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77 Shadow Street

3.28 of 5 stars 3.28 · rating details · 8,960 ratings · 1,205 reviews

I am the One, the all and the only. I live in the Pendleton as surely as I live everywhere. I am the Pendleton’s history and its destiny. The building is my place of conception, my monument, my killing ground. . . .

The Pendleton stands on the summit of Shadow Hill at the highest point of an old heartland city, a Gilded Age palace built in the late 1800s as a tycoon’s dream...more

Hardcover, 451 pages

Published December 27th 2011 by Bantam (first published 2011)

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Apr 27, 2012 Lou rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: january-2012-reading-list, arc

"I am the One, the all and the only. I live in the Pendleton as surely as I live everywhere. I am the Pendelton's history and it's destiny. The building is my place of conception, my monument, my killing ground."

"Not just a great house, not merely a mansion, the Pendleton was more accurately a Beaux Arts palace, built in 1889, at the height of the Gilded Age, sixty thousand square feet under roof, not counting the vast basement or the separate carriage house. A combination of Georgian and Frenc

...more

"I am the One, the all and the only. I live in the Pendleton as surely as I live everywhere. I am the Pendelton's history and it's destiny. The building is my place of conception, my monument, my killing ground."

"Not just a great house, not merely a mansion, the Pendleton was more accurately a Beaux Arts palace, built in 1889, at the height of the Gilded Age, sixty thousand square feet under roof, not counting the vast basement or the separate carriage house. A combination of Georgian and French Renaissance styles, the building was clad in limestone, with elaborately carved window surrounds. Neither the Carnegies nor the Vanderbilts, nor even the Rockefellers, had ever owned a grander house."

77 Shadow Street an address like any other but with a mystery behind its doors unlike any other.
A insidious evil is reawakening, there has been events of the macabre kind in the past nearly every 30years to be precise.
Dean Koontz has really created an atmosphere of chilling eeriness. He is a master when it comes to writing with memorable characters, in this dwelling of darkness he brings to you two wonderful kids Winny and Iris an autistic girl of remarkable courage. If you think of H.P Lovecraft and Clive Barker getting together to write a novel involving a charnel house of mystery then this would be the end product. The writing flows well, it immerses you with expectations of a new evil force present and delivers with an originality of grandeur. You won't want to stop reading once you get into the whole 'who's there' scenario.
One of the characters in the novel gave a fitting descriptions to the series events that he witnessed, he said it was as if he just been part of a movie that James Cameron directed while on amphetamines and Red Bull.
I could see this being a really good adaptation to the big screen.
King had his Shining, Matheson created Hell House, Peter Straub created Ghost story and now Dean Koontz has made a mark with 77 Shadow Street.
You have had many house stories but Dean Koontz brings to the table a unique charnel house tale of his own.

"Iris was that perhaps rarer of autistic savants: one who had an intuitive grasp of the relationship between phonemes, the basic sounds by which a language was constructed, and the printed word. One day when she was five, Iris picked up a childrens book for the first time- and quickly began reading, having had no instruction, because when she looked at a word on the page, she heard the sound of it in her mind and knew its meaning. When she had never encountered a word before, she searched for its definition in a dictionary and thereafter never forgot it."

"Winny was surprised to see so many books, because he thought some autistic kids never read well , maybe not at all. Evidently, Iris read a lot. He knew why. Books were another life. If you were shy and didn't know what to say and felt you didn't belong anywhere, books were a way to lead another life, a way to be someone else entirely, to be anyone at all. Winny didn't know what he would do without his books, except probably go berserk and start killing people and making ashtrays out of their skulls even though he didn't smoke and never would."

Review also on more2read my webpage.
Watch also Dean Koontz interview here.(less)

13 likes · like · see review

May 07, 2013 Dirk Grobbelaar rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, books-i-own, horror

Seventy-Seven Shadow Street was the most peaceful address in the city.

Or not.

Phantoms / Midnight era Koontz: that is what this is. At long last. This is the kind of thing that made DK huge back in the day, and it is also the kind of thing he didn’t write nearly enough of (in my humble opinion).

So it isn’t subtle. So what?

Fear is the engine that drives the human animal.

