Helpful Score: 10
Loving all books, Dean Koontz, I'm not sure that I can say the same for this one. Normally, all of his books immediately draw me into the story. This one failed to do that until Chapter 51. Still, I would recommend it to anyone who can hold out until approximately the aforementioned chapter.
Helpful Score: 6
I have been reading Koontz's books for more than 15 years. He is my favorite author and I whenever I read one of his books I have to read it nonstop no matter how late I need to stay up to finish. I save every book of his that I buy, but I will be giving this one away. It was the only one of his books where I sat there at the end and went Huh? The description of the book does not really describe what the book is about. Koontz should stick to what he is good at. This was not a novel of suspense but rather an analysis of one man's pysche and motivations. It took more than 180 pages for anything even remotely unusual to happen!!! What a bore.
Helpful Score: 3
I agree that this book started out great, but kind of lost steam.
I love, adore, can't live without Koontz' books, but this one just wasn't what I expect from him.
Granted, it is still a good book, and worth reading, but not up to the intensity that you normally get from Koontz.
I love, adore, can't live without Koontz' books, but this one just wasn't what I expect from him.
Granted, it is still a good book, and worth reading, but not up to the intensity that you normally get from Koontz.
Helpful Score: 3
This is not one of my favs from Dean Koontz,I have read all of his books and this one is a bit wordie and kinda drags on.The ending kinda left me feeling down. I did not feel this book was about sef-discovery To me it seemed as if Dean started writing one book and changed his mind in the middle. But if you like Dean Koontz you may want to read this to make up your own mind
Helpful Score: 2
It's been a while since I've read a Dean Koontz novel most of his work(s) are great, however this novel was very slow and hard to get into, not the Dean Koontz that I've enjoyed. This book took forever to really get to anything interesting. If you really like to wait until the book is almost over for any action to occur this is your book, but it really left me a feeling of "Huh???" This book did Not win me over at all. I don't recommend this one. Sorry out there to all the Dean Koontz fans
Helpful Score: 2
Not as good as many of Koontz's books. I am not sorry I read it but I thought it could have been better.
Helpful Score: 1
I'm a big Dean Koontz fan even though I think his older books are much better than his newer ones. This book was kind of a dissapointment because it really dragged until the very end. This was also the first time I'd read one of his books and really did not like the main character. The last few chapters is where the brilliance of his writing shines through as he brings everything together. I'd recommend this book to Konntz fans, but hesitate to recommend this one to someone who hasn't read some of his other books.
Helpful Score: 1
I am a big Dean Koontz fan and read every book he writes as soon as I can get my hands on it. This is quite different from his other books, but I felt it was a clever and somewhat disturbing tale. Not one of his best, but I really enjoyed it.
Helpful Score: 1
Sometimes authors write what I call a "stinker". This is one of those, when compared to his usually faster paced, well plotted, entertaining stories. I do not acquire a book, usually, to read a moralizing sermon with "new ideas" such as his "sub-text" concept. I acquire a book for entertainment, information, or a reference tool. I expected to be entertained when I got this one and I was sadly disappointed.
When I encounter such a book I like to try to imagine the circumstances that produced it. In this case, did he need to make a huge balloon payment on a mortgage? Was he recovering from personal trauma? Stephen King produced a similar "stinker" that I suspect resulted from recovery from catastrophic personal trauma. The title was "CELL".
Mr. Koontz is certainly capable of better and I expect to see better work in the future.
When I encounter such a book I like to try to imagine the circumstances that produced it. In this case, did he need to make a huge balloon payment on a mortgage? Was he recovering from personal trauma? Stephen King produced a similar "stinker" that I suspect resulted from recovery from catastrophic personal trauma. The title was "CELL".
Mr. Koontz is certainly capable of better and I expect to see better work in the future.
Helpful Score: 1
I am a huge fan of Dean Koontz, my first of his was Life Expectancy after that I was just hooked. Now I am trying to read all of his older books and look forward to the new ones. But this book is just not that good. I have to admit I was disappointed, it just didn't grab me the way his books usually do. The story seemed to move so slow. Or maybe it was the ending that left me totally unsatisfied.
I could not put this book down.
As an avid Koontz fan, having read almost every book he has written, I must say I was just a bit disappointed with this one. Even so, it was an enjoyable read (since Koontz, at his worst, is still far better than most).
Good read, but not one of Mr. Koontz' best. I collect all of his books and wish I had been able to get this one as a paperback rather than a hard copy.
This book was hard to get in to. It was ok once I finally got in to it a little more. Not the typical Koontz book.
