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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERLoop me in, odd one. The words, spoken in the deep of night by a sleeping child, chill the young man watching over her. For this was a favorite phrase of Stormy Llewellyn, his lost love. In the haunted halls of the isolated monastery where he had sought peace, Odd Thomas is stalking spirits of an infinitely darker nature.
As he steadfastly journeys toward his mysterious destiny, Odd Thomas has established himself as one of the most beloved and unique fictional show more heroes of our time. Now, wielding all the power and magic of a master storyteller at the pinnacle of his craft, Dean Koontz follows Odd into a singular new world where he hopes to make a fresh beginning—but where he will meet an adversary as old and inexorable as time itself.
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I love Dean Koontz. I love Odd Thomas. In fact, I love that Dean Koontz loves Odd Thomas enough to write a third (and I'm guessing, soon a fourth) book about him. So I may be a little biased in saying that BROTHER ODD is one of my favorite books of the year.
Odd has left Pico Mundo to join the nuns and brothers in a monastery. Although he's not taking his vows, he's been enjoying the peace and quiet--and relative safety--that being with these brothers and sisters of Christ has brought. He's also enjoyed the numerous children who live there, those who are physically or mentally handicapped, abandoned by their parents, sometimes even suffering at their hands.
Then, as always seems to be the case with Odd, the bodachs show up, and he knows show more that something bad has come to the monastery. But does it come from the novices, the brooding Russian, the brother who was once muscle for the Mob, the brother who is also a brilliant scientist, or from someone else entirely?
With his faithful dead sidekick, Elvis, and his faithful friends, and the sometimes strange memory and even stranger "spirit" of Stormy, Odd must work to keep the entire population of his new home safe from whatever danger lurks ever nearer.
This is another winner from Mr. Koontz, and the ending, of course, leaves it open for another book about the wonderful, amazing, flawed, and utterly lovable Odd Thomas.
Well worth picking up, BROTHER ODD will have you reading long into the night. show less
Odd has left Pico Mundo to join the nuns and brothers in a monastery. Although he's not taking his vows, he's been enjoying the peace and quiet--and relative safety--that being with these brothers and sisters of Christ has brought. He's also enjoyed the numerous children who live there, those who are physically or mentally handicapped, abandoned by their parents, sometimes even suffering at their hands.
Then, as always seems to be the case with Odd, the bodachs show up, and he knows show more that something bad has come to the monastery. But does it come from the novices, the brooding Russian, the brother who was once muscle for the Mob, the brother who is also a brilliant scientist, or from someone else entirely?
With his faithful dead sidekick, Elvis, and his faithful friends, and the sometimes strange memory and even stranger "spirit" of Stormy, Odd must work to keep the entire population of his new home safe from whatever danger lurks ever nearer.
This is another winner from Mr. Koontz, and the ending, of course, leaves it open for another book about the wonderful, amazing, flawed, and utterly lovable Odd Thomas.
Well worth picking up, BROTHER ODD will have you reading long into the night. show less
My most common complaint of Dean Koontz is that his characters are so often contrived and too deliberately quirky to be believable. Such is not the case with Odd Thomas (or perhaps it's still true, but in case of Odd and his supporting cast, it just works). This particular installment (the third in the series) finds Odd taking sanctuary in a monastery in an attempt to get his shattered self back together. But where Odd goes, supernatural trouble is sure to follow. This isn't life-changing literature, but neither is it just so much fluff. Koontz struggles at times to make his supernatural elements visible to the reader--an important skill when attempting to invent something completely new. But you can't fault his pacing or his ability to show more leave the reader warm and satisfied at the end of the tale. show less
I have been thinking for a long time about reading a book about Odd Thomas. Although I thought I would rather start with the first book in this series, but it so happened that I started with this one. And that wasn't a big deal.
What surprised me the most in this book is its poetic angle. There are many sophisticated comparisons and poetic descriptions here. I didn't expect it at all. This is not something you usually see in thrillers. I don't think I have read any other book by this author, so I don't know if it's just a matter of this series or of Koontz's writing style in general, but it's undoubtedly interesting and different.
