Customer Reviews

Odd Thomas

5 star:		(96)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Odd Thomas lives up to his first name; he is a 20 year old short-order cook with the ability to see the ghosts of the dead and the shadowy faceless spirits he calls "bodachs," who gravitate toward scenes of horrific violence and evil. Odd is a very likable guy whose ideal future rests with his girlfriend and soulmate Stormy Llewellyn and with a career in tires or footware. Aware that his sixth sense is a burden that sets him apart and makes him appear otherworldly to others, he knows that he has received this gift for a reason. He feels a responsibility to make sense of the ghosts he encounters and to thwart the violence that the bodachs portend. When he spots a large congregation of bodachs converging on his home town of Pico Mundo, he has a premonition of great disaster. He hones in on a villainous and twisted "Fungus Man" who he senses will most likely cause the violence. He must now discover the time and place where the bloodshed will occur. He races against the clock to prevent a tragic outcome. Narrated by Odd, this story is at times gory, at times inspirational, at times funny, and at times bittersweet.

Koontz is still a master at interweaving scenes of horror with humorous dialog and action. The ghost of Elvis materializes at incongruous moments. There is an exploding cow to add comic relief. The author portrays many humorous and colorful characters including Odd's oversized six-fingered mentor Little Ozzie and his landlady Rosalia who fears she will become invisible. As the author's writing career has progressed, his books have adopted more and more of an undertone of spirituality and religious optimism. His latest effort expands on this trend as he juxtaposes satanism and the paranormal with an uplifting message. Stormy talks about the lives that exist beyond this one, and she refers to this life as a mere "boot camp" for the tests and rewards of the life to come. Odd's ghosts are waiting in limbo, held back by unresolved issues before moving on to the next plane of existence. Odd acknowledges that there are universal truths more complex and meaningful than those of the material world.

This is not one of Koontz's best books, but it is still a good one. The ending of the story has a slightly different tone than in his other books. His fans might feel a bit put off by it or perhaps more uplifted by it. Although I was in the former category, I still give the book four stars and recommend it for its eerie scenes and for its protagonist, who is so human and yet so unique.

I truly enjoyed this book. Once I received it and read the first 2 chapters, I realized I'd have to wait for a day or two where I could read it uninterrupted through to the last page.

Odd Thomas is the kind of character that an author creates which just vibrates to life and make a reader feel like she knows someone just like this. So complicated they have to simply their lives to deal with the exceptional, so ordered that they come apart at the seams when the extraordinary goes beyond paranormal, and so wise that the most basic lost harms them deeply.

I just enjoyed the way he told the story. He could have summed it up in about 10 chapters if his story telling didn't push me to wonder about the details he didn't tell me up front.

I enjoy suspense crafted at a high pace. This was a page turner to be enjoyed.

Hopefully without telling you the things which surprised me, you will just run out and get the book when you have the time to read it straight through. His assessment of death and what lies beyond it had a few familiar themes but what he mixed it with was refreshingly new.

More often than not, when the name "Dean Koontz" comes up in conversation with people who are on the downside of middle age, they will profess an unfamiliarity with his recent work. They will list DARKFALL, LIGHTNING, PHANTOMS or any one of a dozen or so Koontz titles among their favorite novels, but at some point --- for whatever reason --- they fell off after that. This is more than unfortunate; for Koontz, at a time when his contemporaries choose to retread, remake and remodel past glories, is doing some of the most mature, intriguing and innovative work of his career.

ODD THOMAS is the latest exhibit offered as proof of that proposition. The title is the name of the novel's narrator and protagonist; first name "Odd," last name "Thomas," how do you do. Thomas is a resident of the tiny municipality of Pico Mundo in Southern California. He is simple, as that term is applied to his life, or perhaps the term underachiever would be more appropriate. Or then again, not. Thomas is employed as a short order diner cook and is an expert in such matters. His plans for the future consist of moving on to tire sales, or perhaps selling shoes, when he grows weary of facing the griddle.

But what Thomas does is not what he is. Thomas can see the dead, the spirits who are restless for one reason or another. And he can also see bodachs. Bodachs are creatures --- something more and less than spirits --- that are drawn to the scene of unusual death and disaster. And Thomas, as he prepares the simple orders at the Pico Mundo equivalent of Waffle House, sees bodachs flocking around a particular customer, a stranger who appears to be the focal point of some unnamed, unknown disaster that will strike Pico Mundo within 24 hours. And Thomas, during the intervening period, is going to do everything he can to prevent the disaster, whatever it is.

