ODD THOMAS by Dean Koontz happens to be one of those novels that grips you from the very first page.  The title itself intrigues, it also holds a hint of innocence and simplicity which are trademark Koontz. Relationships between leading characters are always open, uncontrived and selfless, as in the case of Odd and his girlfriend Stormy.

 

Odd Thomas helps the dead, that is his gift. Only a trusted few know his secret. He lives in Pico Mundo, a town dominated by the mojave sun. Not only does he see the dead but demonic entities that feed off death, Bodachs. With their arrival en masse in Pico Mundo, Odd Thomas knows something terrible is about to happen. He has two days to stop it.

The novel is about the nature of people; their weaknesses and strengths. The depravities of the human mind and how beauty is capable of masking it to a frightening extent. It's dominated by strange relationships; in fact throughout the novel there is an air of displacement as if something is always scrambled. You begin to realize this comes from Odd's unusual relationship with his mother and father. In some ways they're creepier than what is happening in Pico Mundo.

 

Because of the two day deadline the pace is quick, you begin to believe the story is very standard. But by the final page you realize this is Koontz's intention, the twist when it comes is so terrible and unexpected it leaves you stunned.

 

Odd Thomas beats all Koontz's novels and it is one that I regret having to finish.