Another thing that surprised me is that this book is on the border between thriller and horror. At moments show more with the strong presence of the latter. I don't know why I didn't expect it, since the main genre of this book on Goodreads is horror. I don't think I checked it out. In general, I rather avoid horror books and movies, I don't like to be afraid. Elements of horror in this book were not the most terrifying I have encountered but it was not always an easy read for me.
After all, I definitely like Odd. He is such an interesting character that I was even not disturbed by the first-person narration, which I usually don’t like very much. This is only the third book in this series, so I do not rule out that I will also read the previous two books to get to know Odd better. And although this book referred to the events of the previous one (the second one?), there are no details and I doubt that I would remember it for some time.
As for the story, some ideas reminded me of some other book I read a few years ago. I'm not sure, but I think it was either Dan Brown or Douglas Preston / Lincoln Child duo. Of course, I mean this God plus science thing. But of course it's hard to get a completely new concept because everything has already been written before. And here it doesn't bother me either.
All in all, this book is rather on the edge of my typical comfort zone but it is fine. One day I will probably read other books from this series, the first one is already on my TBR pile I think. show less
What surprised me the most in this book is its poetic angle. There are many sophisticated comparisons and poetic descriptions here. I didn't expect it at all. This is not something you usually see in thrillers. I don't think I have read any other book by this author, so I don't know if it's just a matter of this series or of Koontz's writing style in general, but it's undoubtedly interesting and different.
Another thing that surprised me is that this book is on the border between thriller and horror. At moments show more with the strong presence of the latter. I don't know why I didn't expect it, since the main genre of this book on Goodreads is horror. I don't think I checked it out. In general, I rather avoid horror books and movies, I don't like to be afraid. Elements of horror in this book were not the most terrifying I have encountered but it was not always an easy read for me.
After all, I definitely like Odd. He is such an interesting character that I was even not disturbed by the first-person narration, which I usually don’t like very much. This is only the third book in this series, so I do not rule out that I will also read the previous two books to get to know Odd better. And although this book referred to the events of the previous one (the second one?), there are no details and I doubt that I would remember it for some time.
As for the story, some ideas reminded me of some other book I read a few years ago. I'm not sure, but I think it was either Dan Brown or Douglas Preston / Lincoln Child duo. Of course, I mean this God plus science thing. But of course it's hard to get a completely new concept because everything has already been written before. And here it doesn't bother me either.
All in all, this book is rather on the edge of my typical comfort zone but it is fine. One day I will probably read other books from this series, the first one is already on my TBR pile I think. show less
I was an Odd fan – such a unique and fresh character. And his hometown was populated with such a great group of characters, all interesting in their own right, with a rare depth. The idea, the hook, for Odd’s powers was also new and interesting. Yes, a guy who sees dead people – but they can’t talk to him, and he feels a certain weight of responsibility to use the power, even if he regularly finds himself short of credentials for the things he finds himself doing. A self-aware and self-deprecating hero, and one with a true moral conscience. I was an Odd fan, right up until I finished the second book. The third book soured me almost completely. And the fourth book just mad me angry.
Given my feeling about these less than show more satisfying sequels, I’ve chosen to provide a single review of all three books. It’s appropriate both because I don’t want to waste more time or space than necessary and because my problems with the follow-on books are with them all.
I should have known there would be a drop-off in the stories at the conclusion of the first book, when Koontz killed Stormy, Odd’s girlfriend. That death was a declaration that Koontz did not intend for Odd to linger in his hometown with the wonderful group of people he’d created as a backdrop for Odd. While [Forever Odd] is set in Pico Mundo, California, Koontz isolates Odd from any of his friends in a flood channel underneath the city and surrounding desert and then in an abandoned and run down casino. At the end of the book, Odd declares that he is leaving town. [Brother Odd] picks up with Odd in an abbey in the high Sierra’s of California. When that adventure is complete, Odd makes like to return home but then again abandons one of his oldest friends and walks off into the sunset. [Odd Hours] makes it clear that Koontz has more global ideas for Odd, and this book seems to set up the framework for a larger, and more sinister, quest. While the book is set in a small coastal California town, the narrative and the new characters Koontz introduces suggest that Odd is at the center of storm that could blow him any which way.
