By the Light of the Moon
Published: 2002
Author: Dean Koontz
Genre: Action, Adventure, Conspiracy, Fiction, Horror, Literature, Mystery, Psychic, Psychological, Suspense, Thriller
Check the summary of this book here:
The Review
Dean Koontz's novel By the Light of the Moon is a best-selling novel. The story explores the ethical applications of nanotechnology, the desire to do the right thing, and genetic rewiring.
I read this book after a few years when it first came out years ago and had forgotten about it. As a consequence, it appeared like I was reading a new novel, and I was eager to get started.
This time, I really enjoyed it, and the fact that I'd read it before didn't take away from the shocks. That's one advantage of forgetting a book and reading a lot; if you read a book after a long time, all these stories become muddled, but that doesn't mean I'm forgetful or have a memory issue.
I adored the characters in this novel, as well as the bizarre plot. Koontz has a gift for making the impossible seem plausible. His writing is lyrical as usual, but it didn't irritate me too much this time.
I just sat back and listened to the narrative because of the hectic schedule, I relied heavily on the audio version this time. The narration on Audible is outstanding. I was sucked into the plot from the first page, and I believe this is due in part to Dean Koontz's ability to build convincing and complicated characters that I care about.
By the Light of the Moon was one of those unexpected and beautiful reads. The "surprise" was never exactly figuring out the doctor's motivation, particularly why he first chose Dylan and Shep to continue on his "life's work."
The relationship becomes clearer as more information is disclosed. Dylan, Shep, and Jillian, the three main protagonists, have all been injected with a mysterious substance that has a distinct effect on each of them. Working together, the three are able to devise tactics to escape being apprehended by the "state men" who want to obtain this serum.
Koontz begins his tale with a genuine North by Northwest atmosphere, as his characters appear to be in the wrong location at the wrong time. In the novel's last pages, an intriguing story twist takes a surprising turn that will catch most readers off guard, and Koontz rips the wrong location at the wrong moment into something wholly different.
I tried to think of something I didn't enjoy about this narrative, but I couldn't come up with anything. And, having grown up around a few handicapped people and now being a friend of several fantastic autistic friends, I don't think I've ever seen the pain, frustration, and wonder of the condition so inhibited. I'll read it again next year, or whenever I'm ready, which will most likely be soon.
When I was a youngster, we used to play with two brothers who were unusual to us yet we allowed them to play with us. Kids nicknamed them Goo and Goo-Goo, but I never found out who was who since I only called them friend or brother because I was embarrassed to call them with that disrespectful term.
After all, that is all they could say when they attempted to communicate. They never spoke, only made noises and used bizarre hand signals.
My father advised me to be extremely kind and gentle to these kids and to never get upset, even if they did strange things. They did some crazy stuff, but it wasn't dangerous like when they shook hands, they would suddenly bring their foot up instead of hand to shake your hand, and I realized it wasn't them who discovered this crazy style, but rather some bullies who did it to them and then they started doing it to other kids.
They were brothers with a large age difference, they constantly had spit hanging out of their mouths, and they hobbled a little, but they were decent kids who could play football with us and were extremely effective at it even with the limp.
I believe they had mild polio and a severe form of autism, yet I never saw them sad. They were constantly smiling, except when bullies attempted to make fun of them, but the bullies had no clue I was the bully of bullies and would beat the heck out of them.
I was extremely pleased with these two brothers when I saw them beating one of the bullies one day. I hurried to help, but by then the bully had fled. When they spotted me, they saluted me like soldiers and pointed at me, explaining that I was the one who inspired them to do it, and they were overjoyed. They then began crying and hugging me.
It was an enriching experience for me. I'm not sure how they are now because I haven't gone to that neighborhood in a long time, but I hope they are still okay and happy. I'm not sure why I started including this incident, but it felt fantastic to talk about. Let us return to the review...
This book does not live up to Odd Thomas' high standards, but it is an interesting read that I am confident the majority of readers will appreciate.
Shep is autistic, yet his "skill" appears to be the most extraordinary and spectacular of the three, a true gift.
Jillian, who had been a complete stranger to Dylan and Shep until that bizarre night when they were drugged, becomes a true member of the "team." She has incredible compassion for Shep and his autistic mannerisms.
Furthermore, Koontz does an excellent job of researching autism and demonstrating what it must be like to live with and care for an autistic close relative.
Shep develops and evolves as he welcomes Jillian as part of the "family," but he is not "cured" of his autism. His talent boosts his self-esteem and allows him to overcome his shyness in order to aid the other two.
To be honest, I find his works really entertaining. By the Light of the Moon easily ranks among his finest works, although, as previously said, it is not on Odd Thomas's level. The only disappointment I had after finishing the book was that it had come to an end.
Dean Koontz's patchwork of the story takes a new approach. Instead of switching back and forth between story strands like he did in Strangers and Mr. Murder, Koontz largely sticks with his three primary characters once they are introduced. As has become customary with Koontz, his latest novel is only a few days long.
