dragonfire88's Full Review: Dean R. Koontz - The Taking
Last year, I was surprised to see a new Dean Koontz book, The Face, in May. This year, I found out a few weeks ahead of time that he had a new book, The Taking, coming out this May. I headed off and got my copy the day it was released.
Molly Sloan was laying awake when a sudden downpour started one night. It was very unusual to get rain that time of year. Her husband Neil was asleep. Molly got up, planning to work on her book for a while. She noticed that the rain was silvery in color and seemed to glow. She felt that something was wrong. Then she noticed that the porch was full of coyotes that seemed to be afraid of something in the woods. The coyotes weren’t acting normal, and Molly was even able to walk onto the porch with them and be left alone. She thought that the rain had a strange scent. When she returned to the house, she found that Neil was having a horrible nightmare. When he woke up, he sensed some kind of pressure in the air. He thought something was wrong as well.
Molly and Neil found reports on t.v. about other strange, extreme weather around the world. As the hours passed, more and more stations went off the air until none were left broadcasting. The phone was cutting in and out until it finally went off completely. The rain continued to fall. Molly and Neil decided that they should head to town and try to meet with their neighbors to decide what to do about whatever was going on. They encountered some strange things during their trip into Black Lake. Once in town, they found that a group of people was at the bar. The people were undecided about what exactly was happening and what they should do. There were some children and some dogs. Molly noticed fairly quickly that there was something different about the dogs, but they weren’t dangerous. Molly was very concerned because there weren’t many children at the bar. She was worried about the ones who might be alone somewhere. She and Neil headed out to search for any other children they could find in Black Lake. Virgil, one of the dogs, was leading them. He somehow knew where to go to find children in need of help. Molly and Neil ended up in some dangerous situations and encountered some very strange things.
The Taking was published in May of 2004 as a hardback book. It is also available as an audio book.
I did enjoy The Taking, though not as much as I enjoyed many other Koontz books. When I picked up my copy, I was surprised by the length. The book is a lot shorter than several of his other books. The plot wasn’t as complex as those in many of his other books. The plot was really simple for a Koontz book, but I still thought it was interesting. I wasn’t bored by the book. It did grab my interest from the beginning, but I was a bit let down by the ending. There was all this build up, and then really nothing. I did feel that there were a few things that weren’t fully explained. There was suspense throughout the book, and I wasn’t sure what would happen next. I didn’t expect for it to end the way it did. I was surprised, but also a bit disappointed. It was like Koontz didn’t follow through with what he set up earlier. The book kept me reading, though I have read better Koontz books.
I didn’t think that The Taking was a typical Dean Koontz book. There were some strange, creepy things that happened, but there have been books with much stranger and creepier things going on. The book wasn’t as detailed and descriptive as most of his books have been, though some people may consider that a positive. There were many short chapters throughout the book. I don’t remember there being that many short chapters in any of his other books. The book was fast paced, which many of his others have been. It did seem a bit more rushed though, especially near the ending. The book took place over a very short time frame, which has been the case in several other Koontz books. Those other books managed to be more detailed, and not seem as rushed as this one did.
There was some violence in some scenes of The Taking, but it wasn’t an extremely violent book. The violence wasn’t too extreme, so I don’t think it would upset anyone. Some things that were described were a bit disturbing. In many Koontz books, there have been touches of humor here and there throughout the books that helped to lighten the mood a bit. There were no light hearted moments in this book. I missed them.
Molly and Neil were the main characters of The Taking, but neither of them was developed that much. Molly was in more scenes and more was known about her. Neil was rather flat for a main character. Very little was known about him and his past. One thing wasn’t shared until the end of the book. I don’t think that thing needed to be kept such a secret. It has been normal for Koontz to create rich, vibrant, very developed characters in his books. Molly and Neil fell short of that. I did like them, and was hoping things would work out for them, but there were things missing from them and their relationship.
Dean Koontz has written many books. There has been something at least a little strange in every one of his books that I have read. Some of his books have been very strange and creepy. I love his books, even the really creepy and strange ones. His books aren’t for everyone though. People need to keep an open mind when reading one of his books because lots of strange, unbelievable things happen in them. I don’t mind at all that the books are a bit different, but some people may find his books too different.
CHARACTERS
Molly Sloan - She was an author. She had published a few books and was working on her latest. She had been married to Neil for several years. They had a happy marriage. She went through something when she was a child that made her very strong. She was concerned for the safety of others, especially the children.
Neil Sloan - He was a carpenter. That was his second career. He was happy with his life with Molly. He was sure something bad was going on after he woke up from a nightmare. He was determined to stay close to Molly and protect her as best he could.
I did enjoy The Taking for the most part, but I didn’t care for the ending. It could have been much better. The book started off well and was really interesting. It kept my interest throughout, even through the ending I wasn’t happy with. Fans of Dean Koontz will probably enjoy the book, though they should be aware that it is different from most of his other books.
From the Publisher: In one of the most dazzling books of his celebrated career, Dean Koontz delivers a masterwork of page-turning suspense that surpas...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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