Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Intensity” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Intensity

Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author)

4.04 · Rating details · 63,754 Ratings · 2,492 Reviews

Past midnight, Chyna Shepherd, twenty-six, gazes out a moonlit window, unable to sleep on her first night in the Napa Valley home of her best friend. Instinct proves reliable. A murderous sociopath, Edgar Foreman Vess, has entered the house, intent on killing everyone inside. A self-proclaimed "homicidal adventurer", Vess lives only to satisfy all appetites as they arise, ...more

Get A Copy

Or buy for

Hardcover, 464 pages

Published October 31st 2000 by Turtleback Books (first published 1987)

More Details... edit details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Intensity, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30)

Rating details

Sort: Default

Filter

Dec 06, 2007 Alejandro rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, novel

Intense!!! All right!!!

PERFECT TITLE

The title for this novel, Intensity...

...is truly well selected since this book is indeed...

...intense!!!

You are barely getting confortable, starting to read the book, just a few pages, when...

Bam! Kapow! Tomá guacho!

The horror begins!

So, if you are a horror novel where you don't have to wait much to be full immersed in the action, don't look anymore! This is it! You found the book!

NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART

I have read quite several books by Koontz and.. ...more

flag 128 likes · Like · see review

Jun 22, 2009 AmnesiaLab rated it did not like it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I hate Dean Koontz, but I go through books quickly and have to have something to read at work, and when it comes down to it, I'll read anything you put in front of me even if it's bad just for something to do. Allegedly, this was one of his better books. The best book I've read of his, I would give two stars. Don't even remember what it was called. It pains me that this man is the second best selling author in the US. Seriously.

Why? Well, where to begin? Let's start with characters. Dean Koontz I hate Dean Koontz, but I go through books quickly and have to have something to read at work, and when it comes down to it, I'll read anything you put in front of me even if it's bad just for something to do. Allegedly, this was one of his better books. The best book I've read of his, I would give two stars. Don't even remember what it was called. It pains me that this man is the second best selling author in the US. Seriously.

Why? Well, where to begin? Let's start with characters. Dean Koontz doesn't create characters; he just creates caricatures. The main characters stories of childhood trauma aren't remotely believable. If her mother didn't give a shit about her and was constantly moving around, why would she even bother to bring her for 16 years? Everything is so extreme in her character that there's never any remotely realistic motivation for any of it. The villain is concerned only with intensity, mostly written in italics, because italics are apparently intense. His philosophy is that any intense experience is worthwhile. Basically, he should be on the X-Games doing flips on motorcycles and appearing in Mountain Dew commercials. The way Koontz beats the shit out of the intensity motif, I find it hard to believe more people aren't rolling their eyes and saying, "Gimme a break."

How about his craft? Clunky, uninspired, repetitious prose with awful dialogue. I don't remotely understand why people buy this guy's books. There is nothing compelling about his craft. For a guy they call "The Master of Suspense", he lacks all sense of subtlety. He constantly holds the reader's hand unnecessarily as if afraid they won't get it any time he uses some kind of symbolism. Not that it's common with Koontz. He's always saying more than is necessary and it gets a little insulting over time, as if he thinks his readers are so stupid they can't possibly pick up on the things he's writing without help.

So, his plots must be super-awesome to make up for it all, right? Let's face it; with most pulp, people don't give a shit how it's written. They only care about the story. This story is about some chick who goes to a friend's for the weekend, only to have the entire friend's family killed and end up the sole survivor riding along with the killer, trying to come up with a way to take him down and save some girl she's never met that the killer has locked in his basement. The upside of this story is most of it leaves the heroine alone, so you're not subjected to the cringe-worthy dialogue that the book opens with. It also means that Dean Koontz has to find some way to create his particular breed of melodrama through sometimes very slow events, so he prattles on for pages about a cramp in the heroine's ass, or she freaks out talking about how she will surely sustain a grievous spinal injury by slamming the chair she's chained to into the stone fireplace wall by backing into it. Every time she takes a whack at it, "OHHHHHHH GOD THE PAIN IT HURTS SOOOOOOO BAAAAAAAD!" Gimme a fucking break. It's make of PINE. Fuck you, Dean, it's not dramatic that you have no grasp of physics whatsoever. Half of this book is her considering a fairly simple action and then contemplating the multitude of ways it could go horribly wrong and leave her critically injured. There's no real drama and nothing to care about, so Dean Koontz tries to manufacture some by telling you how you should feel about what she's doing.

