Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Summary:

Dean Koontz, known for writing books in the thriller genre, writes the story of Odd Thomas, a man who sees dead people who have not moved on for various reasons. The first of seven books in the series, Odd Thomas begins in the small, fictitious town of Pico Mundo, where a crime is about to unfold. Because of his gift, Odd Thomas often pairs up with the police department, which is headed by Wyatt Porter, a sort of father figure to the main character. Though the dead are unable to speak to Odd, they often put him on a path to prevent an impending crime or solve the cases of their own murders. Because of his compassion and realization that what he can do is truly a gift, Odd returns the favor by coaching the spirit to move on to whatever lies ahead for them. 

In this particular novel, we, as readers, find ourselves uncovering a crime that has yet to be committed. When bodachs, shapeless spirits that always indicate mass deaths, begin to flock to the town of Pico Mundo, Odd knows something major is about to happen. He sees them everywhere he goes - hundreds of them - in his hometown. And he knows he has to prevent the crime before it happens and the bodachs see the deaths they came to see. In the midst of this story unfolds another story - a love story between Odd and Stormy Llewellyn, who are destined to be together forever. 

Find out if Odd is able to prevent the crime when you pick up Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz, available in your library.

Personal Reflections:

Whereas I am not typically a reader of books in the crime thriller/horror genre, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Odd Thomas. It has a little bit of everything - suspense, action, blood and gore, and a crime that makes you question if it could happen in your town. The characters may seem a little far-fetched at times, but they also are quite believable. 

Dean Koontz does a phenomenal job of adding tidbits of wisdom throughout the novel, and it provides the reader with a picture of a character who is wise beyond his years. I guess I would probably be wise beyond my years, too, though, if I had gone through what Odd Thomas has. I loved this book and immediately picked up the next two in the series.