Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 201-205 of 224
 Darkest Evening December 11, 2007
Wanda Gillespie (Lexington, AL)
2 out of 7 found this review helpful
I too am a Koontz fan. I think I have read all of his books. The Odd Thomas was great. So is the guy (cant think of title) who could only go out at night. But this book didnt seem complete. He seemed to drop connections and the ending was awful. He has written some out there books, but most of the time it is the result of some secret government cover up. Which I believe there are many things they have we dont know about, so the plots could happen. Sorry Dean but I should have waited on a yard sale to pick this book up.
 Entertainment With Purpose December 10, 2007
Brie (Alabama)
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
Say what you want. I loved this book and for a couple of reasons.
I've been reading Dean Koontz for as long as he's been around. In what I think of as "the early years," he reminded me of King and King reminded me of him. At some point along the way, both writers evolved and they ceased reminding me of each other. Part of a greater plan, perhaps. I say this because of the constant comparions between the two. To me we're talking apples and oranges. I enjoy both.
When I get a Koontz book, I have an idea of what I'm about to experience. I'm never disappointed and I wasn't this time. I knew this book would be about a rescuer and would, by way of subject, be about animal welfare. I knew I'd be reading about Dean's love for Trixie. Losing her must have hurt he and Gerda to the core and it's the kind of hurt that doesn't just go away because people think you need to "get over it."
I loved this book because it gives me what I hope for in a Koontz book. Words which when combined elicit an emotional response. I was anxious. I laughed. I cheered. When reading this book, there were times when I cried. That's the second reason I loved this book. I knew the facts about puppy mills and rescues and shelters. I didn't need to read a fiction book to learn them. But if one person who reads this book for entertainment purposes actually reads and digests the factual aspects of the book, and because of having done so reconsiders previously conceived notions about the diposable, throw away nature of dogs in our society, Dean should be proud. He included those facts so that the reader would understand Amy Redwing. I know some Amy Redwings in real life and am proud to say that I know them.
I look forward to Dean's book about Trixie as much as I look forward to reading about Odd Thomas again. What in the world could Odd, Frank Sinatra and Boo be up to these days...
*Yawn* - "golden retrievers" - *yawn* December 10, 2007
Joshua Johnson (Rialto, CA)
6 out of 15 found this review helpful
I'm a huge Dean Koontz fan and have read nearly all of his books. Usually he's spot on, he takes you on a narrative thrill ride that usually keeps you enthralled and unable to take your eyes off the pages and will prevent you from putting the novel down. This novel however, is not one of those.
Koontz loves his Golden Retriever as is evidenced by it appearing on the back cover of many of his novels, well he's taken that love and poured it into this novel. Poured it so completely that the entire book is practically a love poem written to dog rescuers and Golden Retrievers. The book goes on and on about the importance of dog rescue, adoption, Golden Retrievers, and animal cruelty though every now and then Koontz decides he should interject with some actual story elements. I'm all for animal rescue, but the book is practically hours and hours of an ad campaign, it's not subtle either, he beats you about the face with his message and doesn't leave enough story to be entertaining when he's finished.
Admittedly the characters are likable, and Koontz literary mastery is always on display, the story behind it however simply isn't as enjoyable as it should be. Said story's main characters are practically devoid of conflict, the entire book is a slow slow lead up to a climax that is quick and entirely underwhelming.
So, if you'd like a treatise on the importance of animal rescue by all means pickup the book, otherwise, read a different Koontz masterpiece.
 Entertainment for mass consumption December 9, 2007
Jane (Washington, DC)
4 out of 10 found this review helpful
I have a mixed opinion on this book and Dean Koontz in general. He's sort of a low budget Stephen King for the masses. This is an entertaining, fast paced book with interesting subject matter. Short chapters make for quick reading and the story keeps you engaged. If you are a dog lover, that makes the book much more enjoyable. If you don't "get the whole dog thing", don't even bother reading because you won't really feel the story. The story itself and the character development is interesting but simple. The book does not provoke deep thought but does provoke good feeling. It's sort of like "summer reading" for guilty pleasure.
Disappointing December 9, 2007
Konrad Kern (OFallon, MO United States)
45 out of 66 found this review helpful
Dedicated to the cause of dog rescue, Amy Redwing risks everything, including her relationship with long-time suitor Brian McCarthy and her own well-being, to come to the aid of Nickie, a very special golden retriever, unaware that she has drawn the attentions of an unknown and ruthless enemy whose attacks escalate with stunning ferocity. BT.
The great writing style and prose is quite evident in this latest Koontz novel. That's the good part.
This is not his best novel. I found it to be a bit boring and a bit preachy. I get it, you like dogs. Dogs, dogs, dogs, action. The ending is terrible. This is not the kind of Dean Koontz I like to read. Bring back the old.
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