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irvine_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
topdragon's review against another edition
3.0
As I’ve mentioned before in other reviews, Dean Koontz is one of my hit-or-miss authors. I tend to like his early stuff and dislike his later stuff although there are gems and duds in both. This one was published back in 1984 (originally under his pseudonym, Leigh Nichols, with the title “Twilight”) and reminds me a lot of other Koontz books I’ve read from that period…enough to like but nothing to write home about.
Most of the novel is much more of a suspense tale than a traditional horror story, just as I expect from Koontz. Essentially, the plot is about a young boy named Joey who has been targeted by a religious cult to be eliminated because they believe he is the Antichrist. The surface level story is largely about Joey, his mom, and a private investigator as they run from and try to hide from the flakes who are clearly deranged. Koontz does his usual good job of introducing the characters and allowing the reader to form bonds with them so that the later peril is all the more palpable. He builds the suspense as the seriousness of the situation becomes clear. There is horror here in the form of the real-life horror of extreme and deadly danger and the panicky feeling of whether or not you can escape it. Unfortunately, there is too much of this, with long drawn-out passages describing the feelings of various players involved and I frequently found myself thinking he needed to get on with things.
Underneath this surface story is the far more interesting psychological aspects of the novel and this is where the other kind of horror comes in. There does seem to be something strange going on with Joey and the cult leader does seem to have some sort of supernatural ability to track down the boy. But the clues are so subtle as to be practically non-existent. Is Joey, in fact, something to be stopped before it’s too late and his powers protect him more fully? Or is he the innocent cute kid who needs our protection? I was really hoping for more of this sort of thing but alas, most of that is reserved for the final 50 pages or so and the ending was left a little ambiguous in a way that seemed inconsistent with the main characters.
Were it not for the pacing problem and the issue of balance, this would have been a 4-star read for me. Overall it was mostly an enjoyable reading experience and more of a hit than a miss so I would still recommend it for Koontz fans.
Most of the novel is much more of a suspense tale than a traditional horror story, just as I expect from Koontz. Essentially, the plot is about a young boy named Joey who has been targeted by a religious cult to be eliminated because they believe he is the Antichrist. The surface level story is largely about Joey, his mom, and a private investigator as they run from and try to hide from the flakes who are clearly deranged. Koontz does his usual good job of introducing the characters and allowing the reader to form bonds with them so that the later peril is all the more palpable. He builds the suspense as the seriousness of the situation becomes clear. There is horror here in the form of the real-life horror of extreme and deadly danger and the panicky feeling of whether or not you can escape it. Unfortunately, there is too much of this, with long drawn-out passages describing the feelings of various players involved and I frequently found myself thinking he needed to get on with things.
Underneath this surface story is the far more interesting psychological aspects of the novel and this is where the other kind of horror comes in. There does seem to be something strange going on with Joey and the cult leader does seem to have some sort of supernatural ability to track down the boy. But the clues are so subtle as to be practically non-existent. Is Joey, in fact, something to be stopped before it’s too late and his powers protect him more fully? Or is he the innocent cute kid who needs our protection? I was really hoping for more of this sort of thing but alas, most of that is reserved for the final 50 pages or so and the ending was left a little ambiguous in a way that seemed inconsistent with the main characters.
Were it not for the pacing problem and the issue of balance, this would have been a 4-star read for me. Overall it was mostly an enjoyable reading experience and more of a hit than a miss so I would still recommend it for Koontz fans.
novelette's review against another edition
2.0
Christine is so pessimistic. So annoying. Every idea someone comes up with to help them, she finds fault in, but she never offers her own solutions.
xyranys's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
kate_303's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
Was wanting to dwell into a book by Dean Koontz and found this one. Not my favorite but definitely an entertaining read that was just enough creepy to keep it interesting
wombat_88's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0