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xenalia's review against another edition
This was a snoozer for me.
I read all Dean Koontz books as a kid. I can’t remember most of them so I started rereading them.
Thank you to the reviewer who said there is a movie based on this book. I will try watching that instead of finishing the book.
I read all Dean Koontz books as a kid. I can’t remember most of them so I started rereading them.
Thank you to the reviewer who said there is a movie based on this book. I will try watching that instead of finishing the book.
sonshinelibrarian's review against another edition
4.5
This was a gripping and quick read. Super creepy with just the right edge of horror.
highladyofthenightcourt21's review against another edition
3.0
Not terrible, but definitely not in my top Koontz books.
Christine, Joey, and Charlie are all very likable and as always, the book starts off with a bang and keeps you hooked for a bit. But then, it starts to feel like a never-ending chase for too long. There's action, but it's not anything new really happening besides being attacked and changing locations many times.
The writing was great as usual and I'm happy I read it, but wouldn't be a repeater for me.
Christine, Joey, and Charlie are all very likable and as always, the book starts off with a bang and keeps you hooked for a bit. But then, it starts to feel like a never-ending chase for too long. There's action, but it's not anything new really happening besides being attacked and changing locations many times.
The writing was great as usual and I'm happy I read it, but wouldn't be a repeater for me.
kerush's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
heathercatherineo's review against another edition
3.0
Another enjoyable read from Dean Koontz. It had a very interesting plot that held my interest, and Koontz did an excellent job developing his characters throughout the novel, keeping the reader fully invested in them. Koontz did manage to delve into the territory of over-description as he sometimes does with his novels (how many times can a person hear about a blizzard?), but I can see why he did. He crafted a suspenseful, gripping plot which in the end made this book one of the more enjoyable ones I've read from Dean Koontz. Good summer read.
jankmammal's review against another edition
3.0
Sucky ending! Otherwise typical Koontz and reasonably distracting.
delimeatz's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
uh so is he the antichrist or what?
paperbackstash's review against another edition
5.0
5/19 Update -- After re-read, changed to five star. The story isn't lightning fast but it doesn't need to be, I enjoyed it more with a re-read and that ending - all well done. Love how the first and last lines of the book tie in together.
Original Review:
As a bit of a back story, I grew up watching this movie. I mainly watched VHS tapes as a teenager in my room as I didn't have cable in there, and always loved this movie, which was a made for TV special. So of course I have wanted to read the book for years, thinking the story was awesome, and if the movie was good, the book is usually even better right?
Well, the book was basically just as good as the movie in this case. The first half of the book seriously follows the movie, down to dialogue and step by step action. There was little difference for quite awhile. The second half was the big changer and many things were altered. It works well in both versions, I think.
I always like anti-christ children plots. Of course everyone will instantly think of The Omen. Maybe because there's only so much you can do with this kind of story, but I haven't encountered that many anti-christ children stories. This one was intriguing because the leader of a cult has targeted a small child and claims he is the antichrist, and his mother is frantically trying to save her child and hide him from the crazy lady's followers by hiring a private investigator.
There's tons of tension during many of these chases, and you never know who can be trusted as being a secret member of the cult. There's much violence as well, especially with the poor dog, and slowly learning the back story is about as fascinating as the story going on.
Koontz sometimes skips points of views too much for my tastes; here, he has a limited character circle and focuses on the same main people. They are convincing, likeable, and it was easy to latch on to their situation as realistic and life threatening. Kudos for that. To me this is one of his better books.
The biggest flaw was the story started dragging on a little at the end and lost a little steam. Still, it's effective and this chilling book will stay with you for awhile.
Original Review:
As a bit of a back story, I grew up watching this movie. I mainly watched VHS tapes as a teenager in my room as I didn't have cable in there, and always loved this movie, which was a made for TV special. So of course I have wanted to read the book for years, thinking the story was awesome, and if the movie was good, the book is usually even better right?
Well, the book was basically just as good as the movie in this case. The first half of the book seriously follows the movie, down to dialogue and step by step action. There was little difference for quite awhile. The second half was the big changer and many things were altered. It works well in both versions, I think.
I always like anti-christ children plots. Of course everyone will instantly think of The Omen. Maybe because there's only so much you can do with this kind of story, but I haven't encountered that many anti-christ children stories. This one was intriguing because the leader of a cult has targeted a small child and claims he is the antichrist, and his mother is frantically trying to save her child and hide him from the crazy lady's followers by hiring a private investigator.
There's tons of tension during many of these chases, and you never know who can be trusted as being a secret member of the cult. There's much violence as well, especially with the poor dog, and slowly learning the back story is about as fascinating as the story going on.
Koontz sometimes skips points of views too much for my tastes; here, he has a limited character circle and focuses on the same main people. They are convincing, likeable, and it was easy to latch on to their situation as realistic and life threatening. Kudos for that. To me this is one of his better books.
The biggest flaw was the story started dragging on a little at the end and lost a little steam. Still, it's effective and this chilling book will stay with you for awhile.