"Odd Thomas" by Dean Koontz

 Koontz in his element -- 4 stars

Now that I’m in review writing mode again, it was time for another of my favorite authors, Dean R. Koontz!  This time I chose “Odd Thomas,” and I’m glad I did.

Odd Thomas is a short order cook who has a unique ability:  He can see dead people.  But not only that, he can also see dark, shadow like creatures that stalk people, either to cause death or be near when they die.  He calls them “bodachs,” and he tries not to let them know that he can see them.

At age 20, Odd handles things a little better than the little boy from “The Sixth Sense.”  By the time we meet him, he’s already reached the stage of wanting to help these poor ghosts, and to thwart the bodachs when he can.  Odd tries to keep things simple, but when he encounters someone he calls “Fungus Man,” who is surrounded by these bodachs, he worries something very bad is going to happen.

The story is told from Odd’s point of view, which allows the reader to really experience his thoughts and feelings about these “lingering dead” and the disastrous bodachs.  Once the action builds to its climax, the book turns into a true page turner, Koontz at his best!  And even though the story goes on into multiple sequels, I was pleased that this book itself had a concrete ending.  The reader does not HAVE to go on to the sequels, as “Odd Thomas” stands alone on its own.

The only reason I’m not giving this book 5 stars, which was the feeling I had at the end, is that there are stretches of the novel that tend to drag.  I never lost interest, mind you, but there were whole chapters that didn’t actually contribute much.  It felt as though Koontz was “padding the run time” or something, like he was worried that the book was going to be too short (my copy was almost 450 pages, so I’m not sure why it would be a concern).

But even with that fact, I still highly recommend “Odd Thomas” for any fan of Dean R. Koontz.  And I’ll be checking out more Odd Thomas stories in the future!

"Blue Rose" by Peter Straub

 A look into a disturbed child's mind -- 4-1/2 stars

"Blue Rose" takes a look into a very dysfunctional family, with the focus on the two youngest of five brothers:  Harry and "Little Eddie."

In the Beever family, everyone seems to abuse everyone else:  The shrewish mother berates the father; the three eldest boys abuse the youngers and each other; the two oldest have left and joined the military, but the middle child, Albert, is still around to dish out physical and verbal abuse.

But even Albert spends most of his time at the local mechanic garage, so that leaves Little Eddie to Harry's tender mercies.

As the story opens, Harry is terrorizing Little Eddie with stories of his next year's school teacher having "killed" a former student; Eddie has problems with fear, and Harry plays into this until Eddie hands over his recent birthday present, a toy car.  Which Harry proceeds to destroy and discard.

But the real plot gets rolling when Harry finds a book on hypnotism in the attic where the two boys play.

The passages that followed reminded me somewhat of "Pandora's Game," a book I highly recommend.  But in "Pandora's Game," the protagonists use hypnosis to explore their inner creativity (before things go awry).  In "Blue Rose," Harry uses it to explore his inner sadism on his brother.

I won't give away the details of Harry's experiments, as "Blu Rose" is a novella that runs just 87 pages in my edition.  But I will say that they escalate out of control in very short order, leaving this reader feeling sorry for Little Eddie in a way that lingered even after the story was over.

And Straub does an excellent job of examining the experiments' fall out as it affects the whole Beever family.  He crafts an uncomfortable yet compelling yarn that kept me turning the pages, like watching an accident that just won't let you look away.

The only reason I am not giving "Blue Rose" the full 5 stars is that the ending just ... happens.  Time jumps, and the final chapter is told in the form of a letter from Harry to his girlfriend.  That letter touches on some of the elements of the main story, describes some of the consequences, but only as a sort of aside.  Otherwise, this reader was left thinking, "Well ... I guess it's over."

But overall, "Blue Rose" is a compelling, quick read.  I recommend it for a 1 to 2 day experience.

"Paranormals: Darkness Reigns" by Christopher Andrews

A great super human series takes a darker turn! -- 5 stars

My next review is the third novel in the "Paranormals" series, by one of my favorite authors.  And yet again, it was well worth the wait!

On the surface, "Paranormals" is a series about super humans (think the Avengers, but with more focus on character).  But this entry has a darker tone than its two predecessors, creepier overall.  Actually, each of the books has had their own flair:  The first book was a straight forward super hero "origin story," showing how Vortex got his cybernetic eyes after the brutal slaughtering of his family, how Takayasu and Shockwave partnered up at the Paranormal Control Agency, and how Powerhouse went from a reluctant villain to an almost as reluctant hero.  The second book, "We Are Not Alone," (which I read during one of my reviewing "dry spells," but I enjoyed it very much!) brought in extra terrestrials, focusing upon the arrival of good ... and eventually BAD ... aliens, while introducing Shining Star to the super hero group.

And now, "Darkness Reigns" introduces magic to the equation. Magic, and a disturbing new villain.

