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Lightning

4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 · rating details · 27,064 ratings · 927 reviews

A bolt of lightning brings a blond-haired stranger into Laura Shane's life. But is he the guardian angel he seems? The devil in disguise? Or the master of a haunting destiny beyond time and space?

Paperback, 384 pages

Published September 2nd 2003 by Berkley (first published January 1st 1988)

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Best Dean Koontz Books

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Jun 27, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: time-travel-suspense-thriller, 5-star-other

What a great story! I thought about it frequently afterwards.

At times it was a roller coaster ride, frightening, intense, and I didn’t want to stop reading until I got through the current crisis. The main story is Laura’s life from birth to adulthood. A strange man appears at critical times in her life to save her from disaster. Laura is not a wimp. She does smart things. This is one of the few books where I don’t want to say much about the story. It is sooo much better not to know. There is sus...more

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Feb 24, 2011 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror-thriller

This novel is a combination of science fiction (time travel) and suspense, and the result is a book I was not be able to put down.

The story focused around Laura Shane. Starting from birth and to adulthood (around 30 I believe). The other main character is Stefan. A unknown “guardian” who keeps appearing throughout her life to save her. Both are well thought-out and well-written characters. Another character I liked in the story was Thelma (Laura’s childhood friend).

Laura goes through early lif...more

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Aug 06, 2007 Casey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I used to be a die-hard Koontz fan; I think some of his books in the past five years have fallen off a bit, but Lightning remains in my top ten. I still have my tattered copy, and look forward to reading it for the third time in the future. Like some of his other books (particularly Intensity), Koontz has created a strong lead character and a complex but easy to follow plot. There are Nazis. There's time travel. There are big guns. It may sound like a weird mix, but it works beautifully. I'm not...more

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Feb 01, 2008 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

I absolutely love this book and remembered how much when I recently read it for the second time. Now, Dean Koontz can write some weird, if not, scary books, but this one was really good. Ultimately, it's a love story that crosses time barriers between the Nazi Germany era and present day. It spans the lifetime of a woman from her birth til she's about in her 30s and makes you see how people's lives can end up completely different just by the actions of one other person. It's a great read and I'd...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Ciarán West rated it 5 of 5 stars

Why don't you read Dean Koontz? You probably have an answer. Mine was something like 'Jesus Christ this guy writes about forty books a year, and they all seem a bit rubbish.' I, like everyone else, first came across his novels because they were next to the Stephen King books in the library. Clever marketing, even if it is quite accidental. There were books with evil clowns on the front, books with scary kids on the front. It all seemed a bit Fiction-by-numbers to me, so I never picked any of his...more Why don't you read Dean Koontz? You probably have an answer. Mine was something like 'Jesus Christ this guy writes about forty books a year, and they all seem a bit rubbish.' I, like everyone else, first came across his novels because they were next to the Stephen King books in the library. Clever marketing, even if it is quite accidental. There were books with evil clowns on the front, books with scary kids on the front. It all seemed a bit Fiction-by-numbers to me, so I never picked any of his up. That was until a friend gave me this one. She did the whole 'No, it's not a horror' pitch that we do so often when we want our Mums to read Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption, or The Green Mile. That's the awful rep horror/sci-fi/fantasy books have- we have to use disclaimers and qualifiers in order to tempt non-fans into the genres.

Anyway, I read it. Mainly out of boredom, which the best reason to do anything. What struck me was how much he made me care. I love Stephen King, but I think his strength lies in the story, not in the characters. With Lightning, Koontz gave me a protagonist that I wanted to know in real life. I was three chapters in and already depressed about the finite nature of a book. And with this book (not to give too much away) he does it more than once. Even when you think you have the measure of it all, he does a bit of goalpost shifting that you don't see coming, and you aren't even mad about, such was the genius of the play.

What is it if not a horror? It's science fiction in parts, it's fantasy in bigger parts, and it's about love, for the most part. There are no Killer Clowns or Scary Children, but it will make you fall in love with Koontz, and want to explore more. If I can give you any tips regarding that, I'd say 'go early'. Night Chills and The Voice of the Night are favourites.