Good book, but not great. It was slow leading up until the end. If you have some free on a Sunday for a slow moving book, then this book would be okay to read. It was okay.
I have gone quite a few years since reading any Dean Koontz, but he was one of my favorite authors (and is again). This was my "re-entry" into Koontzland & I must say, it was a good ride. The description above is exactly how the book goes (I'm not sure what a previous reviewer was talking about when they said it wasn't). This book has definitely gotten me back into reading more of Koontz's books. I read it at lunch while at work & I hated my lunch being up each day as I wanted to continue reading it.
The one thing I didn't like was every time it got your heart pumping it seemed to calm back down for more character development. While it does take a while for the "suspense" part to kick in, the beginning is still very well written & you really feel like you know the main character after so much insight.
I would recommend this book to anyone into this type of writing, as it was a 4 out of 5 star in my opinion.
The one thing I didn't like was every time it got your heart pumping it seemed to calm back down for more character development. While it does take a while for the "suspense" part to kick in, the beginning is still very well written & you really feel like you know the main character after so much insight.
I would recommend this book to anyone into this type of writing, as it was a 4 out of 5 star in my opinion.
Really good book. I was surprised to find out what was really going on!
This wasn't the usual Dean Koontz, but I loved it. I found it a fast read and truly enjoyed it. You just have to think of it as a different style for Koontz.
Very unimpressed. Too much "dark details" with big words. I would recommend Out of the Corner of My Eye by Koontz though!
Anyone who knows me knows how much my family likes Dean Koontz. He's a local Central PA man and my grandmother knew him when he was just starting out(lucky for me she has an odd name and he remembers her). I have read every book he has written. This recent one didn't get the love like The Good Guy (Stephen King rated it in the top 10 books of 2008), but I personally thought it was pretty good. Dean has missed the mark with some books, totally rocked it with others (like Phantoms, False Memory, The Servants of the Twilight). I thought this book was solid, like most of his works are. Great descriptive scenes, flowing words, humor mixed with suspense. (Only Koontz has me biting my nails at one point and laughing hysterically on the next page). I didn't see the ending of this book turning out the way it did (that's a good thing). In fact, all of part 3 was surprising. It doesn't have his happily ever after ending, but peace is made at the end of the book. If this is your first Dean Koontz book-he has better. If you love his books like I do, you won't be disappointed, but you won't be amazed like some of this other works either.
Great book. Read it in 2 sittings, I was so riveted!
This is one of the best Dean Koontz books I've read to date. A must read for anyone who likes Koontz's work.
At the beginning Ryan, a very well to do man, falls madly in love with Samantha, a woman nine years his junior. She appears to feel the same way and the relationship is going along swimmingly until one day he fears he's having a heart attack and visits the doctor. It turns out he has a heart ailment that may or may not have been caused by poison and begins to suspect his love of an unthinkable betrayal. Ugh, as if having a deadly heart condition wasn't enough of a worry!
Ryan's nosy search into Samantha's past gets him thinking about all sorts of conspiracies involving her mother, some death doctor and Samantha's deceased twin sister. This paranoia bit really maddened me. Instead of talking with Samantha, the love of his live, about any of this he decides to do it all on his own and keep it from her even after he's decided she's not a money grubbing murderess. At this point, I don't like this guy much at all. Koontz spends a huge amount of time describing this Ryan's tedious, spoiled lifestyle when he should have been developing him into a likable character.
Ryan ends up needing a heart transplant (hopefully, it'll improve his emotional handling of his lover!), gets one and the book then skips an entire year. Now he's estranged from Samantha and is being stalked by a young woman who claims his heart belongs to her. His paranoia sets in again and the rest of the book is spent with him chasing down this big plot about his new heart.
This book will not go down as my favorite Koontz novel. It mostly annoyed me, the character Ryan was such a spoiled, pampered, egotistic, opinionated priss (especially when it came to his own flawed parents) that it was hard to stomach at times. After reading the ending I figure Koontz did this to prove a point but honestly if I weren't listening to this as an audiobook I would've put it down and never picked it up again.
Ryan's nosy search into Samantha's past gets him thinking about all sorts of conspiracies involving her mother, some death doctor and Samantha's deceased twin sister. This paranoia bit really maddened me. Instead of talking with Samantha, the love of his live, about any of this he decides to do it all on his own and keep it from her even after he's decided she's not a money grubbing murderess. At this point, I don't like this guy much at all. Koontz spends a huge amount of time describing this Ryan's tedious, spoiled lifestyle when he should have been developing him into a likable character.
