RUN... OR DIE
The van was in back of them again. Closer this time. There could be no mistake--they were being followed.
RUN... OR DIE
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Nov 25, 2011
Stephen
rated it: 
As sometimes happens on family vacations, things end up being too chaotic for me to do justice to the books I had packed along. Consequently, I cast about for something that can be read in a distraction-rich environment, and this time I ended up with Shattered.
(The only other time I've read a Dean Koontz novel was under exactly the same conditions.)
This one concerns Doyle, a young man driving cross-country with the 11-year-old brother of the woman he has just married. Hi More...
(The only other time I've read a Dean Koontz novel was under exactly the same conditions.)
This one concerns Doyle, a young man driving cross-country with the 11-year-old brother of the woman he has just married. Hi More...
Nov 19, 2010
Johnny
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Apr 14, 2010
TJ
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When I first picked up Dean Koontz’s Shattered, I thought, What the hell, maybe this will be okay. I was not sure what I would be getting. It was a very early Koontz novel, and I could not tell whether or not it would be good when I skimmed the pages in my favourite used book store, Allison the Bookman. It just had one of those cheap 80s thriller covers that once were considered modern, but now look completely dated twenty years later and dog eared. However, I learned long ago never to judge a b
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May 13, 2010
Adam
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This was another awesome book from the Master of Menace.
The story follows a 30 year old man named Alex and his son in-law as they travel westward across America whilst being chased by a mysterious man in a Auto-mover Van. Alex tries hard to convince himself that it's just a coincidence that he keeps seeing this van behind them; that he too must just be traveling the same route. As the story unravels though, we find out that it's no coincidence...
This book reminded me of Quentin More...
The story follows a 30 year old man named Alex and his son in-law as they travel westward across America whilst being chased by a mysterious man in a Auto-mover Van. Alex tries hard to convince himself that it's just a coincidence that he keeps seeing this van behind them; that he too must just be traveling the same route. As the story unravels though, we find out that it's no coincidence...
This book reminded me of Quentin More...
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Nov 22, 2008
Tina DC
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Dean Koonz's 'Shattered' is a thriller that starts with obsession that progresses to road range, then to attempts at murder.
Alex and his 11-year-old brother-in-law Colin start bright and early on a cross country trip from Pennsylvania to California. Alex's wife Courtney awaits him and her brother (they are his legal guardians since their parents are dead) in San Francisco, getting their new home ready for their arrival. Pulling out of their old driveway in black Thuderbird, Colin More...
Alex and his 11-year-old brother-in-law Colin start bright and early on a cross country trip from Pennsylvania to California. Alex's wife Courtney awaits him and her brother (they are his legal guardians since their parents are dead) in San Francisco, getting their new home ready for their arrival. Pulling out of their old driveway in black Thuderbird, Colin More...
Mar 05, 2010
Patrick
rated it:
There was a time when I thought Dean Koontz wrote circles around Stephen King. He wasn’t famous. He had a cult following and he made you feel like you just discovered someone cool. He was the anti-King you could keep to yourself or share with a selected few. Koontz, of course, went the way of all flesh and began cranking them out and repeating himself. Fame? Well, if ‘Family Guy’ rips on you, fame has become your enemy. I haven’t read a Koontz novel since Odd Thomas became a regular character. T
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Oct 07, 2009
Graceann
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SHATTERED was first published in the very early 70s, under a pseudonym. Glimmers of what was to become the Koontz style are present: The ever-ratcheting tension; the taut phrasing. Unfortunately, as others have stated, the book has become terribly dated in the almost 40 years since its publication. The tensions over Vietnam, who fought and who didn't, and the evils of "the establishment" are offered. Those of us who were small during this era will have to take Koontz's word for it
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Feb 12, 2011
wally
rated it: 
published previously under the K.R. Dwyer name...the 2nd of 3 novels under that name...a straight-forward cross-country chase.
remember dual? richard...sheesh, can't think of his last name....also wrote that story that the will smith movie, the charleston heston movie, and one other...(edit*matheson...i think that's spelled right, came to me after i posted, richard matheson...i am legend, the name of the other story of his)
the word count of this one is lower than most fro More...
remember dual? richard...sheesh, can't think of his last name....also wrote that story that the will smith movie, the charleston heston movie, and one other...(edit*matheson...i think that's spelled right, came to me after i posted, richard matheson...i am legend, the name of the other story of his)
the word count of this one is lower than most fro More...
Jan 04, 2011
Stunatra
rated it:
Not as good as anticipated, but still a solid Koontz novel. It's a fast read and it's early Koontz, copyrighted in 1973, shows that he only got better as time went on.
I think the main flaw of this novel is that we know too much about the antagonist too soon, which takes some of the suspense and mystery away. If Koontz had taken this novel and re-wrote it, say, 10-15 years ago, like he did with several other of his early novels, I'm sure he could have turned it into a 5-star effort. More...
I think the main flaw of this novel is that we know too much about the antagonist too soon, which takes some of the suspense and mystery away. If Koontz had taken this novel and re-wrote it, say, 10-15 years ago, like he did with several other of his early novels, I'm sure he could have turned it into a 5-star effort. More...
Oct 19, 2011
Dan
rated it:
Never really picks up and grabs you. It's easy enough to just breeze along with it and kill 200 pages of time, but I also could have stopped reading at any point and never wondered what happened to Doyle and Alex.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that while some books are top-notch thrillers that grab you, this one is a Lifetime movie, minus the strong female protagonist.