He does write too many books, and I haven't liked all of them. His techno-noirs leave me cold. This one though, will knock your socks off. And then you'll have to pick your socks back up, to wipe away the tears.(less)

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Jan 14, 2008 Michele rated it 5 of 5 stars

I adore this book. It is one of my all time favorites. I can't really explain without giving things away, but this was my first Koontz book and it just grabbed hold of me.

I love most of Koontz' work, despite the fact that he has about 3 or 4 formulas that his work fits into, they still entertain me and they are books I can't put down once I start them.

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Nov 22, 2009 Jason (FNORDinc) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: listened-to, reviewed, reviewed-on-fnordinc, read-but-unowned

still sick.. bear with me if my grammar and such sucks today…

on a recent trip to california for a wedding, jenn and i decided to spend the whole trip not talking to each other. no no no, it wasnt because of bad stuff, it was because audiobook goodness was going to make the long car drive easier.

12+ hours of audio, the unabridged audiobook of Dean Koontz “Lightning”.

Lightning is the story of a woman, Shane, who’s destiny is altered repeatedly by a stranger. at key points of her life a pale strang...more

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Oct 03, 2007 Nathan rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Disillusioned Stephen King fans.

Shelves: fiction

Dean Koontz's Lightning is one of the first "adult" books I remember reading. It was certainly the first adult novel I read for leisure. This book came to me when I was, as a child, graduating from juvenile fiction on to something more substantial. It is the first such book I remember reading that wasn't assigned for school, and as such, it has a special place in my memory as a book that helped kick off my life-long love affair with reading. The story centers around time travel and one man's des...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

I don't typically add re-reads to my Goodreads tallies, but I feel like I have to say something about this one. I'm not particularly proud of this, but if I'm being perfectly honest and not trying to impress anybody with my cultural savvy, "Lightning" is easily one of the most enduring and influential books I've ever read. I was probably 12 or 13 when I first read it, and it's been at least a decade since I last picked it up, but any book, movie, or TV-show reference to time travel always makes...more I don't typically add re-reads to my Goodreads tallies, but I feel like I have to say something about this one. I'm not particularly proud of this, but if I'm being perfectly honest and not trying to impress anybody with my cultural savvy, "Lightning" is easily one of the most enduring and influential books I've ever read. I was probably 12 or 13 when I first read it, and it's been at least a decade since I last picked it up, but any book, movie, or TV-show reference to time travel always makes me think about this one. So I thought it might be worth revisiting now that I'm an adult with marginally discerning literary tastes (hell, you can see my book lists. it's all mass-produced pop nonfiction, chick lit, and Oprah-style literary fiction.) to see if it's really as good as I remember it.

And in some ways, yes, it really IS that good. Or at least the story is. It chugs along at a breakneck pace until the bad guys finally lie defeated at the end. Koontz's absurdly convoluted rules for time travel actually end up making a lot of sense, and his universe is well-formed and plausible. There's a tremendous amount of imagination at work here, which makes for a fantastically plotted novel. And most of all, I loved the way Laura channeled her life experiences into her writing, and the way Koontz traced the trajectory of her career from its earliest beginnings (even if her meteoric success seems a little preposterous given the state of publishing and literature in 2013). Koontz's thoughts about writing are still resonant and frequently beautiful. (Nothing will ever be as good as Stephen King's "On Writing" as far as writers writing about writing goes, but this isn't the first time Koontz manages to cough up some odd moments of brilliance over the course of following in King's footsteps, and I'm sure it's not the last either.)

Unfortunately, while the story's still awesome, the narrative is frequently lacking. Koontz tells, rather than shows, almost every single detail about every single event and character in the book. And Laura Shane turns out to be a classic Mary Sue: plucky, talented, drop-dead gorgeous. Every man who sees her falls in love with her on sight. (Somehow she manages to fall in love with a man whose wooing methods are eerily similar to the way a pedophile tried to groom her in earlier chapters, and the similarities are never remarked on, nor do they color the development of their relationship. To say nothing for the fact that yet another guy spends 200 pages fucking with the space-time continuum just because he's moved by her beauty and writing voice.) Laura's son is almost painfully precocious, and her best friend is kind of a stock "sassy best friend" character. Despite a fascinating back story (and oh man, the big reveal about "when" he's from is still a fantastic plot twist), Stefan is a blank slate whose defining characteristic is his love for Laura.

