Saint Odd by Dean Koontz [2015]

[deep breath] Okay. So it's over! How bittersweet is that, huh? I would like to go on a rant about the end, but this book hasn't even been out for a week, so it's a little early to start getting crazy with the spoilers.
But there's plenty else to rant about. So! This book picks up a little bit after the last one left off, and pits Odd against the same enemies from the last installment, a group of Satanists who aren't just your average devil-worshippers.
Odd Thomas books aren't horror, strictly speaking, but most of them have had at least one part that was pretty terrifying. This one on the other hand, doesn't ever utilize the horror card, and goes more with suspense. There aren't any bits that made me afraid to turn the lamp off, but it was very fast paced and I was constantly on the metaphorical edge of my seat because everything was so nutty. I like how Dean Koontz never wastes time, he just goes right into it.
All in all, this was pretty much your regular Odd Thomas book. You know, all the familiar elements. Ragtag set of misfit supporting characters, bad guys under obvious satanic influence, and of course, the awesome prose. Odd as a narrator gets a little more maudlin in this book than in the others ("It wasn't the fact that I killed [those bad guys], it was the fact that I had to kill them that disturbed me."), but he's still good ol' Oddie, trying despite everything to have a positive attitude and work for the best.
And the ending, oh my goodnesses the ending. I thought it was terrificoso. Though there is a bit of a twist, I think it was an interesting interpretation of certain Christian concepts. Though I'm still trying to figure out Annamaria.

The Verdict: A
[sniffle] Ahem. Yeah, I might've maybe sort of cried a little bit at various points in this book. But despite how late it kept me up the day before orchestra (I fell asleep at practice! Again!!), I really like it. The supporting cast is great, the writing is fast, and if you're looking for a good contemporary read, I highly recommend this series. :)

The City by Dean Koontz [2014]

"The news isn't all the news, Jonah. Not by a long shot. It's just what reporters want to tell you about.  Riots come and go, wars come and go, but under the tumult, day after day, century after century, millions of people are doing nice things for one another, making sacrifices, mostly small things, but it's all those little kindnesses that hold civilization together, all those people who live quiet lives and never make the news."
-Sylvia Bledsoe, Chapter 16

That quote alone is a reason to read this book, that's something that I really needed to hear, and I'm sure it'd do a lot of people good.
I think that The City is a good gate-way Dean Koontz book. There aren't any over-the-top horror elements, and it actually isn't a horror novel. I actually don't know how to classify this book. Mystery? There are super-natural elements, so I don't know if it classifies as a mystery. And besides. The main character isn't a preppy girl detective, and he isn't a hard-drinking womanizer either, so it can't be a mystery book. ;)
The City follows roughly three years of the life of a young African-American boy named Jonah who lives in the 1960's. The book is actually narrated by his 59 year old self. Jonah has a gift for piano (but isn't prideful about it since he knows that all talent is a gift given to us from God.), and lives with his Mother, Sylvia. His Father, Tilton, abandoned them years ago but still pops up to make trouble.
One day, Jonah meets a mysterious lady who tells him that she is the soul of the City made flesh, and she gives him little hints that he needs to somehow stop a gang of anarchists, and I'd tell you more, but that would involve spoilers.
Describing the plot makes it sounds really lame (that's the case with most books. They sound ridiculous until you read them and judge otherwise.). The book is slower paced than most of Dean Koontz' books (one reason why reviewers on various sites don't like it), but I thought it was amazing how much information was packed into the first hundred pages. It wasn't fast-paced, no. It was slow-paced, but there's a difference between slow-paced and plain old turgid. Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson is turgid. Nothing happens and 100 pages in I still don't know the characters. The City is slow-paced. The plot moves at a moderato, walking pace, but is able to hold your attention because what's going on is interesting.
There's a lot of Christian (Catholic, to be specific) stuff in this book (that's another reason reviewers didn't like it), and while non-Catholics might find it a heavy-handed attempt to evangelize them, I think it's great to read a book where Catholics aren't mean hypocrites. Towards the end, especially, there's a hint of Marian influence that I didn't see coming out of left-field. Then again, I'm not usually any good at sensing plot twists in books. Especially when they're really subtle, like this one.
I found the characters very likeable in this book. My favorite was of course, Jonah himself, but I also liked Sylvia, Grandpa Teddy, Malcolm, Amalia, heck. Pretty much anyone who wasn't evil. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I almost cried at some scenes with Mr. Yoshioka. This book brought to mind something that I read in C. S. Lewis. You have never met an 'ordinary' person. Everyone has their own struggles, triumphs, and story. If they seem ordinary and boring to you then you just don't know their story yet.

