mckaylaboyd's review against another edition
4.0
Basically, this is what Koontz did right: He wrote a highly intense novel that found its way to a girl who can't survive the anxiety of not knowing the end to a highly intense novel. And he did it well. This means that I finished the book quickly, engaged the entire way through. Because boy it was stressful, but you know, in a good way.
Ultimately, Koontz wrote a good time travel book with a female protagonist I actually really liked (which is rarer than it should be). He also was very good at never telling you everything, so you kept reading, begging to understand. Ultimately, it was very good.
Ultimately, Koontz wrote a good time travel book with a female protagonist I actually really liked (which is rarer than it should be). He also was very good at never telling you everything, so you kept reading, begging to understand. Ultimately, it was very good.
heatherloyd72's review against another edition
5.0
Has been a favorite since I was in high school. Despite being written and taking place in a time before social media and cell phones, it is still a mesmerizing read.
megstegs12's review against another edition
3.0
Ahh, my first Dean Koontz book. Exciting and thrilling!
gayles31's review against another edition
5.0
Found it hard to put this one down, Dean Koontz knows how to keep his readers interested and Lightning is a great mix of thriller and sci-fi.
kayedacus's review against another edition
5.0
Story: 4.5 stars
Narrator: 3.5 stars
It goes a long way to ward explaining the strength of this story that even with a mediocre narrator, I found myself making any excuse I could come up with to listen, I was so enthralled with the story.
I'm sure I must have read a synopsis of the story at one point; otherwise, I wouldn't have known it was a time-travel story in order to add it to my 2014 Genre Challenge list. But by the time I downloaded the audiobook and started listening to it, I really had no memory of what the story was about.
And I'm really glad that was the case. I'm so accustomed to reading romance novels, that I always go into the story "knowing" what's going to happen. One of the reasons I'm challenging myself to read a bunch of books outside of my comfort genre is to break out of this---to read stories in which I don't automatically know what's going to happen, or, at least, can predict what's going to happen. I'd forgotten just how enthralling the not-knowing is when it comes to reading a book.
Laura Shane's life was meant to be tragic. That's the storyline fate had written for her. But then a stranger, a man whose appearance is like that of an angel, intervenes. Not once, not twice, but multiple times. Laura isn't sure who he is or what his role in her life signifies. She only knows that her Guardian has saved her from tragedy time and again---but not always.
I don't want to get too much into the whys and wherefores of the story, because this is one in which the explanation of who the time travelers are and when and where they come from is best left unspoiled. Suffice it to say that the explanation of the time travel worked for me (for the most part---I still had a question or two about potential paradoxes that could arise by someone time-traveling within his/her own lifespan). I loved the characters, and while there were times when I wished the POV would have been deeper and not so much just surface-level stuff (and there were a few situations that were somewhat glossed over and never explained---situations that would have had major consequences for Laura---like when she ran away from the second group home to check on Ruth and Thelma after the fire), the momentum of the book didn't give me much time to feel like I'd lost anything.
This was a very fun read, and I'm really surprised it's never been made into a movie---it has all the cinematic elements one could hope for.
Narrator: 3.5 stars
It goes a long way to ward explaining the strength of this story that even with a mediocre narrator, I found myself making any excuse I could come up with to listen, I was so enthralled with the story.
I'm sure I must have read a synopsis of the story at one point; otherwise, I wouldn't have known it was a time-travel story in order to add it to my 2014 Genre Challenge list. But by the time I downloaded the audiobook and started listening to it, I really had no memory of what the story was about.
And I'm really glad that was the case. I'm so accustomed to reading romance novels, that I always go into the story "knowing" what's going to happen. One of the reasons I'm challenging myself to read a bunch of books outside of my comfort genre is to break out of this---to read stories in which I don't automatically know what's going to happen, or, at least, can predict what's going to happen. I'd forgotten just how enthralling the not-knowing is when it comes to reading a book.
Laura Shane's life was meant to be tragic. That's the storyline fate had written for her. But then a stranger, a man whose appearance is like that of an angel, intervenes. Not once, not twice, but multiple times. Laura isn't sure who he is or what his role in her life signifies. She only knows that her Guardian has saved her from tragedy time and again---but not always.
I don't want to get too much into the whys and wherefores of the story, because this is one in which the explanation of who the time travelers are and when and where they come from is best left unspoiled. Suffice it to say that the explanation of the time travel worked for me (for the most part---I still had a question or two about potential paradoxes that could arise by someone time-traveling within his/her own lifespan). I loved the characters, and while there were times when I wished the POV would have been deeper and not so much just surface-level stuff (and there were a few situations that were somewhat glossed over and never explained---situations that would have had major consequences for Laura---like when she ran away from the second group home to check on Ruth and Thelma after the fire), the momentum of the book didn't give me much time to feel like I'd lost anything.
This was a very fun read, and I'm really surprised it's never been made into a movie---it has all the cinematic elements one could hope for.
cfifer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
marco5599's review against another edition
3.5
Ah, Terminator and Back to the Future vibes. Nice. Time traveling. Headache inducing stuff. But also fun. I had a big grin on my face when Stefan revealed where he was coming from. Also great; a character like Dr. Brenkshaw. Figured he would become the usual obstacle, but he turned out to be the opposite. You gotta love the man's light-hearted attitude. And there's more to love. Little Chris is pretty awesome and it even has a couple of successful attempts at humor (braless eighties women can be confusing!), but the reason why Stefan decided to become Laura's guardian angel.. I mean, come on. So lame. Bit of a killjoy in an otherwise thrill packed actioner. Loved the sci-fi nonsense. Loved the Uzis even more. Uzis are cool. I want one.
delusive01's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
joyshak's review against another edition
Pretty sure I read this back in high school and really liked it. Can't remember much about it now.