All that he has to guide him is a troubling, recurring dream and the assistance of his friends, a group of individuals who are as unusual as he is. There are, among others, Stormy Llewellyn, Thomas' soul mate; Little Ozzie, a four hundred pound genius with a 58-year-old cat (pictorial evidence submitted upon request); and Wyatt Porter, Pico Mundo's chief of police. All, in their own way, are peculiar. All are unforgettable. And --- speaking of unforgettable --- the ghost of Elvis, weeping for Thomas, is here as well. You will know why by the conclusion of the novel.

ODD THOMAS has echoes within its pages of past masters. There are memorable, if brief, homages to H.P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, Sherwood Anderson, Theodore Sturgeon, and others herein. Yet it is clearly and uniquely an original, a quietly haunting morality tale that beckons to be embraced and deserves to be studied. Koontz, astoundingly, continues to challenge his readers and himself, and in doing so with ODD THOMAS may well have published the penultimate novel of his career.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

With this book, the author introduces one of his more memorable characters, Odd Thomas. Readers of this book will be richly rewarded, as the character is engaging and the story is well-plotted. Odd Thomas is a twenty year old fry cook in a small California town called Pico Mundo. He has an apartment, a job, and a beautiful girlfriend, Stormy Llewellyn. He also has a special gift. He sees the dead. Trust me, according to Odd, Elvis is indeed dead.

When a mysterious stranger arrives in Pico Mundo, Odd knows that something very bad is going to happen in his beloved town. He know this because, whenever evil is about in full force, shades from the netherworld begin to appear in droves. Suddenly, Odd sees these shades wherever he looks, and it does not bode well for Pico Mundo. Odd has only a short window of opportunity in which to avert a cataclysm in his home town. With the aid of his very smart girlfriend, Stormy, he hopes to do just that and right what seems destined to go wrong.

This tale of the battle between good and evil will draw in the reader. Filled with wry humor, compelling characters, genuinely creepy moments, and an interesting plot, this book kept me turning the pages until the very end. It also has an unexpected twist and turn at the end that took me completely by surprise. Those who enjoy paranormal thrillers will definitely enjoy this one and be taken with its main character, hook, line, and sinker.

Book 1 is my favorite Odd Thomas book, to-date. Awesome story with a memorable character. I thought about Odd long after I put the book down, and it definitely made me want to read more. I started on Forever Odd (book 2) the same evening.

Dean Koontz has created a very interesting character and some witty dialogue and humor. While it might not be as dark as most of his other works, Odd Thomas has an eerie foreshadowing that really works. You have to keep reading to find out what happens.

I must start book 4 soon...

Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Odd Thomas is a different kind of hero. He is a gentle soul, content with his career as a short-order cook, and he can see the dead. Unusually for Dean Koontz, this book is the start of a series, with three novels published so far, and at least one more to come. The first is clearly the best, as far as I am concerned. Odd Thomas the character has a quirky appeal, which makes him difficult not to love, and Odd Thomas the novel has just the right blend of thrills and whimsical humour to make it an instant classic.

I'm not always a fan of Dean Koontz novels. I find some can drag along. This book doesn't drag, infact it has fantastic pace. I loved it.

A perfect blend of Action, Romance and Mysticism. I could not turn the pages fast enough.

Odd Thomas is as compelling a character as I've come across. He has an endearing innocense about him as well as a charming sense of humour. Koontz has created a cast of characters whom I loved for the delicate flaws which make each believable and human.

This is the first of four Odd Thomas books and the best by a considerable margin.

Read it you'll love it.

Visit my other reviews for more Koontz hits and misses.

This is one of the few books that I could read a second and a third time.
The first time I read it I borrowed from the library. Its so good that I decided I needed my own copy.

Although I have read many books by Dean Koontz, my absolute favourite (so far) is "Odd Thomas". I would love to see Mr. Koontz write more stories about this character. Odd is funny, naive, yet older than his years, and has the reader thoroughly drawn into his character. It is a must read.

I loved this book, it's great!! I've become such a big fan of Dean Koontz books, I've read them all and I just count the days for the next one... I can't get enough, I just wish there were more authors out there like him!!
I recomend this book for anyone who likes the perfect mix of suspense, action, humor, drama, ideas that make you think and most important - characters that you will love and never forget!
But BEWARE - once you read such fine work you'll have a hard time being satisfied by other authors, I know I sure can't seem to find any who come close to Koontz!!!

Enjoy! I know you will:)