An Odd Tale - Odd Thomas

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
Published December 9, 2003 by Bantam
416 page hardcover
list price $26.95 (Walmart price 16.97)
ISBN: 0553802496

Dean Koontz is one of my all time favorite authors, just behind Stephen King and Edgar Allen Poe, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I picked this book up as soon as I had a chance. I purchased Odd Thomas at Walmart about a month ago. I only wish that I had picked it up sooner. I have always like Dean Koontz's writing style but I believe that Odd Thomas is his best work yet. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was full of intense suspense, great character development, deep relationships, and interesting ideas. If I had to recommend one read this summer Odd Thomas would be it. If you are a Dean Koontz fan then this is a must read and if you haven't yet discovered the great writing of Dean Koontz this is the perfect book to start with. I knew that I would enjoy this book but I had no idea that I would LOVE it.

It isn't very often that an author produces the kind of writing that allows a reader to develop such a strong emotional bond with the characters as this book. Add to that bond a story that evokes deep emotions of happiness, excitement, nervousness, and sadness. Then mix in a little suspense and you have Odd Thomas. I couldn't put this book down. I just had to know about Odd and all his interesting friends. In Odd Thomas Dean Koontz explores the lines between sanity and insanity, life and death, this world and the next. The reader learns of horrors and pure evil as well as true love in all it's various forms. Even in the end, after an unexpected twist, I knew this was the best book I had read in a long time.

Characters
The characters are deep and complex but Dean Koontz allows their development to unravel slowly in a way that leaves you captivated. The reader learns small details throughout the story and before long it is like they have grown to know these people over years. Even minor characters seem realistic and believable.

Odd Thomas - the main character in this story has had an interesting life to say the least. He hasn't always had it easy either. His name is Odd but he isn't sure as to the origin of the name, either it is a mistake that was made on his birth certificate or possibly it was his intended name. Either way, it surely fits him well since he is a bit odd. He can see spirits, people stuck between this world and the next. When he sees these spirits he is compelled to act. He also sees supernatural beings that he has named bodachs, their appearance warns him of catastrophic disasters. Also, Odd has dreams that sometimes tell of the future.

P. Oswald Boone - a.k.a. Little Ozzy is a man of extremes. He is a 400 lb. writer with six fingers on his Left hand and a cat named Terrible Chester. He is a good friend to Odd.

Bronwen "Stormy" Llewellyn - is the love of Odd's life. They are soul mates. She is the balance in his life. In fact, she is a little odd herself.

Rosalia Sanchez - is Odd's landlady but she is also a dear friend. After suffering many losses in her life she has silently and slowly gone mad. Her insanity takes the form of a phobia that Odd is more than happy to help her deal with.

Terri Stambaugh - is the owner of the Pico Mundo Grille where Odd works. She is a mentor to Odd and has taught him more than just the tricks of being a short order cook. She is more of a mother to him then his own mother could ever be.

Wyatt Porter - is the Chief of Police in Pico Mundo. He has no children of his own but treats Odd like a son, which is a good thing since Odd seems to get into situations where he needs some police assistance. Wyatt Porter often uses Odd's intuition and hunches to help solve crimes while keeping Odd's name out of reports and newspapers.

Plot
The story of Odd Thomas is narrated by Odd himself. He starts off telling the reader that he is a little odd and giving some insight into his life and the day that began a dramatic change within it. He gives the reader insight into his "gifts" that he lives with and how they effect every aspect of his life. For instance, he chooses to wear the same outfit all the time and to work as a short order cook because these things limit the number of complications he has in his life. Since he can't control the fact that dead people speak to him, he can at least make sure that he doesn't have to make too many choices in his everyday life.

Odd also gives the reader insight into his dysfunctional family life and how that has effected his personal relationships. Then we are slowly introduced to various friends in his life and how they support him in ways that his family never could. Odd has kept his secret of being able to see the future, talk to dead people, and see malevolent spirits from most people in his life. Only his true love Stormy knows all. Some of his close friends know that he can see the ghosts but they don't know all the details of his life. Still those friends are very supportive of him. Often times the dead seek him to help them move into the next world. They use him as a way to finish business they may have left here on earth. The reader gets a glimpse of this as Odd is given details to help solve an old murder.

The story takes a turn when Odd comes into contact with a man who has a group of bodachs (malevolent spirits) hanging around him. Odd knows that he has to discover the reason for these spirits interest in the man or there could be horrible consequences. While Odd tries to discover what troubles are to come to his little town he enlists the help of his trusty friends. The reader is taken on a roller coaster ride of suspense while Odd tries to find meaning in his dreams of a future murder spree and the relationship between those dreams and this man he has named "Fungus Man". But the story isn't all horror and suspense, it is filled with romance and love as well as humor. Not only did I find myself on the edge of my seat just waiting for that explosive moment, but I also laughed and cried. I have never had a story take me through as many emotions as this one did. It is definitely a book that I would love to see converted to film, but I doubt that film could ever do it justice.

If you read just one book this year, read Odd Thomas!