Odd Thomas - Dean Koontz

"The dead don't talk. I don't know why." But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Odd Thomas thinks of himself as an ordinary guy, if possessed of a certain measure of talent at the Pico Mundo Grill and rapturously in love with the most beautiful girl in the world, Stormy Llewellyn.Maybe he has a gift, maybe it's a curse, Odd has never been sure, but he tries to do his best by the silent souls who seek him out. Sometimes they want justice, and Odd's otherworldly tips to Pico Mundo's sympathetic police chief, Wyatt Porter, can solve a crime. Occasionally they can prevent one. But this time it's different.A mysterious man comes to town with a voracious appetite, a filing cabinet stuffed with information on the world's worst killers, and a pack of hyena-like shades following him wherever he goes. Who the man is and what he wants, not even Odd's deceased informants can tell him. His most ominous clue is a page ripped from a day-by-day calendar for August 15.Today is August 14.In less than twenty-four hours, Pico Mundo will awaken to a day of catastrophe. As evil coils under the searing desert sun, Odd travels through the shifting prisms of his world, struggling to avert a looming cataclysm with the aid of his soul mate and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock 'n' Roll. His account of two shattering days when past and present, fate and destiny converge is the stuff of our worst nightmares, and a testament by which to live: sanely if not safely, with courage, humor, and a full heart that even in the darkness must persevere.

Published: 2006-08-29 (Bantam)

ISBN: 9780553384284

Language: English

Format: Paperback, 446 pages

Goodreads' rating: -

Genres

Horror Fiction Thriller Mystery Paranormal Fantasy

Reviews

Jobyna rated it

Odd Thomas is one of my favorite Dean Koontz novels. With a seemingly average character whom any reader can relate to, fantasy and eerie happenings, it's a very different and unforgettable story.

Lennie rated it

I REALLY wanted to like this novel. The first chapter hooked me-- bad stuff is going to happen to the likable guy who sees dead people. And NOTHING happens for the next 200 pages. Well, almost nothing-- Odd discovers this Black Room with mysteriously cool properties. The Black Room keeps me hooked a little bit longer....but Koontz doesn't even explain what it is or why it's important to the plot. I spent the next 300 pages waiting for Odd to go back to the room, but it's not even mentioned again. Minus the Black Room concept, the book is awful--lame villains, horrible dialogue, and unbelievable situations. Did I mention unbelievable situations? Yeah, Odd and his girlfriend are discussing running off and getting married in Vegas and/or eating tacos while some cataclysmic event looms. I wanted to stop reading, but I was hoping there would be some huge payoff in the end (ie: cataclysmic event or a Black Room explanation). Instead, Koontz ends the novel with a cataclysmically bad and unnecessary plot device that ruined the book even further. As I was reading, I genuinely thought that Koontz published this novel as a big joke-- "Look, my name alone can sell a million copies of crap."No more Koontz or Odd for me.One side note: this novel DID inspire me to write my own fiction. If this guy can do it, anyone can.

Starlin rated it

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 list". A few days later, my husband handed me the book (God Bless The Man! *grin)and with the first words ("My name is Odd Thomas...") - I was hooked! There are no simple words to describe this book - it is a literary masterpiece. There were times when I forgot that I was reading a book and felt as if I were reading a memoir of sorts (in fact, it is from this view that Odd presents his story to the reader). You not only get to know each of the different characters Odd encounters in his life (each unique in their own ways) but you begin to care about what happens to these people. Many times I held my breath, struggling to keep my eyes from leaping to the paragraph below to see what fate awaited a member of Odd's "family". I've read some pretty good books in '04 but one of my biggest complaints have been that the books start off very well but I find myself rushing through the ending. I clung to every word in this book, sometimes stopping to savor a particular phrase delivered by the narrator. And the ending delivered! Man, the writing is nothing less than awesome! So simplistic and yet so genius! Hats off to Mr. Dean Koontz for a magnificent job!

Edee rated it

This was a buddy read I did at the Reading for Pleasure book club here on Goodreads.Odd Thomas is a short order fry cook who communes and sees the dead. When he discovers a dangerous man named Fungus man a.k.a. Bob Robertson surrounded by bodachs, Odd discovers that tragedy and chaos is coming soon to Pico mundo. Can he protect his one true love Stormy as well as his friends and family from the danger? Read on and find out for yourself. This was a pretty good read . Though I have seen the film adaptation , this is my first time reading this book which is first of a series. If you enjoy books about ghosts with action and adventure, check this book out. I look forward to continuing the series in the future. Look for this at your local library and wherever books are sold.

Eartha rated it

I don't know why I put this series off so long. Maybe because I am not a huge fan of Koontz I've only read a few of his novels and they were okay. But I kept reading how great his Odd Thomas series is so I decided to give it a shot.Love this character! I love the "I see dead people" concept but even more with Odd's humility. I love that he's a fry cook, I love that he lives in a small town, I love how he surrounds himself with caring and colorful characters. I was riveted from page one and the ending just killed me. Looking forward to continuing the series.