I can't even begin to convey how inane this book truly is. Hopefully I've given you some idea. ...more

flag 61 likes · Like · see review

Nov 29, 2017 Skyler Autumn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: thrilling-thrillers, wonderfully-creepy

3 Stars

Chyna is taken to her best friend's family home for a mini break during the school year only to spend the first night hidden under the guest bed as a home invader proceeds to murder all the occupants. Having both an unusual and terrifying childhood Chyna has developed a skill set that has made her a survivor both then and now. As she peers out the window of the guest bedroom she hears a muffled scream and creaking footsteps heading towards her room, instinct takes over and she is under th 3 Stars

Chyna is taken to her best friend's family home for a mini break during the school year only to spend the first night hidden under the guest bed as a home invader proceeds to murder all the occupants. Having both an unusual and terrifying childhood Chyna has developed a skill set that has made her a survivor both then and now. As she peers out the window of the guest bedroom she hears a muffled scream and creaking footsteps heading towards her room, instinct takes over and she is under the bed, and out of sight. Chyna is fully aware that the bed has not been slept in and her things are safely hidden in the closet so that the room appears unused and hopefully the intruder will move on.

Edward Vess lives life intensely his senses are primed for optimal absorbance. He basks in both pain and pleasure and believes to live without fear is too truly embrace life. Tonight like many nights before he has entered a home that is not his and plans to kill everyone inside.

This novel started out exactly as advertised In-FUCKING-Tensity. I read this book alone at night and found myself startled at every little noise thinking Edward Vess was in my home. It was eery and terrifying and you couldn't help wonder how you would react thrusted into a similar life threatening situation. I know one thing I'd do for sure, is stay in the house after the killer leaves, count my lucky stars I wasn't discovered by him and then immediately call the police because I, unlike Chyna, am not a crazy person!

The first 30% of the novel I was immersed and you would have to pry the book out of my cold dead hands to stop me from reading it, but then the author took the readers out of the claustrophobia and tension that was the home, into a road trip, into other environments and unfortunately out of the part of the story I was enjoying so immensely.

It took me so far out of the novel because our protagonist has now gone from survivor to Rose McGowan in Scream trying to escape the killer through a doggy door.... like really?? WHAT ARE YOU DOING IDIOT!! The protagonist began to make poor decision after poor decision and even though the author tried to explain it a way with thin ass logic, as a reader I was left with the running inner dialogue of: WHAT ARE YOU DOING IDIOT!?

Also weirdly enough for someone like myself who LOVES reading inside the mind of a serial killer I actually didn't care for it in this novel. I wanted to be completely in the dark on where the killer was and what he was doing, thinking, and feeling but instead I got to know exactly where his head was at all times which took away from the creepy suspense. I'd rather of had this entire novel in the protagonist perspective instead of jumping back and forth. I think it would have made me a lot more unnerved by just the plain unknowing. I would be left with the same frantic question of; did he spot her? But instead I always knew the answer to that question which brought down the intensity of the novel.

