The Mask

by Dean Koontz

Such a pretty face...

So young, so sweet. She appeared out of nowhere, in the middle of traffic, on a busy day. A teenager with no past, no family - no memories.

Such a lovely child...

So blond and beautiful. Carol and Paul were drawn to her - she was the child they'd never had. A dream come true. And then Carol's nightmares began - the ghastly sounds in the night... the bloody face in the mirror... the razor-sharp ax.

Such relentless evil...

So deceptively innocent. Most mothers would die for such a darling little angel. And that's what frightened Carol most of all...

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Supernatural, Fantasy

305 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

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, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.

Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book leans very heavily into the supernatural, and it does not pay off.

The Scrabble game, and other attempts to build tension, just come off as lame. The reader can see where things are going from a mile away.

Undoubtedly, though, the weakest part of the book is its conclusion—or lack thereof. It ends, yes, but there’s no actual resolution to the events that have transpired. The entire final portion is rushed and unexplained.

The beginning of the book is not totally noxious.

[Eloy Cryptkeeper · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*
El diablo no es un extraño sin rostro que vive en un vecindario. lejano.
El diablo tiene un rostro corriente, familiar de ojos alegres y sonrisa abierta.
El diablo anda entre nosotros y lleva una máscara que se parece a cualquiera de nuestros rostros.>

"Intentó despertar completamente pero no pudo; había algo en su sueño, algo misterioso y amedrentador que, con manos heladas y pegajosas, tiraba de ella hacia el fondo del sueño, hacia lo más hondo, hacia un lugar tenebroso donde una criatura innombrable farfullaba, murmuraba y susurraba...
Tenía la impresión irracional pero ineludible de que algo del sueño le había seguido a la vigilia...
algo que ahora estaba agazapado en un rincón espiándole, esperando…"

Primeramente recomiendo no leer la sinopsis, ni empaparse de demasiada información a la hora de adentrarse en este libro. Ademas no tiene tanto que ver con la supuesta premisa que se describe.
Por otra parte tengo sensaciones encontradas:
Después de leer un buen puñado de libros de Koontz uno repara que a lo largo de su bibliografía en general se caracteriza por cosas positivas como el ritmo/dinamismo, la acción, , diálogos en su punto justo de dramatismo, humor, etc. Personajes sólidos, descripciones justas,
subtramas bien hilvanadas. Siempre son libros ligeros y entretenidos y obviamente unos mejores que otros, pero nunca sentís ni remotamente que desperdiciaste tu tiempo.
Por otra parte decir que aveces recae en ciertos lugares comunes.Por decir algunos ejemplos que tampoco son tan significativas : Una obsesión por las tormentas, relámpagos, truenos(así como King en una época la tenia por las ratas), momentos sobrenaturales que incluyen animales, escenas sexuales después de un momento de extrema tensión o drama(bastante innecesarias).

Esta oportunidad no es la excepción en todo lo antes mencionado. Sin entrar en mayores detalles, decir que es una historia centrada en lo sobrenatural, con muy buenos pasajes paranormales y oníricos/paranormales, muy amena, que toma diferentes cosas de aquí y allí, pero lamentablemente tiene un final completamente abrupto que conspira en su valoración final.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Here is a tale of trauma and misunderstanding echoing through time. Eventually, someone must stop the cycle.

A dirge for her, the doubly dead, in that she died young.
-Edgar Allan Poe, "Lenore"

And much of Madness, and more of Sin,
And Horror the soul of the plot.
-Edgar Allan Poe, "The Conqueror Worm"

Extreme terror gives us back the gestures of our childhood.
-Chazal

By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
Open, locks,
whoever knocks!
-Shakespeare, Macbeth

Evil is no faceless stranger,
living in a distant neighborhood.
Evil has a wholesome, hometown face,
with merry eyes and an open smile,
Evil walks among us, wearing a mask
which looks like all our faces.
-The Book of Counted Sorrows

This was an interesting story. At first, I was confused how the prologue fit into the main story, but that soon became clear. If you like stories with bad kitties like we saw in The Bad Place, for example, you'll love this book!

