Customer Reviews

Odd Thomas (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)

5 star:		(322)
4 star:		(135)
3 star:		(50)
2 star:		(32)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

I have been a long time Dean Koontz fan. I've read just about every book, including some by his pseudonyms. Almost every book was a great read. I would close the book after the last page feeling both fulfilled and sad. Fulfilled because of a great story, sad because it was over. Lately, however, Koontz's books have been slipping.

I think it began after Seize the Night. His books became harder to read and filled (and I mean filled) with metaphors and similes. And the ultra-sappy happy endings were very unlike the author.

I didn't read The Face because of the bad reviews I heard. So, when Odd Thomas came out, I was reluctant but curious. Am I glad I picked this book up!

The story was fast-paced and exciting. The subject (Odd sees dead people) may have been used before, but Koontz put his own special touch in there. The characters were vivid, especially Odd and Stormy. And the humor...Koontz has a gift when it comes to humor in his books. I literally laughed out loud more than once.

Odd Thomas is classic Koontz. A great story, a quick read, funny, sad, scary, and moving.

Odd Thomas lives up to his first name; he is a 20 year old short-order cook with the ability to see the ghosts of the dead and the shadowy faceless spirits he calls "bodachs," who gravitate toward scenes of horrific violence and evil. Odd is a very likable guy whose ideal future rests with his girlfriend and soul mate Stormy Llewellyn and with a career in tires or footwear. Aware that his sixth sense is a burden that sets him apart and makes him appear otherworldly to others, he knows that he has received this gift for a reason. He feels a responsibility to make sense of the ghosts he encounters and to thwart the violence that the bodachs portend. When he spots a large congregation of bodachs converging on his hometown of Pico Mundo, he has a premonition of great disaster. He hones in on a villainous and twisted "Fungus Man" who he senses will most likely cause the violence. He must now discover the time and place where the bloodshed will occur. He races against the clock to prevent a tragic outcome. Narrated by Odd, this story is at times gory, at times inspirational, at times funny, and at times bittersweet.

Koontz is still a master at interweaving scenes of horror with humorous dialog and action. The ghost of Elvis materializes at incongruous moments. There is an exploding cow to add comic relief. The author portrays many humorous and colorful characters including Odd's oversized six-fingered mentor Little Ozzie and his landlady Rosalia who fears she will become invisible. As the author's writing career has progressed, his books have adopted more and more of an undertone of spirituality and religious optimism. His latest effort expands on this trend as he juxtaposes Satanism and the paranormal with an uplifting message. Stormy talks about the lives that exist beyond this one, and she refers to this life as a mere "boot camp" for the tests and rewards of the life to come. Odd's ghosts are waiting in limbo, held back by unresolved issues before moving on to the next plane of existence. Odd acknowledges that there are universal truths more complex and meaningful than those of the material world.

This is not one of Koontz's best books, but it is still a good one. The ending of the story has a slightly different tone than in his other books. His fans might feel a bit put off by it or perhaps more uplifted by it. Although I was in the former category, I still give the book four stars and recommend it for its eerie scenes and for its protagonist, who is so human and yet so unique.

Eileen Rieback

For the first time in a long time Dean Koontz has written a book that delivers on any level you can name. Odd Thomas is a suspenseful, powerful, imaginative, and entertaining story. The characters are believable and seem to leap off the page at the reader. Of course, I like all of Koontz's works, the early stuff and his later, more spiritual works.

Odd Thomas is a short order hash slinger in a small out of the way town of Pico Mundo. Besides being a talented writer, Odd sees and communicates with ghosts. Not just any ghosts mind you, but all types of ghosts. One type that is especially bad are the "bodachs" a particularly malevolent spirit that is attracted to and seem to feed off of violence. These spirits are in town and associated with a character Odd names "Fungus Man." As you read you realize that Fungus Man is much, much more than he appears on the surface to be.

This is an unsettling read. Koontz manages to keep the reader slightly off balance. This causes a little disorientation and some readers may be critical on this aspect of the novel. However, when you reach the end of the book you'll be glad that you hung around to the end.

Koontz is a talented writer. His books are meant for intelligent readers. Odd Thomas will not disappoint.