"Darkness Reigns" opens by rolling the clock back to the beginning of the first book's main story.  We see the attack on Vortex's family from the point of view of his older brother John.  Author Christopher Andrews peppered the first two books with references to fact that John's body was never recovered, that they only PRESUMED he was dead, and we now find out what really happened to him that day.  And, more importantly, what happened to him after the attack.  I won't spoil the details, but John has been somewhere else, for a VERY long time.  And John is now a kind of super hero in his right, known as the Gladius (like the sword, literally).

And the main thrust of this book's story launches when an enemy of John's, a monster called the Skygger, decides to exact revenge on Gladius by going after his brother, Vortex.

At this point, all the familiar faces return -- Vortex and Shining Star, Takayasu and Shockwave, and Powerhouse -- and we learn that things HAD been going well recently, crime wise.  Until a few weeks ago, when they began seeing a spike in more macabre crimes.  They've been trying to continue on, business as usual, but they can all feel that something just isn't right.

Soon enough, our heroes find themselves in over their heads.  And even with help from Gladius ... well, no spoilers here, but I will say that this book brings some serious consequences for our heroes.  And they may be permanent.

As noted at the beginning, "Darkness Reigns" is the most unsettling of the series so far.  The Skygger is quite the sadist, and we witness its torturing, or the end results of its torture.  It felt like the kind of villain I would have expected to turn up in Andrews' "Triumvirate" series, which deals with the super natural.

None of this is intended as a complaint, mind you.  And there is plenty of "super hero" action sprinkled through out, enough to keep the book true to its series' roots.

While the book follows its predecessors' approach as an ensemble piece -- each chapter's title indicates whose point of view will be favored at that time -- "Darkness Reigns" feels like it is mainly Gladius/John's story.  We do still see the other, familiar characters' POVs.  Shockwave, in particular, is given more time to shine than before (though the REASON for it is all part of this book's ghoulish tone).  But I was surprised by how little time VORTEX spent in the spot light this time around, especially since, if this ensemble series DOES have an overall "main character" up to this point, it would have been him.

That might be my only concrete complaint about this entry in the series:  While the REASON for his decreased attention is certainly legitimate, I still wish we had seen more of Vortex.  It would be exaggerating to say that he was "side lined," but he is definitely focused on less than I have come to expect.

But overall, the book earned a well deserved 5 stars from this reader.  The characters are strong, and the dynamics between Vortex and Gladius are poignant and satisfying.  I am curious as to where else Andrews will take this series, and look forward to the next entry.

“The Pit and the Pendulum and Other Stories” by Edgar Allan Poe

A true classic -- 4-1/2 stars

Back from another book reviewing break, I decided to start with something small, “The Pit and the Pendulum and Other Stories,” which contained 4 of Poe’s short works.

The first story, “The Pit and the Pendulum.”  What can be said about this classic?  I will say that, having read this one many, many years ago, I was shocked when [SPOILER ALERT] I found that it actually has a happy ending!  How had I forgotten that?  No details (I’ll only take the Spoiler so far), but it was a definite twist upon Poe’s usual dark tones.

The second story, “The Black Cat.”  I’d never read this one, and it was up to Poe’s reputation.  The final act shared similarities with both “The Tell-tale Heart” (which comes next) and “The Cask of Amontillado,” while providing its own unique spin on both.  It was Poe, through and through.

The third story, “The Tell-tale Heart.”  One of his most famous works, and my favorite of this bunch.  An unsettling exploration into the mind of true insanity.

The final story, “The Premature Burial.”  This was my least favorite, and the reason why I only give this collection 4-1/2 stars rather than 5.  While it was technically a short story, it was came off as more of an essay on premature burials in general.  It, like “The Pit and the Pendulum,” ARGUABLY has more of happier ending, but it just left me feeling a little, “Okay.  I guess that’s it, then.”

And that pretty much sums up this short collection.  Pick it up if you need to kill time without wanting to commit to a longer read.  It’s definitely worth your attention.

"Haunted Houses" by Larry Kettelkamp

A simple, fast read. -- 4 stars

"Haunted Houses" is a short, pleasant way to pass the time on a plane flight, which is exactly when I read it.

Seemingly aimed at a younger audience (and, interestingly, published by Xerox, the photo copy company), I picked up a used copy because the cover caught my eye.  In short, the 94 page book summarizes some of the most famous reported ghosts and poltergeists.

While author Kettelkamp does mention folklore and urban legends from time to time, he chose to focus his attention on only those reports that were recorded or corroborated in some official capacity.  For example, one story was documented in an official British court martial.  Other stories were included in police reports or University studies.  In other words, he does NOT pay attention to stories of simple hearsay.

I found the book enjoyable and interesting.  Again, the prose and illustrations felt aimed at younger readers, but this did not detract from my reading pleasure.  The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is its flimsy "conclusions" in the epilogue.  Said conclusions were so "Your guess is as good as mine," the book might have been stronger without them.

