Odd Hours: An Odd Thomas Novel

by Dean Koontz

2009

Status

Available

Publication

Bantam (2009), Edition: Reprint, 432 pages

Description

Haunted by dreams of a powerful red tide, Odd Thomas, accompanied by two otherworldly sidekicks--his dog Boo and the Chairman of the Board--is drawn to a small California coastal town, where nothing is at it appears and where he confronts overwhelming and sinister forces out to stop his quest.

User reviews

LibraryThing member jshrop
The last book in the Odd Thomas series is a great continuation of the character development through all of the novels in the series. Odd trades the ghost of Elvis for the ghost of Frank Sinatra, and tries to take a break from Pico Mundo while working as personal chef in a sleepy little beach town.
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This novel has the most evil characters, and Koontz does such a good job with their development that you genuinely hate these imaginary people. In this, as well as all of the Odd Thomas books, he does an excellent job with the title character who does save the day, but bumbles through it at times, just like real life. The pieces don't just magically fall into place in Odd Hours, and I appreciate that from good fiction these days. The idea of the anti-hero is a very good theme, and Koontz plays well with it.

In all, Odd Hours is a good completion to the Odd Thomas series, and makes for a good read.
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LibraryThing member BooGirl
The fourth book in one of my favorite series. However not my favorite in the series. I felt Odd Hours lacked a certain wow factor that Odd thomas and Forever Odd gave me. I still love to read about the adventures of Odd and I can't wait for more! I just hope the next book leads us back to Pico
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Mundo.
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LibraryThing member NovelBookworm
Dean Koontz fourth installment in his Odd Thomas series brings us Odd Hours. Odd Thomas is a simple, ordinary fry cook from a dinky little California town, Pico Mundo. Odd would have preferred to spend his life in a quest to create the perfect omelet and home fries, but he has an extraordinary
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gift. He communicates with the dead. Odd finds himself in the, well, oddest situations. He is drawn to places and people that need his help, and it almost seems like he has been tasked with keeping the evil that men plot and plan at bay. Having been accompanied by Elvis and a ghostly dog, Boo in the past, now Odd finds himself and Boo with a different companion. With their assistance Odd must come to understand the frightening dream he has been having; a dream of red ebbing tides and horrible light hanging over the sea.

It’s hard for me to say what I love the most about the Odd Thomas books. It could be Odds humble and humorous way of dealing with life, his wry delivery when speaking about the strangeness he lives with. It could also be the fascinating characters that fill the pages. Odd always finds the most unique and interesting people. These people are folks we see every day and Odd Thomas discovers their stories. I finish one of these books and find myself looking at the people I see daily and wondering if they have an interesting story too.

I find the thoughts of the protagonist particularly refreshing…

“….Those who choose to live criminal lives are not the brightest among us.
This truth inspires a question: If evil geniuses are so rare, why do so many bad people get away with so many crimes against their fellow citizens and, when they become leaders of nations, against humanity?
Edmund Burke provided the answer in 1795: The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
I would only add this: It is also essential that good men and women not be educated and propagandized into believing that real evil is a myth and that all malevolent behavior is merely the result of a broken family’s or a failed society’s shortcomings, amenable to cure by counseling and by the application of new economic theory.”

I was given a copy of Odd Hours and also had the audio book, so this was a combination of listening and reading. David Aaron Baker read the audio book in an absolutely spectacular performance. Odd Hours could most likely stand alone, but really why would you want to ignore the other three books in the series? The whole series is very good, and Odd Hours is just great!
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LibraryThing member tabitha6
love the series
LibraryThing member SonicQuack
The fourth entry in the Odd Thomas series is frustrating from two angles. First, and most surprising, is that although the narrative is clearly Koontz, the plot is not. It lacks punch and for the most part, is actually rather uninspiring. The second point, is that the story is nonsensical, wrapped
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in teasing mysteries for no reason whatsoever. Koontz, in my opinion, has been faultless up until this novel, in which Odd rambles incessantly, is put through rather an unbelievable plot, and surrounded by paper thin characters. There is one scene of note, halfway through, which raised my hopes, but they were soon dashed. There is character building for further entries, but Odd Hours, is disappointing on all levels. Not supernatural enough, not enough action and just not interesting enough.
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LibraryThing member LiterarilyChallenged
I have been waiting a very, very long time for this book to come out in paperback just so it will match the rest of my series collection. I don't know if it's stubbornness or OCD lol
LibraryThing member englishgeek
Not one of the better Odd Thomas novels...didn't like the ending...will there be a follow-up????
LibraryThing member Pam1960ca
Not my favourite of the 'Odd' books. Not sure why. Just didn't enjoy it that much.
LibraryThing member Phantasma
Not quite as action packed as the first novels. Nor as straight forward. I have to say this is my favorite book of the series thus far. I feel changed for having read it. It was, for lack of a better word, beautiful.
LibraryThing member volleydog
While there are many things to like about the character, Odd Thomas, the one that seems to drag down all of the good things is the never ending introspection and philosophy this character engages in for several paragraphs at a time. It continually interrupts the flow of the story and I found myself
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skimming several paragraphs just trying to find the story once again. Still, it is a good read but I hope that the next installment from Mr. Koontz has more action and a little less of Odd Thomas' personal philosophy.
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LibraryThing member BinnieBee
Quite frankly, I am tired of this form of Koontz's writing. It is so trite, and seems to be aimed at teens or pre-teens. These "Odd" series books are just too infantile, which is such a shame, as I enjoyed all his books prior to the Odd series. Or, maybe I'm the idiot and they really ARE meant for
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pre-teen to teen ages?
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LibraryThing member reannon
Fourth in Koontz's Odd Thomas series. Odd sees the dead and has other supernatural powers. In this book he stumbles across a plot to set off nuclear weapons in American cities. Along the way Frank Sinatra gets him out of jail. That should tell you a lot about the interesting world that Odd Thomas
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inhabits. Good book, good series.
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LibraryThing member doomcomplex
If you enjoy the Odd Thomas series, this is a must read. Unlike the other OT books, this one jumps directly into the action within the first couple pages, and keeps it up until the end.

