Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz ★

Odd Thomas
by Dean Koontz
December 2003
Bantam

"The dead don't talk.  I don't know why."

This book has a certain notoriety in my family.  My mother read the book first a few years ago and used an entire box of tissues in order to actually see the last few pages. My father, who rarely reads anything, let alone novels, read this book at work, hidden under his desk.  He cried like a baby when it ended.  My brother and sister- also not big readers were so bored one time in a hotel on a military base that they read it too.  And sobbed into their military issued pillows that night.  Needless to say, I have put off reading this book for as long as possible.  What can I say?  I'm a sucker for happy endings.

I got through about three fourths of the book without crying.  As I began the last quarter of the book I turned to my husband and said "I'm going to do it!  I'm going to get through this just fine!"  I continued reading and the tears stayed at bay while I read the final chapters and then the final pages of the heart wrenching tale of Odd Thomas.  I read the last sentence, then the last word.  I closed the book.  I looked at my husband.  I exhaled.  "See?   I did it.  I didn't cry at all."  And then I burst into tears.

I don't know what it is about this book, but Dean Koontz has taken the "I see dead people" theme and breathed so much realism and emotion into it that you can't help but contemplate the tragedy and joy that is the human experience.  I highly recommend this book.  I don't guarantee that you'll cry, or that you'll even like it, but for my family, Odd Thomas is unforgettable.

The Odd Thomas Series - I may or may not finish the series.  Not sure if my heart can take it.

Odd Thomas
Forever Odd
Brother Odd
Odd Hours
In Odd We Trust (Graphic Novel)
Odd Is On Our Side (Graphic Novel)