Book Review of “Odd Thomas” by Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz has created another one of his fantastic thrillers that had me turning pages as fast as I could to find out what happens next. “Odd Thomas” is the first book in what I hope will be a many numbered series. This book is a perfect mix of suspense, adventure, romance, ghosts and otherworldly creatures with humor dispersed throughout.

Odd Thomas is a fascinating character who as in his own words “leads an unusual life.” He also says “Peculiar things happen to me that don’t happen to other people with regularity, if ever.” Odd is a 20 year old short order cook from Pico Mundo, a small town in southern California. Oh, and he sees, but not hears, dead people. Actually he goes out of his way to assist them so they can move on to whatever comes after this world; except for Elvis who just comes to hang out with him sometimes.

In case you are wondering, Odd isn’t a nickname, it is the name on his birth certificate. Though if it wasn’t already his name, I’m sure someone somewhere along the line would have started calling him Odd. Only a handful of people in Pico Mundo know about Odd’s extra abilities: his girlfriend and soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn ; the police chief Wyatt Porter, his boss Terri Stambaugh, and his friend P. Oswald Boone aka Little Ozzie.

Odd is a humble character whose highest ambitions, other than marrying Stormy, is to make a fluffier pancake and/or become a tire salesman. He is only thinking about the tire salesman job so he could better support a wife and family in the future when he contemplates changing careers.

Odd is the narrator of the “Odd Thomas” and he has orders from his friend Ozzie to keep it light or as Ozzie says “I’ll sit my four-hundred pound ass on you, and that’s not the way you want to die.

The only other thing I can tell you about the book without giving away too much is that Odd can also see otherworldly creatures he calls bodachs. These dark shadowy creatures show up when something particular evil is about to happen. When Odd sees bodachs, he works overtime to find out what is about to happen so he can stop it – if he can.

Bottom line: This is a truly excellent book that will have you rooting for Odd Thomas to win against the bad guys and you will come to care about him.

Other Book Reviews by Genie Walker:

Blow Out by Catherine Coulter
The Mulberry Tree by Jude Deveraux
Sam’s Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson