This is a very strange and quirky story. I can't say that I loved the writing style, but it was good enough to keep me invested. Odd Thomas is so hapless and unsure of himself, but follows his instincts, even when his logic tries to tell him otherwise. Also, coming from a traumatic upbringing, I found it really refreshing how Koontz used Odd's earlier years and unfit parents as the catalysts for his unique abilities with the undead. There are several times that I found myself thinking, "Just let...

“Only once in a generation does anything as fresh as a vomiting detective come along.”Dean Koontz, Odd ThomasOdd Thomas can see dead (or is that murdered?) people, and when he does, Goddamn he'll help them! Odd is a 20-year old short order cook with a dark talent that he makes the most of to do good. What makes this book special is the uniqueness and freshness of Odd and the supporting cast, including the café and the town itself.What Koontz does really well is to veer away from the ominous haun...

I usually do not read supernatural books. When I read Chain Letter 2 back in high school, I went against popular opinion and rated Chain Letter 1 higher, because 2 was a premise with supernatural events.Back to Odd Thomas, I loved reading even the low key chapters. Dean Koontz has a knack for oozing interesting things from even the most mundane thoughts or settings.I feared who would die in the end, and I was surprised. I cried like a kid and I recommend Odd Thomas, and I'm going to read book 2 ...

"From time to time, I do consider that I might be mad. Like any self-respecting lunatic, however, I am always quick to dismiss any doubts about my sanity."If you happen to go to the Pico Mundo Grill, you might just notice a guy behind the stovetop. He's a bit strange, sometimes looking at things that aren't there or voicing worries that most people wouldn't had...but he's an amazing fry-cook, so you brush it off...for now.Odd Thomas is well known in his little town and a lot of his eccentricitie...

Hooray for Odd Thomas!That’s really his name, by the way.Dean Koontz has made a winner with this 2003 publication that spawned ten other works (as of 2015) and a 2013 film.First of all, Koontz crafted in Odd a very likeable hero. Notice I did not use the term protagonist, as Odd is a real hero, doing what is right, having fun with it, and being an all around great guy. Odd’s heroism is emphasized by his comparison to his thoroughly unlikeable and completely unsympathetic parents. By showing us O...

As a kid, the first thing I did when I was coming back from school was stop by at the library. I used to check out various mystery novels - like those with The Three Investigators, a saga that has remained a favorite and to this day I'm fond of it - and one day the librarian (God bless her) decided that I was mature enough (meaning I started growing whiskers) and recommended Stephen King.Needless to say, I started to read one King book after the other in quick succesion, sometimes even two at th...

Best Read of 2004!!! Wow! What a way to start a new year. This is the first book I've read by Dean Koontz and I'm kicking myself in the behind for overlooking the man for some many years! After this review, I will make it a point to get my hands on a copy of everything the man has ever written. I first mentioned this book to my ex-husband after coming across it in the bookstore early December. Back cover seemed interesting enough but, not being a fan of Koontz, I decided to put it on my "wish li...

This book wasn't supposed to make me cry. This book was supposed to be simple, mindless fun. I wasn't supposed to fall in love with the tortured and unloved (by family) Odd. This story was supposed to be easy.

So why am I still crying?

I had not asked to be born. Only to be loved.

Review to come.

This was one weird story that ramped up to great 4 star finish. I was skeptical through the first 3/4 of the book or so, I even had a hard time staying interested, but the end was great. I look forward to more in the series.

I haven't read Dean Koontz in years, and I wanted to see if I'd made a hasty judgment about him being not so good. He wrote a book called "Lightning" that I liked, but others I read were, as they say, "Meh." I picked up this book and the next in the series, "Forever Odd," and thought "sure, why not?"Let me answer that question for you:Dean Koontz' 20 year old I-see-dead-people fry cook character reads like a 20 year old written by a 50-something year old that assumes he can write a believable 20...