Final Thoughts
Dean Koontz's distinctiveness, as always, made me wonder, "What's going on?" Then, eventually, he did it again!!! Thank you, Dean Koontz, for taking up so much of my time, which I will never regret because it was never wasted and provided me with pure mental pleasure.
Koontz has a unique knack for injecting comedy into his suspense-filled chapters, particularly through the character of Shep O'Conner. Shep, the unique character, is easily comparable to Tom (M-O-O-N spells Tom) from Stephen King's The Stand. Both personalities are really endearing and far more than they appear to be.
These three characters are easily among the most endearing and distinctive characters in the Koontz world.
Despite the nonstop action and length of time that comprise the story's backdrop, Koontz manages to let the characters to grow and become three-dimensional.
This is also one of the few Koontz books without a lovable creature. I appreciated the tension of believing and I understood the doctor's motivations, only to discover that Koontz adds more to the plot right up to the finish.
I suggest this to all Koontz lovers and for those who haven't tried Koontz yet, this is a fantastic place to start. Koontz is a writer who explores characters' inner strength and their conviction in humanity's decency.
The goon team that pursues Shep, Dylan, and Jillian never develops as characters since they are always a menace in the background.
Normally, Koontz enjoys getting inside the brains of his nasty characters and revealing their illnesses. With the exception of the terrifying Dr. Frankenstein, he mostly avoids doing so.
Those who have yet to experience the Koontz universe could not have asked for a finer introduction. By the Light of the Moon is a work of art, a masterful weaving of tension and comedic relief.
Synopsis
“Dean Koontz has surpassed his longtime reputation as “America’s most popular suspense novelist” (Rolling Stone) to become one of the most celebrated and successful writers of our time. Reviewers hail his boundless originality, his art, his unparalleled ability to create highly textured, riveting drama, at once viscerally familiar and utterly unique.
Author of one #1 New York Times bestseller after another, Koontz is at the pinnacle of his powers, spinning mysteries and miracles, enthralling tales that speak directly to today’s readers, balm for the heart and fire for the mind. In this stunning new novel, he delivers a tour de force of dark suspense and brilliant revelation that has all the Koontz trademarks: adventure, chills, riddles, humor, heartbreak, an unforgettable cast of characters, and a climax that will leave you clamoring for more.
Dylan O’Connor is a gifted young artist just trying to do the right thing in life. He’s on his way to an arts festival in Santa Fe when he stops to get a room for himself and his twenty-year-old autistic brother, Shep. But in a nightmarish instant, Dylan is attacked by a mysterious “doctor,” injected with a strange substance, and told that he is now a carrier of something that will either kill him...or transform his life in the most remarkable way. Then he is told that he must flee--before the doctor’s enemies hunt him down for the secret circulating through his body. No one can help him, the doctor says, not even the police.
Stunned, disbelieving, Dylan is turned loose to run for his life...and straight into an adventure that will turn the next twenty-four hours into an odyssey of terror, mystery--and wondrous discovery. It is a journey that begins when Dylan and Shep’s path intersects with that of Jillian Jackson. Before that evening Jilly was a beautiful comedian whose biggest worry was whether she would ever find a decent man. Now she too is a carrier. And even as Dylan tries to convince her that they’ll be safer sticking together, cold-eyed men in a threatening pack of black Suburbans approach, only seconds before Jilly’s classic Coupe DeVille explodes into thin air.
Now the three are on the run together, but with no idea whom they’re running from--or why. Meanwhile Shep has begun exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior. And whatever it is that’s coursing through their bodies seems to have plunged them into one waking nightmare after another. Seized by sinister premonitions, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to crime scenes--just minutes before the crimes take place.
What this unfathomable power is, how they can use it to stop the evil erupting all around them, and why they have been chosen are only parts of a puzzle that reaches back into the tragic past and the dark secrets they all share: secrets of madness, pain, and untimely death. Perhaps the answer lies in the eerie, enigmatic messages that Shep, with precious time running out, begins to repeat, about an entity who does his work “by the light of the moon.”
By the Light of the Moon is a novel of heart-stopping suspense and transcendent beauty, of how evil can destroy us and love can redeem us--a masterwork of the imagination in which the surprises come page after page and the spell of sublime storytelling triumphs throughout.
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Dean Koontz's The City.”
Useful Search Related Words & Keywords
Autistic Brother, Away From Heaven, Brother Shep, Corner Of His Eye, Door Away, Jillian Jackson, Koontz Books, Light Of The Moon, Mad Scientist, Main Characters
Rating: 90/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
Buy the Kindle Version Here
Free With Free Audible Trial
Mr. Murder (1998) (R)
Hideaway (1995) (R)
Phantoms (1998) (R)
The Servants Of Twilight (1991) (R)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Any kind of support, even a simple 'like, thumbs up or a small comment' is enough and helps me grow, create and freely do more stuff and work on projects for the benefit of many.
Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/namsu
Help me grow into a global force: https://www.patreon.com/namsu
Support with crypto coins/tokens: https://cointr.ee/namsu
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
