2011 Reading Challenge: Book 01

Book Title & Author: Brother Odd by Dean Koontz
Published: 2006

http://johndbrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/brother-odd-by-dean-koontz.jpg

The first time I remember hearing about Dean Koontz was when I bought one of his books for Justin's best man as a wedding gift.  Then, about six months later, Justin and I were in a used bookstore and saw a huge shelf of Dean Koontz books.  Justin knew that he enjoyed the Odd Thomas series, so we picked up a few.

They make great reading material for car trips.  I drive, Justin reads aloud, time flies!



But anyway, on to the book.  :)

Brother Odd is the third book in the Odd Thomas series.  The main character's first name is Odd and his last name is Thomas, hence the titles of the books.  In the first book, we learned that Odd can see the dead, usually those who have been killed and want justice.  He sees it as his duty to help them - since nobody else can see the dead, he's their last hope for peace.

In Brother Odd, Odd has gone to a monastery to get away from all the death in the world.  Of course, if that worked, it wouldn't be a very interesting book!  It's impossible for me to tell much about the plot, but it involves the supernatural and quantum mechanics.

These books are definitely not Christian, though they are thought-provoking.  Much like the Harry Potter books or The Chronicles of Narnia, the books are set in a world like this one, but with the difference that Odd Thomas can see dead people.  This has nothing to do with summoning people from beyond the grave or anything else demonic; instead, the ghosts just appear and need his help.  This allows the author to explore a huge variety of different characters with unique personalities and emotions.

Though you'll find the Odd Thomas books in the horror section, I would recommend them to people who don't typically enjoy horror stories.  They're a little creepy sometimes, but they end with hope, unlike most horror books or movies. 

Overall, I recommend the Odd Thomas series, particularly the first book (Odd Thomas).  The second book wasn't quite as good, and the third one was better than the second one, but neither hold a candle to the first book.