Overall I like Dean Koontz, I went into this novel thinking he'd be like trashy Urban Fantasy writing but it was full of such deep descriptions, complex characters and vivid imagery. This novel was dark and not at all light and fluffy as I originally suspected. Although I didn't love this novel I really would like to read more Dean Koontz in my future. If you like'd this novel may I suggest You're Next a great horror film with survivalist girl as the lead (#GIRLPOWER); I'd also recommend High Tension but it is a well known plagiarism of this book and other then the different endings it is basically a carbon copy of Dean Koontz, and I don't support people who steal other's creative property. ...more

flag 39 likes · Like · see review

Jun 07, 2017 Debbie "DJ" rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own, horror

OMG, I haven't read a book like this in years, and don't think I'll be reading one again any time soon. Intensity is the perfect name for this one. It starts right off with an intruder on a killing rampage, and never lets up. I know, how can I keep reading, but the suspense was beyond belief, and the writing incredible. Just the other day I was driving in the mountains, noticing a blue truck was constantly behind me. He even made the same turn I did on a dirt road. Was he coming to kill me? How ...more

flag 36 likes · Like · see review

Aug 03, 2017 Sifat rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The intense of the “intensity” initiates from the long drawn out somewhat terrifying scenes of Chyna hiding from Vess in attempts to go unnoticed and to survive, and the intense of the “intensity” continues with fiery...

“...Chyna Shepherd, Untouched and Alive...”

Chyna Shepard had a hard and candidly distressful childhood and she opened up to nobody. The main companion she knew and trusted was Laura. Chyna voyaged home with Laura for spring break and keeping in mind that gazing out the window am ...more

flag 27 likes · Like · see review

Nov 13, 2014 Phrynne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

An excellent book, full of suspense. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through and the temptation to rush to the end to see what happened was huge! But I was good and enjoyed every word of it. There is a very surprising little twist to the tale at the very end which was nice. It is always good to leave a book on a high and that is certainly the case here. Dean Koontz's books do vary in quality but this is one of the good ones,

flag 24 likes · Like · see review

Oct 20, 2016 Katie Ziegler (Life Between Words) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I have never read a more action packed book in my life. It never once let up - almost from page one. In some ways it was a little disorienting because you never had a moment to breathe, but at the same time that's also what you really want when you read a thriller. The writing was meh, nothing special. But the story itself was skillfully told. And obviously unsettling. You get in the head of a serial killer, and who really wants to spend any time in that place!? Not me. And yet, I read the whole ...more

flag 18 likes · Like · see review

Apr 06, 2011 Karen B. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audible-books, e-book, koontz, read-2017, re-read

Re reading for September 2015 with Koontzland group. As with many Koontz novels, I enjoyed this one more the second time around. First of all I liked Koontz' descriptions, vivid but not too long. His use of simile and metaphor enhanced the reading for me. I won't go into the plot because many other reviewers have done that. As for characterization, Chyna is one of Koontz' strongest female characters. She fought for herself as a young girl and continues to fight the obstacles in her path. Chyna i ...more

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

May 10, 2015 Wasee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

ডিন কুনটজ আমার 'অপছনদের' লেখকদের একজন। দুই-চারটা বই পড়ে শুধু বিরকতির পাললা ভারি হয়েছে আগে, তাই নতুন কোন বই হাতে নেয়ার আগে খুব যাচাই বাছাই করে সিনোপসিস/রিভিউ দেখে নেই। ইনটেনসিটির পলট সামারি পছনদ হয়েছিল বেশ।

বইয়ের শুরুতে গতানুগতিক সাইকোপযাথ, সিরিয়াল কিলিং ধাচের মনে হতে পারে। তবে কিছুদূর এগোনোর পরেই বুঝতে পারবেন পরচলিত ধারার সাথে এই বইয়ের ভিননতা কোথায়। পুরো বই জুড়ে কেমন যেন গা ছমছমে হরর ফলেভার বজায় রয়েছে। খুনী এডলার ফোরমযান ভেস নিজেকে "হোমিসাইডাল এডভেঞচারার" হিসেবে ভাবতে সবাচছনদযবোধ করে। তার এসব খুন ডিন কুন্টজ আমার 'অপছন্দের' লেখকদের একজন। দুই-চারটা বই পড়ে শুধু বিরক্তির পাল্লা ভারি হয়েছে আগে, তাই নতুন কোন বই হাতে নেয়ার আগে খুব যাচাই বাছাই করে সিনোপসিস/রিভিউ দেখে নেই। ইন্টেনসিটির প্লট সামারি পছন্দ হয়েছিল বেশ।

