Okay, so this is the fourth Odd Thomas book, and while it still wasn’t as good as the first, I think it was a definite improvement over the rather lame second and third books. Lots of weird characters in this one, like any Dean Koontz novel, but it seemed to have better flow and Odd felt a bit more on his game than before (I guess that monastery stay did him some good!)
“It is also essential that good men and women not be educated and propagandized into believing that real evil is a myth and that all malevolent behavior is merely the result of a broken family’s or a failed society’s shortcomings, amenable to cure by counseling and by the application of new economic theory.”
To me, this appears to be Koontz’s main philosophy, and not only in the Odd Thomas books. It — or some variation — pops up a lot in his work. He wants his readers to believe that some people possess inherent evil, and it somehow forces them to act. I don’t believe in this — it seems like utter nonsense to me — but I’ll play along for the purposes of a suspense novel. In Odd Hours, Odd has once again stumbled upon a plot (this time it’s evil dudes planning a nuclear war), and uses his psychic magnetism, smart mouth and some random helpers to foil the plan. The book’s pacing, like the others, is quick and driven — the whole thing takes place in one evening. Odd’s character has really developed a consistent personality — you can see growth as the novels progress but he maintains that snarkiness and occasional philosophizing that’s been present from the start. Also, Odd has a new sidekick — Frank Sinatra — and a mysterious young lady who will obviously follow him into the next novel. And I’m interested to see where that goes.
