Dean Koontz, master of suspense and the supernatural, does it again! What does he do? Writes an average book.
The Taking
Hmmmm...this is a hard book to review without giving the main reason some people are harvested and others allowed to live. The entire plot revolves around why certain adults are chosen, by dogs no less, to try to save children.
Of course it's no surprise that Koontz would choose dogs to help save people...after all his beloved golden retriever, Trixie, has "written" a few of her own books.
Anyway, the story has two main characters in Molly and Neil Sloan. As I've found to be typical in Koontz books the heroes in his stories are, usually, heroines. Strong women, intelligent children and, sometimes, a loving man are basics...The Taking is no different. What is different is that it's not supernatural beings or crazed madmen creating havoc. It's aliens from outer space.
Now, that's not as weird as it sounds and does create the essence of the story. The ways they are taking the people are quite different. Why they are taking some and not others is an old standby plot, though. I was really hoping for something more special and different as to the why. I knew halfway through the book that I was going to be disappointed.
Molly & Neil Sloan never quite did it for me. Molly was always able to figure things out by intuition. It got rather boring reading about her and Neil being in a spot of trouble and Molly going, "Hmmmm...let's do this.", and it always being the right thing. Neil, at all times, followed her. Ok, this is where I had a big problem. At times my husband would have followed blindly where I led...but, there would have come a point when people were in nasty predicaments, and I was heading towards them, that he would've shook me and yelled, "Are you crazy woman?"
There is some graphic violence and situations. It was disturbing at times. It wasn't over the top, just well described in Koontz's excellent way with colorful words.
To Read or Not to Read
The dogs and the ingenious ways Koontz comes up with for the aliens to rid Earth of some people makes this book worth a read. The Taking won't stand out after you're done reading it, but it will keep you interested long enough to finish it. I'm glad I read it, now it can go back on the shelf and stay there.
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