Upon second reading, I was even more pleased with the story - I even liked the ending because I am crazy :-) It's fun to read an earlier book by Dean Koontz with such a unique story idea - I didn't even mind that it was dated. I love retro - reading about a time when people were reliant on phone booths and phones attached to the walls of their homes. There are even printed newspapers in this story. Those were the good ol' days!

I found this amusing (chapter 3):
Every thirty seconds or so, a bleached blonde with a shrill voice repeated the same words of amazement: "I can't believe nobody got killed in all that! I can't believe nobody got killed." Each time she spoke, regardless of where she was in the room, her voice carried over the din and made Paul wince. "I can't believe nobody got killed." She sounded somewhat disappointed.

I listened using the Brilliance audio book and the narrator did a good job with the different voices.

This work holds up over time. Overall, I'm very impressed by this early Dean Koontz novel and highly recommend The Mask along with The Voice of the Night.

Favorite Passages:

Damn you to Hell, Mama.
The top floor of the house caved in upon the ground floor with a sound like cannons blasting.
Damn you, Mama! Damn you!
The first two floors of flaming rubble broke through the already weakened cellar ceiling.
Mama -
________

A calendar flapped off the wall and swooped around on wings of January and December, darting and soaring and kiting as if it were a bat.
_______

As she stared up at the whirlwind, she had the mad notion that it was staring down at her.
_______

The terrifying sound in the dream was caused by something considerably more disturbing than the mere banging of an unmoored shutter. Furthermore, she was sure she had heard precisely that sound on another occasion, too. Not in the nightmare. In real life. In another place . . . a long time ago . . .
As she let the hot water stream over her, sluicing away the soap, she tried to recall where and when she had heard exactly that same unsettling sound, for it suddenly seemed important for her to identify it. Without understanding why, she felt vaguely threatened as long as she could not recall the source of the sound. But remembrance hung tantalizingly beyond the limits of her reach, like the title of a hauntingly familiar but unnameable piece of music.
_______

The construction of the walls was open for inspection; the pink fiber glass insulation, which somewhat resembled raw meat, and the regularly spaced supporting studs, like ribs of bone, were visible.
_______

The seizure of deja vu wasn't in reference to the words on the Scrabble board; not directly anyway. The thing that was so frighteningly familiar to him was the unusual, soul-shaking feeling that the coincidental appearance of those words aroused in him; the iciness that came from within rather than from without; the awful hollowness deep in his guts; the sickening sensation of teetering on a high wire, with only infinite darkness below. He had felt exactly the same way in the attic last week, when the mysterious hammering sound had seemed to issue out of the thin air in front of his face, when each thunk! has sounded as if it were coming from a sledge and anvil in another dimension of time and space.
_______

"Refresh my memory, if you will," Grace said.
"What was the Bektermann case about?"
He laughed good-naturedly and shook his head.
"Wasn't about what I thought it was about. That's for damned sure. I wrote it up as a tangled, Freudian puzzle. You know - the iron-willed father, with perhaps an unnatural attraction for his own daughter, the mother with a drinking problem, the poor girl caught in the middle. The victimized young girl subjected to hideous psychological pressures beyond her understanding, beyond her tolerance, until at last she simply - snapped. That's how I saw it. That's how I wrote it up. I thought I was a brilliant detective, digging to the deepest roots of the Bektermann tragedy. But all I ever saw was the window-dressing. The real story was far stranger than anything I ever imagined. Hell, it was too strange for any serious reporter to risk handling it. No reputable paper would have printed it as news. If I had knows the truth, and if I had somehow gotten it published, I'd have destroyed my career."
What the devil's going on? Grace wondered. He seems obsessed with telling me about this in detail, compelled to tell me, even though he's never even seen me before. Is this life imitating art - Coleridge's poem reset in a rose garden? Am I the partygoer and Wainwright the Ancient Mariner?
_______

"You're the one who's behind all of these weird things that've been happening. Get off my property, you son of a bitch."
"Grace, there are forces aligned . . . "
_______

She held out her hand. In reality it was not bloody, but in the mirror it was sheathed in a glove of gore.
A vision, she thought. A weird illusion. That's all. I didn't hurt anyone. I didn't spill anyone's blood.
As she struggled to understand what was happening, her mirror image faded, and the glass in front of her turned black. It seemed to have been transformed into a window that looked out onto another dimension, for it reflected nothing that was in the bathroom.

