I'm shocked to say that I actually kind of liked this book. I used to be a big Dean Koontz fan. I read Watchers, and Twilight, and many of his books back in the 80s and 90s. Then, I felt like he started writing formula thrillers. They seemed too predictable, and I quit reading his books. This past week, I was desperate for something to read, so I picked this book up at my grocery store, figuring it would be a quick, meaningless book. I was pleasantly surprised. There are too many characters, and he could have used a much more firm hand at editing (I would have cut out entire chapters, honestly) but, aside from its flaws, the basic plot is magical and sweet. There are two main characters that are very likeable, and there is a sense of wonder to the book that makes it somewhat fresh, and certainly not boring. The ending left me feeling a little let down, though. He had so many subplots going, that at the end, things that I had expected to fall together or somehow connect, didn't. In fact, one of his subplots just kind of fizzled out as if he either forgot about it, or he felt like he'd made a point with it that was so subtle that I missed it. He left way too much just kind of hanging out there for us to figure out on our own. I had hoped for a bit more substance, but maybe he'll write a sequel.