বইয়ের শুরুতে গতানুগতিক সাইকোপ্যাথ, সিরিয়াল কিলিং ধাচের মনে হতে পারে। তবে কিছুদূর এগোনোর পরেই বুঝতে পারবেন প্রচলিত ধারার সাথে এই বইয়ের ভিন্নতা কোথায়। পুরো বই জুড়ে কেমন যেন গা ছমছমে হরর ফ্লেভার বজায় রয়েছে। খুনী এডলার ফোরম্যান ভেস নিজেকে "হোমিসাইডাল এডভেঞ্চারার" হিসেবে ভাবতে স্বাচ্ছন্দ্যবোধ করে। তার এসব খুনের পেছনে কারণ একটাই - নিছক আনন্দ লাভ। নিজের নামের অক্ষরগুলোকে অদলবদল করে বিভিন্ন শব্দ বানাতে পাছন্দ করে সে - গড,ডেমন, সেভ,রেজ অ্যাঙ্গার!

ওদিকে বইয়ের মূল চরিত্র চায়না শেফার্ডের রয়েছে এক অন্ধকারাচ্ছন্ন অতীত। শৈশবের দুঃসহ স্মৃতি সবসময় তাড়া করে ফেরে ওকে। নাপা ভ্যালিতে বান্ধবীর ফার্মহাউজে ছুটি কাটাতে এসে ভয়াবহ এক সাইকোপ্যাথের খপ্পরে পড়ে যায় চায়না। নিজেকে বাঁচানোর পরিকল্পনা করতে গিয়ে জানতে পারে, আরেক কিশোরীকে অন্য কোথাও আটকে রেখেছে এডলার। একসাথে দু'টো জীবনকে রক্ষা করার দায়িত্ববোধ কাঁধে চাপে নিজের অজান্তেই। হাতে সময় মাত্র চব্বিশ ঘন্টা! কিভাবে উদ্ধার পাবে তারা?

"ইন্টেনসিটি" কিন্তু নামের সাথে মিল রেখে সত্যিকার অর্থেই ইন্টেনসিভ। মূলক আর খলচরিত্র - দু'জনেরই দুঃসহ অতীতের অবতারণা করেছেন লেখক। চরিত্রগুলোর সাথে মিশে যাওয়া যায় সহজেই। পরিসমাপ্তি কিছুটা অনুমেয় হলেও শেষের দিকে চমৎকার কিছু টূইস্ট রয়েছে। আমি মনে করি, ভৌতিক অথবা অলৌকিক প্লটের কোন হরর বইয়ের চেয়ে "সাইকোলজিকাল হরর" অনেক বেশী উত্তেজক। আর তাই, গা শিউরানো বর্ণনা সমৃদ্ধ এই বইটি এক নিশ্বাসে শেষ করতে পাঠক বাধ্য হবেই! ...more

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

Dec 18, 2014 Stacy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015

I think I have sadly hit my limit with Koontz. My first book by this author was AMAZING. The second was just as amazing. Then somewhere down the road, the villains all started to meld together. The villains became a little predictable for me because they all shared the same qualities.

Now that doesn't mean that this book didn't entertain me. There were times that my heart was racing and I was scared to death for the MC. The first 60% of the book was the best. I just wanted it to be over after th ...more

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

Feb 11, 2008 Josh rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: (Not for Natalie)

Recommended to Josh by: Tim

I decided that I would write a little about the books that I finish for now on. This was a very scary story! I have to say that it actually scared me sometimes and that is pretty hard to do. "Intensity" is a very appropriate title for this book, I couldn't stay away from it. Definately a plesant surprise after reading Dean Koontz's "Life Expectancy". This book never let up on it's suspense from beginning to end. If anyone is looking for a good horror, "Intensity" fits the bill. Be warned though, ...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Oct 03, 2017 J.K. Grice rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller

I suppose many people feel that Koontz's books are a dime-a-dozen. But INTENSITY is as good a thriller as I've ever read, and that was 16 years ago. Very visceral and very scary. It reminds me a bit of the recent thriller,

, which was one of my favorite books of 2017.