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Dean Koontz book is a difficult thing to judge. On the one hand, Dean Koontz has a definite voice and style that he usually falls into, and IMHO those are his best received books. He also has particular tropes that are consistent throughout most of his works, for instance, there is usually some governmental conspiracy; a petite blond who falls for a man who is a little broken and mysterious and plain-looking; and a dog that has above average intelligence.

In this story, the only blond is a troubled young teen that runs into traffic. She has amnesia and although it seems that Jane appears to have found a family to be a part of, there are unique supernatural events developing around this youth that may give pause to the prospective adoptive parents. Interesting, unique, but the ending will leave you scratching your head with its abruptness. The climax leaves something to be desired and that might actually be why this novel did not originally carry his name.

[Delee · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Eddie said he didn't like his teddy
You knew he was a no good kid
But when he threatened your life with switchblade knife....

You buddy-read a Koontz book to save your hide!

Koontz buddy read with the ever so lovely Fee Fi Fo Fedward!

[Άννα Morta ⛧⛧⛧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 💀

BLADE. KILL. BLOOD. DEATH. TOMB.

The little girl behind the mask of evil spreads fear and horror.

First and foremost, the prologue is like a raging fire destroying everything in its path, leaving only a dark and sooty abyss. For me, that's the best part of the book, it felt highly intense.

The story deals with reincarnation, finality of death, revenge, fear, supernatural elements, Poltergeist themes, and pet horror.
As a reader, I became the host of wickedness, infected by morbid words.
It's a fast-paced story told by different characters and their perspectives. Even though the ending felt a little bit rushed (I would've loved some pages more of the tension that was building up), I like the dark web of questions I'm left with. The idea of what could've happened was very intriguing to me. A quick, satisfying read.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Mask (not to be confused with The Face from a couple of decades later!), is a novel that was published under Koontz's pseudonym Owen West in 1981. Compared to many of Koontz's later, richer, more styled novels it's a little lackluster, but compared to most of the schlocky late-'70/early-'80s genre horror books, it's a high-watermark. (It practically cries out for one of those die-cut Zebra covers that Grady Hendrix celebrated in Paperbacks from Hell.) It's a supernatural horror novel with many of the tropes and trappings of the field on display, from spiders and axes and poltergeists and a pretty teen-aged blonde girl with amnesia who'd be at home in an R.L. Stine book to whatever else comes to mind. The ending is a bit abrupt and inconclusive or unsatisfying, but until then it's a fine read.

[Ethan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Mask is an overwritten supernatural story involving two married doctors, Paul and Carol Tracy, who are trying to adopt a child. One day, Carol hits a teenage girl with her car at slow speed, and afterward the girl has amnesia and is unable to remember even who she is. But did the accident cause the amnesia, or was it already there? What is the story behind this mysterious girl? And what is causing the mysterious events happening around town? Strange, violent lightning storms, pet cats acting strangely, mysterious loud hammering sounds in various character's homes, bizarre nightmares with common scenes that multiple characters seem to be having.

The answers to these questions and more are revealed painfully slowly to the reader in a novel that is about 90% build-up and seemingly pointless filler events added to the narrative to pad the word count, and 10% "very light" suspense at the very end of the book. I'm not exaggerating when I say this book only started to get interesting about 20 pages before the end, and it's 305 pages long. And after all that, the ending was very anticlimactic, to the point where one could say it has no real ending.

The reveal of who the girl with amnesia is was something I predicted very early on in the book, so that wasn't really a plot twist at all when Koontz finally dropped it. He actually indirectly tells the reader throughout the book who she is, so maybe he just thinks his readers are stupid or something? But he dropped it like it was this big deal that was supposed to make my jaw drop. It was awkward. In addition, some supernatural elements, like the poltergeists that permeated the entire book, weren't really explained by the end; it seems like Koontz just threw them in to make the story more supernatural. I didn't understand why they were there by the end of the book, or whose ghosts they were supposed to be.

Overall, this was a really disappointing, painfully boring read that has no payoff whatsoever at the end. Wikipedia says this is a thriller novel, but it wasn't thrilling in the slightest. It was just really clunky and boring. Definitely don't recommend this one.

On to the next one. The Koontz-a-thon continues with House of Thunder...

