Author Review: Dean Koontz

While I'm mostly a romance reader, I do have a soft spot for science fiction. Probably because I'm sandwiched in the family order by an older brother and a younger brother who both loved Marvel comic books and Street Fighter.

I was first introduced to Dean Koontz by a good friend of mine who described his books as "challenging" vocabulary-wise. Because I was fast running out of good authors, I gave it a try. I think the first book that I tried was The Door to December and boy was it an experience. Dean Koontz is a master at suspense! I remember getting so scared that the hairs on my arm actually stood up! I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen next. It remains one of my favorite Dean Koontz books.

After that, I started hunting down his books at used bookstores (which thankfully always had a large supply of them). While I haven't read all of his books (he has so many!), most of his books are definitely top notch. Sure there were some duds here and there (*cough* The Funhouse *cough*), but overall his collection is definitely read-worthy.

Pros

1. I do like building up my vocabulary and I find that one of the best ways to do that is to read fiction that use more difficult words. Dean Koontz books are definitely in that category. While I consider myself to have a pretty good vocabulary, I find myself having to consult a dictionary at least a few times when reading his books. 
2. In most of his books, the suspense factor is through the roof! It's definitely a page-turner because you want to know what happens next. 
3. His characters are intelligent. There are no silly plot points where conflicts could have been avoided if the hero just paused to THINK. They are smart about what they are doing and I sometimes find myself thinking how well I would have done when faced with the same situation and almost always conclude that I would have failed miserably. 
4. Many of his characters are ordinary (but smart) guys. They don't have genius IQs, movie star looks, unlimited sources of money or powerful connections. I love my beta heroes and most Dean Koontz heroes are definitely betas. 
5. Plots are so interesting! And the way he unfolds them is simply amazing. While he is great at being suspenseful, the big reveal is almost never disappointing. 
6. Mostly happy and satisfying endings. I absolutely hate sad endings. I'm paranoid about that and often read the last page of suspiciously sad books just to make sure that it doesn't have a sad ending. Sally (from When Harry Met Sally) would find that horrible but that's just the way I roll... :)
7. He has so many books and he's still churning them out like a machine! 

Cons

1. Kinda prosy. To others, this may be a good thing. Dean Koontz spends a LOT of time describing things. Especially places. Usually I just skip them so its no biggie. 
2. He has a couple of duds. I absolutely loved Odd Thomas but I really did not like Brother Odd which seemed so over the top. I may do a reread just to make sure I wasn't tired or something but I remember skipping whole sections just so I could finish the book.
3. Not exactly light reading. His books gets you really emotionally invested and I sometimes find myself exhausted after reading his books. I love Dean Koontz but its hard to get into the proper mood for him. 

Some of my favorites are From the Corner of My Eye, The Door to December, and Odd Thomas. If you want to start reading a little Dean Koontz, I definitely recommend these as starters.