Also the end went by WAY too fast. No build up, no red herrings, nothing. Just wham, bam, thank you, De
I guess what I'm trying to say is that while some books are top-notch thrillers that grab you, this one is a Lifetime movie, minus the strong female protagonist.
Also the end went by WAY too fast. No build up, no red herrings, nothing. Just wham, bam, thank you, De
Jan 29, 2011
Cristina
rated it: 
Shattered was an intriguing book. I wish i could've heard more about the mad axeman's condition: I really wanted to know what the summary meant by saying that his "brain was rotting." Besides that, the ending was kind of unsatisfactory. After a while, it annoys me how so many books end in a sort of cliffhanger. There are far too many coincidences in this book, too, and it doesn't deal with any sort of mysticism. One star for Koontz's great writing style, though.
Sep 02, 2011
Matthew
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Nov 12, 2010
Bandit
rated it:
Early Koontz is almost solely responsible for my horror obsession. Before I found out about all the other amazing writers now gracing (weighing down to the point of bowing) my bookshelves, I read Koontz. His writing has gotten softer with age and his books now keep piling up in my TBR list, but I am a loyal fan and the man can write.
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Jun 24, 2011
Steven
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There was good suspense in this novel, but the characters were two-dimensional. The story, while not great, was a quick read. Similar to The Face of Fear in that it could have been better, but its better than many other novels out there, so at least you know what you get from an early Koontz novel.
Dec 03, 2011
Natalie
rated it:
Published in 1973, it mentions at one part in the story that Courtney will be making good money, $8500 a year! I just had to laugh at how different things are today. Overall, a decent fast-paced little read. Koontz has better, but then he also has worse.
Aug 12, 2010
Derek
rated it:
This is a fairly generic suspense novel about a man and his step-son on a cross-country trip. Not a lot of shocks, but fairly suspenseful at times. It was probably pretty effective when it was written in 1973, but it hasn't aged particularly well.
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Sep 08, 2009
Merry
rated it:
Another early one of Dean Koontz. The flip-flopping between the calling the main character by his first and last name was a little annoying, but luckily there weren't many other characters so the confusion was on the low side. Otherwise, an easy read, as Dean's usually are.
Mar 18, 2010
Maciek
rated it:
"Shattered" is an early Koontz title (1973), originally published under a pseudonym - K.R. Dwyer. Alex and Colin are on the move to Courtney, Colin's sister - and Alex's wife. The trip from Philadeplphia and San Francisco seems to be going good, until Colin spots a van following them.
It's a short, but pleasant book. I enjoyed the setting - most of the book takes place on the road and in various motels. It's a nice book to spend 2-3 hours reading. The ending is a let-down, b More...
It's a short, but pleasant book. I enjoyed the setting - most of the book takes place on the road and in various motels. It's a nice book to spend 2-3 hours reading. The ending is a let-down, b More...
Feb 03, 2009
Nick
rated it:
This is a fairly fast paced suspense style book written with Dean Koontz's descriptive style. It has some very mesmerizing parts in the book but overall I found the plot weak and contrived. Worth reading once though for fun.
Jun 02, 2010
Jared
rated it:
I grabbed this book off the shelf one day out of desperation for something to read in a pinch. For me, the book was just ok. It was well written and had an interesting plot, but it just never really took off for me the way some of Koontz's other books have. It's about a young man and his newly acquired brother-in-law driving across the United States to set up a new home in San Francisco. The man's wife has already flown out to set some things up ahead of time. During the trip, it becomes ap
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Jun 25, 2010
Suzana
rated it:
I enjoyed this book very much. A road movie, if it was filmed. Action packed from the start. This novel will not disappoint anyone looking for a thrilling ride on the highways of America.
Oct 17, 2010
Gena
rated it:
Classic Koontz. Originally published under K.R. Dywer, this one is what he does best - keep you guessing along the way with characters you can't help but love. I only wish it was longer!
Jan 10, 2008
Donna
rated it:
Your standard suspense fare. Man and boy on a cross-country journey from Philadelphia to San Francisco, being followed by a strange grey Chevy van. I liked that Koontz chose to tell the story from both points of view – that of man and boy interspersed with that of crazed madman. Predictable, straightforward storytelling, fast-paced and creepy, but stories with stupid cops irritate me. I enjoyed the book, but overall it brought nothing new to the table and will be forgotten fairly quickly. All th
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Nov 10, 2011
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/10269489
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/10269489
Sep 20, 2010
Jessica
rated it:
Eh, ok. Not really into these scary/suspenseful books like this, and I didn't realize it was written back in the early 70s, so I was thinking about it in the completely wrong context. If you like Dean Koontz already, this is a nice short read, but it doesn't make me want to read another one.
Aug 11, 2010
Bonnie
rated it:
A good read. Highway driving isn't always as peaceful as one would think. This is a short and enjoyable trip through paranoia turned murderous.
Jun 23, 2010
Nicholas
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Sep 14, 2011
Ruth
rated it:
Had to be one of his first...was a short, easy read. Quite funny reading a book set and written in a time of no cellphones or gps...
May 28, 2011
Ruth
rated it:
In this book Dean Koontz builds you up and lets you down.That's all this book deserves for me to say about it UGH!
