Book: Odd Thomas
Author: Dean Koontz
I don’t usually enjoy works of fiction that purport to know what the afterlife is like and the rules that may govern the various realms between this world and the next. I am sure there are interesting subconscious reasons for this peculiarity. The movie Ghost and Mitch Albom’s novel The Five People You Meet in Heaven are among the notable exclusions to this personal rule. By way of a vey accidental recommendation I have discovered another such exclusion.
Odd Thomas tells the story of a twenty-one year old short-order cooking living in the desert town of Pico Mundo, California. The title character (his actual given name is Odd Thomas) possesses the unique ability to both see and speak to some dead people. The plot of the revolves around Odd using his abilities thwart an impending disaster his is convinced is eminent.
The book is first and foremost a thriller as Koontz keeps the story moving with vividly depicted scenes and unexpected plot twists. But for me, the thing that drives the novel is its collection of distinctive and richly developed characters. Odd is indeed atypical in a number of ways that somehow only make him more relatable and more likeable. His relationships with his girlfriend Stormy Llewellyn, police chief Wyatt Porter, 11-fingered friend and literary mentor Little Ozzie, as well as Little Ozzie’s 50 year old cat Terrible Chester, drive the story as much any of the supernatural machinations Koontz dreams up.
In short, Odd Thomas is a good, well-paced thriller that is very much worth reading. I look forward to the opportunity to read the sequels (3 sequels published, 3 more announced).
Filed under: Arts and Entertainment, Literature | Tagged: Book Recommendation, Dean Koontz, Ghosts, Murder, Odd Thomas, Thriller