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Jan 31, 2008 Briana Patterson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

This is thriller suspense at its best. Dean Koontz knocked my socks off with this one, and as soon as I started reading, I could not get through it fast enough. Pages burned and I might have had to stomp my book out a few times.

In a way, this is not entirely typical for Dean Koontz. Don't expect anything supernatural or overly bizarre. It's about a killer and a survivor.

The title holds true to its pace. This book does not slow down once it kicks into high gear. It'll freak you out, and there's ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Jun 02, 2015 Shelby rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

The last 200 pages of this book are what makes me want to give it 5 stars but I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped to, so four stars it is. The end plot twist was something I did not see coming and for that I applaud Koontz; I read this book relatively quickly and I didn't have to force myself to keep reading.

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Sep 26, 2015 Dustin Crazy little brown owl rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: group-reads, read-in-2015, read-in-2011, read-in-2005, read-in-2017, worth-reading-again-and-again, disturbing, dogs, amazing

I have never considered Intensity among my favorite Dean Koontz books, but it is a beautiful story. There is very little supernatural element to this one.(view spoiler)

I love the references to ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Nov 30, 2007 Naomi rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommends it for: lovers of blood and gore and scariness

This book is well written, I'm sure. From the moment I started reading it I felt sick to my stomach from the overly detailed homicidal and torturous events, but also I could not stop reading it because the author held a small hope of the heroine doing some lasting good by helping the 16-year-old girl who was locked in this crazy bastard's basement. And of course getting herself out of this situation in which the reader found her.

I am glad I finished it. But I'm not going to hurry to read another ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Jul 02, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: suspense-thriller, 5-star-other

Fabulous. Scary. Incredible heroine.

Readers who liked The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo should like this. The two heroines (Lisbeth in Dragon Tattoo and Chyna in Intensity) were similar in their actions. Chyna chose to fight what seemed impossible. Instead of running and trying to get away (like normal people) she went after him with the barest of weapons. She was resilient, resourceful, brave. She called it reckless caring. In the beginning of the story, Chyna is trying to get away from Edgler a Fabulous. Scary. Incredible heroine.

Readers who liked The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo should like this. The two heroines (Lisbeth in Dragon Tattoo and Chyna in Intensity) were similar in their actions. Chyna chose to fight what seemed impossible. Instead of running and trying to get away (like normal people) she went after him with the barest of weapons. She was resilient, resourceful, brave. She called it reckless caring. In the beginning of the story, Chyna is trying to get away from Edgler a serial killer. But when she hears that he has kept a sixteen year old girl prisoner in his basement for a year, Chyna decides to follow him, go to his home, and free the girl. A theme I liked is Lisbeth and Chyna refusing to be victims. In Dragon Tattoo I was scared at times. In Intensity I was scared almost all the time.

About a third of the way in I was so scared that I considered stopping unless I had assurance that there would be a good ending. So I jumped to the end and read the last half hour. It was great! The author tied things up well including the aftermath. Then I went back and read the rest of the book. It was still terribly frightening, but I was able to survive because I knew the ending would be good. Reading the end early in no way hurt the story for me. It made it better.

Just because I liked this does not mean it’s my preferred genre. I do not want a daily diet of constant scariness and intensity.

Edgler enjoyed destroying beauty. He would torture victims with knives and tools. The author does not show the torture/killing scenes in detail. Instead they are told or referred to and the reader sees the bodies after. I was fine with that. But I also would have been ok with more details and gore.

