is no typical twenty-year-old. What he considers ordinary most people would consider frightening. On August 14, he sees Penny, a young child, and knows instantly she is a ghost. Penny points out her killer and Odd gives chase finally apprehending him. The sheriff, who knows about Odd's psychic powers, uses him as an able tool in crime fighting.
While working as a short order cook in a diner he notices a man with badachs (shades that never lived and feed off of violence) hovering over him. Believing that this stranger plans to do something that will result in a lot of deaths he tracks the man to his house and finds a file with the date August 15 in it. Odd surmises he has less than one day to stop what he thinks will be a blood bath judging from the amount of badachs hovering in town.
Only Dean Koontz can blend a thriller and a horror novel together and make a novel that is better than the sum of its parts. ODD THOMAS is a likeable character that readers will want to mother (or big brother) because he is weighed down by the gift he possesses. He believes he must use it to help people no matter the toll it takes on him. This thrill-a-minute horror thriller is Mr. Koontz at his best.
"Odd Thomas can see dead people. They can't talk to him but they show him things. He helps his good friend, who works for the police department, with local crimes.He has knowledge of an upcoming killing spree in the local mall. With the help of his girlfriend, who is danger of being killed in this event, they try to stop it from happening."
Sherrie L. Jones, Resident Scholar
"Odd Thomas has a special gift and someone evil and maniacal has heard about it, and wants it. Only very close friends are trusted with Odd's secret. His childhood friend Danny is one of them. A beautiful woman named Datura has used her feminine wiles to coax this precious secret from him.
The safeguarded secret is that Odd sees dead people, but he uses his gift to bring justice to those who lost their lives at the hand of another. Datura, however, thinks he can animate the dead. She has already killed to get her prized treasure. She killed Danny's father in order to kidnapp Danny and has taken him to an abandoned casino. Danny is her bait to lure Odd so she can force him to comply to her wishes or she will kill them both.
Odd is drawn to the undisclosed location and knows his friend's life is in peril. Odd must kill or be killed to save his friend and himself."
Tracey Ray, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of Odd Thomas
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Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 40% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%
Tone of book
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- fantasy story on current Earth
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Horror story?
Yes
Horror plotlets
- the ghost chased me!
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- blue collar worker
Age:
- 20's-30's
Has magical/special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character:
- clairvoyant
- can see into the future
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric:
Yes
- emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
Earth setting:
- current (early 21st century)
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue?
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