On some level, Koontz’ precision and agility in creating interesting, deep characters is both a blessing and curse for these books. I wish I had listed the characters that Koontz has Odd run across who are abandoned in a few pages. I wanted to know more about these people and they seemed to have much more to say. And these quick hits pale in comparison to some of Odd’s original crew of friends, like Stormy, Chief Porter, and Little Ozzie. So, while I applaud Koontz’ skill – I am a Kootz fan and will remain so – I am a little peeved at him for abandoning Odd’s origins. The cynic in me can’t help but wonder if the direction of the books didn’t have something to do with the film adaptation of the first book. As the books progress, the plots seem to be more and more sensational and thriller-oriented, and Odd becomes more like Jack Ryan or Bond than he was ever imagined in the first book.
I was an Odd fan – I know I’m probably in the minority on this but now I’ll probably be reading the sequels now with a sick curiosity about how such a good idea could come apart.
Bottom Line: A good idea gone awry – sequels that can’t deliver on the promise.
3 bones!!!!! show less
Given my feeling about these less than show more satisfying sequels, I’ve chosen to provide a single review of all three books. It’s appropriate both because I don’t want to waste more time or space than necessary and because my problems with the follow-on books are with them all.
I should have known there would be a drop-off in the stories at the conclusion of the first book, when Koontz killed Stormy, Odd’s girlfriend. That death was a declaration that Koontz did not intend for Odd to linger in his hometown with the wonderful group of people he’d created as a backdrop for Odd. While [Forever Odd] is set in Pico Mundo, California, Koontz isolates Odd from any of his friends in a flood channel underneath the city and surrounding desert and then in an abandoned and run down casino. At the end of the book, Odd declares that he is leaving town. [Brother Odd] picks up with Odd in an abbey in the high Sierra’s of California. When that adventure is complete, Odd makes like to return home but then again abandons one of his oldest friends and walks off into the sunset. [Odd Hours] makes it clear that Koontz has more global ideas for Odd, and this book seems to set up the framework for a larger, and more sinister, quest. While the book is set in a small coastal California town, the narrative and the new characters Koontz introduces suggest that Odd is at the center of storm that could blow him any which way.
On some level, Koontz’ precision and agility in creating interesting, deep characters is both a blessing and curse for these books. I wish I had listed the characters that Koontz has Odd run across who are abandoned in a few pages. I wanted to know more about these people and they seemed to have much more to say. And these quick hits pale in comparison to some of Odd’s original crew of friends, like Stormy, Chief Porter, and Little Ozzie. So, while I applaud Koontz’ skill – I am a Kootz fan and will remain so – I am a little peeved at him for abandoning Odd’s origins. The cynic in me can’t help but wonder if the direction of the books didn’t have something to do with the film adaptation of the first book. As the books progress, the plots seem to be more and more sensational and thriller-oriented, and Odd becomes more like Jack Ryan or Bond than he was ever imagined in the first book.
I was an Odd fan – I know I’m probably in the minority on this but now I’ll probably be reading the sequels now with a sick curiosity about how such a good idea could come apart.
Bottom Line: A good idea gone awry – sequels that can’t deliver on the promise.
3 bones!!!!! show less
This is the second in the Odd Thomas series that I have read. They are weird, scary and downright funny at times. Somehow, I always find myself drawn in. This novel finds Odd residing at Bartholomew's Abby in the High Sierra mountains of California. As with the previous Odd novels, the plot is full of quirky characters and an interesting storyline. I'm looking forward to reading the additional Odd Thomas novels.