Ryan ends up needing a heart transplant (hopefully, it'll improve his emotional handling of his lover!), gets one and the book then skips an entire year. Now he's estranged from Samantha and is being stalked by a young woman who claims his heart belongs to her. His paranoia sets in again and the rest of the book is spent with him chasing down this big plot about his new heart.
This book will not go down as my favorite Koontz novel. It mostly annoyed me, the character Ryan was such a spoiled, pampered, egotistic, opinionated priss (especially when it came to his own flawed parents) that it was hard to stomach at times. After reading the ending I figure Koontz did this to prove a point but honestly if I weren't listening to this as an audiobook I would've put it down and never picked it up again.
Classic Koontz. A very easy read, but still managed to raise some moral questions. A little far-fetched in some spots, but overall a good book, especially if you're a Koontz fan.
This was a good read! The story started right away and kept going until the very end! It was suspensful and kept you turning the page. It ended totally different than I would have imagined!! There were so many different turns that you would never expect! Recommended!!!
Interesting plot - very entertaining. Unable to put it down until I finished it!
It was a pleasure to read a book where you don't have a clue to the ending...
Another thriller by koontz. Not as dark as many of his early ones, with a suprising and nice ending. Made me keep reading, good read.
Interesting read, although a bit slow at first.
Good easy read- charters come to life quickly and book moves at great pace
I AM A HUGE DEAN KOONTZ FAN, AND HAVE ABSOLUTELY LOVED EVERY BOOK HE HAS EVER DONE, EXCEPT THIS ONE! THE STORY WAS SOOOOO FAR FROM WHAT KOONTZ USUALLY WRITES, MORE OF A "MORAL OF THE STORY TYPE BOOK" INSTEAD OF PARANORMAL, SUSPENSE BOOK. I WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTED.
Greed, love, anger, loss and redemption with scary and spine-tingling moments all in a quick action packed story. Loved it.
Not one of my favorites but still a good read. Quick read and will keep you guessing.
This is the newest Dec 2008 book by Dean Koontz.....GREAT BOOK! I read it in a few hours as it was hard to put it down because the suspense just kept building! I give it 5 stars!!! Dean Koontz fans won't be disappointed!!!
I thought this was a pretty typical Koontz thriller - definitely not his best but not his worst either. It tells the story of a rich dotcomer who suddenly is in need of a heart transplant. As soon as this happens, strange things start happening including weird dreams, paranoia (including thinking his girl friend might have poisoned him), unexplained thumping sounds, etc. With his unlimited funds, he ends up changing doctors and getting a transplant within a few months. Well then things really get weird and out of hand. I don't want to give away too much but I really didn't expect what happened at the end. Would give this one a mild recommendation for Koontz fans.
Okay, so not his best work, but I couldn't put it down; stayed up 'til 3:00A to finish parts 2 and 3. Not the ending I expected, and felt almost as if Koontz plotted and pondered deeply through the entire book, but wasn't sure how to finish it. So it just sort of...ended. But I was still gripped by the subtext and knew that in true Koontz fashion something good had to come of all the drama and trauma. Suspenseful, and to be honest, the only part I was able to figure out almost from the first mention of her name, was Ismay. Koontz can keep you guessing in his books. Great writer.
I love all of his books and this one is no exception. I had no idea what to expect at the end, but what happened went far beyond what I thought to expect. I wish it would have ended just a little differently, but it was still really good.
This was such a good book & hard to put down, but had to go back to work.....didn't take me long to get it done.....LOVED IT:):):)
This latest Dean Koontz book started out very promising.....In fact, it was a page-turner until the last few chapters. The writing style reminded me of "old" Dean Koontz...in particular, "Intensity".
However, the story lost momentum toward the end. It was as though Koontz ran out of steam and lost his imagination. Everything was wrapped up too easily, and many mysteries were left unexplained despite a feeble attempt to do so. And although it was clear that there was supposed to be a subtexted moral message, it never quite made itself known.
If there was a point to this book, I missed it. All in all, a good book with a disappointing ending.
However, the story lost momentum toward the end. It was as though Koontz ran out of steam and lost his imagination. Everything was wrapped up too easily, and many mysteries were left unexplained despite a feeble attempt to do so. And although it was clear that there was supposed to be a subtexted moral message, it never quite made itself known.
If there was a point to this book, I missed it. All in all, a good book with a disappointing ending.
