Odd Thomas is an ordinary guy with a strange talent - he can see dead people, but like he says, "But then, by God, I do something about it."

Odd protects his small town of Pico Mundo the best he can, meanwhile helping a spirit or two along the way. Soon, though, he is called upon for a much larger purpose. A strange man (even stranger than Odd) shows up and it becomes evident to Odd that the man is planning something huge, something that will have a deep impact upon the lives of the citizens of Pico Mundo. The man, who may be evil itself, must be stopped, and Odd is the only one who can do it.

Odd finds himself with less than 24 hours to stop a tragedy in the making, but things will prove not to be quite as they seem in this Dean Koontz Odd thriller.

Any fan of Dean Koontz' work will love this novel, and those seeking a good thriller, great writing, and a supernatural twist, will find a treasure in this book.

For me, the writing was superb in this novel. The character of Odd writes his own narrative, telling his story as it happens, but alluding to past and future events. He takes an almost comical tone (as instructed by another character who is forcing Odd to write this story as a memoir), a light narrative that tells a very dark tale. The writing kept me glued to the story and deeply connected to the characters.

I will certainly be moving on to the next books in the Odd series. So far there are three Odd novels - Odd Thomas, Brother Odd, and Odd Hours. I trust the rest of the series is just as good as the first.

As is often the case with the later works of Dean Koontz, there is a theme of connectivity, of things happening for a reason, of life having an ultimate purpose. Each novel presents another theory, and Odd Thomas is no different. I've come to expect and appreciate Koontz' theories and messages of hope and purpose.

Dean Koontz has written numerous novels over the last few decades, many of them becoming best-sellers. For me, his writing style is superb and his tales are intriguing and genuine.

Koontz is a master of storytelling and style. You'd be doing yourself a favor by reading his work.

Odd Thomas presents a few very graphic scenes of gore and violence, but the narrator does attempt to present these scenes in a light tone that will not disturb those who are easily disturbed.

Interested in buying this? Support Writing.Com by making your purchase of Odd Thomas   from Amazon.Com!

Created May 23, 2008 at 11:31am • Submit your own review...