A few times Chyna recalls life with her mother Ann. Ann lived a nomadic life with different boyfriends, drinking, and drugs. One boyfriend killed people in Chyna’s presence. Ann enjoyed watching murder. Chyna growing up with Ann was a story of hiding, self protection, and not being cared for. In contrast, I loved the way Chyna treated and cared for Ariel.

I love that Koontz does not use tired cliches. He creates his own. They please me. Here are a few examples:
She was in an old testament mood, unwilling to turn the other cheek just now.
She was baking and nourishing a loaf of panic, plump and yeasty.
The car will tumble ass over tea kettle if it goes over the edge.

The narrator Kate Burton was fabulous. She used a style so appropriate for the intense sentences with pauses. She enhanced the experience.

DATA:
Narrative mode: third person. Unabridged audiobook reading time: 11 hrs and 35 mins. Swearing language: (rarely used) strong including religious swear words. Sexual content: one scene vaguely described, no details. Setting: current day California and Oregon. Book copyright: 1995. Genre: suspense thriller. Ending: good guys win. ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Jan 04, 2010 Maciek rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books, own-in-hardcover, own-in-paperback, thriller-mystery-suspense, read-in-2010

"Intensity" lives up to its name. Intense from the first page to the last, well written and masterfully suspenseful, it's one of the best books by Dean Koontz.
""God fears me."

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Dec 07, 2017 Emma rated it liked it · review of another edition

Chyna needs to make some better life decisions.

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Jan 04, 2014 সালমান হক rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015-reads, death, thrillling-thrillers, serial-killers

আমার মনে হয় যে যাদের অনরথক রকতারকতি, ভায়োলেনস ভালো লাগে না তাদের বইটা না পড়াই ভালো হবে। সিরিয়াল কিলিং আর সাইকোপযাথ কিলার নিয়ে বহু বই পড়েছি আগে। কিনতু নৃশংসতার দিক দিয়ে এই বইটা অবশযই উপরের দিকেই থাকবে। এক দিক দিয়ে চিনতা করলে এটা হরর, কিনতু এখানে হরর এলিমেনট হিসেবে হিউমযান সাইকোলজি কে বযাবহার করা হয়েছে। মানুষ এর সবচেয়ে বড় শতরু যে মানুষ ই হতে পারে এই বইটা আবার সেটা মনে করিয়ে দিবে। যদি একবার বই এর কাহিনির ভেতর ঢুকে পড়েন তাহলে ছেড়ে ওঠা একটু কষটকর ই হবে। তবে নিজ দায়িতবে পড়বেন। রাতে ঘুম না হলে লেখক দায় ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Oct 21, 2014 Fred rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, re-read

INTENSITY (Mini-Group Read 2017) link - June 1st

This is my second read & I added more "fire" notes. Sheriff Vess is "sick" killing his parents, grandmother & adoptive parents by "fire". In the end, Chyna/Ariel in the motor home chase/crash into Vess' police car & spilled gasoline on the pavement. They roll in gas trying to escape. Chyme reaches to Vess' gas-soaked boots with a (view spoiler) ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Nov 23, 2009 Bethany rated it it was ok

Shelves: adult, serial-killer

Intensity. More like intensely boring. I started this, got not even half way through and stopped reading it to read a Heather Graham book that i finished faster and enjoyed way more. Yes, it was better than this long drawn out storyline. It wasn't gross, didn't make me feel sick, wasn't disturbing at all like the other reviews claim. Maybe it just takes more to get to me. I actually liked Vess as weird as that may be. Well, I liked how he viewed things. It was a little weird that it Chyna found ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

May 26, 2016 Kelly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: just-f-king-wow, favorites

Actual rating: 4.5 stars.

I have never read a book that has kept me on edge, frightened me and made me feel so triumphant.