CAWPILE rating:

Characters: 6.0
Atmosphere / Setting: 2.0
Writing Style: 4.0
Plot: 2.5
Intrigue: 5.5
Logic / Relationships: 3.0
Enjoyment: 3.5

= 26.5 total
÷ 7 categories = 3.78 out of 10
= 2 stars

[Karl Marberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid horror novel. It keeps you thinking and just about every scene has something ominous and creepy happening.

[Ildiko Szendrei · Rating 4 out of 5]

O experiență plăcută cu această carte publicată în anul 1981. Nu mă așteptam. Fenomene supranaturale, reîncarnare, chiar și o pisică diabolică (nu, nu e idee furată de la King, cartea lui King a apărut doi ani mai târziu).

I-am dat 4⭐ pentru că a fost previzibilă, dar nota 10 pentru parcurs. Mi-a plăcut și abia aștept să mai citesc ceva de la Dean Koontz (aceasta a fost prima carte de la autor).

P. S. : de ce nu a fost încă ecranizată? 🤔

[Gwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. Not what I thought it would be from the synopsis or the title. Definitely didn't suspect reincarnation as the main theme. It was great at building suspense, however, I was upset with the main reveal, and the ending was so anti-climactic and abrupt. My final thought was "that's it?"

[Johnny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the very first Koontz book I ever read, after a failed attempt at “Strangers”. I was thirteen at the time, so complex novels like “Strangers” were not yet in my range. “The Mask” certainly isn’t complex. Compared to “Whispers”, which was very detailed character wise, this one comes off rather shallow. A lot is happening in this story, but it’s like Koontz had to obey a maximum word count or something. The ending is also very abrupt; you’d almost think the final chapter or epilogue has been ripped out.

Carol and Paul Tracy are in the process of adopting a child, when Carol accidentally runs over a teenage girl, afflicted with amnesia. Carol decides to take the girl in and help her regain her memory. Meanwhile, both her husband Paul and long time friend and mentor Grace Mitowski are plagued by paranormal phenomena, warning them of oncoming danger.

The book is very occult in nature. There are so many supernatural elements in it, it’s almost overexposure. Next to Koontz’s favorite topic of hypnosis and regression therapy, we have phone calls from the dead, visits from ghosts, poltergeist activities, divine or demonic intervention (although it could be interpreted as mere coincidence, like the lightning scene), even a slight case of demonic possession and of course the big one, reincarnation.

The characters are clearly overwhelmed by all these extraordinary forces, and we know close to nothing about them. There’s a very short history exposition, an attempt to give them a little baggage, but it’s very light compared to other books and it’s also limited to only one of the characters. Yet all of this weirdness grants the story a fast pace, so you don’t really have time to notice the absence of any character development.

The idea behind it all is very good, though there are several plot holes and it needs quite a suspension of disbelief. It’s like Koontz is trying too hard to make it creepy enough, meanwhile forgetting to fill in the details.

But perhaps I’m simply nitpicking, because I wouldn’t call it a bad book. That would be rather lame, since it IS the book that got me hooked on Koontz. It’s certainly exciting, mysterious, and I imagine many people will rush through it in one sitting. To use a culinary metaphor, it’s a tasty amuse to make the guest anticipate the main course, but the chef should think a bit more about his presentation.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Novel gets better after a tedious beginning before collapsing at the end and disappointing. Koontz has written better. 4 of 10 stars

[Ina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why isn't the innocent and beautiful girl reported missing?

An inhumane storm is about to calm down. Carol and Paul are back at home safely after a meeting with the adoption agency. That same day, Paul discovers something through the window. Through the storm, he think he is seeing something or someone in the garden, but who would be out in this weather or is the storm just making him hallucinating? Later, Carol gets in a small car accident. Her car hits a girl who runs straight in front of the car without looking after herself. Carol feels sorry for the girl and get a very caring feeling for her and wants to meet her at the hospital. They immediately like each other and she finds it strange that her parents doesn't show up or even cared to report her as a missing person. The girl doesn't seem to remember who she is or where she's from. For now she gets the name Jane Doe. Carol pity her and feels protective. Since the hospital can't keep her there much longer even despite she has memory loss, Carol and Paul takes her home to take care of her. They have long longed for a child temselves and they decide to give her a home until someone report her as a missing person. Carol struggles with nightmares although she and Paul think it's wonderful to have Jane at home.