I also note a lot more of Koontz's personal politics than I'd remembered. His protagonists are all sort of rugged-individualist quasi-libertarians whose mistrust of others and super-introversion is always justified when authority figures fail them and laws get in their way. And I remembered this happening in other books, too, on a level that goes past mere politics. Koontz's books feature many characters who are forced to rely solely on themselves, and yet when finally coaxed out of their shells into society or relationships or loving families, it's deceptively easy for them to make the transition, and they suffer no repercussions from their repressive, isolated pasts.

This is probably not going to spark off a Dean Koontz rereadathon (especially since I remember this being his best one by far, with only "Watchers" coming even remotely close to being this good), but I'm glad to have made the trip again, and I'd happily recommend it to any of my friends looking for something to kill a long flight or a day at the beach.(less)

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Mar 25, 2013 Jim Dressner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller-mystery, science-fiction

I can't compare this book to any other Dean Koontz books, but it certainly is an easy read and an exciting page-turner. The main characters are well developed, if somewhat unrealistic, and become people you want to see succeed. The dialogue is pretty good, with a few laugh-out-loud lines and situations.

The SF time-travel aspect has its interesting and surprising quirks that I won't describe here, because much of the fun of the book is trying to figure out how and why things are happening as they...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Aided through many crises by the near miraculous intervention of a stranger, Laura Shane finally learns the nature of her incredible destiny when, on her thirtieth birthday, the stranger requests her help. Reissue.

From Publishers Weekly

...more

From Publishers Weekly

Laura Shane leads a troubled life: she is orphaned, nearly molested twice and loses one of her closest friends in a tragic accident, all before her 13th birthday. Even worse events would have befallen Laura if not for the mysterious guardian angel who periodically appears with a bolt of lightning to miraculously rescue her. The "angel," Stefan, is in fact a time traveler who rides the "lightning road" through time to follow Laura throughout her adult life; unfortunately, Stefan himself is being chased through time by a pack of equally mysterious villains, and their pursuit of Stefan and Laura spans the second half of the novel. The secret of the lightning road provides an intriguing mystery early on, but once it is revealed midway through the book as a complicated hybrid of borrowed science-fiction and political-thriller conceits, the narrative runs out of ideas. In the lightning road, Koontz has created the kind of sci-fi puzzle whose convoluted logic must be explained at every turn, and the momentum of the central, fairly standard chase suffers thereby. The drama of an innocent bystander forced by events to run for his or her life is familiar to Koontz readers, but this time he leaves out a vital ingredient; while his evil predators are often his most interesting characters (as in this year's Watchers, or the earlier Whispers), the villains of Lightning tend toward cliches. The reader senses that the author got too caught up in the trick of the lightning, and inadvertently stole the thunder from the rest of this potentially intriguing tale.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

On the night of Laura Shane's birth, a stranger appears from the lightning to prevent her delivery's being botched by an alcoholic physician. Throughout Laura's childhood the stranger reappears at times of danger. He protects rather than threatens, yet menace seems to follow him. Thirty years later another storm flashes and the stranger collapses, shot, at Laura's door. Now Laura protects her erstwhile guardian from mysterious hunters. He reveals that he and the hunters are time travelers. Laura, quick-witted and brave, leads the way to a bloody showdown. The paradox in time travel's tampering with history provides an interesting twist in this gripping thriller by a popular writer. Literary Guild selection.A.M.B. Amantia, Population Crisis Committee Lib., Washington,
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Jan 15, 2013 Kim rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I was like 13 or 14, I thought this was the greatest book ever, and I devoured every Dean Koontz book that wasn't stamped with an "A" for Adult at the library. But recently I have read (or started to read) newer Koontz books and have found them incredibly disappointing. So I decided to go back to this one, just to see if Koontz suddenly became a terrible writer or if I just had terrible taste back then. I'm not sure if either of those are completely true, but I guess the second one is a lit...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Jenny added it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really liked this book. At times Dean Koontz's language can get to you (the philosophy and the optimism) but that is ultimately one of the great things about his writing.
LIGHTNING revolves around the life of Laura, a girl/woman who has had a hard life, but has been continuously saved by a mysterious man (later discovered to be named Stefan) who never seems to age. Later we discover he is a time traveler and his arrival is announced by lightning.
I really wanted the two main characters (Stefan...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Kaitlyn Blackburn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dean Koontz book called "Lightning" was a novel of sadness, triumph and mystery. Laura Shane is a young novelist whose life is littered with visits of a mysterious guardian. Over time she learns of his decent and suddenly finds herself facing a war that history manifests was fought over forty years ago. The strength and faith of she and her loved ones are stretched farther to endure the unimaginable.
Dean Koontz writing is narrative and transparent. The development of the characters is decisive...more Dean Koontz book called "Lightning" was a novel of sadness, triumph and mystery. Laura Shane is a young novelist whose life is littered with visits of a mysterious guardian. Over time she learns of his decent and suddenly finds herself facing a war that history manifests was fought over forty years ago. The strength and faith of she and her loved ones are stretched farther to endure the unimaginable.
Dean Koontz writing is narrative and transparent. The development of the characters is decisive and deliberate. His main character, Laura Shane, is a young girl when she learns of the death of her mother at birth. Her best friend also suffers the loss of a loved one early in her years shortly after meeting Laura. After years of friendship, the two are able to bond over this similarity.
The journey in which our character is forced to embark on is a dangerous one. It soon becomes apparent that there many enemies have been made and her trust is put in the most unlikely of individuals. Racked up with excitement and anticipation, one may not be able to put the book down.