With its grotesque imagery, this is the kind of uber-weird acid-trip horror that did so well in the 80s. Make no mistake: this i...more

7 likes · like · see review

Apr 07, 2012 Kendra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just a quick comment before I even start reading. I'm pretty darn sure I will enjoy this book because it's NOT "old" Dean Koontz. So many readers whine about his writing having changed, but I like the new stuff. It's not predictable, it has odd sort of paranormal/magic/special gifts that make the stories different from most of the authors out there. I don't want my favorite writers to stagnate and write the same damn thing. I'm not the same person I was 20 years ago, why should my authors be the...more

18 likes · like · see review

Sep 07, 2012 Allen Kelley rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really tried to like this book, but ended up really not caring for it all. the way it ends makes me believe that Koontz just got tired of writing it and just slapped on an abrupt ending.

19 likes · like · see review

Sep 25, 2012 Jordan Anderson rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Unlike the slow pace and absolutely dreadful prose of this novel, let’s cut right to the quick of it, shall we? I don’t know how it’s possible, but somehow “77 Shadow Street” manages to showcase both the best and worst of Koontz. There are sparks of greatness within these pages reminiscent of “Phantoms” and “Watchers” and then there are the horrendous faux pas of books past such as the ridiculously terrible “Breathless” and “Darkest Evening of the Year”

I’ll get to the bad stuff eventually, but b...more Unlike the slow pace and absolutely dreadful prose of this novel, let’s cut right to the quick of it, shall we? I don’t know how it’s possible, but somehow “77 Shadow Street” manages to showcase both the best and worst of Koontz. There are sparks of greatness within these pages reminiscent of “Phantoms” and “Watchers” and then there are the horrendous faux pas of books past such as the ridiculously terrible “Breathless” and “Darkest Evening of the Year”

I’ll get to the bad stuff eventually, but before I completely drive this book to the ground, let’s point out the few (and really, there are only a few) decent things about this novel. Personally, I’ve never really had much problem with Koontz’s plots (aside from the 2 previously mentioned books) as they generally tend to be original and creative and the of “Shadow Street” isn’t half bad. Like most readers have said, it’s new take on the ages old haunted house story mixed with a bit of sci-fi time travel and thrown in with a dystopian spin. It sounds complicated, and it is (and Koontz somehow ruins this - read the negatives for that) but in some parts it does work.

What also works are his “creatures” or “Pogroms”. In much the same way as he did in “Phantoms”, Koontz gives us an original monster, one that is both dangerous and scary. But of course, in more recent typical Koontz fashion, he goes over the top with ways to repetitively describe them, very nearly ruining their credibility as evil beings and turning them into an almost comic-book kind of villain.

And now comes the part everyone will automatically skip to, due to my low star rating of this book: the negative stuff.

As I’ve just stated, where this book really begins to bog down and start it’s negative spiral is at the expense of Koontz’s overwhelming desire to over-describe damn near everything in the Pendleton mansion. And just when you think he can’t find something else to write about, he somehow manages to surprise you with even more descriptions, or a repeat of past ones. Perfect example being that stupid fungus. Again and again and again, the reader is presented with a picture of the fungus that seems to grow all over the place in the Pendleton after the switch. It is truly overkill at times. It’s almost to a point where it seems as if Koontz forgets he is writing for adults and reverts to childish writing habits. Think Dora the Explorer trying to tell a story. “Do you see the fungus?”

Speaking of children, Koontz still fails to craft a believable kid. Like the children in “What the Night Knows” both Winny and Iris are so far off the path of normal kids that it is impossible to believe them. Winny is only 12 yet acts with more courage and bravery than the supposed war veteran he is with and even has a better vocabulary. Iris isn’t much better. Although she never talks (she’s an autistic (yet another subject Koontz has seemed to exhaust throughout past works)), she’s much too cliche’d and transparent of a character to even have any worth in this book.

Those 2 kids are but a small part of the huge cast of characters Koontz attempts (and fails) to craft into this novel. Nearly every one in this book is one cliche after another. You have the hit-man, the ex-marine turned accountant, the 2 older women who believe in ghosts and ghouls, a blind man, a Vietnamese refugee escaping from his past, a borderline paranoid, and an indian concierge. Not a single one of them bring anything to the literary table. I didn’t like a single one of them and never once felt for sorry for any one who happened to be attacked and killed by the “Progoms.”