Take my heart, please! I haven't read anything by Dean Koontz for over 20 years, and now I remember why! This book, which follows a young man's journey into heart disease and a heart transplant, suffers from wordy proselytizing and overuse of a thesaurus. Why use a normal word that readers will recognize, when you can describe the lacy melaleucas (shrub from S.E. Australia, or describe cadaver art? Why is someone trying to kill the main character because he received a heart transplant? There are so many red herrings and dead ends to the story that finishing this book became problematic. The story unfolds very slowly with so much wordy musing that it becomes annoying. Truly an awful book!
This book is not what you would expect from Dean Koontz - its a good twisted story but instead of being the usual horror it turns into a book with Meaning!It's about morality and finding your way.....I couldnt stop turning the pages!
At the beginning Ryan, a very well to do man, falls madly in love with Samantha, a woman nine years his junior. She appears to feel the same way and the relationship is going along swimmingly until one day he fears he's having a heart attack and visits the doctor. It turns out he has a heart ailment that may or may not have been caused by poison and begins to suspect his love of an unthinkable betrayal. Ugh, as if having a deadly heart condition wasn't enough of a worry!
Ryan's nosy search into Samantha's past gets him thinking about all sorts of conspiracies involving her mother, some death doctor and Samantha's deceased twin sister. This paranoia bit really maddened me. Instead of talking with Samantha, the love of his live, about any of this he decides to do it all on his own and keep it from her even after he's decided she's not a money grubbing murderess. At this point, I don't like this guy much at all. Koontz spends a huge amount of time describing this Ryan's tedious, spoiled lifestyle when he should have been developing him into a likable character.
Ryan ends up needing a heart transplant (hopefully, it'll improve his emotional handling of his lover!), gets one and the book then skips an entire year. Now he's estranged from Samantha and is being stalked by a young woman who claims his heart belongs to her. His paranoia sets in again and the rest of the book is spent with him chasing down this big plot about his new heart.
This book will not go down as my favorite Koontz novel. It mostly annoyed me, the character Ryan was such a spoiled, pampered, egotistic, opinionated priss (especially when it came to his own flawed parents) that it was hard to stomach at times. After reading the ending I figure Koontz did this to prove a point but honestly if I weren't listening to this as an audiobook I would've put it down and never picked it up again.
Ryan's nosy search into Samantha's past gets him thinking about all sorts of conspiracies involving her mother, some death doctor and Samantha's deceased twin sister. This paranoia bit really maddened me. Instead of talking with Samantha, the love of his live, about any of this he decides to do it all on his own and keep it from her even after he's decided she's not a money grubbing murderess. At this point, I don't like this guy much at all. Koontz spends a huge amount of time describing this Ryan's tedious, spoiled lifestyle when he should have been developing him into a likable character.
Ryan ends up needing a heart transplant (hopefully, it'll improve his emotional handling of his lover!), gets one and the book then skips an entire year. Now he's estranged from Samantha and is being stalked by a young woman who claims his heart belongs to her. His paranoia sets in again and the rest of the book is spent with him chasing down this big plot about his new heart.
This book will not go down as my favorite Koontz novel. It mostly annoyed me, the character Ryan was such a spoiled, pampered, egotistic, opinionated priss (especially when it came to his own flawed parents) that it was hard to stomach at times. After reading the ending I figure Koontz did this to prove a point but honestly if I weren't listening to this as an audiobook I would've put it down and never picked it up again.
A coronary masterpiece!
I thought it was a great Koontz read. He is a reliable writer, and I always enjoy escaping into his books. I have the hard-copy that I would be happy to send to anyone looking for the paperback version on their wishlists. :)
I have never seen the book - I am attempting to get it onto my WISH LIST. Anyway this is what I know....
Ryan Perry has his world on a down hill pull. Oops, ... his heart attacks and needs to
be replaced, Then a year later alls well and he begins getting heart related gifts.
Finally one has a message attached that sets the theme, 'Your Heart Belongs to Me' and
every thing once again begins coming apart because the donor seems to want her heart
back. The Donor ... You now need to acquire the book. I know I sure do want to. How
184 folks got on the list over night is mystery enough for me, at this time.
Ryan Perry has his world on a down hill pull. Oops, ... his heart attacks and needs to
be replaced, Then a year later alls well and he begins getting heart related gifts.
Finally one has a message attached that sets the theme, 'Your Heart Belongs to Me' and
every thing once again begins coming apart because the donor seems to want her heart
back. The Donor ... You now need to acquire the book. I know I sure do want to. How
184 folks got on the list over night is mystery enough for me, at this time.