In my own growing library of fiction, there are few books I have read that contain this much death, fortune and mystery. Though the book was hard to put down at some point, there was something left to be desired. The tone was often dry and somewhat forceful. Each character found fortune at the end of their suffering which is desirable for this particular display of characters. However, Cinderella's happily-ever-after ending could be in competition.
It could be that my expectation of the outcome is biased. Having read mostly works of Jodi Picoult, I might have expected a fewer cavities at the end. The narrative was hard for me to get around. It was direct yet emotionless. I felt there was a connection the Laura, as I am a writer. The pain and suffering she dealt with was incredible. However, throughout the book, my mind was focused on the film "Terminator." My outlook on Mr. Koontz may not be so bright as of yet but I will try to keep an open mind. (less)

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Apr 24, 2012 Jean-marcel rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'll be brief, and I'll probably never say anything about this writer on Goodreads again. I read a number of his books over a period of about three years, starting with this one, when I was about eleven. I loved it then, and I suppose if I was forced into a position of recommending Dean Koontz to anyone, I would suggest that they read Lightning. You could almost say, "Time Travelling Nazis!", and leave it at that. The plot basically seems to run itself and everything just sort of flies along bre...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

How did I miss this one? I thought that I had read everything by Dean Koontz (some more than once) and I stumble upon Lightning, copywrited 1988.

Scientific advances that we have only dreamed of exist within the pages of lightning, as is so true in many of Koontz' books. His characters are ordinary people, put in extraordinary circumstances, and evolve into extraordinary people. His characters are so relatable - they could so easily be one of your friends, or neighbors, or even you. That's the dr...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I went to the library a couple of days ago in search of something new and came across this. I don't normally read thrillers, but I did read this book 25 years ago and remember that I enjoyed it. I thought that I'd found the best of both worlds... a book I knew I would like, but couldn't remember at all.

I thought the story was not only well written, but exciting. I won't go into the plot because trying to figure out what's happening is part of the fun of reading it. It was a thriller so it had it...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Frank rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was my first exposure to Dean Koontz and one I still like best of all his writings, as I read it a second time. Maybe it is the idea that someone is watching over us and suddenly shows up to help us in a tough situation that makes it so appealing. It you want to feel a warm fuzzy feeling even if during a suspenseful read, this I think is the one that will give you that (maybe the second read of Lightning is even better than the first). Granted it is not clear if this strange appearance of s...more

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Jan 15, 2012 James rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This review contains moderate spoilers.

This is the first Dean Koontz I finished. Before reading a Koontz, I searched online for opinions. You know - "best Dean Koontz", "your favourite Dean Koontz". Well, this and Watchers came up a lot.

The first 1/4th of this book is one of the best openings to a thriller I've read. It's compelling, tense, and disturbing. I almost didn't want to keep reading, but I had to.

Then, Laura doesn't get molested, she gets out of the orphanage and it becomes an action...more This review contains moderate spoilers.

This is the first Dean Koontz I finished. Before reading a Koontz, I searched online for opinions. You know - "best Dean Koontz", "your favourite Dean Koontz". Well, this and Watchers came up a lot.