I scratch my head as to why I continue to purchase Dean Koontz books. I gave up on Patterson. I gave up on Cussler. I even gave up on Michael Crichton there at the end of his life, but again and again, I find myself still purchasing the newest Koontz books. When I finish, it I know I will be disappointed. I know I will feel like I wasted money. I know I should have bought the next “Game of Thrones” book. I very well feel like this may be my last attempt at trying to give Koontz another shot. I have been giving the guy shots since “The Husband” and pretty much every time I feel duped. From the looks of all the other negative reviews “77 Shadow Street” has gotten, so do a lot of other loyal fans.

Koontz must not read any of the comments people post on his books because they have consistently been more and more negative with each new story and they show no signs of getting any better. You want an honest opinion? Skip this book. Skip anything after “The Taking” or “The Face” and you won’t be in for a huge let down every single time. (less)

14 likes · like · see review

Jan 04, 2012 Dustin Crazy little brown owl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, worth-reading-again-and-again, group-reads, read-in-2012

Holy Shit! This is a damn good book! It's been a long time since a story has intrigued me as much as 77 Shadow Street. I have recently become addicted to the TV show called American Horror Story and this story is a nice book to read while waiting for new episodes. 77 Shadow Street is about a haunted luxury apartment, formerly a Gilded Age palace, built in the 1800's. Well technically, the place ain't haunted (view spoiler)...more Holy Shit! This is a damn good book! It's been a long time since a story has intrigued me as much as 77 Shadow Street. I have recently become addicted to the TV show called American Horror Story and this story is a nice book to read while waiting for new episodes. 77 Shadow Street is about a haunted luxury apartment, formerly a Gilded Age palace, built in the 1800's. Well technically, the place ain't haunted (view spoiler) so it also reminds me of my favorite TV show, FRINGE and this is a good book to read while you're waiting for new episodes of that one too :-)

To me this seems very original, both as a haunting and as a book written by Dean Koontz. This is not your typical Koontz story and the descriptions are amazing! :-) Too bad most of yous have to wait until 12/27/11 :-) I feel so honored to have this opportunity.

While there is no dog as a main character and no clear man and woman hooking up for a happy ending, there are some characteristic Koontz elements to this story, things that he has done in other books. These include, but are not limited to:
(view spoiler)

You will get to know The Pendleton's layout very well - the book features building blueprints to help you do this. The building has four levels. The basement level has a pool, Gym, storage units, HVAC room, security room and the Superintendent's Living Quarters. The other 3 levels feature the Luxury Apartments of various sizes. There are many different residents/characters in this book. Luckily Koontz allowed a few of the places to be vacant during this story - As the story takes place in December, some residents are on vacation.

:-) THANK YOU TO MY GOODREADS FRIEND WHO SENT ME AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK!!!!!

Update: I enjoyed the first half of the book much better than the second half. While I still really liked the book and would like to read it again, I did have to downgrade my amazing 5 star rating to a 4 star rating.(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Oct 08, 2012 Samantha Vanbrocklin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really wanted to love this book, but it really made it hard. I love the style in which the book was written. The movement between characters really added suspense and thrill, and a few times I wanted to jump out of my skin. However, it was drawn out at times and, although the ending was interesting, it didn't start taking shape until 3/4ths the way in. Overall, an interesting read but not up to Koontz's par.

7 likes · like · see review

Jul 10, 2012 Maciek rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: unfinished, horror, crap

I only got 1/4 through this bad book (I hesitate to call it a novel, as there is nothing novel about it) before I reached this offensive chapter and could read no more. It goes like this:

"Sparkle Sykes, stepping quietly out of her closet and moving cautiously across the bedroom, followed the six-legged crawling thing that might have been a mutant baby born after a worldwide nuclear holocaust as imagined in the waking nightmares of an insect-phobic, fungi-phobic, rat-crazy mescaline junkie."

This...more

35 likes · like · see review

Jan 15, 2012 Jackie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, thriller

77SS started out good, mysterious and intriguing. I thought it was a haunted house story but it's not. Which is cool too.

However, in the mid-way point, I was tired of the same long winded descriptions of grotesque and nasty things, the same thing over and over. I lost my momentum and found myself putting the book down more easily and not in much of a rush to get back to it.

It wasn't a bad book, just not one of Koontz's best.

10 likes · like · see review

Mar 01, 2012 Christine rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

The house is called the Pendleton now and it was built as the dream home of a tycoon in the 1800’s. The original family was plagued with tragedy and ever since there has been a cycle of tragic events … coincidentally every 37 years. In the 1970’s it was remodeled as luxury apartments inhabited by the rich and famous, the rich and not so famous and the downright notorious. The curse of tragedy, however, seems to have stayed on despite the renovations and now ghostly images, disembodied voices and...more

18 likes · like · see review

Oct 01, 2012 Robin rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sped read like a demon...so I could be done with it! Koontz has been great at character development in the past. In this book, I didn't really like anyone so didn't really care what happened to them.