The characters are incredibly created; Vess is a character that scared me, not because of his murderous nature, but because his outlook on life was oddly inspiring. It worried me how I could find this man, this sociopath so interesting and so right in many things that he thought. He was absolutely fascinating. Chyna's transcendence was portrayed so well, you really grew with ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

May 25, 2016 Miriam Smith rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It's all in the title! Have never read a book that made me feel so intense and on the edge of my seat! Had to actually put it down one night, was worried I'd have nightmares haha! Cannot recommend this book enough! Even watched the American tv series that was made I was so obsessed but unfortunately like most movies made from books lacked the quality and 'intensity'. Well worth a read you won't be disappointed.

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jul 10, 2015 Logan Keys rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I read this a long time ago but just now realized I never reviewed.

This book shaped me as an author.

How? you might ask.

Because villains don't have to be creepers with bad teeth. The scariest come in a package you never expected. Depraved doesn't mean on the outside they are not passable, even likable.

What scares me most are bad guys/gals we'd let help us with our groceries.

(Still a favorite)

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jan 31, 2016 Linda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016

I have so many books on my Kindle that were on sale or free that I haven't read yet. I've been browsing today & found Intensity which I bought in 2010. Let's give it a try.

My heart rate has been about 110 to 120 while reading this book. Its the story of a real sicko! It was close to a 5 star for me but the ending went on and on. The title is perfect for this book, it was intense!

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Sep 01, 2015 Diane Lynch rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book is about a serial murderer. It gives the full story of the killer and his victims. The killers techniques make it a horror story. This was a good book. Keeps you interested.

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Feb 24, 2012 Monique J. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: edge-of-your-seat, afraid-of-the-dark

I like scary books. Stephen King is amazing. Peter Straub easily induces chills. I read Red Dragon—where Hanibal Lecter is first introduced—when I was probably too young and without my parent’s permission. But books don’t scare me. At least not until the night I started reading Intensity by Dean Koontz.

The main character, Chyna Shepherd, has come to Napa Valley with a friend, Laura Templeton, to visit Laura’s family farm. Like me, Chyna finds it difficult to fall asleep in a strange place. So s ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Sep 05, 2009 Chris rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Chris by: Becky

Shelves: read-owned-hardcover

This started out rough. I had to get used to Koontz's writing style, which to me isn't as smooth a read as others. But once the story got going, I was really interested in it.

Chyna Shepherd is trapped in the house as the killer, Mr. Vess, goes on his rampage. She must deal with not only her fear of being found out, but of a lifetime of insecurities brought on by a sorry mother and a troubled childhood. She must overcome these deeply rooted issues if she is to survive the next 24 hours and if she
This started out rough. I had to get used to Koontz's writing style, which to me isn't as smooth a read as others. But once the story got going, I was really interested in it.

Chyna Shepherd is trapped in the house as the killer, Mr. Vess, goes on his rampage. She must deal with not only her fear of being found out, but of a lifetime of insecurities brought on by a sorry mother and a troubled childhood. She must overcome these deeply rooted issues if she is to survive the next 24 hours and if she is to have a chance of outwitting Mr. Vess.

Once Koontz begins to switch point of view perspectives and give us that of Mr. Vess, I think the book really became much more interesting. Viewing the world through his eyes was refreshing, not for the views themselves but the amount of thought that was put into them. While I wouldn't call Vess a sympathetic character, he is certainly an interesting study.

The last third of this book was where the pace really picked up. I couldn't put it down for the last 50 pages or so. This, combined with the unique perspective of Vess, is what brought it up to a 4 star read. The early pages had me thinking 2, and finally 3 as it evened out and things started happening. But by the time the intensity really started to set in, the story went up a notch.

It's still not my favorite Koontz. Either Odd Thomas or Life Expectancy has that distinction, but Intensity certainly belongs on the next tier. I made a comment earlier that the first person point of view of these other two novels gave his writing a smoothness that he doesn't capture in third person. But Intensity would not have worked in that point of view, because the Vess chapters is what gives it flavor. If I had to read an entire 300 pages of Chyna Shepherd's repetitive thoughts I would have thrown the book into the river.

