Customer Reviews

Ticktock

5 star:		(105)
4 star:		(56)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(27)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

The story centers around a Vietnamese author named Tommy Phan who writes detective novels. One night, Tommy receives a strange package on his porch. When he opens it, Tommy discovers that it is a rag doll. Unfortunately, things start to become deadly serious rather quickly. There is an evil demon inside the doll that breaks out and is obsessed with killing Tommy. Not only is the demon a deadly one, but it is also highly intelligent as well. It managed to leave Tommy a note on his computer that comprised of "The deadline is dawn. Tick tock... Tick tock". Now Tommy not only has to survive the night without being killed, but he also has to solve the mystery of who sent the demon to him and why they want him dead.

Over the years I have read most of Koontz's books. However, Tick Tock was always a book that I put off reading. The premise sounded like a rip off of the film "Child's Play", and I had heard some bad feedback on the book from certain people who had read the book. I finally decided to put my skepticism aside, and give Tick Tock a chance. I am so glad that I did, because it is seriously one of the best books that I have read in awhile, and that is just not limiting the criteria to Dean Koontz novels either. I am talking overall, and I read a lot of books. The book manages to hook you in from the first page and keeps you there until the very end. The suspense that this book brings is so intense, that it is almost unreal.

However, although the demon may be scary and the suspense is almost overwhelming at times, the book's real appeal comes from Koontz's character development. Tommy Phan is one of my favorite Koontz characters. Koontz portrays Tommy as a man who is constantly fighting against his heritage to become more American, and it is his battle against those beliefs that makes his war with the demon harder. Koontz also manages to create one of the best female leads he has ever written as well. Along the way, Tommy meets and eventually falls for a woman named Deliverance Payne who joins him in the fight against the demon no questions asked. Del's different philosophies on life, her twisted sense of humor, and her wild past make Del an extremely interesting and likeable character. The relationship that develops between Del and Tommy is one of Koontz's more enjoyable ones. It truly brings a new meaning to the phrase "opposites attract".

Overall, Tick Tock is now one of my favorite Koontz books. This book showcases Koontz's character development at its best, and supplies a perfect mixture of horror, suspense, humor, and romance.

Tommy Phan has just about everything he ever dreamed of: a successful career as a novelist, a brand new Corvette, and all the trappings that money can buy. His life would be perfect if only his Mother would stop making him feel guilty for forgetting his Vietnamese roots.

When Tommy returns home one night, after a particularly bad nagging phone call from Mom, he finds an innocent rag doll lying on his doorstep and brings it in for a closer inspection. This is when things start getting really weird. In no time at all Tommy, an eccentric woman who saves his butt, and her chocolate lab whose favorite toy is a farting hot-dog, are running for their lives from the devil's spawn. They have until dawn to outrun the demon.

I really have to read the unabridged version of this book. I hate knowing I missed even one hilarious word. Unlike Koontz's most recent releases that were sometimes painfully dark, twisted and so intense I couldn't read them alone TICK TOCK is a more of a screwball comedy that reminded me of some of my favorite campy B horror flicks. I had visions of PUPPETMASTER & NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD while reading and was reminded of my favorite kind of B movie demon: The beast that wouldn't die. This is not a criticism! There is nothing like a good campy B horror movie!

Koontz creates the most likable off the wall characters: the guilt ridden down to earth Tommy Phan (I don't know anyone who hasn't experienced the "guilt" phone call), Deliverance Payne who continually surprised me with her strangeness, Scootie the face licker, and Tommy's Mom who has some of the most hilarious lines in the book. Which brings me to the dialogue - some of the funniest I've ever read. Too often humor can seem forced or stilted but never in this book. The characters were so kooky the wild dialogue flowed naturally. Some of my favorite scenes weren't the suspenseful chases or the gore filled shoot-outs but the bantering and bickering between the characters. TICK TOCK has a little bit of several of my favorite genres: horror, comedy, suspense, and a good old fashioned romance.