Still, if you have an hour or two to kill, see if your local used book store might have a copy.  It's worth your time.

“Perfect Little Angels” by Andrew Neiderman

Didn’t deliver what it promised. -- 2-1/2 Stars

I decided to read “Perfect Little Angels” based on a glowing blurb by one of my favorite authors, Dean R. Koontz.  Koontz promised, “Scary from the first to the last page!”

Not for this reader, no.

According to the summary on the back of the book, not to mention its title, “Perfect Little Angels” is about strange teenagers living in a community called Elysian Fields.  The teenagers here do not rebel in any way, they do everything that is expected of them at all times, always, like good little boys and girls.  “Because in Elysian Fields,” the summary proclaims, “there are horribly effective ways to turn disobedient children into ...”  You get the idea.

Okay, this sounded sort of like “The Stepford Wives,” except that it’s the children, rather than the wives, who are the target.  I liked “The Stepford Wives,” and with an endorsement from Koontz, how could I go wrong?

My biggest problem with “Perfect Little Angels” was that I felt the summary, and even the title, were misleading.

The basics are there.  Elysian Fields has weirdly straight laced teenagers, but it’s not just them.  All the parents are weirdly uptight, too.  And then the protagonist, Justine, moves in, and ... she immediately starts falling right in line.  What?

Eventually, Justine does become the suspicious (but frustratingly helpless and unimaginative) hero, but only after one of the supporting characters, Lois, rattles her cage and tries to get her to stop taking the mysterious Doctor Lawrence’s vitamin (“The Good Pill”).  If we are to follow my comparison to “The Stepford Wives,” it would be as if Katharine Ross fell right in line with the uptight ladies in Stepford, and only started getting suspicious by following Paula Prentiss’ lead.

In short, Elysian Fields is a weird place all around, with even subdued wildlife.  From this reader’s perspective, this hardly warrants calling it “Perfect Little Angels,” since the kids are NOT the focus of the mystery.  It would be like calling “The Lord of the Rings” something like “Gollum.”

There is another plot line that was not even mentioned in the summary, and that is only connected to the Elysian Fields plot in that they are both overseen by Doctor Lawrence.  Something is wrong with the doctor’s son, Eugene, who has many different psychological/mental problems, and it’s even implied that he might be his father’s own Frankenstein monster.  On that last note, I will risk sharing a “spoiler” just enough to tell you that this implication never goes anywhere, not even in the exposition filled epilogue.

I could go on, about how Justine’s story takes forever to get going, while Eugene seems to just sit and wait for something to happen.  And then, when things finally come to a head ... it’s over.  Just like that.  The book manages to feel both too long and too short at the same time.

The prose itself is fine, which would prompt me to give it 2 stars rather than 1.  And the only thing that prompted me to nudge it up the extra half star is this:

In spite of one story line that felt misrepresented and another story line that barely goes anywhere, I did fine myself curious as to what would happen next, reading through the last 60 or so pages faster than my normal pace.

So the author had SOMETHING going for him, even if I still closed the book feeling dissatisfied overall.

“Ticktock” by Dean Koontz

A different kind of Koontz. -- 3 Stars

After reading Andrews’s “Araknid,” I was also ready for some Dean R. Koontz!  I picked up on of his older ones at my local library, but it wasn’t QUITE what I was expecting.

The story follows Tommy Phan, an Asian American who wants to be ALL American, much to his Asian mother’s disappointment. Upon returning home one evening, he finds a weird little rag doll waiting for him. But the doll turns out to be a disguise for something much more disturbing.

Koontz is mainly known for his horror/thriller novels, and that’s what I thought “Ticktock” was, at first.  It brought to mind an old TV movie called “Trilogy of Terror,” in which Karen Black gets tormented by a little African doll chasing her around her apartment.  But as the story unfolds, it gets weirder and weirder, bizarre even by Koontz’s standards, and he’s no stranger to the supernatural.

I was growing more and more disappointed in “Ticktock,” wondering what in the world Koontz had been smoking when he wrote it, when I finally GOT IT in the third act: “Ticktock” is not so much a horror novel, but a sort of send up of horror novels.  Things got sillier and sillier, but now that I had reframed my expectations, I didn’t mind as much.

Sure enough, Koontz goes on to admit that he wanted a break from his usual, darker stuff and used this as an attempt at a “screwball comedy.”  I’m not completely sure that he succeeded, which is why I’m giving the book 3 stars (which is still better than the 2 stars I had in mind for a while there).  In my opinion, if Koontz wanted to write a horror/COMEDY book, it might have been better off making things kooky right from the start, instead of slowly switching from horror to comedy along the way.

So, if you are interested in a horror/comedy tale, like maybe “Shawn of the Dead” or “Cabin in the Woods,” this one’s not bad.  If you go into it KNOWING that’s what you’re going to get, you might enjoy it more than I did.