Odd Thomas

By Dean Koontz,

Book cover of Odd Thomas

Book description

Meet Odd Thomas, the unassuming young hero of Dean Koontz’s dazzling New York Times bestseller, a gallant sentinel at the crossroads of life and death who offers up his heart in these pages and will forever capture yours.

“The dead don’t talk. I don’t know why.” But they do try…

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Why read it?

7 authors picked Odd Thomas as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I adore this character and everything about him. His psychic abilities are portrayed in such an interesting voice. To be able to see the dead but not hear them is a unique concept and one that I feel carries the character to another level of communication.

Odd is generous, kind, giving, and also the outcast in many ways. But he perseveres and does what must be done to keep the dead moving forward and protect the living. His simplistic view to life is something I really wish I had more of. 

He is a character that I think we can…

From Vicki-Ann's list on paranormal books for talking with the dead.

In this debut novel Odd Thomas, the title character is an engaging 20-year-old fry cook living in the small town of Pico Mundo, CA. 
Odd Thomas is an ordinary guy, except that he sees dead people. They seek him out. They do not speak, but they communicate with Odd telepathically, frequently leading him to their killers. He is a reluctant hero determined to do the right thing in a world full of wrongs. He’s a character that you wish good things for. Guided by love for his soul-mate girlfriend and dead souls, he fights evil, against all odds.

This…

I was recommended this book by someone who compared it to my writing style. “Koontz’s writing in Odd Thomas has a similar tone to your writing,” said the book recommender. To be even slightly compared to a novelist great like Dean Koontz, clearly I ordered the book and devoured it immediately. An easy, exciting, and fun read, Odd Thomas merges dry humor with a loveable, ordinary protagonist who speaks with the dead. It’s insanely cryptic—aka a page-turner—as well as brings abstract elements together in a simple manner, something I’d like to think that I do in my writing. This book…

Beautiful and Terrible Things

By S. M. Stevens,

Book cover of Beautiful and Terrible Things

S. M. Stevens

New book alert!

What is my book about?

Charley Byrne isn’t really living. She hunkers down in her apartment above the bookstore she manages, until quirky activist Xander Wallace lures her out of social exile with the prospect of friendship and romance. Charley joins Xander’s circle of diverse friends and thrives, even leaving her comfort zone to join protests in a city struggling with social justice ills.

But the new friendships bring back-to-back betrayals that threaten the bookstore—Charley’s haven—and propel her into a dangerous depression, in a stark reminder that friendship has the power to destroy as well as save lives. Can her friends save the store? And Charley?

Beautiful and Terrible Things

By S. M. Stevens,

What is this book about?

"A beautifully crafted story of friendship and self-discovery set amidst the harsh realities of today's world. Superb!" -Eileen O'Finlan, author of Erin's Children

Charley Byrne isn't really living. At age 29, she hunkers down in her apartment above the bookstore she manages, afraid of a 7-year curse. Then quirky activist Xander Wallace lures her out of social exile with the prospect of friendship and romance. Charley joins Xander's circle of friends diverse in their heritage, race, gender and sexual orientation. She thrives, even leaving her comfort zone to join protests in a city struggling with social justice ills.

But the…


I've always been a fan of Dean Koontz novels, but the story Odd Thomas took it to a whole new level. I've read thousands of books, but I think Odd Thomas is still the most quirky and likable character I've ever come across. Who knew a short-order fry cook in a small town in the USA could get into so much trouble? The story itself is compelling and Koontz has such a way with words that I was captivated with Odd from the very first page of this thriller. I didn't see the end of the story coming, and I…

From Trevor's list on characters I can’t forget.

Dean Koontz creates a hugely likeable hero in Odd Thomas. Assisted by the silent souls of the dead, that only he can see, Odd Thomas races against time to fight evil, where past and present converge. This book and the ones that follow it are hugely engaging because of the sweetness of Odd Thomas, Dean Koontz's humor, and because of its good versus evil race against catastrophe. Buckle your seatbelt and dive into the world of Odd Thomas. You won’t be disappointed.

I stumbled across the movie version of Odd Thomas a few years after I wrote Restless Spirits, and while I was in the middle of writing the follow-up books in that series, and I was immediately struck by the similarities. So much so that I tracked down the book and quickly devoured it. Like my protagonist Chris Wilson, Odd Thomas has the unfortunate ability to see ghosts, and is frequently haunted by those in need of his assistance, which tends to interfere in his personal life in ways that live up to his unusual first name. Besides being packed…

“The dead don’t talk … I don’t know why.” So begins the wonderful tale of a boy named Odd, who is a master fry cook, his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, dead Elvis, and a gathering, otherworldly evil that is about to invade California. I adore Koontz and I’ve read the first installment of the Odd series several times. Now that I know the crazy twist at the end, you’d think I would get bored or not cry … that is not the case.

From Melyssa's list on killer plot twists.

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