The first 1/4th of this book is one of the best openings to a thriller I've read. It's compelling, tense, and disturbing. I almost didn't want to keep reading, but I had to.

Then, Laura doesn't get molested, she gets out of the orphanage and it becomes an action movie with a lot of explosions.

OK, that's not completely fair. It becomes an action AND a time travel movie. The reason I'm saying "movie" is because it would make a better movie than a book (except for that excellent beginning).

After the beginning, I was only interested in Stefan's chapters, for the most part. The time travel stuff was pretty good. He went back and met Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler, which could have been cheesy - and it was, a little - but it worked for the most part. Laura Shane became Sarah Connor, completely uninteresting.

If the book had been consistent, I wouldn't have been mad. Time travel with lots of gunfights and road trips? Cool! But don't start it off with something creepy that could have made it a Thomas Harris-type classic and then abandon it. It goes from gut-wrenching to breezy and it makes no sense.

One last thing. The love interest. It is literally the worst love story with the worst dialogue I've ever read. Big, dumb guy she falls in love with. He stands outside in rain, yells: "Laura Shane, you're just too damn beautiful!"
He also doubts himself. I'm just a big dumb guy and you're beautiful and talented.

He died. I couldn't believe how relieved I was that I didn't have to put up with him anymore. Story didn't get a helluva lot better, but the end was fine, I guess.

Great concept (time travelling guardian angel, destiny, that sorta good stuff), horrifyingly inconsistent and bland execution. I think I will read Fear Nothing now, and if it isn't better than this, then I don't know what to think of Koontz. (less)

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Nov 25, 2011 Meike rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller

Another heartfelt bleak "meh" for this one.

In light of my new policy (life is too short for reading bad books) I find it important to state that there aren't many books out there anymore where I stop time and again, latest at 90% done (nine-ty!) and ask myself almost constantly "why finish?" - and do finish nevertheless.
Why I did it? Because I appreciate Dean Koontz. I know him to be a very good and entertaining author of dark fiction, and - well, I kept hoping it would get better. And after I w...more Another heartfelt bleak "meh" for this one.

In light of my new policy (life is too short for reading bad books) I find it important to state that there aren't many books out there anymore where I stop time and again, latest at 90% done (nine-ty!) and ask myself almost constantly "why finish?" - and do finish nevertheless.
Why I did it? Because I appreciate Dean Koontz. I know him to be a very good and entertaining author of dark fiction, and - well, I kept hoping it would get better. And after I was done hoping and realized "nope, not this one", I kept reading because... uhm... to cherish his other books more?

*reading review again, shaking head*
No, please let me refrain. It's not *bad*, it's just... not good. You know what I mean? Please?
I found the characterization of the main protagonists clumsy (with the utmost love towards all the cildren out there: If Chris was my son, I would, please accept my apoplogies, constantly beat him), and if I had the energy to think about the time-travelling-thing, I somehow think I would have found logic holes big enough for whole Mars to fit in (uhm, actually, a little bit of Mars would have done the story a whole lotta good, methinks), but I just couldn't find the energy.
So I dragged myself from page to page (well, percent to percent, actually, as I only read on Kindle; 5 months for one book! FIVE!!!), entertained enough to not fall asleep, but not "Koontz-ed" in any way, shape or form.

Worth the "dragging-along" is for one the plot-change/ -surprise in midbook (I didn't see that one coming; will give no spoilers, you know what I mean when you read it), and for all the Koontz-fans (or casual enjoyers like me out there) the knowledge to have bowed before an (otherwise) really good author. ;-) And that he sure is.

This book's not bad. It's just that it's not good either.

(And don't be silly, of course I would not beat Chris. I don't beat any children, although one has to remind you that Chris is not exactly a child. He's invented. Imagined. Are you allowed to beat imagi... uhm...)
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Oct 29, 2011 Christopher Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars

Between 2008 and the summer of 2010, I'd spent a great deal of time wondering what was so great about Koontz. He was a bestseller, people raved about him on Amazon. But the first book I'd read from him, The Husband was bad. Short sentences. Short paragraphs. Short chapters. Vivid descriptions of natural scenery while violent altercations were solved in less than half a page. Villains were stupid and underdeveloped. Koontz insists Evil exists with a capital E (fair enough) but doesn't say what th...more Between 2008 and the summer of 2010, I'd spent a great deal of time wondering what was so great about Koontz. He was a bestseller, people raved about him on Amazon. But the first book I'd read from him, The Husband was bad. Short sentences. Short paragraphs. Short chapters. Vivid descriptions of natural scenery while violent altercations were solved in less than half a page. Villains were stupid and underdeveloped. Koontz insists Evil exists with a capital E (fair enough) but doesn't say what the nature of it is.
After that was Frankenstein, then Odd Thomas, then Darkest Evening, then the Odd sequels. They were decent, save for Darkest Evening, which was awful.

