Book Review: Odd Thomas

I am typically very careful when deciding to purchase a book by Dean Koontz. He seems to be the type of author that can write a book that knocks it out of the park, but has also written novels that I've thought were pretty tough to read. Odd Thomas fits into the first category.

The story is about a rather typical 20 year old who not so typically sees ghosts. I initially thought the book was going to be very quirky, as the first person style of writing that Koontz uses tends to present this in the first few pages. It however is much more serious as the book progresses and the first person style allows you to see things through the eyes of Odd, the oddly named protagonist.

The story is actually pretty grim. Odd Thomas toils as a short order cook in the small western town of Pico Mundo. He has never left the town mostly out of fear. He is comfortable in Pico Mundo and if he was to leave, he anticipates helping the ghosts that he sees on a daily basis would become much more difficult. He comes from a dysfunctional (if not our right broken family) and tends to keep to himself but maintains a healthy relationship with the town's chief of police, a local author/celebrity, his boss and co-workers as well as the love of his life, Stormy Llywellyn.

Odd goes to work one day and notices a man followed by dark shadowy demon creatures that only Odd can see. These creatures are a foreboding sign that terrible death will occur. The last time Odd had seen multiple bodachs (as he calls the creatures) it had been when crossing the path of a psycho who ended up killing his entire family with a power drill. When the man leaves the diner Odd is shocked to see close to twenty of the bodachs following him. This whole encounter sets Odd on an adventure to stop the man from unleashing whatever hell it is that is following him.

The story is very good. The character development is sensational. When the book is all over, you realize how attached you've become to the protagonist and his friends. The book can be a bit clownish, with characters representing all colors of a kaleidoscope, but they really work well. There is real pain, and real terror written into the book, but also a great deal of heroics.

From the perspective of a casual reader, the book gets to the grit quickly, meaning it doesn't take long for the reader to become immersed. The story flows in short, smooth chapters making it easy to put down when the world interupts. There are very few slow sections of the book, which makes it flow incredibly well. This is the kind of book that could easily fill a rainy afternoon.

One positive about this book is that it has already spawned two sequels with a fourth set for release this May. The sequels are called Forever Odd and Brother Odd. I know I will read all of them as I've already purchased and started reading Forever Odd.

Tell me what you think of Odd Thomas after you read it, or direct your questions to my new blog email at lonnbristolblog@gmail.com.