Since Carol is a child psychiatrist, she wants to try hypnosis on the girl for short periods to see if they find some answers about who the girl really is. Later, they are planning a trip to Carol's cabin together, but Paul has to finish a part of a script for a book before he can leave anywhere, and Carol insists to go with Jane and suggest he can come a few days later. Even though Paul and Carol thinks Jane is a nice girl, does he trust the girls enough to let them leave on their own? Is it wise of him to let Carol go to a deserted place with a person they hardly know?

Dean Koontz was often referred n the media as Stephen King's little brother since they often write in the same genre and is considered to be "competitors" by the media, but many believe that Koontz never come on the same level as Stephen King, even though they produce about the same amount of books.

The Mask is one of the more unknown books by Koontz and he published the book under the pseudonym Owen West in 1981. This is a very short and atmospheric horror book, and Dean Koontz knows how to describe natural disasters. He makes it almost realistic. It's almost like being there and experiencing the power of the natural disaster. You can tell this novel is a bit old when the author in the book, Paul, is still using a typewriter.

There's a hot sex scene in the book between Paul and Carol. It's supposed to be steamy and sexy but instead it becomes comical because it seems misplaced in the story, it's exaggerated, and it's almost like a scene from a soap opera. There's nothing wrong with soap operas since I watch a lot of it myself, but it was somehow comical to read it for some reason and I almost wanted to laugh. Several small sex scenes are included in this short book.

Despite the corny sex scene, this is a good horror book in true Dean Koontz spirit. Although he's not on the same level as my faveorite author, Stephen King, Koontz is doing it really well. His writing is good, he creates a proper atmosphere and weird events. Although the story itself is not particularly original or stands out in any way, it doesn't matter. It's exciting and has some great horror moments that is worth checking out. He is good at creating atmosphere and uneasiness, which often isn't included in modern horror and thriller books in general. But here there's plenty of uneasiness and with the thought of how short this book is, one gets to know the characters well. What bothered me the most about them, especially with the main characters Carol and Paul, is that it's a bit too much of I love you.

The Mask is an entertaining and a bit eerie horror book with a lot of atmosphere. The story itself is, as mentioned, a bit predictable, but it doesn't matter since the story is entertaining and you get engaged in the story. The story is solid to be a horror, and even if you have a feeling of what will happen in the end, you're curious enough to stick to the book until the last page is read. This is not Koontz's best book, but he can certainly create atmosphere. He should be praised for that. My faveorite by Koontz is still: Intensity.

[Redfox5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this when I was a teenager, but can't remember any details about it. Which was a good thing as it meant it was a total surprise. This was a quick easy read and I was finished after a few hours. Maybe not the most imaginative plot but I liked it none the less. This was Koontz doing what he does best, horror writing. And I loved the inclusion of the evil cat. I found Grace to be the most likeable of all the characters and enjoyed her scenes the most. If you are looking for something to pass the time in a pleasant but horrifying manner then this one is for you.

[Kinsey Breland .: avid_midnight_reader :. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite parts about this book was the use of dreams to heighten the fear, and the tactics Koontz used to bring those elements into the characters’ daily lives. The aspect of foreshadowing and premonition was also used through the dreams. Receiving phone calls from a dead family member was creepy as well.

God, the mystery in this book was fascinating. The fact that this teenage girl with amnesia appeared to be remembering multiple different lives whenever she was sent back in time in a hypnosis state, added a whole new level to the strange and creepiness of this story.

[Diane Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who are we really? This is a concept explored in The Mask. Who is actually Uber a face. Is there reincarnation. Can a person be haunted. Are mentally ill people more than that.

This is a Jane Doe story. The central character has complete and total amnesia. A girl without any idea how she wound up where she was. Luckily a psychiatrist finds her and works with her to uncover who she is.

The Mask starts out with a story about a young girl from a very long time ago. A little about her short life. Does this have anything to do with Jane Doe? Only the reader knows about this other girl from long ago. It’s a side story.