But this....?
This book filled me with horror. With a different sort of horror. Something far more terrible than any King monster. It's the complete and utter quality and talent this book was crafted with compared to Koontz's recent books. If Koontz name wasn't on Lightning and The Husband, you'd never be able to tell the same person had made them. It makes me wonder what happened to Koontz during the '90s, and THAT "isn't conducive to an upbeat mood" as Odd would say.

The characters are wide ranging (for Koontz). We have the determined and optimistic Laura, her wisecracking friend Thelma, the bumbling but well meaning Danny Packard, and the melancholy and hardcore Stefen. Compare this with recent entries, in which ALL the good guys are cracking wise, and Koontz tries EXTREMELY hard to get a laugh out of you.

The plot is ace. The first half deals with Laura growing up and facing trial after trial. Koontz shies away from dark material in his recent entries, but here we have junkies dropping f-bombs, perverts coming on to little girls, people getting shot in the head with enough force that the things come right off. The protagonists don't deal with these dilemmas with wise-cracks but with pain and confusion. The second half is more or less an action chase. Still good, considering there isn't as much action in recent entries save for perhaps The Husband.

The climax could be better, but the great ending pages more than make up for it. Koontz recent entries, like Darkest Evening, have been known to have endings so syrupy-sweet they'd give you Type II diabetes. Here, it seemed just right.

1980s Koontz doesn't waste our time with his political beliefs. He talks about gun safety for half a page. That's cool. He doesn't stop the plot so the Odd/Mitch/other protagonist/Koontz can whine about how bad modern society is or how bad Hollywood is or how bad atheists are because they have no morals because they don't believe in God.

Here the prose and figures of speech were better as well. It's a bit mechanical, perhaps. Koontz says Laura "surveyed" her room when he simply could've said "look". We don't have Koontz comparing dog tails to trees.

And speaking of which. No dogs...

Sounds like a winner.(less)

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Mar 12, 2011 Angela S. rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is an all-nighter, thoroughly engaging, enchanting, riveting, thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, and heart-racing. This one keeps you guessing throughout with many unexpected surprises and witty humor.

Koontz is dealing with the here and now, on the border between real and science-fiction. Some of his concepts are not easy to grasp but the powerful, enticing and mind-boggling suspense will keep your eyes glued to the pages.

This is a clever story of time travel and romance, of a Germa...more

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Nov 19, 2010 Johnny rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. “Lightning" is a very unique story in more ways than one, yet it still contains recognizable elements from Koontz’s work.

When you start reading about the drunk obstetrician about to deliver a baby, the reader would falsely presume this is the novel’s main character. But no, Koontz surprises us by making the baby in question the female lead. We follow Laura Shane’s life, literally from birth through childhood and into adulthood with a son of her own. Most of Koontz’s stories take place over a rel...more “Lightning" is a very unique story in more ways than one, yet it still contains recognizable elements from Koontz’s work.

When you start reading about the drunk obstetrician about to deliver a baby, the reader would falsely presume this is the novel’s main character. But no, Koontz surprises us by making the baby in question the female lead. We follow Laura Shane’s life, literally from birth through childhood and into adulthood with a son of her own. Most of Koontz’s stories take place over a relatively short time span. Quite the opposite here.

As we follow Laura, we get to meet de male lead, Stefan Krieger, a man who shows up in her life at key points to save her from all kinds of peril – without ageing at all! However, the supernatural aspect of this “guardian angel” is quickly replaced by clues which turn him from some kind of divine entity into a normal human being, but using some kind of new science to accomplish his feats. Steadily and without much surprise we learn he’s a time traveller set on making sure Laura gets the most perfect life possible. The real surprise, however, lies with his true origins, namely the “when” he’s hailing from: not from a distant future as is the general assumption, but from the past, particularly Germany during the second World War.

