Odd Hours
by Dean Koontz
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Book Reviews of Odd Hours
Book Review: The fry cook saves the day again
Summary: 4 Stars
Never thought I'd say this, but I was getting a bit bored with Dean Koontz. There's been this feeling of sameness to his recent stuff, which has also carried over into his last two Odd Thomas novels. ODD HOURS is the fourth book in a series, and it's a good enough book. It's even maybe a four star book, and yet, things were threatening to become stale with Odd Thomas's adventures. More on that in a bit.
Here's the plot: After experiencing the harrowing events told in Brother Odd (Odd Thomas Novels), 21-year-old fry cook Odd Thomas has traded the sanctuary of the monastery in the Sierras for the the coastal town of Magic Beach, California. There, he's landed a gig as an inhouse cook for an elderly former movie star. But, lately, Odd has been having a dreadful premonition, born out of recurring nightmares. Odd senses, upon waking, that an apocalyptic disaster hovers over the horizon, and that he only has until today to prevent it. No surprise then that ODD HOURS takes place in this one very eventful day in Odd's life.
As ever, Odd makes use of his uncanny intuition, and he's still haunted by ghosts. His two most constant spectres are the marvelous ghost dog Boo (not seen enough here) and the late, great Frank Sinatra, who turns out to be not as amicable as Odd's former ghostly companion, Elvis Presley. As it is, Old Blue Eyes's aggresive temperament actually helps Odd out of one predicament. New offbeat characters are introduced, from old thespian and Odd's current employer Lawrence Hutchison to the hideously disfigured Blossom Rosedale, from the slightly psychic Birdie Hopkins to the self-possessed pregnant girl whom Odd calls the Lady of the Bell (because she wears a little bell on her neck). Koontz makes it quite clear that Birdie and the Lady of the Bell have ties to the supernatural. Nothing supernatural, though, about the entities arrayed against Odd Thomas this time. They're just straight out despicable men, and their reach spans all the way to Magic Beach's law enforcing community. Oh, wait. Then there are the coyotes, who seem unnatural, and not in a good way...
Odd Thomas walks in a world steeped in darkness and tinged with hope. Dead people and monsters and eerie wonders abound in this series. Odd continues to be an uplifting and introspective character, his striving to be a better person and his faith undaunted. More than ever, he believes that, on some good day, he'll be reunited with his dead love, Stormy Llewellyn. Until then, he'll do his best to do his best.
ODD HOURS is a suspense/thriller with paranormal elements. The tone is sometimes a brooding one, and, particularly late in the book, it becomes a grim read as Odd is forced to certain actions to stave off a possible holocaust. Yet, because the story is narrated by Odd Thomas in the first person, the darkness is buoyed by his constant optimism. Odd is simply a good guy, my go-to fry cook when one is needed to save the world.
Some stuff I don't like. While Odd Thomas was awesome, I've felt that its two sequels meandered, were without purpose, as if Dean Koontz had been merely playing out the string (Forever Odd was particularly disappointing). Too, and this also extends to his other non-Odd novels, Koontz's sermonizing occasionally gets a bit old, and his oft-mentioned philosophies and themes tend to lend a quality of sameness and even predictability to his stuff (Koontz just can't seem to resist casting a dog in his book - an observation, not a complaint.). His Odd Thomas is a ridiculously engaging dude, but he's so pure and flawless a character that he sometimes could be annoying. Yet I applaud Koontz for creating him, even if dude is too good to be true. My guess is we all could use more of Odd's sensibilities.
So my thinking was that these were decent books, those with Odd Thomas, but where is Koontz going with this? So, yup, I was getting bored with the series. Well, in ODD HOURS, we get an inkling of where Koontz is taking Odd Thomas, and Annamaria (the Lady of the Bell's real name) seems to be key to Odd's evolution and eventual destiny (I just hope it's not sainthood).
