book data
2,656 ratings,
3.73
average rating, 542 reviews
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published
May 20th 2008
by Bantam
binding
Hardcover, 400 pages
characters
isbn
0553807056
(isbn13: 9780553807059)
description
Only a handful of fictional characters are recognized by first name alone. Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas is one of those rare literary heroes who have come...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 4,208)
All ratings
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5 stars (695)
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4 stars (903)
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3 stars (751)
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2 stars (240)
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1 star (59)
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avg 3.73
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
Read in May, 2008
Three stars may be the fewest I'd ever give a Dean Koontz book. Koontz fans (of which I am one) love Odd Thomas and his unpredictable supernatural abilities, troubled but simple life, and drive to do good in the world. This installment in the Odd Thomas saga, though, fell a bit short of the mark.
There are wonderful passages - Koontz has an amazing gift for description that is never cliche or vague. But this is one of the books in which the entire story takes place in just one da...more
There are wonderful passages - Koontz has an amazing gift for description that is never cliche or vague. But this is one of the books in which the entire story takes place in just one da...more
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
only very die-hard Koontz fans
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Read in June, 2008
This book was an absolute train wreck. Having been a fan of and read all 3 previous Odd Thomas novels, I was very disappointed with this book.
This novel could have been condensed to about 200 pages. There was way too much "filler information". I became frustrated when the plot would drag, and then as it seemed to be moving along, it would go off track once again. Maybe this was Koontz's intended style, but I found it too much and annoying.
I don't need a bi...more
This novel could have been condensed to about 200 pages. There was way too much "filler information". I became frustrated when the plot would drag, and then as it seemed to be moving along, it would go off track once again. Maybe this was Koontz's intended style, but I found it too much and annoying.
I don't need a bi...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
Koontz or Odd Thomas Fans
Title: Odd Hours
Author: Dean Koontz
Fiction/Non-Fiction: Fiction
Genre: Suspense/Horror
Date Started Book: July 4, 2008
Date Finished Book: July 9, 2008
Before Reading:
What do I expect to gain from reading this?
I am already a fan of the Odd Thomas series; I was looking to continue Odd's adventures.
During/After Reading:
Brief Overall Summary of the Book:
Odd has returned from the monastery of Brother Odd, the pre...more
Author: Dean Koontz
Fiction/Non-Fiction: Fiction
Genre: Suspense/Horror
Date Started Book: July 4, 2008
Date Finished Book: July 9, 2008
Before Reading:
What do I expect to gain from reading this?
I am already a fan of the Odd Thomas series; I was looking to continue Odd's adventures.
During/After Reading:
Brief Overall Summary of the Book:
Odd has returned from the monastery of Brother Odd, the pre...more
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Read in May, 2008
Just as fabulous as I expected out of the Odd Thomas series. Koontz even manages to reference another of his novels, not at all related to the world of Odd Thomas, if you catch it. In the beginning Odd is wearing a sweatshirt with the words "Mystery Train" across the front that he got at "a thrift store". Die hard Koontz fans will recognize the Mystery Train from Christopher Snow's world in "Seize the Night". Does this mean Snow and Odd might eventually cross pa...more
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Odd Thomas, a young man with clairvoyant tendencies, is led to the town of Magic Beach, where he has a recurring apocalyptic-type dream. Soon he finds himself trying to stop a group of terrorists who hope to cause national destruction and unseat current political leaders.
I don't usually like this type of book and had little to go on but the author's reputation when I checked it out, but found it an enthralling story with likable characters that seem as if they've been around forever...more
I don't usually like this type of book and had little to go on but the author's reputation when I checked it out, but found it an enthralling story with likable characters that seem as if they've been around forever...more
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Read in May, 2008
I hate giving this book two starts, because I LOVE Odd Thomas. He is one of my favorite fictional characters. This novel was as well written as Koontz novel's usually are, with those wonderful turns of phrase ... it just didn't seem as pulled together. I thought at first it was an exercise in developing Odd's character further. But Odd is what he is. Finally, after completing the novel, I thought that perhaps there is a Part II coming on it's heels, because there was much unfinished business. "...more
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Read in January, 2009
I polished this off in two days; I think it might have taken Koontz the same amount of time to write it. I still love the "Odd" series, because of the characters and because I'm really wondering where he's going with all this. This book did not satisfy either; nothing new about Odd, the new characters were sketched out, the plot was one long chase scene. It's a middle book. But I LOVED what he did with the ghost of Frank Sinatra. If Koontz can get away with using Sinatra's ghost as...more
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3 comments
Read in August, 2008
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Read in January, 2009
Occasionally great writers, like Dean Koontz, find a niche, which fits them so well that they rise above their already lofty status to produce works, which define them. Dean Koontz has done this with his Odd Thomas series. Like Stephen King with his Dark Tower Books, Koontz accomplishes this feat – in my opinion – with his incredible understanding of the lead character and his world.
In, Odd Hours, Koontz explores two of America’s biggest internal threats – greed and extreme i...more
In, Odd Hours, Koontz explores two of America’s biggest internal threats – greed and extreme i...more
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Read in November, 2008
recommends it for:
fans of Dean Koontz and suspense
I've been following Dean Koontz since I was fourteen, and a friend lent me a copy of Lightning. That book turned out to be my favourite of all his writings, though there have been brilliant books by him since. The Odd series has its moments of brilliance, but they're more in fits and starts.
