- Hardcover: 400 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins (5 Jan 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007130724
- ISBN-13: 978-0007130726
- Product Dimensions: 23.8 x 16.2 x 4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 291,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Odd Thomas (Odd Thomas 1)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Odd Thomas is one of Dean Koontz's more heavily moralised horror thrillers, but is nonetheless charming and terrifying. Odd is an adolescent on the brink of adulthood who sees dead people and has a worryingly precise moral sense; the police chief of the small town of Pico Mundo--little world--relies on him heavily. Hardly has the book opened before a dead teenager leads Odd to her killer--and we are given to understand that this is the sort of thing that happens all the time. He does not just see the dead, however; he sees the thrill-seeking dark spirits that hang around unpleasant events, and he notices, on this particular day, that there are a lot more of them about than usual. Odd is haunted by dreams of dead bowling-alley staff and he wonders whether this might just be the day when the bowling-alley massacre takes place.
The tone of voice here is almost saccharine, almost sinister--Odd and his friends and his sweetheart are vivid, cute and self-righteous. This is a bizarrely paced thriller because it follows the vagaries of an eccentric with his own ways of investigating things--it is as odd as its hero's name. --Roz Kaveney
Review
‘Odd Thomas is a page-turner – a read-at-a-sitting novel – with a terrific final twist’ Observer
‘Odd Thomas is one of his finest books, and Odd himself is a superb character’ Independent
‘Tension is the name of Koontz’s ghoulish game’ Mirror
‘The action is intense’ Guardian
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Its not often I read a book by DK, but when I do I am often very impressed and wonder why I haven't read more of his books more often. This book excelled all my expectations. The very core concept is similar to a film by M. Night Shymalan, but then it veers off into a totally new direction and has a lot more depth and he makes it his own. The characters are very rich, and so very human and terribly flawed, you empathise with the main character but dont pity him as in a strange way he is sort of everyman who just wants to fit in and live a quiet life, but circumstances and powers beyond his control have conspired to make his life interesting. The author also manages to keep you guessing as just when you think you know, there is another twist, and then something you think you knew already is turned on its head. I think the book is outstanding and cant recommend it enough as a good read that I flew through in a few days, but then slowed down as I wanted to savour it more. I could have spent hours just reading about all the weird ghosts in the town, but leaving me wanting more is definately a good thing. I'm going to break the habit and find another of his books to read sooner rather than later.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I've been a BIG DK fan for years now and have ALL his (post-sci-fi period) novels. I love most things he's done, but usually there is a small thing that I would criticize - in recent times his novels seem to have got longer and with slightly disappointing endings. Perhaps it has something to do with the contrast between this book and his last, The Face - which I thought was disappointing, that makes this book all the better, but nevertheless - THIS book is the BEST Dean Koontz novel EVER. It is so easy to read, so compelling, so exciting and compulsive. The characters are all great. It keeps you gasping in shock and surprise with every turn of the page, and all my attempted guesses at what was happening were wrong. I liked that it was written in the first person, and found it very easy to read with a light-hearted comedic style. The ending was so surprising and had me in tears. My ONLY criticism, and it's not really a criticism, is that some things weren't explained properly - I appreciate that some things are unexplainable, that's the whole point - but I would have liked to understand what was going with the 'time-jump' experience in Robertson's house, since it was one of the best parts of the story. Also, Dean - what is it with you and these ridiculously stupid names these days!? It makes me laugh though. Odd Thomas is both a loveable character and a loveable book. Odd himself is reminiscent of Christopher Snow (from the Moonlight Bay trilogy). To sum up, I must say that my friends have sometimes asked me to recommend them one of Dean's books to get them into his work, since I often sing his praises to the world. I can never think of one that is exactly right, but now the world has ODD THOMAS, which is a masterpiece and should be read by everyone.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Having discovered that Dean Koontz wasn't the generic horror scribe I'd always assumed he was I have ended up reading pretty much everything he's put out, and it never ceases to amaze me how diverse a writer he is. With "Odd Thomas" Koontz is back in an oddly (sorry) humorous frame of mind, despite the sometimes heavy nature of the story; a greasy spoon cook with two talents and a strange name, the first of his special gifts relates to the grill and the second to communicating with the dead. Odd spends his time between helping the dead settle old scores (a little bit "Sixth Sense"-y) and hanging about with Elvis (yes, the dead one) and his soul-mate - Stormy Llewellyn - until one day the dung really hits the fan. If you liked "Life Expectancy" you will love this, its funny, very sad and a pretty snazzy page turner to boot. By the way five stars are for absolute masterpieces and this is a tad shy of that accolade.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
(3.5 stars) There's plenty to like, but Dean never quite hits the high...
Review summary: If you want a fast-paced, easy-to-read supernatural thriller that hits you a bit like the sweet, mad lovechild of Dexter and Buffy, then this coud well be just the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by L. Hennessy
Really enjoyed it
This is the first Dean Koontz book I have read and I really enjoyed it. I have already ordered the next book in this series. Read more
Published 1 month ago by R. F. Wheelhouse
My favorite fictional character!!
A fan of Dean Koontz, I eagerly awaited the release of Odd Thomas and I was the first customer through the doors of WHSmith on release date!! Read more
Published 3 months ago by Julie
One of his best
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because that assumes nothing can be better. If the marking was out of 100 then I would give it 95. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Simon Bachman
Good Twist from Russia
I really enjoy DK normally and this one did not fail me. I found the story line very gripping and it kept me thinking all the way through. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Edge
One of the best books of all time!!!
This is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. I would suggest reading it as long as you are about 14+ as it is absolutely brilliant. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mexican Cheeze of Doom
Just when you thought it was over..........
You know how it is with the Americans. Every single episode of a crime drama on TV ends with a three minute epilogue in which the author/producer feels compelled to explain all... Read more
Published 23 months ago by R. Faulkner
Superb!
One of those rare books that leaves you wanting more. Koontz writes some stuff that's hard to believe in, but this is one of his better ones. And I didn't see the end coming. Read more
Published on 20 May 2010 by P. Horrex
Absolutely Brilliant!
Koontz at his very best! I am absolutely hooked on the exploits of Odd Thomas, what a brilliant character who sees the dead and trys to stop awful things happening before they do. Read more
Published on 17 Aug 2009 by Martin Belcher
Treat yourself to something Odd
'Odd Thomas' is a somewhat unusual mixed blend of terror, suspense, horror, comedy and the supernatural. Read more
Published on 15 Aug 2009 by B. Torbo
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