7 likes · like · see review

Sep 11, 2012 Brett rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, science-fiction, suspense, thriller

Almost done and have read enough, barring the ending, to know that this is a pretty good read. There are a lot of twists in here and some will definitely catch you off balance.

I won't give any spoilers, which means I can't talk much about it as I tend to get carried away and give it all up!

Do yourself a favor and pick this up. If you're a Koontz fan, you must. If you haven't read him in a while or ever, shame, you'll be pleasantly surprised as I have been.

Finished the other day and enjoyed it mu...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Beth rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love most books by Dean Koontz. This one was not a favorite of mine. At times, I had to force myself to keep reading. It was harder to follow the plot, and I kept getting the characters confused. The best part of this book was the novella, The Moonlit Mind, at the end of it. I devoured that in one sitting, and I was hoping for more!! Would love for his new book to be about Crispin, Harley, and Amity!!!

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 18, 2012 Andrew pinto rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: stoped-mid-way

im already much over half way, and this book makes you wonder...will it get better? it started pretty okay, but its just getting boring now.

okay putting this one down, not even going to finish it, it is very boring that i fall asleep when i think about reading it...i really tried to like this one but i just cant do it

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 01, 2012 Justin Offermann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, horror, science-fiction

The fourth star is largely for the included novella, The Moonlit Mind which I really enjoyed (and which makes one wonder if perhaps Koontz shouldn't think about reducing the length of his books); the main novel, 77 Shadow Street I would give more like three and a half stars.

I enjoyed the story, and Koontz does a pretty good job of blending together horror and dystopian sci-fi, but at times the writing seemed a bit clunky, and definitely overly adjectival in parts. There's certainly a need to...more

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Oct 17, 2012 George Wilhite rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book proved to be a big letdown. I marked it as read but it is really a DNF from me, there is just no goodreads category for that. I hadn't read much Koontz other than Frankenstein and Odd Thomas books but I love haunted houses so I gave this a try. There was a lot of tremendous buildup and some interesting characters (though also many mundane ones), enough to keep me reading. But around page 350-400 this book grinds to a screeching halt and derails. Suddenly, the characters are just wander...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Alex (Al) marked it as to-read

My Progress Thus Far

So, I started reading 77 Shadow Street, finally, and it's really weird so far, but really interesting. It doesn't really have the Koontz feel to it yet. Bailey is kind of annoying. For some reason I like the former Senator...I don't know why either. The security guard is awesome currently. I'm only on chapter 6 so my views are bound to change.

Oh, ever since I started reading the book strange things have been happening. I'm not sure if it's all coincidence or if it's all in m...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Let me just tell you, fungus scares me. I do not want it on my pizza. It grows in dark, moist corners and feeds off compost. Yuck! Let's just say fungus plays a big role in this book and each page will keep you in suspense as well as go "yuck". I loved it, really. It reminded me of the first Dean Koontz book I read that got me hooked: "The Taking". Same kind of post-apocalyptic feel with just as much of a human-less, fungus-filled environment. Enjoy! And stay away from the mushrooms!

5 likes · like · see review

May 08, 2012 Jamee Zielke rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one

Recommended to Jamee by: Our Book Club

Shelves: book-club

This book is a thriller.

It took me a good two weeks to read.

I was nine pages from the end at about 11:30pm. It's a thriller - I should not even be able to sleep until the end, right? I mean NINE pages!

I feel asleep and had to finish it in the morning. And only did so I can move on to the next book I want to read.

Koontz does a wonderful job with description. He's very thorough and detailed. Which would be great if he didn't repeat all the descriptions with each character. It really destroys the...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Barry Simiana rated it 4 of 5 stars

As always, Dean delivers. It's a little tough going in the beginning, but stick with it. Hidden inside you will find man characters that you'll want to follow. Some of them deserve a follow up book of their own, a future book based on their later lives perhaps for who could not have their lives altered by the occurrences t 77 shadow street. Actually, as I neared the end I thought it might actually be happening, but it was quickly nipped out in the very last pages. Has mr kkontz finally begun to...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Claudia Shaw rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would like to give this a 3.5 rating but can't. This book is the one where you want to read the last chapter so you know what happens. It is a thrilling read. My only criticism would be one I've had before with Koontz. He gets too wordy. I could cut this book in half without losing any of the thrill or suspense. I recommend this book as a read for winter curled up on the sofa in front of the fire.