This is the first OT book to end in somewhat of a cliff hanger.
LibraryThing member kayceel
Though I still find Odd Thomas to be one of my favorite characters of all time - because of his charm, kindness, humility and wit - this one didn't feel like *enough*. It was very mysterious and suspensful, but I wasn't satisfied with the ending. I wanted to know more about Anna Maria (the woman
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who begins this book's adventure/danger), but we're left hanging, presumably for the next book...
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LibraryThing member madamejeanie
Odd Thomas is a 21 year old former fry cook with a few talents that set him apart from the rest of us. He sees ghosts as solidly as he sees living people, he has a habit of having bad dreams that come true, and he seems to be drawn to people and places that need him. He's living in a small
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California coastal village named Magic Beach, working as cook and companion for an 88 year old former Hollywood matinée idol, when his disturbing dream of a red tide and a sky on fire draws him to the beach. There, he stumbles upon a handful of men intent on perpetrating an evil unlike anything the world has ever known. Accompanied by his ghost dog Boo and the spirit of none other than Frank Sinatra, Odd will be tested in ways he's never imagined and is about to learn that the world has far more questions than answers.

I'm a real fan of Odd Thomas. His simplistic way of looking at the world and approaching problems is refreshing. These books are funny and scary, all at the same time. This one simply continues the saga of Odd Thomas, and I'll be first in line again when the next one comes out. LOL This gets a high 5 from me.
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LibraryThing member jbdavis
Can you tell that Dean Koontz has been watching the Bourne Trilogy movies? I never thought about this before but the Odd Thomas books each do have an encapsulated "story style" about them. The first book is like the horror movie in the small town, the second definitely looms in my mind as a haunted
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house (or haunted castle would be more accurate), and the third is the "isolated in the mountains and snow storm and there's something big out there trying to eat us" horror story. This one is the "action movie" thriller story.

As such it is humorous and also startling at times. For one thing I never knew that Odd had it in him to be so ruthless. It seemed not quite in character to me. The omnipresent fog was a character in its own right and the people popping in and out of the limited visibility added to the isolated feeling that Odd had as he prowled the town looking for answers.

This is the smallest story and the least effective, in my opinion. I still enjoyed it but would not recommend it to those who don't already love Odd as a character. For those who do, it is a perfect "beach book" read.

The fact that it is a shallower, smaller story doesn't mean that Koontz still has much to say. He slips in plenty of choice observations such as this.
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LibraryThing member readingrat
Odd Thomas is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time and I tremendously enjoyed this installment of the series. However the ending concerned me a bit. We are obviously being setting up for the remaining books in the series. Odd now has a female sidekick and a couple of dogs with him,
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which kind of makes me a little concerned that Koontz is trying to shoe-horn these books into his standard formula. I can only hope these books continue to remain unique and interesting.
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LibraryThing member amaryann21
Not as satisfying as the others in the series, but Odd is just as loveable as always. More sequels to come!
LibraryThing member ctfrench
Odd Thomas sees ghosts, and although they can hear him, they cannot communicate with him other than through gestures. After leaving the seminary, Odd has taken a job in Magic Beach, California as cook for a film star of the 1940s and ‘50s who now writes children’s books. Elvis has gone over to
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the other side but now Frank Sinatra is hanging out with Odd, as is Odd’s ghost dog Boo. Odd has a recurring apocalyptic dream which disturbs him. On the beach, he sees a young pregnant woman and recognizes her as part of his dream. Odd stops to talk to her, and from that point, everything seems to go wrong. Three brutes try to kill him but Odd manages to get away. He takes refuge in a church only to be betrayed by the pastor, who calls the police. Through wily measures, Odd learns officials of Magic Beach are corrupt and have cleared the way for terrorists to bring nuclear weapons into America.

