I haven't read anything by Koontz for some time, so was once again struck by the poetry of his writing. There is simply no redundancy in the structure of his sentences, and even though his detailing can be overdone in some instances, it is always a pleasure to read such talent. For example, "In a clock tick, the future was no longer a kingdom of possibility and wonder, but a yoke of obligation - and only the unattainable past offered a hospitable place to live." He must have amazed is English teachers back in the day.Plot wise, Sole Survivor was intriguing, and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy a descriptively beautiful and thought provoking book. A nail biter that might just keep you awake past bedtime.

One year after a plane crash took away his wife and two daughters, Joe Carpenter meets a woman who was supposed to have died in that accident as well, holding the secret of what really happened.The title Sole Survivor doesnt only point at this woman, but also at Joe himself. Hes the one left behind, the only one of his family still alive. The book is about loss, about grieving, accepting death, and about faith, believing that the human soul doesnt just vanish into nothingness when shed of its mortal coils.All this makes it quite heavy to swallow. Its a dark story, a sad story, a depressing story even. Joe is a man who has basically given up on life and is just waiting to die, too scared to take care of it himself. And if it werent for a chance encounter on a public beach at the beginning of the novel, he might have gotten his wish. Theres almost no siganture Koontz humor in this novel. Its a very serious story.Sole Survivor is mostly a mystery story, a conspiracy story, of the sort where the answers stay away until the final act. When they are delivered, the style changes very much and its like weve suddenly been transported into a science fiction story. Until we reach that conclusion, however, were pulled along with Joe into a very compelling investigation. But Joe isnt just riding shotgun; he sets things in motion as well, even though he has no clue whats going on.Even though the novel features an enigmatic woman, theres no trace of a love story here. The book vows to transcent material and physical love and instead concentrates on the bigger picture.While not necessarily religious in nature, it does discuss some of the building blocks of religious groups, combined with some radical sciences which is in fact the only thing that makes it recognizably a Koontz novel. Its a first taste of things to come in From the Corner of His Eye, but also the Chris Snow books, as if Koontz is testing the waters with some variety of his theories, to see whether his audience is open enough for them.Plotwise, Sole Survivor always reminds me of The Eyes of Darkness, while the ending comes closer to Dark Rivers of the Heart. Its a story that doesnt really end, because it creates some kind of alternate universe of our world where the villains have become too large to be dismissed.I remember when I first read this book, I was so totally swept away by the ending, and I was ready to believe in it myself. I didnt go so far as to actually take snapshots of gravestones, but I think I did stare at a photo of a loved one passed on, somewhat in the same way as I sat at a kitchen table staring at a salt shaker after reading Strangers for the first time. Reading the book again now, the impact is gone. Not because I believe less, but because the idea is no longer original, because Ive encountered it or a variety of it in so many other books since.In the finale, I thought that Joe would reach out for the boy, tell him he cared and wanted to help him, convince him to stop the attack and perhaps break him out of the facility in true The Eyes of Darkness style. The ending in the woods also reminded me of this movie Fallen with Denzel Washington.

I loved this book from the start. I remembered there had been a movie years ago on this book starting Billy Zane, but luckily my memory of it was vague so the book wasn't spoiled. There were certain parts that tested my patience. The end was a bit anti-climatic, it could've ended better. Hence the four stars. Otherwise, I totally recommend it!