The wintry morning ticked toward whatever disaster might be coming. Recently I had learned that really brainy guys divide the day into units amounting to one millionth of a billionth of a billionth of a second, which made each whole second that I dithered seem to be an unconscionable waste of time.
Needing to recuperate after the events of the first two books, Odd Thomas has spent the last few months living in the guest quarters of St. Bartholomew's Abbey in the Sierra Nevada. Surprisingly humorous in parts, such as Odd's discussion with the Mother Superior about which of the monks would be most suitable to help Brother Salvatore (aka Brother Knuckles) defend the abbey against the coming supernatural dangers. So far this is my favourite show more book in this series so far, as I felt that the new location made it seem fresh rather than just following the formula set by the first two books. show less
Needing to recuperate after the events of the first two books, Odd Thomas has spent the last few months living in the guest quarters of St. Bartholomew's Abbey in the Sierra Nevada. Surprisingly humorous in parts, such as Odd's discussion with the Mother Superior about which of the monks would be most suitable to help Brother Salvatore (aka Brother Knuckles) defend the abbey against the coming supernatural dangers. So far this is my favourite show more book in this series so far, as I felt that the new location made it seem fresh rather than just following the formula set by the first two books. show less
Koontz dialed-back the totally crazy and pared down the setting quite a bit. In a way, it is almost the opposite of the pandemonium in the second novel, Forever Odd.
I am not going to lie – I utterly enjoyed this novel. This novel is not really anything other than a superficial, kind-of entertaining pulp fiction. I mean, you likely would not include it in your permanent collection and I do not think it is going to set Koontz up for any prized awards. The villain is kind of obvious and the pseudo-science is incredibly ridiculous. This book is really not for everyone. The author told me a good story that had elements in it that I could access and that also I could be entertained by.
I am not going to lie – I utterly enjoyed this novel. This novel is not really anything other than a superficial, kind-of entertaining pulp fiction. I mean, you likely would not include it in your permanent collection and I do not think it is going to set Koontz up for any prized awards. The villain is kind of obvious and the pseudo-science is incredibly ridiculous. This book is really not for everyone. The author told me a good story that had elements in it that I could access and that also I could be entertained by.
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Dean Koontz was born on July 9, 1945 in Everett, Pennsylvania. He received a degree in education from Shippensburg State College in 1967. A former high school English teacher as well as a teacher-counselor with the Appalachian Poverty Program, he began writing as a child to escape an ugly home life caused by his alcoholic father. A prolific writer show more at a young age, he had sold a dozen novels by the age of 25. Early in his career, he wrote under numerous pen names including David Axton, Brian Coffey, K. R. Dwyer, Leigh Nichols, Richard Paige, and Owen West. He is best known for the books written under his own name, many of which are bestsellers, including Midnight, Cold Fire, The Bad Place, Hideaway, The Husband, Odd Hours, 77 Shadow Street, Innocence, The City, Saint Odd, and The Silent Corner. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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The Odd Thomas Series 4-Book Bundle: Odd Thomas / Forever Odd / Brother Odd / Odd Hours by Dean Koontz (indirect)
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Brother Odd
- Original title
- Brother Odd
- Original publication date
- 2006
- People/Characters
- Odd Thomas; Elvis Presley (ghost)
- Important places
- California, USA
- Epigraph
- Teach us...
To give and not to count the cost;
To fight and not to heed the wounds;
To toil and not to seek for rest...
--St. Ignatius Loyola - Dedication
- To some folks I've known a long time and admire because they do good work and are good people: Peter Styles, Richard Boukes, Bill Anderson (Hello, Danielle), Dave Gaulke, and Tom Fenner (Hello, Gabriella, Katia, and Troy). We... (show all)'ll have a fine party on the Other Side, but let's not be in a hurry.
- First words
- Embraced by stone, steeped in silence, I sat at the high window as the third day of the week surrendered to the fourth.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)With Christmas only days away, we followed the shoulder of the highway, walking toward the unknown, which is where every walk ever taken always leads: me, my dog Boo, and the spirit of Frank Sinatra.
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