I am not a Dean Koontz fan at all, but because of the large number of people who are, I occasionally give one of his books a shot. Most of the time I am simply reminded as to why I am not a Dean Koontz fan. Odd Thomas, however, was a massive exception to this rule. It just seemed to have all the ingredients and to fit them together so well: an interesting premise, an endearing main character, and witty story-telling. Even if you're not a fan of the author, or even the genre, this book is well worth taking a chance on.

I loved this book! I think Dean Koontz is a great writer and I generally enjoy reading all of his novels. The end had me in tears.

I will not type a huge synopsis to the story, as amazon provides the PERFECT information on it, so check that out. I'm just going to say that I am in love with this book. I finished it a few days ago, and it's impact still makes me think about it. While reading, I couldn NOT put the book down. It's rare for me to be so intrigued by a book, but this one does it. Combining the finest points of all genres of books, Odd Thomas will give you chills, huge suspense, make you fall in love with so many charcaters, and for me, look at life a little differetnly when you are done... This would make one killer movie. But, of course, the way Koontz applies to your imagination is beyond incredible. You can trust me on this one. Check out Odd Thomas, and you will certainly not be dissapointed!

Odd Thomas was a book that was really a great piece of literature. It was unique, interesting, and kept me reading. I liked this book because it had a very strong plot; it was funny at times, but still showed seriousness when needed.

Odd Thomas is a book about a man named Odd Thomas who is, as his name suggests, odd. He works as a short order cook in the small town of Pico Mundo, and has a very special talent. He can see dead people. It may seem like this has been used so many times, but Dean Koontz really makes this theme unique to his book. He is in love with a woman named Bronwen Llywellyn, who prefers to be called Stormy. One day, Odd encounters a man in the restaurant he works in, surrounded by invisible spirit creatures known as bodachs. These creatures signify that something bad is going to happen, and the sheer number of them around this man signifies something horrible. So Odd then tries to find this man, who he nicknames "Fungus Man", and stop the impending doom that he knows is coming. The question is, will he be able to?

This book will catch you even if you are not a big reader. I even just saw it one day and picked it up because of the cover. I am glad I did because it was one of the best books I have ever read. It was exciting, moving, and in the end was a big surprise that I will never forget. I recommend this book to everyone.

Book 1 is my favorite Odd Thomas book, to-date. Awesome story with a memorable character. I thought about Odd long after I put the book down, and it definitely made me want to read more. I started on Forever Odd (book 2) the same evening.

Dean Koontz has created a very interesting character and some witty dialogue and humor. While it might not be as dark as most of his other works, Odd Thomas has an eerie foreshadowing that really works. You have to keep reading to find out what happens.

I must start book 4 soon...

Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
Author of Divine Intervention

Dean Koontz must be running out of subject material. He went from writing edge of the seat thrillers to verbose novels that get bogged down in minutia. I listened to half of this book on CD and finally gave up.

Odd Thomas starts out to be an interesting character and the idea that he sees the dead and spirits of the underworld is very intriguing. At first I thought this would be a different kind of thriller. However, Odd's obsession with Stormy and his constant sappy conversations about and with her are lame. Then, for him to see a dead little girl who was raped and killed are one thing; when he sees Elvis (who keeps changing outfits) weeping and looking down a woman's cleavage - it borders on the absurd.

Most happenings in this book takes so long to unfold, they become anti-climactic. I saw a lot of the other reviews who gave this a 4+ star rating and all I can say is everyone has their own taste.

I am going to stay away from Dean Koontz for a while as long as he keeps writing this kind of drivel.

If you are not already a fan of Dean Koontz, you will be soon. His books are thoughtful, well constructed, intelligent, with likable characters and unexpected twists.

Odd Thomas is no exception. Probably one of his most likable characters to date, and that is saying a lot. Although I enjoyed the book from the beginning, I don't think I became emotionally invested until somewhere in the middle. It creeps up on you. Then all of a sudden you find yourself scared that something bad will happen to Odd, or to one of his friends.

I can't really comment too much on this book without giving something away, which I abhor doing. Once again Koontz takes us out of the mainstream, and makes up his own rules along the way. Read it for yourself, but make sure you have the other 2 books ready to jump into when you are done.