Koontz still has a knack for lyrical prose and arresting, descriptive storytelling, and Odd remains a likable protagonist, humble and humorous even when under the strain of his peculiar and deadly exploits. But in ODD HOURS there are several passages which drag (Odd hiding out on the pier; Odd using his psychic magnetism to locate Annamaria). Nevertheless, it's a good enough read and provides thrills and chases and violence and some chills. There's even some humor. But I'm more enthused about how the book ends, in that, finally, Koontz seems to have set the stage (if nebulously) for this series to actually go somewhere - a good thing, since, if you've read his blog, you know Koontz plans on there being seven Odd Thomas books. The supporting characters are worth knowing, and it's evident that we'll see more of Annamaria and Blossom, who dwells in the Cottage of the Happy Monster. Oh, and Odd gets another dog. So things are looking up. Finally.
Meanwhile, I can't be the only one waiting for that third Christopher Snow novel, right?
Book Review: Odd Letdown
Summary: 1 Stars
Some series get better as you go along. The original Odd Thomas was an awesome book, while the first sequel Forever Odd was a total disappointment. But unfortunately, like Pirates of the Carribean 3: it CAN and DOES get worse after a horrible sequel.
Odd's quest in this iteration is to keep the bad guys from smuggling nukes into the U.S. Seriously. I guess if you're all out of ideas, then let's try terrorism and see where that takes us.
First off, there are no surprises in this book at all - the whole thing plays out straightforwardly like an action movie, so don't expect horror/suspense. Odd simply follows his psychic intuition everywhere. He hides; he listens in on bad guys; he shoots them when necessary. Never before has such an interesting character bored me to death this bad.
Odd's trademark supernatural power - SEEING DEAD PEOPLE - has always been my favorite part of the Odd Thomas series. Besides for him seeing Frank Sinatra's ghost, this power only happens one other time, and briefly. The creepy "Bodachs" from all the previous Odd Thomas books - the black spirits drawn to death - never make an appearance in this one.
My biggest problem with Odd Hours is that there are so many characters that are given backstory and then provide zero impact on the actual plot events. There's the "red-headed bad guy" who we learn has a wife named "Freddy," who is quickly killed off on the next page.
There's one lady named Birdie Hopkins that picks up Odd in her car even though she doesn't know him, and relates this convoluted story about forcing her way into this guy's house who was about to commit suicide, and how he winds up marrying one of her friends. Birdie's only contribution to the events of the book is that she drives Odd to the harbor. Oh, and gives him a gun too, cause she trusts this stranger so much. There's another woman (Blossom Rosedale) who was nearly burned to death by her father, who fills several pages and provides a place for Annamaria to hide out. If you get to know someone in a book or movie, they should serve some purpose and advance the plot.
Then there's the main bad guys (and there are many) that aren't given ANY backstory, and we get no clues to their motivations. Some rich American was supposedly financing the whole operation... but why? One of the terrorists says there's a side-plot to assassinate the president and VP (yes, this is separate from the nuclear holocaust the bad guys are planning to unleash on America). This element was never resolved.
There's never any explanation as to who the Annamaria character really is. She's made to seem of critical importance, and her cryptic answers to questions suggest that later on there will be some payoff... Who is her babydaddy? Why no last name? Who is her benefactor that makes it possible to live without working?
A priest shoots his wife of 18 years with no more explanation than "she was going to take a cut of my payout." I can suspend my disbelief in regards to the supernatural powers, but you have to give some justification for the preposterous behavior.
Then there are all the events that make no sense and are never elaborated on. A pack of coyotes shows up twice to threaten Odd, only to slink off after being forcefully told to go away. Another time, Odd becomes fascinated with a sewer storm drain for reasons locked up in Dean Koontz's mind. Still another time, there's a moving porch swing without a person on it that has some significance that's only obvious to the author. These should serve some purpose, right? What was the point to all this?
There were so many questions left unanswered, that it makes this book profoundly unsatisfying. If you're looking for an entertaining piece of fiction, you will need to find it elsewhere. I would honestly consider myself a fan of Dean Koontz. Right up until I read Odd Hours.
Book Review: Odd in Transition
Summary: 4 Stars
One of the first Dean Koontz books I ever read was Odd Thomas, and I could barely put it down. The person of Odd Thomas read to me as if he was a person, not a character, constructed out of someone's mind.