Koontz cleverly combines a science fiction story with a love story and a straightforward action thriller, never forgetting to add his signature humor to the piece. Think long and hard enough, and you can drill dozens of holes in any time travel theory, including this one. While time travel stories aren’t that unique, Koontz does succeed in creating such a lively story inhabited by lively people that you soon forget to ponder the paradoxes.

While Koontz has often used Russians as villains in his stories, the Nazis in “Lightning” and the threat for which they stand are far more recognizable to readers like me who didn’t experience the Cold War and whose History classes only led up to include World War II. And while a popular time travel story is quick to deal with a possible assassination of Hitler, Koontz is clever enough not to take it this far, though the man does make an appearance.

Laura Shane’s success as a debuting novelist does come over as a bit too unbelievable – aside from frustrating aspiring amateurs. But because we have watched her grow up and seen up close all the bad stuff she had to face, we are happy for her and share the excitement. Of course, her success is also necessary to explain how she can achieve certain things later on in the book.

Comic relief in this story is Thelma Ackerson, half of the amazing Ackerson twins whom Laura met while staying at an orphanage. However, I rarely even had to smile when she said something, but perhaps this is due because I read the book while I was sick and had to endure regular coughing fits.

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Nov 23, 2009 BarkLessWagMore rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, suspense

I originally read this way back when it was released and I was still a teen but have held on to it ever since. I'm going to finally set it free but will reread it first to see what I think now that I'm a wee bit older ;)

Comments on the reread:
As is typical of many of Koontz novels, this one starts out with mysterious men conducting experiments of a nefarious nature. A baby named Laura is born, her mother dies in childbirth and she's raised by her loving dad and watched over by a mysterious "guar...more

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Feb 16, 2013 KristenR rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller, science-fiction, a-zchallenge-2013

When I think about the books that shaped my reading tastes, I feel like this was the defining book. So I reread it with a little trepidation. I didn't even want to read others' reviews of it for fear that any criticism would spoil the image I have of it in my head.

I was 11 when my cousin gave me this book to read. With the exception of the classics I was reading at the time, it was the first 'adult' book I remember reading and it set me on my path of this genre...I then started blasting through...more

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Mar 19, 2010 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: group-reads, mystery-horror-thriller

3 1/2 stars. I read Lightning, one of Mr. Koontz's earlier works, as part of Goodread's Koontzland group, the March 2010 selection. It is hard to say much about the plot without giving away too much. Laura, throughout her life, seems to have a guardian angel, someone who pops up when she is in serious trouble and saves her. But bad things still happen to her – is he just a second-rate angel or what?

My reviews of Koontz's novels are as formulaic as some of his writing, and this one is not going t...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Clark Hallman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Lightning is the first Dean Koontz book I have read. I had intended to read one of his books for quite some time and just hadn’t gotten around to it. However, on April 10, 2011 I just happened to see a story about Koontz on CBS Sunday Morning. I already knew he was a very successful author, but they reported that he had written more than 100 books, including 13 best sellers. They also advised that he ranks number 6 among the World’s best paid writers. As I watched the story, I realized that I li...more Lightning is the first Dean Koontz book I have read. I had intended to read one of his books for quite some time and just hadn’t gotten around to it. However, on April 10, 2011 I just happened to see a story about Koontz on CBS Sunday Morning. I already knew he was a very successful author, but they reported that he had written more than 100 books, including 13 best sellers. They also advised that he ranks number 6 among the World’s best paid writers. As I watched the story, I realized that I liked the guy. Of course a TV news story on him is not necessarily an accurate depiction of who he really is. However, he seemed to be a likable, reasonable, and normal guy who just happened have a talent for writing that made him extremely successful. Therefore, decided I really did want to read a Dean Koontz book. My wife happened to see a list of time-travel books that are available as eBooks on the Kindle Reader blog. She gave me the list, which contained Lightning by Dean Koontz. I have liked to read time-travel books for many years so I decided to read Lightning. Oh my, I really liked this book! It’s a time-travel book, but it’s also a book about the first thirty years of Laura’s life, which are filled with the sorrow of losing loved ones and many difficult times living in orphanages and foster homes. It’s about Stefan, her mysterious “guardian”, who rescues her when her life is in danger several times during those thirty years. It is about her strong and enduring friendships, and her love for others. It’s about Laura growing into a very strong woman who takes control of her life. It’s also about Stefan’s love for Laura. Yes, Stefan is a time traveler who is in love with Laura and comes to her when she needs his help. That may not be an original idea. However, Koontz’s time traveler comes from a time and place you would never guess, and his agenda involves more than just saving her life. This book is an excellent read with lots of action, suspense, and engaging characters. I believe it is one of the best time-travel books I have read, and I recommend it strongly.
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Mar 08, 2012 S.E. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-read-in-high-school, contemporary-fiction, it-has-nazis-in-it, time-travel, thriller, technical, suspense, talky-talky, survival-of-the-fittest-story, smart-folks-running-for-their-lives, sci-fi, genius

