Ratings17
Average rating4.1
May contain minimal spoilers
The good news is, I didn't hate it.
After the dud that was Deeply Odd, I really didn't expect ANYTHING at all from this book. I'm happy to say, that it was a fast and somewhat amusing read.
There were a few problems, though: too much action, endless pursues and shooting. No bodachs. Very few ghostly apperances. Also, the inclusion of characters I had all but forgotten about (Tim, Blossom Rosedale), though they did not have an impact on the story at all. Too little of known characters: only a few pages of Ozzie, a handful of pages of Edie Fischer and Annamaria only in dreams/flashbacks.
Other than that it seemed that Koontz had become less preachy and less political. Those were two of my main gripes with Deeply Odd, but in this it only slips through in very few instances. And thankfully, there is almost no trace of his trademark “humour”. This one is played much more serious and I like it the better for it.
The showdown is not epic in any way and the ending, as others have pointed out, is kinda rushed. I was worried how he would describe the afterlife, but I actually kinda liked his version of it.
Overall, Koontz is not back to his roots, but I must say that I find this the third best installment of the series (After Odd Thomas and Odd Apocalypse). I do understand if someone finds it less than fulfilling, but after finding Deeply Odd and Odd Interlude abysmal beyond hope, I actually enjoyed this.