His words were soft and sympathetic, with the humbled tone and blunt honesty that would become this series trademarks. Some say that an author's goal is to bring characters to life, but Odd Thomas did not need to be brought to life, he was already alive. Koontz himself has even stated that Odd is the only character of his that was not pieced together from various sources, but instead came to him fully formed. More than that, this series of books (or manuscripts, as Odd himself likes to refer to them), seemed to me, to be a journey of some sort, from where to where I could not say. But indeed, does that not sound like life?
Odd Hours is the fourth book in this series, and is a bit of a throwback to the second book in the series, Forever Odd, with its emphasis on action, away from the personal ruminations of Odd. When I finished my first run through of the book, it made me feel a bit hollow, like I had somehow misplaced a third of the book. While this originally left me fairly disappointed, after reading through a second time, and with a bit more deliberate pace, focusing on how this manuscript fits into the overarching narrative of Odd and his journey through life. This book begins the the second (and most likely final) phase of Odd's life. The first two books represent the beginning stages, placing Odd in the circumstances to prepare him for an oncoming crisis that extends beyond anything covered in any of Odd's manuscripts. The previous manuscript and this combine to form a sort of transitional stage, providing various support structures around which he can face this oncoming threat.
Clues as to what this threat will be come fairly early on and are interspersed throughout the manuscript, some more subtle that others, but to any who have read the Moonlight Bay trilogy, the entire book is littered with references and events placing Odd Thomas firmly within the universe. I almost leapt from my seat and yelped triumphantly at all of the implications. I won't reveal all for those who have not read them, but trust me when I say this, the trouble Odd Thomas has been in will pale to the probably threats he will face in the coming manuscripts.
The prose is Dean Koontz at his subtle finest, creating the fog that Magic Beach is enveloped in with deliberate choice, created more in absence than in presence, in omission than in description. Which, after having read the book through a second time, strikes me as a very deliberate choice given the place this manuscript has in the series. The characters that are presence are not very well developed. Not thin mind you, even the villains, but mere not fully fleshed out. This continues the trope of fogginess evident in the plot of the book, the setting, the characters, all of it. This is the end is where I think a lot of complaints will come from, and I tend to be more sympathetic to them. I was hoping for more, but after careful consideration, I can't really see this manuscript accomplishing the same role in the series with anything added. This purpose that comes with this fogginess makes it a bit more palatable, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was just a little disappointed with this entrance.
In sum, this is an excellent transitional book, placing Odd Thomas firmly outside of his comfort zone and into a very fascinating universe, one fill with both wonder and danger, of kind strangers and hostile threats vague in distance but frighteningly real in consequence. I cannot wait for Odd's next tale, and how he explores the new universe where he has been placed.
8.0/10.0
Book Review: A master of the English language provides another oddly wonderful tale
Summary: 5 Stars
Dean Koontz, in my opinion, is one of the reigning masters of the English language. His words are carefully chosen, assembled into beautifully expressive sentences. He can conjour up and immerse the reader into a scene, whether it be swirling fog, the sea, a candlelit room.
I am so tempted to quote extensively from "Odd Hours", for there are so many almost lyrical passages, but I won't because every one would be a spoiler in one way or another.
This is the fourth Odd Thomas book. I am not sure of how this novel will fit with those who haven't read the three predecessors. I am strongly tempted to advise prospective readers that they take the time to read the previous three: it will add immensely to your pleasure.
Odd Thomas is an odd young man from a small town in California. He is a fry cook, in his early twenties and, depending on your perspective, blessed with some unique talents. One of them is seeing ghosts. The ghosts Odd sees are not scary. Rather they are lingerers, still stuck in this world, afraid or unable for one reason or another to move on. They do not speak. They cause no harm. In the first three novels, Odd kept company with the ghost of the King, Elvis Presley himself - or more precisely, his ghost. But Odd also sees other ghosts, the ghosts of those who seek justice. Understanding Odd's relationship with ghosts is important to understanding Odd's relationship with the world - which is, as one might expect, odd.
In this instance, Odd has been drawn to the relatively small coastal town of Magic Beach, California, where he has gained employment with an aging movie actor, last seen on the silver screen more than 50 years ago. Odd doesn't know why he was drawn to this town, save a disturbing vision that plays and replays in his head.
Odd knows that he will shortly have to embark on another of his adventures, which the wizard Koontz whips up for him.
