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The Mask
Dean Koontz Book Review

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Plot Summary of The Mask
"The Mask is a boring book because its plot is very trite.
Even being written by Dean Koontz, my favorite author,
I have to say it's a terrible book. It's readable, but
definitely, a very boring reading."

Marco Aurelio, Resident Scholar

" Paul and Carol Tracy are a happily married, career oriented couple who are aching to adopt a baby. Carol was once a troubled pregnant teen who gave her child up for adoption, and in the birthing process she lost her ability to bear another child of her own (and almoast lost her life).

A series of strange happenings begin to occur; Strange weather (which is a a predominant theme in the book). Carol and her adopted mother Grace sharing threatening, terrifying dreams. Grace's cat, who undergoes mysterious changes in behavior. Poltergeistic sounds and movements in the Tracy's home, etc., and a beautiful teen girl who appears out of nowhere and walks right in front of Carol's moving car, being struck but not seriously injured.

Carol begins to visit the teen girl in the hospital out of a dual sense of guilt and a love for kids. The sweet, pleasant girl suffers from selective amnesia and cannot remember her name or anything about where she came from. She is dubbed Jane Doe, and Carol and Jane quickly develop a sincere bond with each other. Over a few days, no family comes forth to claim her, and she has nowhere to go when released from the hospital. Carol and Paul gladly open their home to the mysterious girl and treat her like family until her own kin can locate her and bring her home.

Jane has been sharing the bizarre aforementioned dreams also, but the dreams frighten her and she decides to keep them to herself.

Carol, being a child psychiatrist, begins to treat Jane with hypnotherapy, hoping that this will help her recover from her amnesia and remember her past. She is curious to find that the girl speaks in abnormal voices while under hypnosis, becomes sometimes vile, and claims more than one past.

Carol takes the girl to her cabin in the mountains for fresh air and a nice change of scenery, planning to continue their sessions there. But Carol has no idea of the unfathomable position she has put herself into; and has not a clue of the cycle of ferocious, supernatural, bloody revenge that is headed her way.

Paul and Grace get more than a clue throughout the book. Near the ending they have to battle the mystic, paranormal forces that struggle to keep them from rescuing Carol and Jane at the cabin.
"

Teresa Thornton, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The Mask
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%




Tone of story - very upbeat
Time/era of story: - 1980's-1999
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Horror Story? Yes
Horror plotlets - bad dreams
Amnesia story? Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - trader - psychiatrist
Age: - 20's-30's
Has special powers? Yes
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How much violence does he/she use? - none - just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - a teen
Has special powers? Yes
Eccentric: Yes - emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an above average amount - a lot
Motive of antagonist - revenge
Monster of some sort? Yes
Kind of monster: - general monster
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
United States Yes
City? Yes

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths? - 3-4 - 5-7
Unusual forms of death - asphyxiation - flamed - decapitated - perforation--bullets - perforation--swords/knives
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript - significantly more descript than dialog
Most similar books to The Mask
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
Low Red Moon by Caitlin R. Kiernan
Unforgettable by Caroline B. Cooney
Nightmare's Embrace by Jennifer Cloud
Black Lightning by John Saul


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Dean Koontz Resident Scholar Profiles

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Tracey Ray  

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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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