Deeply Odd
Published: 2013
Author: Dean Koontz
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Ghost, Horror, Literature, Mystery, Psychic, Science Fiction, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller
Book 6 of 7: Odd Thomas
Check the summary of this book here:
The Review
Deeply Odd is the sixth suspense thriller novel in the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz. I've been a fan of Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas series since the first novel was published many years ago. While much of Mr. Koontz's past work was hit or miss for me in certain aspects but not horrible in any way, the Odd Thomas books have consistently been entertaining, hilarious, and compelling.
Odd Thomas, whose birth certificate lacked the T from Todd, or Oddie to his friends and fans, is a former fry cook. He produces the world's best, fluffiest pancakes. He is also capable of seeing ghosts. They don't say anything to him, instead gesticulating and pantomiming to imply that something terrible is going to happen and that they are attempting to help.
Elvis Presley was his former silent companion in the first few books, followed briefly by Frank Sinatra. Alfred Hitchcock is now stalking him.
Odd also possesses a psychic attraction that pulls him irresistibly to locations where he has to be. These are always about preventing someone or people from conducting activities that might or will result in widespread death and/or damage.
Odd's job in life appears to be to avert as much of this mayhem as he can, until a stray bullet, explosion, or knife in the back catches him and reunites him with his beloved Stormy Llewellyn ("You are destined to be together forever"). '
There's a lot more to Odd's backstory, but you can get a lot of it from this novel, which references many, if not most, of the other works.
Deeply Odd, like all of the Odd Thomas novels, may be read as a stand-alone, but I recommend going back and reading them all at some time. All of them are small treasures, and the references to earlier events will be apparent, increasing the enjoyment of the newest installment, Deeply Odd.
In Deeply Odd, Odd takes center stage without his friends and companions from earlier novels, having left Annamaria at the ranch when he went for a brief trip into town to purchase some jeans, which is when the adventure began.
Mrs. Fisher, on the other hand, is a fantastic new character and a perfect counterpart for the clever banter that Odd Thomas fans have come to anticipate.
We meet a handful of Edie's friends, who seem to know just about everyone everywhere, and who are all exceedingly helpful and adore her.
Odd's internal commentary that all of the books are supposed to be his memoirs, not to be released until he dies is equally amusing, with many of his analogies likely to make the reader laugh out loud.
The finale, which I believe would have worked better as a coda or epilogue, is a bit too amazing, unintelligible, and happily ever after, but this is a minor issue.
Finally, this reader was left with the impression that Odd Thomas's exploits, which began just 19 months (time passed in the story) ago in Pico Mundo, CA, were coming to a finish, and he was getting closer to his reunion with Stormy.
This is just an impression, but it has lasted for a week since I finished the novel, and it later came true when I read the seventh book Saint Odd, and I am still hoping for a new book in the series.
It is true that you can read a few novellas and short stories about Odd from Dean Koontz, but they are just supplements, not actual full-sized books that can move the story forward.
Final Thoughts
This is the sixth novel in the series based on Koontz's unforgettable character.
Between Odd Hours and Odd Apocalypse, there was also Odd Interlude, a novella that was actually one of the greatest Odd tales.
The Odd books appeared to be a change from Dean Koontz's customary dark suspense and spooky paranormal fiction. I'll keep reading Koontz until he retires, which I'm sure will be a long time.
If you like Odd Thomas and are a fan of Koontz, I'm sure you'll appreciate Deeply Odd. But, as a Koontz fan, I'm looking forward to the series' conclusion and then returning to fundamentals. Of course, nothing is simple in Dean Koontz's world.
If you're reading this book for the first time, you'll find Odd's character changes to be appropriate considering the conditions, but those who have been following him since his debut five volumes ago are likely to be more troubled.
He's got more oomph in this than he's ever had before, and for good cause. The pressure on him is greater than in the previous novel, in which he had to avert a nuclear terrorist attack.
The threat had been much bigger in principle, but the evil forces at work in this narrative went beyond ethereal, where even if not all of them could be seen, they would be felt in the bloodiest and most torturous way - a price paid for innocent children, a dreadful concept in and of itself.
Odd has since arrived at a fork in the road, and while he is unsure of what lies ahead, he is more certain that everything he has experienced up to this point has been leading him back to the beginning, where it all began for him in Pico Mundo.
The following information confirms this. I'm confident that the guy who welcomes the people who have waited for him will see that Odd is no longer the gun-shy man he was before he went. He has developed a dislike for the new guy he has become, but he recognizes that it is necessary. He's a new Odd, maybe not fully toughened yet, but far away from "just a fry cook."
This novel Odd had reignited my interest in the series, which is a little late given that this is supposed to be the next to the final book, so I might have given it full marks at first (in principle), but the game-changer still came too late in the book for me as if it matters because I am still a fan and love the series and the character of Odd.
So basically what I just said about the change coming too late was actually said for the readers who are always complaining no matter what.
Another must-read for all Odd Thomas fans, but also a good place to start if you appreciate engaging characters, horror with a sense of humor, and light fantasy of a different kind that can be recommended wholeheartedly.
But, as always, I don't advocate starting with this book and only reading it after you've finished the previous five.
Synopsis
The synopsis below is from the audiobook version of this book.
“The pistol appeared in his hand the way a dove appears in the hand of a good magician, as if it materialized out of thin air. "You think I won’t do it right here in the open. But you’d be surprised.... You’ll drop before you get the breath to scream." The truck driver is decked out like a rhinestone cowboy, only instead of a guitar he’s slinging a gun - and Odd Thomas is on the wrong end of the barrel. Though he narrowly dodges a bullet, Odd can’t outrun the shocking vision burned into his mind...or the destiny that will drive him into a harrowing showdown with absolute evil.
How do you make sure a crime that hasn’t happened yet, never does? That’s the critical question facing Odd Thomas, the young man with a unique ability to commune with restless spirits and help them find justice and peace. But this time, it’s the living who desperately need Odd on their side. Three helpless innocents will be brutally executed unless Odd can intervene in time. Who the potential victims are and where they can be found remain a mystery. The only thing Odd knows for sure is who the killer will be: the homicidal stranger who tried to shoot him dead in a small-town parking lot.
With the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock riding shotgun and a network of unlikely allies providing help along the way, Odd embarks on an interstate game of cat and mouse with his sinister quarry. He will soon learn that his adversary possesses abilities that may surpass his own and operates in service to infinitely more formidable foes, with murder a mere prelude to much deeper designs. Traveling across a landscape haunted by portents of impending catastrophe, Odd will do what he must and go where his path leads him, drawing ever closer to the dark heart of his long journey - and, perhaps, to the bright light beyond.”
Useful Search Related Words & Keywords
Alfred Hitchcock, Another Great, Forward To The Next, Fry Cook, Looking Forward, Next Book, Pico Mundo, Rhinestone Cowboy, Thomas Series
Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
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