interesting, the suspense is solid throughout, and the climax and ending are both satisfying. You know the usual Koontz plot device of doling out limited information very gradually before eventually revealing what is really going on? As you're reading it, you're thinking, "Something's going on here, but I can't figure out what..." Then later you're saying, "So THAT'S it!" Well, he does that in this book too, but it's not the dominant aspect of the story. (Thank goodness it isn't dominant ... it's becoming a Koontz cliche.) In fact there are multiple points of view and no less than four major storylines running in parallel, but naturally the writer brings them all together very nicely. At a time when I'm STILL struggling to finish the tedious King/Straub ode Black House, it was great to find a book that's actually entertaining from start to finish. (The reviewer who quit at page 250 should have kept going!) My only minor quibble is I would like to have seen the PI character Noah better developed. He basically disappears a third into the book. But that did not diminish my enjoyment much. Overall, One Door Away From Heaven is a great read.

I hesitate to have a "favorite" Dean Koontz novel. I have read them all and enjoyed some more than others. This is Koontz's first novel since "Fear Nothing" that I felt bonded to the characters. They have become family and I want to follow them further in their lives, and as much as I read this is amazing. Others have written detailed reviews of the story, don't spoil your enjoyment, read and then draw your own conclusions and let the story suprise you page by page. You will care, you will remember, and perhaps look at your companions in a different way. The book is exciting, funny, unique, more than anyone has a right to expect from a novel. I've changed my mind, I will name favorite Koontz books....they are "Watchers", "Fear Nothing" and now "One Door away from Heaven".

I must admit that I am somewhat surprised at some of the negative reaction in other reviews of this book. In "One Door Away From Heaven," Koontz has proceeded in crafting a novel that is similar in many ways to previous novels, but is simply better than his prior work. The fact of the matter is that Koontz makes you care greatly about his characters. He creates them with careful detail until we feel as though we have known them our whole lives. As a result, we are drawn into their stories and we turn each page with bated breath. It is no small wonder that so few Koontz novels are made into movies, his characters are too in depth and the plots are too complicated. The person who quit after 250 pages and was complaining about the characters really surprises me. Koontz has always been a strong developer of his characters. However, this latest piece may have his greatest creation ever: a nine year old girl named Leilani Klonk. I have a feeling that those who read this book will not soon forget Leilani. I'll limit my critcism of Koontz to wishing he did not use the word "carapace" in EVERY book. However, he did refrain from "chitinous" so it was not a total loss. Enjoy this book, I have a feeling you will.

I enjoyed this book and wavered on the rating. I had a difficult time deciding whether to rate it a three or a four. I finally decided on three because, while it is an enjoyable read, it is not one of his best. Those who read and enjoyed the author's last book, "From the Corner Of His Eye", as I did, will, undoubtedly, enjoy this one, though it is not as good.

Here, this genre bending book, written with wry humor, has a series of subplots and colorful characters with improbable names that propel the story forward. Twenty-eight year old Michelina Birdsong is a young and beautiful woman with a troubled past. Living in a trailer park with her eccentric aunt, Geneva, she lacks focus and is overly fond of lemon flavored vodka. It is as if she has lost the will to live.

When she gets new neighbors in the mobile home next door, one of whom is the precocious and physically deformed nine year, Leilani Klonk, her heart is touched most unexpectedly by the pathos of her young life. As Leilani is living with a drug crazed mother and step-father, a sociopathic "doctor" who may be a serial killer, Mickey finds herself wanting to make Leilani's life better and in doing so, redeeming her own. When Leilani and her family precipitously abandon their mobile home one night, Michelina, fearing the worst for Leilani, springs into action and finds herself in hot pursuit of this family, hoping to avert a tragedy.

Meanwhile, a young motherless boy, who calls himself Curtis, and his dog, a Labrador with whom he has a most unique relationship, are racing away from their own potential Armageddon. This boy, too, is precocious and quite gifted, but seems to lack a true understanding of the ways and customs of those whom he meets. He is just a beat off. Still, while there is something odd about him, it is clear that, though he seems to have unusual gifts, he has a pure spirit and is a good boy running from a great evil. His pursuers, seemingly invincible and other worldly, will stop at nothing to get a hold of Curtis and keep him from his mission. The journey that Curtis makes is quite astonishing.

At some point the paths of these main characters improbably cross and all is made somewhat, though not totally, clear. The book, which is an imaginative blend of suspense, science fiction, and bioethical philosophy, has somewhat religious or quasi-spiritual overtones, as it boils down to the quintessential battle between good and evil. In this book, Koontz continues on the path he forged with his previous book, "From the Corner of His Eye". To where that path will ultimately lead, however, remains to be seen.

Dean Koontz's novel "One Door Away from Heaven" which sports a three star average customer review (basically a C-) is one of Koontz's best novels.
The characters are great, dialouge's witty, and yes the book is a bit long (681 pages) but looking past that. We are introduced to a number of characters
(Mickey Bellsong, Aunt Geneva, Noah Farrell, Curtis Hammond, Leilani, Sinsemilla, and Preston Maddoc). Mickey Bellson is in her twenties and is living with her Aunt Geneva in an attempt to straighten out her life. While sunbathing she meets a young semi-deformed girl (infused fingers on one hand, brace on one leg) named Leilani.
Mickey ends up liking the girl and eventually discovers that she lives with her drug-crazed mother Sinsemilla (which is hawaiian for a form of marijuana) and her stepfather
Preston Maddoc. She says that according to Maddoc (who she dubs "Dr. Doom") when Leilani reaches her tenth birthday, aliens will take her away and heal her. Her young brother Lukipela (Hawaiian for Satan) had already "gone to the stars." Leilani doesn't actually believe Maddoc's story and believes that he killed her brother and will kill her.
Then suddenly the family is gone and Mickey begins tracking the young girl before she is killed. Along the way she hires a Private Investigator named Noah Farrell, whose sister was beaten until she suffered from a form of brain damage and was living in a home until her death, which had damaged him. Another story we follow in the book is a young motherless boy who takes the name Curtis Hammond. Curtis and his dog (a black, female dog he names Old Yeller) begin to travel accross the country avoiding FBI Agents and other people who have killed his mother and now want to kill him. The dog is the best dog character Koontz has had since his novel "Watchers."
Very entertaining book, A-.

Well . . . I've already read some of the reviews of readers over in the UK (you can see them to, at amazon.co.uk), and --I'm sorry to say-- they didn't enjoy it as much as I did. This book IS discernibly different from his older books (Darkfall, Phantoms, Lightning), but I feel that his change in writing is that of a good one. There really isn't much else to say except that if you start to read it . . . FINISH IT. You may like it, and you may not. Whatever the outcome, I think that Dean Koontz, as portrayed through the many characters in his many novels, has changed --and this is not a bad thing, as I've said before. That's life, right?

Anyway . . . a great and different book. Read it.