Koontz excels at moving his plots forward at a fast pace, packed with action and suspense. Odd Thomas is an endearing character, a simple man who wants nothing more than to live a simple life which, through his “gift”, is denied him. Although questions are left unanswered, Koontz is certain to clear things up with following books in this series.
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LibraryThing member jpporter
It may seem rather "odd" to call a book the main character of which sees dead people (among other things) more mystically oriented than its predecessors, but Odd Hours contains a mystical attribute that sets it apart from its earlier brethren.

(This is the fourth novel in the Odd Thomas series,
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which also has a set of three graphic novels that precede - in terms of the general story arc - the first novel, and which now also has a set of three e-books - or three parts of one e-book - that serves as an interlude between Odd Hours and its successor,Odd Apocalypse - due out in July, 2012. The interlude is appropriately entitled Odd Interlude, all three parts of which are available - separately - on Amazon's Kindle at this time. Odd Interlude and Odd Apocalypse continue with the mystical nature.)

Notable about Odd Hours is that it takes on a substantially less-depressing nature than its three predecessors. In the story, Odd takes on a group of would-be terrorists and saves the world as we know it. As usual, Koontz delivers the goods when he tells a story, although there is one aspect of Odd's conduct in this book that sort of goes contrary to the Odd of the first three books. I won't say anything more than that - I wouldn't want to spoil anything.

As for the mystical element of the story, Odd meets a young pregnant girl (Annamaria) who seems to have some link with Odd, and is also linked to some event which is to be developed in later stories. She becomes Odd's companion through Odd Interlude and Odd Apocalypse. My thinking is that Koontz has foreseen the limitations to Odd Thomas stories in linking them solely to "real" events, and intends to keep the series going by adding a new dimension to them. Whether it works or not remains to be seen.

As for Odd Hours, it is lively, engaging, witty, full of intriguing characters, and (ultimately) satisfying.
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LibraryThing member Tanya-dogearedcopy
While the core of the character of Odd Thomas has remained intact and is actually developing, Dean Koontz has violated tbe premise of the Odd “Biblioverse:” Aside from Sinatra, there are no apparitions of the departed to highlight the story; because the scene of potential suffering is not
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immediate, there are no bodachs and; Odd actually arms himself voluntarily before heading into a potentially dangerous situation. The story itself has a number of unexplained phenomena (increasingly heavy triggers, the sewer lights and shuffling, the pregnant girl…) and clearly the whole of it is a set-up for the next Odd Thomas novel. On the whole, Odd Hours is not a particularly satisfying storyline. There are a few production issues that mar this audiobook as well: The music tags are garish and intrusive, the pacing of the narration is uneven (and given more to rushing) and, DAB mispronounces “sonar” (SAHN-ar (should be SOHN-ar)) and “voltage” (VAHLT-ij (should be VOHLT-ij).)
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LibraryThing member Gexy
I have to confess that although I've read other books by Dean Koontz, I had not read any of the Odd series, which revolves around a thoughtful man (named Odd) with paranormal abilities. I believe if I had read the first three books in the series, that I would have loved this book. The man character
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is a delight, the setting is readily visualized and the action is nonstop. The book is worth reading just for the dialog, both Odd's internal thoughts and his dialog with the cast of characters. The downside of the book is that I feel like I was dropped into the middle of a much longer story. A great deal apparently went on before this book began and the book ends with two of the characters going on the lam. Obviously there will be more books in the series. This title is a must have for library collections with other books in the Odd series.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
The fourth book in the Odd Thomas series and it left me vaguely unsatisfied. Yes Sinatra the ghost wrecking the place to rescue Odd was interesting but overall it just didn't work for me.

Odd is interesting, he can see ghosts, can't hear them, just sees them. He's working as an assistant and cook to
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an old actor and one night he finds himself hunted, all because he talked to a mysterious pregnant lady.

Overall not the best story and I'm not sure if the story is now done.
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LibraryThing member elbakerone
I don't consider myself to be a huge fan of Dean Koontz's work, but Odd Thomas was a book I really enjoyed. I was glad to see the adventures of Pico Mundo's famous fry cook continue through Forever Odd and Brother Odd but as the series has continued I've enjoyed the books less and less - a pattern
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that continued for me with Odd Hours, the fourth book.

I'm not sure if I enjoyed this one less because it's been so long since I've read the rest of the series and I'm forgetting key points, or if it really is a weaker book than the earlier ones. Although there was a pretty compelling plot, it took a long time to build up to the action of the story and a lot seemed to be left unexplained in the end. Perhaps Koontz is gearing up for another book in the sequence, but I would have much preferred a solid conclusion than a string of question marks.

I still really enjoy the character of Odd Thomas and Odd Hours does provide new dimensions - and a new ghostly sidekick - for Koontz's anti-hero. The narration was still quirky and amusing which guarantees that even though it was far from a great book, I will still stay tuned if Koontz writes another in this Odd series.
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LibraryThing member LBD
Not my favorite of the Odd books, but ok. I think the first two were my favorites.

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2008-05-20

Physical description

432 p.; 4.17 inches

ISBN

9780553591705

Barcode

1602335
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