I found there were a few unexplained plot points in the abridged version I read and I'm hoping they will be cleared up when I read the full version or maybe I'll just hope for a sequel.

Tommy Phan is a Vietnamese-American who, much to the dismay of his very traditional family, likes to stress the American. Instead of going into the family business, Tommy earns his living as a novelist. His series character, Chip Nguyen (star of such memorable epics as Murder is Bad Habit), has become very popular, allowing Tommy to afford some of the finer things in life, like the aqua Corvette he purchases as the story opens. Tommy, who has lusted for such a car since the day he arrived in America, knows he should be ecstatic, but can't shake the feeling of foreboding that descends on him at the auto dealership.

Almost immediately upon his return home, the doorbell rings. Tommy answers the door, and finds a rag doll lying on his doorstep. At first, he is concerned the doll may be some kind of warning from a local gang, angry with him for writing a series of unfavorable articles a few months earlier. That concern is short lived, however, as something (Tommy later dubs it the "doll snake rat-quick little monster thing") starts to emerge from the doll and attacks him.

Tommy fends off the creature and abandons his home, but not before two mysterious messages abruptly appear on his computer screen--THE DEADLINE IS DAWN and TICK TOCK. Driving away, he concludes he is safe, but then the Corvette shudders, and he realizes the creature is in his car. He crashes, and flees on foot, pursued by the monster, who is growing at an alarming rate. He flags down a ride, and, in weird coincidence, is picked up by the aptly named Deliverance Payne, a flirtatious waitress he met earlier that day.

Here, the novel takes a humorous turn. By introducing Del, Koontz adds a decidedly comic element to this previously grim story. Level headed and witty, Del pokes fun at Tommy's foibles even while they fight for their lives--she calmly accepts his bizarre story and offers her help. Taking the mysterious messages at face value, they seek to outwit the monster until dawn. Together, they fend off several more attacks, eventually discerning the monster's incredible (and funny) secret.

Tick Tock reminds me of Quentin Tarantino and Roberto Rodriguez's cinematic collaboration From Dusk 'til Dawn. There, a crime drama morphs into a horror movie. In Tick Tock, a horror story becomes a screwball comedy. This approach, which ruined the movie, works very well in the novel. Although Koontz appears to abruptly switch gears, he carefully seeds the initial portion of the book with humor, setting the stage for the enjoyable farce it becomes.

Koontz, succeeding in his stated goal to write something "lighter," doesn't cheat long time fans. The first third of the book is reminiscent of Richard Matheson's short stories "Prey" and "Duel," but thereafter becomes an altogether different book, reminiscent of Thorne Smith's work, as it's solid, stolid hero is swept off his feet by a larger than life heroine. Koontz deftly handles both aspects, interweaving them to great advantage. Part of this book's magic is that the monster remains a credible menace throughout, even when the humorous elements kick into overdrive. Koontz keeps tensions high, in spite of the odd goings on and increasingly humorous dialogue.

I loved this book! For once Koontz comes up with some really original characters and he actually has a sense of humor! Plus, unlike his usual stuff, this actually moves along fast with no wasted words. My one big complaint is the obnoxious and unnecessary author's note he tags on at the end explaining how he came to write the book, blah, blah, blah. One thing in that author's note that really insulted my intelligence in particular was Koontz saying he worked and worked on the book, but it didn't come together till he made Tommy a Vietnamese immigrant. A huge part of the plot and the development of many of the characters hinges on the fact that Tommy is Vietnamese. I find it impossible to believe that this was a last minute touch; he would have had to re-write the book from scratch. The little "rat-quick" monster wouldn't have existed without the Vietnamese element and he was the star of the show! I don't understand Koontz's motive in claiming the Vietnamese part was a sudden inspiration that pulled the book together. Oh, well, I guess most authors are a little strange.