I liked her alright as a character, and I was pulling for her through the book, but Koontz had a tendency to hammer the same thoughts over and over. While I sympathized with Chyna and her inner struggles, I didn't need quite the play by play. I will say that the little flashbacks to her childhood traumas were interesting. Her mother and her loser boyfriends were truly frightening. Her background is essential to the struggle she faces in the present with Mr. Vess, so I don't mind going over that. I just feel Koontz tends to linger sometimes and repeat himself. Which I just did in this review, I fear. Well, as much as Koontz is paid for it, I can be allowed a little freedom here on this free review, right?

All in all, this was a fun read. It was enjoyable, sometimes intriguing, and didn't require a lot of effort or time. Definitely worth a pass through.

Now, where did I leave the keys to my motor home? ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 16, 2009 berrybuzz rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I've been reading this book for a while, mostly because I only read it at lunch. Some of it though had to do with the book itself.

I like the story, believe me...It's interesting. The characters however, are not. I didn't care for any of them...if they lived, if they died, if they hurt or suffered or didn't. They failed to generate any emotions in me. I couldn't bring myself to care about them (other than my own inward mocking at the name 'Chyna'...kept thinking of the WWF (WWE, whatever) wrestle ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Koontzland - Dean...: INTENSITY (Mini-Group Read 2017)	63	28	Jun 18, 2017 12:42PM
Koontzland - Dean...: Intensity (Group Read - October 2011)	99	150	May 21, 2017 04:25PM
Koontzland - Dean...: Intensity (Group Read - September 2015)	144	46	May 21, 2017 04:24PM
Play Book Tag: Intensity / Dean Koontz. 5 stars	3	10	Mar 08, 2017 04:53PM
4A Independent Re...: Horror (week 3)	3	4	Dec 15, 2016 11:54AM
4A Independent Re...: Horror (week 2)	3	3	Dec 09, 2016 11:50AM
4A Independent Re...: Horror	4	9	Dec 01, 2016 12:09PM

Readers Also Enjoyed

Genres

Horror

380 users

Thriller

313 users

Fiction

265 users

Suspense

225 users

Mystery

172 users

See top shelves…

About Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz

21,237 followers

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

More about Dean Koontz

Books by Dean Koontz

More…

Mystery & Thrillers Deals

$3.99 $1.99
$4.99 $2.49
$1.99 $0.99
$4.99 $1.99
$6.49 $1.99
$2.99 $0.99
$3.99 $0.99
$3.99 $1.99
$9.99 $2.99
$4.99 $1.99
$4.99 $1.99
$4.99 $1.99
$5.99 $1.99
$3.49 $0.99
$3.99 $2.00
$3.99 $1.99
$7.99 $1.99
$12.99 $1.99
$3.49 $0.99
$17.99 $1.99
$3.99 $1.99
$3.99 $1.99
$3.99 $1.99
$6.49 $1.99
$6.49 $1.99
$4.49 $1.99
$4.49 $0.99
$9.99 $1.99
$4.99 $1.99
$9.99 $1.99
$9.99 $2.99
$11.99 $1.99
$13.99 $1.99
$9.99 $1.99
$9.99 $1.99
$3.99 $1.99
$7.99 $1.99
$9.99 $1.99
$5.99 $1.99
$6.49 $1.99
$9.99 $1.99
$9.99 $1.99
$9.99 $1.99
$7.99 $1.99
$7.99 $1.99

See All Goodreads Deals…

Trivia About Intensity

2 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Intensity

“There are no explanations for human evil. Only excuses.” — 182 likes

“Hunches [are] just messages from the subconscious, which [is] thinking furiously all the time and processing information we have not consciously noted.” — 47 likes

More quotes…

See a Problem?

Preview — Intensity by Dean Koontz

Intensity

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Popular Answered Questions

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Readers Also Enjoyed

Genres

About Dean Koontz

Books by Dean Koontz

Mystery & Thrillers Deals

Trivia About Intensity

Quotes from Intensity