Odd Thomas

OK, If you ever check out the sidebar stuff on this blog, you are aware that I have been reading Dean Koontz lately, starting with this one:

This is interesting for me because after reading my first ever Dean Koontz book, Odd Thomas, I told Wes that I felt his book was good, but that it felt a bit typical-it felt like it was quickly written with a formulaic plot, and written to make it possible for Koontz to whip out a whole bunch of book. However, somehow, I was still intrigued, and I really enjoyed the book (mostly) and found myself really interested in the title character, Odd. Little did I know that it was the first in a series. When I was at the book store a few days after finishing and overall enjoying the book, I found these:

I had not realized that Odd Thomas was the first in the series, so I bought the 2 other Odd Thomas books, and I liked them as well, and they did not run quite as formulaic! Yeah!!

Now, the newest Odd book is out only in hardback-as I cannot justify paying $20 for it, I am on the library waiting list for it (there are 80 people ahead of me!!) SO, I am anxiously awaiting it...

Now, here are a few things I want to say:

1-Since I finished the Odd books I have, I bought another Koontz book that looked interesting and also found that we (Wes really) own a couple other Koontz books, and boy was I right about the formulaic thing. I can almost guarantee that Koontz books will start with a big crazy inciting incident that will propel the rest of the book forward. That incident will inevitably set up the fact that there is some problem coming that the main character has to try to stop, but they are not exactly sure what the problem is yet, and the mystery will be to figure out what the horrible disaster is that is coming. About halfway through the book, something will happen that makes everything the main character has figured out null and void. It will be an unexpected surprise, and it will be only the first of the surprises to come. Also, there will be something supernatural or otherworldly that will happen in the books, there will be very quirky characters. The main characters will all have some sort of abusive past, and all main characters will have a crazy, crazy grandmother. The book will be told from the main characters POV.

2-That being said, the Odd Thomas books actually fall from the formula a bit as they are a series and follow the same character.

3-Regardless of the formula, I found myself soaking in the books-they are crazy, they are strange, there are plot holes and problems here and there, but they are interesting reads and a very interesting main character.

So, just to give you a very brief intro of Odd Thomas, it is about this guy that can see dead people (not unlike Haley Joel Osmond, but Odd's dead people cannot speak to him). The dead that need to finish business of this world come to Odd for help. He helps them move on if possible. He has a small group of confidants that are like a ragtag family to him, and they know his secret (about the dead people). Odd is an interesting character-one of the most interesting I have read. I cannot say a whole lot more about it without giving away important things, but I feel the first book is like a set up for the rest of the books-it is like the story that tells you the point in life that made Odd who he is going to be the rest of his adulthood.

Has anyone read there books? If not, I do recommend them. If you have read them, what did you think?

I feel a bit like I am running an English class discussion again with these last two blogs, but guess what? I like it!