Ooops! I was supposed to make a new thread for this so people could comment if they liked! *blush*

Odd Thomas

Odd Thomas is a supernatural story, written by author Dean Koontz and first published in 2003. This first novel has produced three sequels so far, the first time this author has visited the same character.

Odd Thomas (yes, that's his real name, and his parents each have their own story of how that came to be!), is a twenty-year-old short-order fry cook in the bustling California desert town of Pico Mundo. Which would be unremarkable, if he had not the gift of seeing supernatural beings, most of them the spirits of the restless dead, AKA ghosts. They visit him, sometimes they communicate, but they never speak. And as Odd himself says--when they need help, he does something about it! He tries to heed their messages, assist if he can. He tries never to resent the 'gift,' though it can make his life far more complicated than he wants it to be.

In addition to Odd, we come to know many of his fellow residents, as well as their quirks and foibles. There's his boss, a woman who has memorized every single day of Elvis Presley's life. There's his girlfriend, Stormy, she of the raven hair, matching birthmark, and sultry ice cream shop uniform. There's his landlady, who needs to be checked on daily for her fear she will disappear. There's Odd's friend and mentor, the most famous man in town, a behemoth of an eleven-fingered author who keeps a cow in his front yard, for awhile, at least. There's the author's cat, Terrible Chester, who sprays Odd's shoes (not Odd's favorite pet!). There's a weary police chief who understands and believes in Odd's gifts, which help him in his work. And of course, there are the ghosts--one of them famous.

The main plot of this story involves a fungus-like stranger who attracts evil beings which Odd calls 'bodachs.' They swarm only when a catastrophic event is about to occur--one that brings terror and suffering to many people. When Odd decides to track this stranger to ward off the danger to the people of his town, he finds much more than he had dreaded, and must think quickly to avoid the traps set for him!

This book is interesting in that Odd is referred to as handsome by some women, but we are never allowed to know what he looks like. Yet all other characters are described in detail, as the story is a first-person narration. Odd's vivid descriptions of his surroundings draw the reader into his life as smoothly as his communications with ghosts intrigue us. There are some very surprising plot twists, and some moments that are heartbreakingly poignant.

I do find the repartee between Odd and Stormy to be a bit contrived, perhaps, as they seem to use none of the current slang that young people use. Yet it is clever, and shows their level of comfort with each other, their love and familiarity. It has always been important to me, when reading a work of fiction, to be able to connect with and care about the main characters, and one can't help liking Odd Thomas.

Odd Thomas was so popular that there have been three more books written about him to date--Forever Odd, Brother Odd, and the latest, In Odd We Trust. Odd Thomas was published in 2003 by Bantam Books, and is also available in paperback. The hardcover book has 399 pages. It is best suited for older teens and adults, due to some graphic descriptions of violence, and two sweet scenes that involves a bit of nudity. Its selling price in bookstores is $26.95 in US dollars. I'd give this book 4.25 stars out of five.