I don't want to tell you anything about this particular adventure, because to do so would diminish in some way the joy of discovering it firsthand for yourself. Suffice it to say, that Odd encounters - as he always does - evil people. Odd is not possessed of great strength. He is not a martial arts artist. He doesn't own a gun or even a knife. He is not brave in a storybook way. He is simply good, as in goodness. And it is that good with which he confronts evil, using anything at hand if and when necessary to defend himself.
Odd is magical and Dean Koontz's words are beyond magical. This story of Odd, the fourth, is the least cohesive in terms of plot: there are dead ends and loose ends, but it is the most beautifully written of all and the Odd Thomas novel that most fully develops Odd's character. It is also the stepping off point for the next three books in what the author has said will be a seven book series. For that reason, Koontz introduces some characters and situations that really contribute little to this book, but are necessary for succeeding volumes. A cheap bit of gimmickry? Yes, but Koontz is such a talented writer and such a joy to read, I'll forgive him.
Overall, the story does hold together as long as you can tolerate the fantastic. In many ways, Koontz's Odd Thomas series resembles Steven King's work, with a far better developed sense of humor.
As noted, I've read all of the Odd Thomas books in order. I personally think that reading the earlier novels is truly necessary to enjoying the "Odd Hours". It is an effort that will be well rewarded I think in terms of discovering one of the most unique characters in modern fictions and, if for no other reason, than to simply luxuriate in Dean Koontz's marvelous mastery of the English language.
Jerry
Book Review: A fun read
Summary: 4 Stars
When readers last met Odd Thomas, he was attempting to rescue the brothers of St. Bartholomew's Abbey from a mad genius who had taken up residence in the previously peaceful monastery halls. Now, in the fourth book of this series, Dean Koontz has his young hero struggling to save several entire cities from total destruction.
Odd Thomas, for those unfamiliar, is just 23 years old but has already led a full life of love, loss and danger. He has the ability to see the dead, lost and confused souls who are unable or unwilling to "move on." He is called upon to help them out, finding the person who hurt or killed them, or just ease their transition to the next life. He doesn't particularly enjoy this gift, preferring instead the quiet life of a fry cook (although he dreams of being a tire salesman), but has little choice in the matter. With not much family and having lost the love of his life 17 months ago, Odd has been wandering in California, feeling drawn to certain people and places. In ODD HOURS, he finds himself in the small coastal town of Magic Beach caring for an aging and reclusive movie star.
Despite his current peaceful and comfortable situation, Odd is having a frightening recurrent dream of a red tide of destruction, and he fears it is prophetic. In this dream is the image of a young woman who turns out to be 18-year-old Annamarie, pregnant and, like Odd, alone. One moment they are standing on a pier watching the fog roll in, and the next Odd is being chased by three killers. Before page 20, the action starts and doesn't let up until the end of the novel. Even then, readers are left with more of a cliffhanger than a conclusion.
In the course of the night, Odd must outrun the bad guys, find a safe place to hide Annamarie, escape jail (after being arrested hiding out in a church with someone's dog), convince the ghost of Frank Sinatra to leave this world behind, deal with a tugboat full of villains and, of course, save all those cities. The pace is fast as Odd races the clock and tries to figure out the intentions of the group of men who are after him. The antagonists, especially the apparent ring leader, Hoss Shackett, are stereotypical, but the supporting cast is intriguing. Too bad Koontz didn't give them bigger roles in the story. Most likely, though, they will show up in the next installment, because Odd and Annamarie seem to have a sort of mystical connection that Koontz promises to explore further. Who is she, and how does she know so much about Odd? And why was he so willing to risk his life for her without any questions asked?
ODD HOURS is not as successful as the first two Odd Thomas books, but like the third one, BROTHER ODD, it is still a fun read. Despite the fact that it is heavy on the action with little explanation and the ghost of Sinatra is less interesting than the ghost of Elvis was in the previous installments, Odd Thomas remains a charming character and his "gift" unique and compelling. One can only hope that the next entry will have more by way of explanation and insight into the story of Odd and Annamarie, less preaching from the author and more of the winning balance of action, humor and horror that makes these novels so readable and enjoyable.
--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman