Forever Odd: A Novel - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Every so often a character so captures the hearts and imaginations of readers that he seems to take on a life of his own long after the final page is turned. For such a character, one book is not enough—readers must know what happens next. Now Dean Koontz returns with the novel his fans have been demanding. With the emotional power and sheer storytelling artistry that are his trademarks, Koontz takes up once more the story of a unique young hero and an eccentric little town in a tale that is equal parts suspense and terror, adventure and mystery—and altogether irresistibly odd.

We’re all a little odd beneath the surface. He’s the most unlikely hero you’ll ever meet—an ordinary guy with a modest job you might never look at twice. But there’s so much more to any of us than meets the eye—and that goes triple for Odd Thomas. For Odd lives always between two worlds in the small desert town of Pico Mundo, where the heroic and the harrowing are everyday events. Odd never asked to communicate with the dead—it’s something that just happened. But as the unofficial goodwill ambassador between our world and theirs, he’s got a duty to do the right thing. That’s the way Odd sees it and that’s why he’s won hearts on both sides of the divide between life and death.

A childhood friend of Odd’s has disappeared. The worst is feared. But as Odd applies his unique talents to the task of finding the missing person, he discovers something worse than a dead body, encounters an enemy of exceptional cunning, and spirals into a vortex of terror. Once again Odd will stand against our worst fears. Around him will gather new allies and old, some living and some not. For in the battle to come, there can be no innocent bystanders, and every sacrifice can tip the balance between despair and hope. Whether you’re meeting Odd Thomas for the first time or he’s already an old friend, you’ll be led on an unforgettable journey through a world of terror, wonder and delight—to a revelation that can change your life. And you can have no better guide than Odd Thomas.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews: Read 233 more reviews...

2 out of 5 stars

What a let down January 9, 2006
145 out of 180 found this review helpful

Note: As you can see from both the polarizing response my review has gotten (25 helpful, 29 unhelpful) and other reviews here, this book is a love it or hate it. Ignoring for a moment that it is an Odd Thomas book and looking at it as simply a thriller, I still believe it isn't a very good novel. The writing is sloppy, the villains insipid. Deus Ex Machina abounds, the ending is melodramatic. But I can over-look most of these if the novel thrills me. Forever Odd didn't. Not once was I fearful, not once did a passage grip me and pull me along. In fact, this is one of the first Koontz books that had me skimming to get the gist of what happened.

For those who don't know whether to read this or not, no one can honestly say. I, for one, did not like this book. Others here did. Personally, if you are going to read it and aren't collecting, I would wait for it to come out on paperback. Its just not up to Koontz's (or Odd's) thriller top. And I don't see why we should support weak work; particularly when Koontz is spitting out books so quickly (Husband is coming out next month) and, in my opinion, sloppily.

Unhelpful votes, here I come!

My Review:
Two years ago, Dean Koontz released Odd Thomas and created his most memorable and lovable character ever. That story fascinated me and the characters pulled me along. It was by far one of the most endearing and tender stories, while at the same time tense and dark. When I heard that Forever Odd was coming out and would be another story centering on Odd, I was over-joyed.

What pulled me along in the first book was Odd's use of language. Koontz did a great job making Odd's voice unique and the first person narrative was perfect. Odd's views, his way of looking at life was a perfect counter point to what was happening on the page. And he was a great imperfect narrator.

Unfortunately, that trend and this book is not the same calibur of Odd Thomas. In fact, the only reason the story fits with Odd Thomas is because of Odd's supernatural ability. The beginning starts out great. It catches the readers up with what's happening in Pico Mundo since the sad events of Odd Thomas. It felt like coming home; Dean Koontz had created such wonderful characters the first time around that seeing them again was a treat. About 3/4s of the book, however, was a silly and insipid thriller taking place in a burned out casino. The casino wasn't scary. The villain's motive was silly, the ghosts weren't spooky. It felt like a rushed job. And, considering how many books Koontz has been publishing recently in a year (another book is coming out in May by the way), I'm wondering if he's been replaced by a machine...I felt no connection to most of the characters, there was too much repartee for no other point than to be "witty," and, the worst offense, the plot was a retread of so many thrillers Koontz has written throughout the years. And, I might add, had done much much better with earlier.

As I continued to read, I found myself flipping through pages, summing up paragraphs and basically skimming my way to the end. The thriller is, at time, intense but it also grows dreary as you realize this is all it is: a thriller dressed up and posing as another life-warming Odd Thomas story. What eventually killed it for me was that Koontz utilizes a Deus Ex Machina, not once but at least twice, and that just soured everything that followed. It just wasn't very exciting.

By the time I got to the ending with its insipid attempt at being another "life-altering" and poignant ending that Odd Thomas has, I was ready to be done. One thing I have noticed with Koontz is that he tends to end his novels with a sappy or "poignant" cathartic moment. In Odd Thomas, it works and affected me in the way Koontz wanted it to. In Velocity it was fairly successful. In this book, I just shook my head.

What really brought this book down to below the average rating for me was expectations. Odd Thomas, the book and character, stands as Koontz's best in my opinion, not only in characterization but also in the three important "P's": plot, pacing and prose. It included characters you genuinely care about, thrills that belied the light tone the imperfect narrator kept, and a plot that kept turning and winding. Koontz took an idea that was tired after Sixth Sense and created a world that jumped off the pages with heart and panache. Then to turn around and release this book is, to me, a mockery of Odd Thomas. Nothing in this book worked as intended for me. From the lazy thriller aspect to the ending that tried to be a "twist" like the first book's, nothing worked. The ending was a lip curling attempt to trick the readers; whereas the first book's ending genuinely worked to provoke catharsis, this one made me shake my head. I was so excited and thrilled to see another Odd Thomas book and then was sorely disappointed at what was given. Here's hoping that if Koontz does write a next book, he will keep more in line with the first instead of dressing up a thriller in tones of Odd.

Not only not up to the first book, Forever Odd isn't up to par with most of Koontz's thrillers.

4 out of 5 stars

Very odd and entertaining! though not the emotional impact of the original November 30, 2005
33 out of 36 found this review helpful

To start with do not read this book until you have read "Odd Thomas" (Which I highly recommend!). If you have not read "Odd Thomas" stop reading this review and go buy it now. If you have read "Odd" then continue on.

"Forever Odd" Takes the reader back to Pico Mundo California, and its most celebrated and strange citizen, Odd Thomas. Odd has the gift of being able to see, feel, and speak to the dead (but for some reason they can't speak back?).

This time out Odd meets the ghost of Dr. Wilbur Jessup who has been murdered and has Odd come to his home, where Odd discovers the doctor's dead body! Jessup is the father of Odd's best friend Danny who is afflicted with a disease that makes his bones brittle. Danny is missing from the home! Odd uses his "Psychic Magnetism" to try and tract Danny down. I don't want ruin any of the surprises, but Odd soon finds himself the quarry of a beautiful but evil advisary who wants to use Odd for her own evil purposes!

This is a quirky story---The Ghost of a melancholy Elvis is still hanging around Odd---that combines a number of genres suspense, terror, adventure, mystery. and even some humor. The story moves along at a rapid pace and is a quick read compared to some of Koontz's other stories. Overall a good sequel to the original book, but it does not have the emotional impact, though it is still very entertaining!

4 out of 5 stars

Odd Thomas returns January 13, 2006
28 out of 39 found this review helpful

For the second time, Koontz has taken a character from one of his novels and featured that same character in a second book--here, it is the title character from 2003's Odd Thomas. Like the young boy in the movie The Sixth Sense, Odd sees dead people. Often, he is surprised when someone whom he thought was still alive and kicking--in this case, his friend and neighbor, Dr. Jessup--silently and mysteriously shows up in his apartment, clearly no longer of this world.

Forever Odd details Odd's personal quest to rescue Dr. Jessup's son, his childhood friend, Danny. Fearing that police involvement would result in Danny's immediate death, Odd decides to go it alone, relying solely on his own supernatural resources for guidance. Thus much of the novel is devoid of dialogue, instead featuring Odd's internal conversations. Here Koontz sometimes has the tendency to wax poetic, lapsing into such frequent comments about human nature that I found this to be a bit more annoying than in his previous works. Still, Koontz retains his uniquely engaging storytelling style, and although I think this is far from his best work, his fans are likely to find something of value here. Overall rating: three and a half stars (rounded up to four for amazon).

2 out of 5 stars

Bring back the real Odd! December 7, 2006
22 out of 22 found this review helpful

If you love Odd Thomas I guess you'll have to buy this book - but I warn you - don't bother!

Suddenly Odd has a best friend we never heard of in the entire first book, whose life he has to save from some meglo-maniacal new-age wanna-be witch lady protected by psuedo-zombie male followers, all holed up in an old Indian casino. For some reason Odd must transverse an underground drainage system to get there, which takes up half the book, why Koontz thought this would be interesting is unknown to me. Once he gets there his psychic magnetism and numerous failures of architecture thwart his rescue attempts. Unfortunately this creates little more suspense than does 100 pages of running through drainage tunnels.

This sequel totally lacks the gut-wrenching twists of fate that defined Odd Thomas, and all of the humor that made that book so wonderfully readable. The plot limps along to a boring climax involving a villain we are never frightened by. I truly enjoyed Odd Thomas, and I want more of this eccentric, haunted character, but please, let's give him something half way interesting to do!

I hope the next chapter in this series, Brother Odd, will prove much more entertaining.

5 out of 5 stars

May I Have Some More Please November 30, 2005
21 out of 41 found this review helpful

Dean Koontz has always been hit and miss with me. I either really like his books, or really dislike his books. However, his first-person narratives (the Odd Thomas books and the Chris Snow books) have really struck a chord with me. This latest installment is excellent.

You must say this for Koontz. Most authors, when faced with a popular character (in this case, either Odd or Snow), are happy to keep churning out yearly installments and beat the characters into the ground by continually placing them in uninspired stories (i.e., Patricia Cornwell). Koontz, on the other hand, although one of the most prolific writers around, continues to try new and different things. He only comes back to the popular characters when inspired. In this case, the wait was worth it.

The key to a first-person narrative (I believe) is that the reader has to grow to actually like the narrator and be invested in his/her future. You can't help but like Odd Thomas. His wry, deadpan commentary on the weirdness going on around him pulls you into the story.

While I certainly look forward to any future adventures of Odd, its OK with me if Koontz waits 3-4 years (as long as there is another Chris Snow story in between). I'd much rather have periodic excellence than yearly mediocrity.

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