I was disappointed by the ending of Brother Odd, and while Odd Hours is more satisfying overall, it's just not the same hooked throughout story that Lightning is to me. Maybe I'm spoiled, maybe...more
I was disappointed by the ending of Brother Odd, and while Odd Hours is more satisfying overall, it's just not the same hooked throughout story that Lightning is to me. Maybe I'm spoiled, maybe...more
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Read in June, 2008
01 June 08
I am disappointed. Very disappointed. I only gave this one two stars because Odd is still a very consistent and famillar character. As for the rest of it....
Government consiiracy of Tom Clancy porportions, international and domestic terrorists, unexplained characters, and unnecessary allusions to the events in his Christopher Snow series all combined to make this a less than satisfactory read.
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I really enjoy this series and can't wait to...more
I am disappointed. Very disappointed. I only gave this one two stars because Odd is still a very consistent and famillar character. As for the rest of it....
Government consiiracy of Tom Clancy porportions, international and domestic terrorists, unexplained characters, and unnecessary allusions to the events in his Christopher Snow series all combined to make this a less than satisfactory read.
-----
I really enjoy this series and can't wait to...more
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Before I start, let me say that I love Odd. I was hooked within sentences, and have been since.
I was disappointed by the previous book (Brother Odd) - I thought that Odd in a monastery was going to be wonderfully entertaining, but instead of being odd as in quirky and unusual, it was odd in the sense of confusing and nonsensical.
I just finished Odd Hours. The first thing I noticed was that Odd's style of dialogue, which had always seemed wonderfully clever in an almost Seuss-like so...more
I was disappointed by the previous book (Brother Odd) - I thought that Odd in a monastery was going to be wonderfully entertaining, but instead of being odd as in quirky and unusual, it was odd in the sense of confusing and nonsensical.
I just finished Odd Hours. The first thing I noticed was that Odd's style of dialogue, which had always seemed wonderfully clever in an almost Seuss-like so...more
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I like this book but was a little disapointed. Koontz has really come a long way, I loved the dialog between Odd and his current employer, an aging movie-star. The pace was quick, almost too quick and the ending was a slight let-down. I haven't read any of the previous "Odd" books and only purchased this one last week at a great book store in Shelbyville, IN. I would recommend that you read it, but wait for the paperback or even better check it out from the library. It wasn't worth $27...more
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Read in June, 2009
While the core of the character of Odd Thomas has remained intact and is actually developing, Dean Koontz has violated tbe premise of the Odd “Biblioverse:” Aside from Sinatra, there are no apparitions of the departed to highlight the story; because the scene of potential suffering is not immediate, there are no bodachs and; Odd actually arms himself voluntarily before heading into a potentially dangerous situation. The story itself has a number of unexplained phenomena (increasingly heavy t...more
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Read in May, 2009
Happy to have the return of Off Thomas - what fantastic places will he lead this time, and what forces will he face?
Well, the forces turned out to be run of the mill types, so disappointing. Not up to Odd's abilities, I was never worried. Nothing to see here, folks.
Although not the best Odd book, it still kept me glued enough to disregard the spring storm that swept through yesterday evening, and oh, yes, kept me from heading to the gym, too. While the story line was n...more
Well, the forces turned out to be run of the mill types, so disappointing. Not up to Odd's abilities, I was never worried. Nothing to see here, folks.
Although not the best Odd book, it still kept me glued enough to disregard the spring storm that swept through yesterday evening, and oh, yes, kept me from heading to the gym, too. While the story line was n...more
Read in June, 2009
I got locked out of my place the other night, and the friend who has our spare keys wasn't around. So I went to the drugstore and bought this book, then headed to the nearest sushi restaurant to kill time with some rolls, booze, and this book.
Let's just get this out of the way right now. This book is not good at all. It is terrible. But it was *so* terrible that it became funny and eventually I couldn't wait to see exactly how much more dreadful writing the author could pack into...more
Let's just get this out of the way right now. This book is not good at all. It is terrible. But it was *so* terrible that it became funny and eventually I couldn't wait to see exactly how much more dreadful writing the author could pack into...more
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Read in December, 2008
What I appreciated about this book is that it was quick and easy. There are, sadly, too many times when I just don't have much leftover energy to give to reading. This at least helped me refocus and remember how much I enjoy being swept up in a good story. I've actually read all the Odds and I must say the narrator, with his unusual gifts and humble yet wisecracking demeanor, is someone I keep wanting to hear more from. The plot was thin at best, loose ends galore, really just an excuse for a ni...more
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Read in December, 2008
Koontz's Odd Thomas is quirky. That's basically the only way to put him. I have really enjoyed the Odd Thomas series because the humor is just a little off beat. It's a departure from Koontz other books that, while still well written, are a little more serious.
Odd joins us again from the home of Hutch Hutchinson, a former actor who is living out the remainder of his life in Magic Beach, California. Lines are blurry between real life and the roles Hutch played on the big screen an...more
Odd joins us again from the home of Hutch Hutchinson, a former actor who is living out the remainder of his life in Magic Beach, California. Lines are blurry between real life and the roles Hutch played on the big screen an...more
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Read in December, 2008
Although I still like the character Odd Thomas, this was my least favorite book in the series. Odd is having dreams of the world's end which start to appear as visions when he touches the hands of bad guys. He meets a mysterious pregnant woman and pledges his life to her. I have to admit that after page 226 I skimmed a number of pages (which I almost never do) because they just seemed to ramble on with unnecessary information. I know part of Odd's appeal is that he wanders from this subject to t...more
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quotes from this book
"Life had not taught me to distrust ministers, but it had taught me to trust no one more than dogs."
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