This book is definately one of his best. The horror is cleverly combined with the humor. It was scary and frightening throughout but at the same time I was laughing my head off. I have read it loads of times and still I keep laughing and laughing and laughing. Even as I sit here now I have a big grin on my face as I think about Tommy trying to comprehend the strange seriousness of the phrases Del keeps saying after all the terror he has just been though. My favourite line is just after Del has driven off in the van after T+D have just met and the monster jumped on the window of the van; Del says (after minutes of complete and utter terror)'so, that was the doll-snake, rat-quick little monster thing, huh?' In complete seriousness. Oh the laughter!

Tommy Phans life is looking up. His series of detective novels are selling so successfully, that he is finally able to quit his day job to write full time. To reward himself, he buys a sparkly new Corvette...things couldnt be better. Upon arriving home, however, things begin to take a bizarre turn. His doorbell rings and Tommy answers it, but theres no one there. On his sidewalk is a little sand filled cloth doll with stitches for eyes and a mouth. A little note is pinned to its hand. Having no idea who could have left it, Tommy decides to bring it into the house to look it over. What a mistake...all hell breaks loose from here, and a wild night ensues.

Ticktock was entertaining enough, but it was absolutely nothing at all what I expected. I was expecting a horror, but it read more like a comedy...a campy one. I did laugh out loud at times and I got through the story fast, but it failed to grab me like the other DK books Ive read. I appreciate that Koontz went in a different direction to shake things up a bit, but Im still more partial to his other books Ive read so far. Still, it was a fun read.

This book was funny,this book was scary. I found
this book to be very believable. The characters were written so
wonderfully, I could actually see them come alive on the pages.

It starts when a Vietnamese-American writer finds a gift at his front door. He accepts the gift, not knowing what is to follow. Soon he meets Deliverance, and the joyride begins.

I truly enjoyed this book, and recommend it to
everyone. I give this book my highest rating of 5 stars:) By the way, I need a cheeseburger!!!

This book is delightfully quirky and a quick read. Part screwball comedy and part horror story, it will make you laugh and it will make you want to keep the lights on. Filled with rapid, quick fire repartee and lots of non-stop action, I read it in one sitting, as I simply could not put it down, even though it was not at all what I expected.

Tommy Phan is a successful novelist of detective stories. Unfortunately, his Vietnamese mother doesn't see quite it that way. She feels that he is turning his back on his Vietnamese roots, as he has Americanized his name from Tuong to Tommy. He also did not wish to become a doctor or work in the family business, as did the rest of his brothers. Tommy is living the American dream, which his mother simply will not accept.

One evening, shortly after returning home, his doorbell rings. When Tommy answers it, there is no one there. He does, however, find a homemade rag doll on his porch, which bewilders him, as he cannot imagine who would leave him such a thing. Taking the doll into his home, the doll's stitches start popping, and so the fun begins.

It is a little more fun than Tommy bargained for, and he flees his home with something evil in pursuit. Ultimately, he runs into Deliverance Payne, a beautiful seemingly intuitive blonde waitress, who gives him a hand in evading his demonic pursuer. She is certainly more than a sum of her parts and is not what she initially seems. Let the games begin! Tommy's life will simply never again be the same.

I just recently started reading Dean Koontz's novels...Can't believe it took me this long to discover him! Out of the six I've read so far, Tick Tock is definitely my favorite! The many twists and turns really keep you guessing...Just when you think you know what might happen next, you turn the page and discover you were delightfully wrong! The mixture of horror and humor is brilliant and makes the story all the more believable. I especially enjoyed Del's relationship with her dog, since I am an animal lover - in fact the hide-and-seek game they play is almost exactly the same as the one I play with my cat. This is a must-read for all Koontz fans, and a great first book for those who aren't familiar with his work. You'll be hooked... I promise!

I'm a huge Koontz fan, but this is among his weaker efforts. As always, his writing is great and his characters are a lot of fun. But the story in this was a bit weak to me. It's basically a horror/sci-fi comedy, and Koontz is almost as good at comedy as he is with thrillers, but something about this story fell flat. I don't want to give away plot points so I won't get into great detail. Let's just say that if you're not familiar with Koontz, don't start off with this. Go with "The Face" or "Intensity."