1 like · like · see review

Oct 18, 2012 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this book to just be ok. I was expecting more of a ghost story but I guess I should have known better with Dean Koontz. The idea was interesting but I just think parts were really drawn out and the ending was rushed.

I actually liked the bonus novella "moonlit mind" even better than 77 shadow street. Id give the novella 5 stars.

1 like · like · see review

May 04, 2013 Chibineko rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: meh

Meh. If I had to sum this book up in a nutshell, it would be that word. This isn't an especially horrible book, but neither is it that particularly good either. I think that what will disappoint many readers is the knowledge that Koontz can and has done far better in his past work.

Don't take that to mean that this book is completely without merit. The basic idea of this book is interesting and I think that if Koontz had scaled back on his cast of characters, he could have devoted more time to d...more Meh. If I had to sum this book up in a nutshell, it would be that word. This isn't an especially horrible book, but neither is it that particularly good either. I think that what will disappoint many readers is the knowledge that Koontz can and has done far better in his past work.

Don't take that to mean that this book is completely without merit. The basic idea of this book is interesting and I think that if Koontz had scaled back on his cast of characters, he could have devoted more time to developing the ideas contained therein as well as giving everyone more of their own identities. I can't elaborate on this without running the risk of spoiling the plot for everyone, but the general idea here is pretty neat and had a lot of potential. It's definitely an interesting enough spin on the traditional idea of the haunted house. There have been variations of the type of haunted house Koontz has brought here, but I think that this is one of the first times I've really seen this specific rendition. This was one of the saving graces of the book, that this was a relatively new rendition and as such didn't really have much to compare itself against as far as other authors go.

The big issue is that the cast here is so dramatically bloated that none of them are really that well developed. Koontz jumps from character to character and while this helps in some instances to introduce various tidbits of information or views, it makes all of the characters seem more like cardboard standups at times than actual people. I couldn't help but wish that we'd had more of various characters like the creepy Mickey Dime than the relatively dull elderly sisters. The same can be said for the two children in the book, especially since neither of them really feel that genuine of a child character. We're told that they're kids and we can give them some leeway because they're supposed to be exceptional or different in one form or another, but this didn't keep me from feeling that they felt more like adults trying to be kids than actual kids.

This is readable enough and it'll undoubtedly be a pleasant enough beach read for the most part, but this book really could have benefited from an editor telling Koontz to reduce the cast (which was about 10-12 people or so at some point in time) to about a third of that scale. That's really what hurt this the most and is why I keep harping on this. This just had the potential to be so much more than what it was and it's why this was so disappointing at times and why I'm ultimately rating it 2 stars rather than 3. I didn't hate it, but the more I think about it afterwards, the more disappointed I ultimately feel.(less)

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Apr 05, 2013 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(This review may contain spoilers).

I liked the idea behind the book - and the plot was fairly original. The descriptions of the creatures were fairly horrific and there were a few scenes I cringed at... at least at first, before I started mentally rolling my eyes at how many times said creatures (and certain things - fungi, for instance) were mentioned, over and over. Repetitiveness kind of removes the scary.

I did feel that the story switched too much between far too many POVs. I got confused ab...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was definitely different than I was expecting. I struggled with it at first, because I wanted to immediately understand EXACTLY what was happening. Koontz doesn't let you. I almost stopped reading then decided that since I had already bought the book...I'd put my faith in the author. I'm glad I did. Halfway through I knew just enough to keep me satisfied and I was hooked.

I think this book is one that you either like or hate. There is not much middle ground. I thought the characters were be...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Scott rated it 1 of 5 stars

Hated...no, LOATHED this pile of sperm whale excrement, this Moby Dump, disguised as a novel (&novella). No, really. I read the entire thing just to write this vitriolic screed disguised as a review.

