a much anticipated book...starting today :)

recently have begun to "fixate" on reading the books of one DEAN R. KOONTZ...he's one of those authors who defies categorisation...he writes wonderfully odd and wacky novels which are nevertheless truly gripping to read...every time i come to the end of 1 of his books, it's almost like letting an old friend go...how weird... *scratching head*

the very first book of his i read was LIFE EXPECTANCY...and from then on, i was hooked...it's not horror although there are many elements of typical horror stories but that is tempered by human drama and the comic quirkiness of the story...



oh well, starting on ODD THOMAS today...much heralded in the press as one of koontz's finest works...very much looking forward to it since i plan to get the followup book FOREVER ODD which is just out in hardcover recently, if this is good...

bring it on!!! :)


editorial review by publishers weekly:
Once in a very great while, an author does everything right-as Koontz has in this marvelous novel. Odd Thomas, who narrates, is odd indeed: only 20, he works contentedly as a fry cook in a small fictional California town, despite a talent for writing. The reason for his lack of ambition? A much rarer talent: Odd sees and converses with ghosts, the lingering dead who have yet to pass on, a secret he has kept from nearly everyone but his girlfriend, an eccentric author friend and the local police chief, whom he occasionally helps solve terrible crimes. Odd also has the ability to see bodachs, malevolent spirits that feast on pain and whose presence signifies a likelihood of imminent violence. The proximity of bodachs to a weird-looking stranger in town, whom Odd dubs "Fungus Man," alerts Odd that trouble is brewing; breaking into Fungus Man's house, Odd discovers not only hundreds of bodachs but a shrine to serial killers that helps him deduce that somehow Fungus Man will wreak widespread havoc very soon-so Odd is caught in a classic race against time to deter catastrophe. As with Koontz's best novels, this one features electrifying tension and suspense, plus a few walloping surprises. But Koontz fans know that the author has recently added humor to his arsenal of effects, and this thriller also stands out for its brilliant tightrope walk between the amusing and the macabre; one of the dead with whom Odd interacts frequently, for instance, is Elvis, still pining for his long-dead mother, Gladys. Above all, the story, like most great stories, runs on character-and here Koontz has created a hero whose honest, humble voice will resonate with many. In some recent books, Koontz has tended to overwrite, but not here: the narrative is as simple and clear as a newborn's gaze. This is Koontz working at his pinnacle, providing terrific entertainment that deals seriously with some of the deepest themes of human existence: the nature of evil, the grip of fate and the power of love.