cmaw63's Full Review: Dean Koontz - Forever Odd Books
I know you've been holding your breath, eagerly awaiting my next Dean Koontz review. Well, now that you're a pretty shade of blue with a hint of purple you can take your next breath...here it is...
Forever Odd
Upon first reading Forever Odd, approximately a year ago, I was not impressed. I finished reading it for the second time today. Was it any better the second time around? Surprisingly, very much so.
Forever Odd is the second book by Koontz to star Odd Thomas. The first is, oddly enough, called Odd Thomas.
In this sequel Odd finds himself having to use his psychic magnetism to find his friend Danny. Danny has been kidnapped by Datura, a woman that he met while calling a phone sex hotline. Danny has brittle bone disease and few friends. He just wants someone to talk to when his best friend, Odd, becomes immersed in grief from events that happened in the first book.
In an effort to impress Datura, who is fanatically and viciously seeking to experience all things supernaturally evil, Danny tells her of Odd's abilities. Unaware of Datura's intent Danny reveals that Odd can see dead people and has psychic magnetism. Datura and her henchmen take Danny to a remote place and wait for Odd's psychic magnetism to lead him to them. (Psychic magnetism is the ability to find someone by concentrating on them)
In a showdown that includes Datura, her henchmen, a mountain lion and a poltergeist, Odd tests his limits to save his friend.
My Mistake
I discovered both Odd Thomas and Forever Odd at the same time. Reading them back to back left me less than thrilled with Forever Odd. Odd Thomas, the book, was packed with emotions...laugh out loud funny, grab a kleenex sad and goose bump scary.
Forever Odd lacks the intensity of those feelings, but they are there. Picking this book up to reread it was something I forced myself to do. I'm glad I did. Without the immediate influence of the first book I was able to appreciate the more subtle wit and humor of Odd in book two. I learned more about the young man that he is and will be. That is a good thing. Odd is a truly fascinating character, one that I hope to see in many more of Koontz's writings. Which the last chapter of Forever Odd does set the premise for the third book Brother Odd.
Danny is as likable a fellow as Datura is vile and evil. Both held my interest in their own way.
Forever Odd would be a good book without reading Odd Thomas. Some characters spill over into this one though and are more enjoyable if you know their background.
What I thought would be a 2 or 3 star review when I started reading Forever Odd has become a 4 star after finishing it.
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