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A review by tjr
Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
3.0
Synopsis: Includes ***Spoilers***
This is the second novel with Odd Thomas as the protagonist. After Odd discovers that his childhood friend Danny has been kidnapped, he assumes that Danny’s father, who was recently released from prison, has kidnapped him. Therefore, Odd investigates and is led through a water tunnel and into an abandoned hotel by his “psychic magnetism syndrome” (PMS).
Inside, he finds his friend tied up and strapped to a bomb. Danny informs him that his dad did not kidnap him. Instead, Danny recounts that, because of his loneliness from a debilitating bone disease, he called a phone sex line and spoke with a woman named Datura. The woman informed Danny of her obsession with the paranormal, leading Danny to inform her about Odd’s special abilities. She then kidnapped Danny in order to meet Odd.
Odd leaves Danny and finds Datura in her room with two thugs, Cheval Robert and Cheval Andre. She orders Odd to show her ghosts. Reluctantly, Odd takes her to the casino in the hotel where he previously saw many ghosts and one poltergeist. Datura insults a ghost, and the enraged poltergeist flings objects at them. At this point, Odd escapes from Datura, returns to Danny, and disarms the bomb. Odd returns to Datura’s room and finds a shotgun, which he uses to kill Cheval Robert. Datura finds him by reverse psychic magnetism; as they are talking, a mountain lion attacks her from behind. An angry Cheval Andre chases Odd through the hotel, before Odd kills Cheval Andre in a sewer.
Odd dies from the experience in the sewer and a head injury and visits three of his friends. He comes back to life in front of the Blue Moon Café with no idea how he got there. Odd accompanies the Chief Porter to the hotel, where they rescue Danny. Two months later, Odd makes plans to work in a monastery in an attempt to find some peace.
I liked and disliked Forever Odd simultaneously. I liked it because it carried forward the character of Odd, and showed what life is like after the action of the first novel. I really enjoyed the settings, particularly the tunnel scenes and the great descriptions Koontz gives us of the old haunted hotel.
What I didn’t like, however, was that there was not that much new material (themes, motives, background, history, etcetera) on Odd introduced in the novel; indeed, I would have liked more on the way he perceived the world and interacted with those around him. It was merely a continuation of what was in the first novel, perhaps an aside. More than anything, though, I found the characters other than Odd to be a little too two dimensional in Forever Odd.
Nonetheless, Koontz has once again given me a story that has left an impression on my mind. The methods in which he describes the settings within this particular novel are intriguing and original; I also found that the locale and setting for Forever Odd was a lot more fun to read that the original Odd Thomas. On this, I know others will argue with me.
That’s what makes discussing the arts so much fun!
This is the second novel with Odd Thomas as the protagonist. After Odd discovers that his childhood friend Danny has been kidnapped, he assumes that Danny’s father, who was recently released from prison, has kidnapped him. Therefore, Odd investigates and is led through a water tunnel and into an abandoned hotel by his “psychic magnetism syndrome” (PMS).
Inside, he finds his friend tied up and strapped to a bomb. Danny informs him that his dad did not kidnap him. Instead, Danny recounts that, because of his loneliness from a debilitating bone disease, he called a phone sex line and spoke with a woman named Datura. The woman informed Danny of her obsession with the paranormal, leading Danny to inform her about Odd’s special abilities. She then kidnapped Danny in order to meet Odd.
Odd leaves Danny and finds Datura in her room with two thugs, Cheval Robert and Cheval Andre. She orders Odd to show her ghosts. Reluctantly, Odd takes her to the casino in the hotel where he previously saw many ghosts and one poltergeist. Datura insults a ghost, and the enraged poltergeist flings objects at them. At this point, Odd escapes from Datura, returns to Danny, and disarms the bomb. Odd returns to Datura’s room and finds a shotgun, which he uses to kill Cheval Robert. Datura finds him by reverse psychic magnetism; as they are talking, a mountain lion attacks her from behind. An angry Cheval Andre chases Odd through the hotel, before Odd kills Cheval Andre in a sewer.
Odd dies from the experience in the sewer and a head injury and visits three of his friends. He comes back to life in front of the Blue Moon Café with no idea how he got there. Odd accompanies the Chief Porter to the hotel, where they rescue Danny. Two months later, Odd makes plans to work in a monastery in an attempt to find some peace.
I liked and disliked Forever Odd simultaneously. I liked it because it carried forward the character of Odd, and showed what life is like after the action of the first novel. I really enjoyed the settings, particularly the tunnel scenes and the great descriptions Koontz gives us of the old haunted hotel.
What I didn’t like, however, was that there was not that much new material (themes, motives, background, history, etcetera) on Odd introduced in the novel; indeed, I would have liked more on the way he perceived the world and interacted with those around him. It was merely a continuation of what was in the first novel, perhaps an aside. More than anything, though, I found the characters other than Odd to be a little too two dimensional in Forever Odd.
Nonetheless, Koontz has once again given me a story that has left an impression on my mind. The methods in which he describes the settings within this particular novel are intriguing and original; I also found that the locale and setting for Forever Odd was a lot more fun to read that the original Odd Thomas. On this, I know others will argue with me.
That’s what makes discussing the arts so much fun!