I adore this book. It knocked my socks off and I've read it at least four times. It follows the story of a man from Nazi Germany working on technology called "The Lightning Road." A very well hidden secret, the road is used to travel into the future and discover the outcome of WWII and try to orchestrate circumstances for a Nazi victory.

This man, during one of his journeys, sees a woman at a book signing event and he is overcome by the strength she has shown in the midst of a life of adversity....more

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Apr 24, 2013 Abdelaziz Maldisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love everything about this book, most Koontz's are unfortunately, badly written that after I read them, I just forget about it right away, but this book was absolutely great. I mean, the most beautiful part about it for me were the Ackerson twins and Laura Shane's moments at social care institutions. You'll laugh, you will feel disgusted that some pedos like the Eel exist and continue to abuse innocent children, at some parts, you'll feel bad for Laura because of Nina's sudden heart attack, he...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Tom Nittoli rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you ask me in years to come which Dean Koontz book featured a half-assed time traveling segment, mixed with a heartfelt appearance from Winston Churchill, several dimensions, and Nazi's.... I'd probably tell you my brain hurts trying to recall. As I continue to plummet into my own demise of reading every D.K. book in chronological order, which manifested upon realization that over the years a younger more ambitious version of myself, took it upon himself to collect ALL the author's books, wit...more If you ask me in years to come which Dean Koontz book featured a half-assed time traveling segment, mixed with a heartfelt appearance from Winston Churchill, several dimensions, and Nazi's.... I'd probably tell you my brain hurts trying to recall. As I continue to plummet into my own demise of reading every D.K. book in chronological order, which manifested upon realization that over the years a younger more ambitious version of myself, took it upon himself to collect ALL the author's books, without having read a substantial amount warranting such a grave action, with dire consequences, I can't help but wonder if the white flag is the braver choice given my options.

Like most of his works I'm engaged in the first 50-80 pages, turning each of them slowly, if not solely out of fear for I know at any point all the traits of a shitty DK book lurks around the corner. When will they get married, have the perfect orgasm, which in turn spawns the perfect child, whose candor, wit, and whiteness, all the more knits together the perfect quilt of a family, only to be tugged at moments later by some crazy, however very much so expected creature/phenomenon/aberration/unlikeable bad guy etc. When will the dog, given it's fifty percent appearance rate, veer it's Labrador face? What accurately depicted firearm will the heroine carry this time? What near perfect cottage in California, but always outside of Los Angeles might be in for some minor repairs? DK fans... you know what I'm talking about.

Is it possible I read his four best books in the seventh grade, and now have to tread through the remaining slop in order to remind myself that not all ambitious, courageous ideas are good ones? Maybe in a parallel universe somewhere I'm enjoying these books not racing through the latter half of them like the pages are corrosive to my skin and the very words on the page threaten my eyes.

Oh, so the review of the book is it sucks. Don't let a few well crafted ideas early on trick you. This book is missable, forgettable, fatiguable, stupidable.... see it's affects are already taking hold of me.... (less)

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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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“She was fascinated with words. To her, words were things of beauty, each like a magical powder or potion that could be combined with other words to create powerful spells.” — 134 people liked it

“Envy, envy eats them alive. If you had money, they’d envy you that. But since you don’t, they envy you for having such a good, bright, loving daughter. They envy you for just being a happy man. They envy you for not envying them. One of the greatest sorrows of human existence is that some people aren’t happy merely to be alive but find their happiness only in the misery of others.” — 64 people liked it

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