Jane Doe is sweet but a bit scary sometimes. Weird things start happening around her. Scary weird things. Deep in Jane Does subconscious there are things she needs to do. No one figures this out. The psychiatrists husband is the one who really feels the danger. He puts together something from nothing. Jane Doe has a past. Revenge is her future.

Leaving the husband as the voice of reason was an excellent idea. The psychiatrist trying to help Jane Doe is dooming them all. Very original story. Quick and easy read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Ignacio Senao f · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clásica historia de reencarnaciones en niña adoptada. Se lee en una sentada. Tres personajes y una localización (la casa) donde sucede todo. Fácil de leer. No te va a sorprender pero si entretener.

Dean siempre cumple, su gran mayoría de historias son simples y bien escritas. No suele dejar indiferente, es aún más comparable a una hamburguesa que las de King (dicho por él)

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reincarnation infused with elements of the supernatural. The mask is metaphorical, the horror literal. Easy reading.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick read, I loved his presentation. Instead of a pure thriller, Dean seems to place a "family" theme in its flow. "Jane Doe" is hit by Dr. Carol Tracy's car. Carol feels guilty and she is a psychiatrist. Paul Tracy (husband) is a writer. Carol visits her each day in the hospital, she feels guilt and obligated to help Jane find her amnesia of past and family. At the same time, Carol and Paul were looking to adopt a child. Finding Jane is good for them, they take Jane as their "daughter". They will be committed to her until and if her "real" parents are found. Carol tries to bring back the past to Jane, but she does have vicious eposides. Later, during the night Jane has nightmares when exploring the house, covered with blood screaming "Laura".
A great passage to read was their mysterious scene with a Scrabble game. Paul, Carol and Jane could only placed words such as BLADE, KILL, BLOOD, DEATH, TOMB....an "omen"? But then why did Paul pick letters for CAROL that could not placed?

Paul hears sounds of THUNK! THUNK! of shaking items out of the house...shutters? roof antenna? Later, when Carol has taken Jane to their Pennsylvania mountain cabin. The sounds are worst THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! He escapes the house as everything drops off walls and tables. Paul and Grace Mitowski go to rescue Carol.

Before when under hypnosis Jane claimed to be Millie Parker. Carol finds back in 1905, Millie Parker(16) killed her mother with an Ax? Then finds a Linda Baktermann killed her mother.
"The mask" is key to murders. The question to uncover is who are Laura and Jane's matural mothers?
(YouTube.com has audiobook)

[Alexandra Rizac · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of the book is nice...but honestly I don't like the way this book is written!

The prologue is good, creepy enough and it created me chills down my spine!

But then...I didn't understand what was this book about! I was confused like half of it. The first half is developed kind of slow. The main characters were going to adopt and I got baited with this kind of plot...but something happened and they ended foster a kid. So the adoption wasn't a concern anymore.

Another thing that bothers me is that both Carol and husband were seen as intellectual people...but than Carol saw something is wrong with that kid, but she didn't do almost anything to find out what was going on. Like you are intelligent and yet you can't figure out in the first place that something is fishy? Even I thought about reincarnation in the fist therapy session.

Neither to mention that the ending is ass.

Idk this book was wired. I gave 3 stars because it was short and had a lot of terrifying scenes.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember this being "okay" without being in danger of stepping into "fantastic". I'm always confused by Koontz's married characters who feel they need to save stray strangers by bringing them into their homes, only to be confounded by the fact that wierd things start to happen, and seem to center around their newest arrival.

Well, duh - the girl is a mess, she doesn't know who she is, much less anything about her past, but sure! Let's go ahead and bring her home with us and give her fluffy, soft nice comforts!

What? We're haunted now? What could possibly be causing that? Surely not the sweet, innocent blond girl we brought home! Nobody could have a past that bad!

Well, she does, and she did, and you stepped in it, and now you have to scrape it off your feet, and hope you make it to the next day alive. Buh-bye now!

[jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first by Dean Koontz.
I have mixed feelings about this one.
On one hand it's eerie and on the other characters are too good to be true. They seem to always be understanding and seem to be a success no matter their upbringing or situations, a little too goody good for my taste. Most of the novel is shrouded in mystery. Keeps you trying to understand what is exactly going on and why. This had some good plot ideas. I enjoyed it on the whole. The ending was too abrupt, would have liked a little more closure. I liked the eeriness and mystery of the whole thing.