The Verdict: A
This book was very good, and if you're considering reading a Dean Koontz book then I'd start out with this one. Or Odd Thomas. But this one has less horror stuff, and it's a relatively calm and philosophical story. In short, I feel like this story is about how even though the rest of the world might seem to be in turmoil and chaos, there will always be good people doing their best to be kind to others and lead gratifying lives.

Brother Odd (by Dean Koontz) [2006]

Not like you’d be able to tell as of yet, but I’m a titanic Dean Koontz fan. I haven’t read all his books (Because the vast majority of them are- ahem- inappropriate.), but I’ve read all the Odd Thomas books, the ones with Christopher Snow, and The Taking. My favorite one that I’ve read so far though, is Brother Odd.

Mr. Koontz is Catholic, and this is the book where it’s probably the most obvious. The titular character, Odd Thomas, has a great respect for priests and religious, and has a very conservative life philosophy.

Aside from being very intelligently written, the books are terrifically fun to read. I’m writing this review now because I just finished reading it to my Dad and younger siblings, who loved it.

Now, let me slow down and explain what this book is actually about.

Odd Thomas is a young man with the power to see ghosts of the dead- and spirits that foretell coming disaster and dead, called Bodachs. His complicated life has led him to seek solace as a guest in an abbey- St. Bartholomew’s. However, his days of peace are interrupted when he sees Bodachs lurking the grounds.

All the Odd books have terrific supporting characters, and this one is no exception. It’s got the former mafia goon, Brother Knuckles, the scowling Russian, Rodion Romanovich, and Elvis is still hanging around, too!

The plot is quite interesting, and is very fast paced. Though to be honest, there is a definite pattern of action, then slowing down to talk. For the most part though, I think that the book balanced the two really well. I love the part where Odd goes to the kitchen for a snack after a quick brush with death (Literally!). He and Romanovich have a really humorous conversation.

Now. The scares in this book aren’t as bad as they sometimes are (Odd Apocalypse had me a little spooked, that’s for sure!). But they’re still really suspenseful. The most frightening part is relative, since we all have different phobias. The part that freaked me out the most was when Odd was down in the Kit Kat Katacombs and discovered- well, that’d be a spoiler now, wouldn’t it!

Aside from the suspenseful atmosphere, there’s a lot of emotional stuff that goes on in this book. Some real tearjerkers, too (I don’t really cry at movies or books or anything, but this got me to my equivalent of crying at a book or movie.).

All in all, Brother Odd is a great read. I think that if you’re a fan of mystery and suspense, you’ll really enjoy it!

The Verdict: A+
Notes:
I said before that I read this to my Dad and siblings, but I should mention that I censored some of the mature content. There isn't too much, but there's also a little swearing. Nothing too profane though.

Cheers!
-Xochitl

Deeply Odd (by Dean Koontz) [2013]

Alfred Hitchcock rides shotgun in the newest 'Odd Thomas' novel by Dean Koontz. The plot does indeed hold similarities with the Master of Suspense's work: A quirky hero, almost nonsensical plot twists that fly in the face of logic, and a strange charm that sets it apart.
Deeply Odd lives up to it's name, and has some of the highest stakes our hero has faced.
As the young, ghost-seeing fry cook struggles to thwart yet another tide of evil, he is assisted by a host of interesting allies. A tough old lady, a family of gun dealers, and the aforementioned Mr. Hitchcock.
The emotional facets of this book aren't so deep as they are in some of the other books in the series, but it still holds the same old themes of bravery and responsibility.
In short, Deeply Odd is a fun, clever, engaging read, especially if you hail from the Southern California area.

The Verdict: A-
Notes: This is a horror novel, so be careful. Odd Thomas books don't get over-the-top gory, but they are occasionally scary, and always suspenseful. Though the most inappropriate things about Odd books are the sometimes rude humor and mature subject matter. I'd also suggest reading the other books before this one. Just to avoid confusion.

-Xochitl