Sole Survivor
by Dean Koontz
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Book Summary Information
Author: Dean KoontzEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-04-04
ISBN: 0553582941
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Bantam
Book Reviews of Sole Survivor
Book Review: Sole Survivor, A Masterpiece of Modern Fiction
Summary: 4 Stars
Sole Survivor has recently become one of my most favorite fiction books. Dean Koontz is also one of my favorite authors because he is able to cause me to desire to continue reading in order to find out what happens next, sort of anticipating what new things will pop up. Joe Carpenter, probably the most interesting character ever featured in any Dean Koontz's books that I have read, is coping with the loss of his family, while at the same time, is thrown into an amazing plot, guaranteed to keep the reader on edge. His wife Michelle, along with their two daughters Chrissie and Nina, perished in the crash of the Nationwide Flight 353. Everyone on the plane was killed in the crash... or were they? Joe's anger over his lost loved ones, fuels him to continue pressing for the truth about their deaths after strange things begin to happen around him with the appearance of Dr. Rose Tucker. Joe is chased and does some chasing himself with the help of trustworthy people along his journey who cause the reader to question if they really are who they say they are. The science fiction aspect of the book is incredible, using vocabulary that makes every word of make-believe sound more realistic than any true life experience. The mysterious Rose and the small, underdog organization she belongs to add intensity to the events in the story by providing for surprises here and there, just to keep the plot going. It is impossible to predict the outcome of the story while reading it because of the many new discoveries that Joe makes along his journey to discover the truth. I thought it was interesting to consider how Joe wanted to die in the beginning, but quickly changes his opinion of life and desires to live, perhaps only to get revenge for what happened to his wife and children. Some of the mental images I had while reading the book were frightening, only because they come at such intense times and are so unexpected...some also seem a little strange due to the science fiction part of the plot. There is a healthy amount of murder and destruction in the story, but nothing overrides the eeriness provided by unknown and unexplained phenomena. I had only two aggravations while reading the story, one was the constant flashbacks to the plane crash of Flight 353. At some points they interrupt the action of the book and can be almost boring to the reader who is waiting for the next spur of excitement. The other part of the story I did not enjoy so much was the language. I believe using profanity while writing a novel simply shows a lack of interest by the author at that particular part. Koontz could have taken more time to express emotion in ways other than fowl language. Those are hardly noticeable, however, when one considers the overall enjoyment a person gets from reading the book. Along with an mind-boggling story, included in the beginning pages of the book is, what I believe to be, the greatest poem ever written by Dean Koontz in his infamous Book of Counted Sorrows. The ending of the story is a perfect conclusion to an outstanding novel. The emotion experienced in even just the last chapter is enough to make reading the book memorable. The ending also provides a feeling of triumph for the characters, and yet, has us still wishing the best for Joe and Nina in the future. Overall, this book was incredible and I recommend it to any person of any age who enjoys fiction novels, especially science fiction.
Summary of Sole Survivor
A catastrophic, unexplainable plane crash leaves three hundred and thirty dead -- no survivors. Among the victims are the wife and two daughters of Joe Carpenter, a Los Angeles Post crime reporter.A year after the crash, still gripped by an almost paralyzing grief, Joe encounters a woman named Rose, who claims to have survived the crash. She holds out the possibility of a secret that will bring Joe peace of mind. But before he can ask any questions, she slips away.
Driven now by rage (have the authorities withheld information?) and a hope almost as unbearable as his grief (if there is one survivor, are there others?), Joe sets out to find the mysterious woman. His search immediately leads him into the path of a powerful and shadowy organization hell-bent on stopping Rose before she can reveal what she knows about the crash.
Sole Survivor unfolds at a heart-stopping pace, as a desperate chase and a shattering emotional odyssey lead Joe to a truth that will force him to reassess everything he thought he knew about life and death -- a truth that, given the chance, will rock the world and redefine the destiny of humanity.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Joe Carpenter, the hero of Dean Koontz's newest novel, Sole Survivor, is a man nearly paralyzed by grief. One year earlier, his wife and two children had been among the 230 victims of a plane crash that left no survivors. So when Joe encounters a woman who claims to have been aboard that plane and survived the catastrophe, and then she almost immediately disappears, he is understandably riled up. In the course of trying to track this woman down, Joe finds himself entangled in a web of shadowy conspiracy and perilous secrets.
In this latest book, Koontz pumps up the volume and gives his readers what they've come to expect from him: an expert mix of cover ups, cults, bizarre suicides, and a shocking twist at the end that keeps Sole Survivor racing along from one improbable but undeniably thrilling event to the next.
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