[Jim C · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of Dean's earlier books. Read it years ago but could not remember a thing about it and after finishing it, I can see why. I have to agree with the consensus where everyone dislikes the ending. It was too abrupt and I turned the page to see if there was another chapter. I was enjoying this novel up to the last five pages and I was going to give it a 3 star rating. If you are looking to read one of his books, I would suggest other books by him. This one left me with an unfinished feeling.

[Julie Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from my favourite author, this one filled with suspense and the supernatural.

Fast-paced and well-written, this story has themes such as love, revenge, guilt and sorrow, and asks plausible questions about life and death, and the bonds of relationships.

It did end abruptly, which is unusual for this author, although there were no loose ends.

Enjoyable and recommended.

[Stimpson J. Kat esq... · Rating 1 out of 5]

yeah after reading the reviews of this i didn't have high hopes for it but it's one of Kootz books i had bought it shit over 20 fucking years ago i think at a place called Bookseller that hasn't been open for at least 20 fucking years. it's been on my list to read for that long so i thought why not? it sounded like a good one why the hell not? the characters i think were likable but they are right about that ending you don't find really any closure in the book, the girl is tricked from killing it's lead well one of the leads Carol by saying the words spiders, the book you see opens with a prologue that's about a girl who apparently takes place in (1865) we later learn and to keep it short she died in a terrible fire and was bitten by a spider that part gave me the creeps i'm not gonna lie.

so while shew as dying her mother and her didn't get along and she was afraid of spiders so
her mother sent her down to clean knowing that, her aunt on accident caused the fire that killed the girl and the mother. she for whatever reason blamed her mother and ever since than she was reincarnated to kill her mother but each time the mother out of self defense killed her too.

not a bad idea for a book but what hurts the book is that really nothing happens in a vast portion of it the horror comes in with the opening and some nightmares and than the ending as it builds up and the ending is so fucking abrupt it's like Dean ran out of ideas, i'm a poet of sort and iv'e written some short stories that to me are like just poems that are short stories i love doing them but i know writing novels isn't what i'm good at poems are but the issues i have is i can start a story but i have trouble figuring out how to end it and my point is i think Dean did to on this one. so did she end

up killing Carol in the end? was it stopped? you don't know because the ending was so shitty. i'm glad i read it and this thankfully wasn't the 1st book i read by Dean Koontz Strangers (1986) was my 1st and that one is fucking Brilliant. honestly with a good script it would make a better movie if they can fix the ending that is. even if it's a made for tv movie it's better than the book was i think if the right people get a hold of it that is i voted 1 star cause it was that bad i had to force myself to finish it cause it was that bad. i'm hoping that Dean doesn't have books worse than this one but after writing over #130 books i'm sure he does.

[Claudine Marcin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1981, there was nothing more terrifying than finding out that your landline phone line has been cut right when you need to call for help. Today, that’s the equivalent of letting your cell phone battery die.

Anyway, I’ve had this book for years and finally got around to reading it. The book begins with a tragic accident that sets the tone for the rest of story: who is Jane Doe? Having it set it the 80’s just lends to that feeling of helplessness—for everyone involved. But once they uncover who is behind the mask, who is really in danger? The girl trying to reclaim her identity or the woman intent on helping her?

My only complaint is the way the story ended. I almost wonder if I’m missing the final chapter, I mean, it doesn’t say “The End” on the last page. If anyone else read this book (maybe you have it on your shelf and can refresh your memory about the ending), I’d love to know your thoughts.

[Melanie Bouthillette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a bit of everything from axes to poltergeist and the story flows off the pages which I find typical for Koontz. The story is very predictable from very early on which I thought meant a great ending but unfortunately it fell short leaving a lot of things unanswered which again I don't very typical with Koontz. All in all it was a good and quick read.

[Armand Rosamilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great, fast read. The pacing is swift and the occult plot-line held my attention until the end.

[Gerardo Velázquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otro capítulo de "La expectativa mató al libro"

Un libro lleno de clichés al género, que logra su cometido de entretener, pero no mucho más que eso. Bastante predecible, y con muchas referencias a El resplandor, El exorcista, y varios clásicos del terror.