With Dean Koontz books, it's hit or miss with me. Some I really enjoyed, others I hated. Life Expectancy falls in the middle for me. With a clever premise, I do have to say I was thoroughly engaged, waiting to see what would happen next. But, I really hated the characters, and their quirky manner of dialogue that started out "cute" but quickly become "cheesy".

On the day that Jimmy Tock is born, his paternal grandfather dies. But moments before dying, Gramps makes a series of predictions regarding his about-to-be-born grandson. Some of the predictions are about the birth, itself, but others have a far more sinister sound to them - he predicts five days in Jimmy's life that are going to be "terrible". And he doesn't just pronounce that there will be such days, he rattles off the exact dates.

When all of the predictions regarding Jimmy's birth turn out to be true, the Tock family decides it had better take the other predictions seriously. Thus the book is all about Jimmy and his family, and the ways in which they prepare (or at least try to prepare) for those terrible days in Jimmy's life.

But of course, they have no idea where the dangers lurk. Gramps didn't give any clues other than the dates. Thus they don't know what to change about their normal lives, in order to avoid the tragedies. Or, perhaps fate can not be altered no matter what you do. In any case, no matter what measures the Tock family takes, the five dates come and go, each with its own danger.

I won't tell you what kinds of danger. Suffice it to say that the events that unfold on these horrible dates had their origins on the day of Jimmy's birth.

The story was very exciting. We get to ride along as Jimmy lives his life, constantly worried about what evil lurks ahead of him. Knowing when something horrible might happen, but not knowing what. The suspense for the reader is incredible. Just imagine what it must be like, for the Tock family. As I said earlier, I liked this premise. It lead to so many possibilities, I really never knew which direction the book would take.

The story is told in first person, mostly by Jimmy, with a small section told by his wife, Lorrie. But Jimmy and Lorrie are talking to the reader in a way that most narrators do not. They say things like "I'll bet you think you know what's going to happen next" and "I have to explain to you that...". It's a cute technique that gives the book a "different" feel.

Naturally, some interesting themes are explored in this story. The concept of 'fate', and whether it can ever be altered is one. Another is whether it's better to know what lies ahead (even if it's bad), or to be constantly surprised throughout your life. I found myself pondering these issues, as I read.

So where did the book fail? Well, the antagonists in this book were really annoying. They were not realistic at all, and their motives were extremely bizarre. They are also a strange mixture of smart and dumb. On the one hand, they're gullible and seem easily distracted from their main objectives. Yet, they're smart enough to constantly elude all attempts to stop them. Even when the Tocks and local authorities are "onto" them, the antagonists manage to escape, time and time again. It just didn't ring true.

But that would all be OK if I liked the protagonists. But Koontz goes way too far, trying to make the Tock family "likable". His attempts to make them seem quirky, funny, and cute, just got really annoying after awhile. I'm all for the use of sarcasm and humor to ease tensions, but there are times when it's simply inappropriate. Not to mention unrealistic. Koontz would have us believe that when faced with extreme danger (I'm talking guns pointed right in their faces), Jimmy and his wife would zing one-liners between themselves. At times I found myself rooting for the bad guys, just to make the good guys be quiet!

So, I enjoyed the story, but hated the characters. Still, I think most people will enjoy this book. With plenty of twists and turns, the plot is certainly intriguing. I just wish the characters were a bit more appealing.

Also by Dean Koontz:
The Funhouse


Recommended: Yes