Dean Koontz succeeds again with the third installment to his thriller series, Odd Thomas, with the novel Brother Odd. Dean Koontz has been my favorite author ever since I’ve picked up one of his older novels about two years ago, called Fear Nothing. Being a Dean Koontz fan, there was no doubt I would be reading another one of his best novels. His sense of humor, intriguing ideas, ability to make likable characters, and his form of writing makes his books a fun read. Brother Odd didn’t fall short from what I was expecting. It keeps a fast pace with dramatic events every so often. The story centralizes around God, the unknown, and companionship. The novel emits the message that religion isn’t supposed to be messed with.
Odd Thomas, the main character, is a regular boy by all means, except for the fact that he can see bodachs, evil spirits of the dead that appear when danger is in the near future. He lives in a monastery in the Sierra Nevadas called St. Bartholomew that is occupied by nuns, monks, and handicapped children. Here, he hoped he would find peace. Everything fits to his liking until he is reacquainted with the bodachs and realizes he has to save the whole monastery from possible destruction. It doesn’t take long for Odd to realize that he is up against the supernatural. Odd Thomas tags along with his dog, Boo, and the spirit of Elvis who makes quick comedic appearances. Odd, along with Brother Knuckles and Mr. Romanovich, an undercover spy, work to figure out what exactly is happening and what they can do to stop the imminent deaths of the monastery’s inhabitants. It turns out Odd is fighting for good against the evils of one of the monastery’s own, Brother John.
The Odd Thomas series is known to be formed around a saint and Catholicism, but that symbolism isn’t very apparent in Brother Odd. Although Brother Odd isn’t the best of the Odd Thomas series and it doesn’t match up to its counterpart, Odd Thomas, this novel is still a good read. With a stimulating plot in conjunction with amiable characters and stimulating ideas for any story, Brother Odd is easily one of the best books I’ve read. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to people who share an interest in the supernatural or an interest in pleasant thriller novels.