It had been (literally) decades since I read a Dean Koontz novel since once you had read one you had read them all right down to the obligatory, awkward sex scene inserted about 3/4 of the way through and though being a different animal completelty, much to my surprise, it was no less awful an ex...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dear Mr. Koontz,

I first picked up one of your books some 30 years ago, and have been reading your works ever since. The "Horror" genre your books are classified under kept me away at first, but once I read some of them, I came to see them as stories of the ordinary man coming up against extraordinary odds. I enjoy reading the stories of people in incredible situations who manage to continue to eat, drive, sleep, and even fall in love. The story of 77 Shadow Street, a home built on a time fault,...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Darlene rated it 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to love this book. I loved the first 50 pages.In fact, I found myself excitedly comparing the writing and story to a most excellent Stephen King thriller (my fave author)! The book starts off strong, and instantly grabbed me. But, while the descriptions were vivid and colorful throughout the book, the plot dragged almost painfully as the book went on, destroying my drive to read it so that finishing it became a chore.
Let me give an example of how most of the book read:
A tremor ran thr...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Charlotte rated it 3 of 5 stars

G bought this book for me on a random shopping trip. I had seen the promos on Dean's FB page of course, but I hadn't thought to buy it so soon. It was a good thing it was a gift, or I might not have finished it.

No, it wasn't bad. In fact, it was Dean Koontz at the kind of terrifying best that reminded me of why I don't read Stephen King or watch horror movies. In a way, that's a compliment to his writing, because that is just how much this book terrified me as I read it, which I suppose was the...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Richard Gazala rated it 3 of 5 stars

In "77 Shadow Street," Dean Koontz takes on the daunting task of creating and sustaining suspense over the course of over hundreds of pages in telling a story that winds through past, present and a dystopian future, while simultaneously juggling the trials and tribulations of several disparate characters ranging in age from a young boy to a very old man (not to mention dead people, killer fungus, an array of freakish monsters, and "The One"). Such a feat would prove challenging for any author, e...more In "77 Shadow Street," Dean Koontz takes on the daunting task of creating and sustaining suspense over the course of over hundreds of pages in telling a story that winds through past, present and a dystopian future, while simultaneously juggling the trials and tribulations of several disparate characters ranging in age from a young boy to a very old man (not to mention dead people, killer fungus, an array of freakish monsters, and "The One"). Such a feat would prove challenging for any author, even one of Koontz' well-deserved esteem. That Koontz largely succeeds in crafting a compelling novel from weaving these many elements is to his great credit. That said, it's not the easiest story to follow, given that Koontz leaps unabashedly among characters while time wobbles in a very nonlinear way to tell his tale. The plot is labyrinthine, at times unnecessarily so. Though the dialog he gives them isn't always stellar (and in the first half or so, it's almost nonexistent), the characters themselves are an interesting assortment of well-developed people, ranging from naive to innocent to hubristic to homicidal to purely evil. There aren't many of them to love, but it's fun to dislike a lot of them. Hating a few of them come the story's reasonably satisfying end is inevitable.

Regardless of the time period impacting the plot's undulations, the story is set in a massive old mansion called the Pendleton that sits on Shadow Hill's peak, towering over the city below. The clandestine reasons when and particularly where the seemingly luxurious, serene and secure architectural masterpiece was built a century before the book's opening curse everyone unfortunate enough to be lulled into calling the place home. The book owes as much to science fiction as to horror (in the vein of Shelley's "Frankenstein," from which this book clearly draws inspiration) as it reveals why so many people have disappeared so mysteriously, when they're not dying horrifically, every 38 years since the Pendleton's construction.

"77 Shadow Street" is by no means a great book, but despite its flaws it's a good one. More often than not it's sufficiently gripping keep its pages fluttering through readers' fingers late into the night.(less)

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Horror Aficionados : 77 Shadow Street	5	25	Apr 16, 2013 09:39am
What Does This Book Remind You Of?	3	18	Mar 06, 2013 04:40am
Any similar books to this one?	10	23	Feb 25, 2013 01:15am
Brief Review	7	32	Feb 23, 2013 03:34pm
Slow start?	8	27	Feb 09, 2013 06:04pm

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About Dean Koontz

Acknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.

Dean R. Koontz has also published under the na...more

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Quotes from 77 Shadow Street

“And the funny thing was if you made the best of it, if you smiled through every storm, the bad things were never as terrible as you expected them to be, and the good things were better than anything you could have wished for yourself.” — 12 people liked it

“I am the One, and I see all.
But the blind man in Apartment 1-A is blind in many ways, as are all human beings, even those with functioning eyes. They are blind to their folly, to their ignorance, to their history, to the future that they will make for themselves. A future born of self-loathing.” — 8 people liked it

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77 Shadow Street

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