Sign in with FacebookMichael Johnston's Reviews > Odd Apocalypse
Odd Apocalypse (Odd Thomas, #5)
by Dean Koontz
by Dean Koontz
The first thing to know about the Odd Thomas series is that the books begin at a full sprint. There is no warm up before this race. You open the book and the story is mid-stride in a flat out sprint. Now, if you've ever read any of the books in this series you will be ready, but if you haven't, I suggest you take a deep breath and get set.
The second thing the reader should know is that although the story lines can be horrifying, the character of Odd Thomas is one of the funniest and most creative characters in fiction. He is an intelligent young man who has a complicated life. He sees and can communicate with spirits who have not yet "passed on". For the most part, the spirits are well meaning (and quite frequently they are famous and very funny - e.g. a cut up Elvis Pressley who refused to "pass on"). More ominously, however, the spirits sometimes foreshadow tragic events (mass killings, etc.). Thomas sees it as his calling to a) help the spirits "pass on", and b) stop the tragedies from happening. As you might expect this can put him at risk. His humor in the face of fear and tragedy is what makes this series unique. It is not classice horror (which I am typically not a fan of), but it can be scary.
This book (the 5th in a series projected to be 7 books) starts to get a little too strange (or should I say odd?). The plot is less grounded in reality and more fantastical than others in the series, but the tale moves along at great pace and Odd is just as heroic and hilarious as ever. If you have read other books in the Odd Thomas series, this is a great continuation. Certainly not the best book in the series, but a worthy addition to the larger story arc.
If you have not read any of the other books in this series, I would not start here. It can be read independently, but if you are new to Odd Thomas you will miss the significance of many of the characters or past references.
This is great summer reading for those familiar with the Odd series. If you're new to the series, read the first book and start following one of the funniest and most interesting characters in fiction today.
The second thing the reader should know is that although the story lines can be horrifying, the character of Odd Thomas is one of the funniest and most creative characters in fiction. He is an intelligent young man who has a complicated life. He sees and can communicate with spirits who have not yet "passed on". For the most part, the spirits are well meaning (and quite frequently they are famous and very funny - e.g. a cut up Elvis Pressley who refused to "pass on"). More ominously, however, the spirits sometimes foreshadow tragic events (mass killings, etc.). Thomas sees it as his calling to a) help the spirits "pass on", and b) stop the tragedies from happening. As you might expect this can put him at risk. His humor in the face of fear and tragedy is what makes this series unique. It is not classice horror (which I am typically not a fan of), but it can be scary.
This book (the 5th in a series projected to be 7 books) starts to get a little too strange (or should I say odd?). The plot is less grounded in reality and more fantastical than others in the series, but the tale moves along at great pace and Odd is just as heroic and hilarious as ever. If you have read other books in the Odd Thomas series, this is a great continuation. Certainly not the best book in the series, but a worthy addition to the larger story arc.
If you have not read any of the other books in this series, I would not start here. It can be read independently, but if you are new to Odd Thomas you will miss the significance of many of the characters or past references.
This is great summer reading for those familiar with the Odd series. If you're new to the series, read the first book and start following one of the funniest and most interesting characters in fiction today.
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read Odd Apocalypse.
sign in »
