** I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review**
"In our lives, we come to moments of great significance that we fail to recognize, the meaning of which does not occur to us for many years. Each of us has his own agenda and focuses on it, and therefore we are often blind to what is before our eyes".
Having never read Dean Koontz before, I came to this novel with an open mind whilst taking notes of other reviews left on Goodreads. I have to say that I absolutely LOVED this novel; it was *BRILLIANT*! Where do I start with what I liked about it?
- I loved the descriptive narrative; it was so easy to get to know each character properly, thereby allowing me to identify with them and build up an empathy with them. On finishing the novel, I felt like I knew the Bledsoes/Kirks, Mr. Yoshioka and Mrs. Lorenzo almost as if they were real people. I also loved the author's use of chiaroscuro and gothic/supernatural features to increase the feeling of sensationalism and suspense in the novel.
- I loved the motif of the eye and seeing which occurred throughout the novel in different forms: Fiona's blue-purple eyes, the eye from the stuffed toy, the painted eye of Fabritius's 'The Goldfinch', the circular shape cast by the pen-torch. Someone was always watching no matter where Jonah was.....
- The chapters being short was another bonus. This meant that I could pick the book up and put it down (however reluctantly) at my convenience, without willing long-winded chapters to end. In addition, the short chapters increased the book's pace, as events gained momentum in the lead up to the "single earth-shattering event". This story was such a page-turner though, that before I knew where I was, I had read 200 pages in a couple of hours. It is that gripping and absorbing.
- I have learned a new word: "eidetic"!
As I have to give an honest review, I should also pick up on negatives - but to be quite truthful, I can't think of any! The only thing would be the sudden exit of Mrs Nozawa, Mr Tamazaki and Dr. Mace-Maskil from the storyline. I was left wondering what happened to them - especially the nutty professor - whose appearance in the novel suggested that he was part of the 'gang' but who drifted out of the text almost as rapidly as he stormed into it. Maybe the author intended the ending to be somewhat ambiguous, but it left me feeling that ends maybe weren't as neatly tied up as they should be. But, as I say - maybe the author meant this, providing an uneasy uncertainty over the life of the city, a place where: "No matter what happens, disaster piled on calamity, no matter what, everything will be okay in the long run". Or will it.....?
Had to give this five stars, and am now adding a pile of Koontz novels to my TBR list. A fantastic but creepy novel which I will DEFINITELY be recommending to others.
Many thanks to Goodreads and Harper Collins Publishers for sending me this.
"In our lives, we come to moments of great significance that we fail to recognize, the meaning of which does not occur to us for many years. Each of us has his own agenda and focuses on it, and therefore we are often blind to what is before our eyes".
Having never read Dean Koontz before, I came to this novel with an open mind whilst taking notes of other reviews left on Goodreads. I have to say that I absolutely LOVED this novel; it was *BRILLIANT*! Where do I start with what I liked about it?
- I loved the descriptive narrative; it was so easy to get to know each character properly, thereby allowing me to identify with them and build up an empathy with them. On finishing the novel, I felt like I knew the Bledsoes/Kirks, Mr. Yoshioka and Mrs. Lorenzo almost as if they were real people. I also loved the author's use of chiaroscuro and gothic/supernatural features to increase the feeling of sensationalism and suspense in the novel.
- I loved the motif of the eye and seeing which occurred throughout the novel in different forms: Fiona's blue-purple eyes, the eye from the stuffed toy, the painted eye of Fabritius's 'The Goldfinch', the circular shape cast by the pen-torch. Someone was always watching no matter where Jonah was.....
- The chapters being short was another bonus. This meant that I could pick the book up and put it down (however reluctantly) at my convenience, without willing long-winded chapters to end. In addition, the short chapters increased the book's pace, as events gained momentum in the lead up to the "single earth-shattering event". This story was such a page-turner though, that before I knew where I was, I had read 200 pages in a couple of hours. It is that gripping and absorbing.
- I have learned a new word: "eidetic"!
As I have to give an honest review, I should also pick up on negatives - but to be quite truthful, I can't think of any! The only thing would be the sudden exit of Mrs Nozawa, Mr Tamazaki and Dr. Mace-Maskil from the storyline. I was left wondering what happened to them - especially the nutty professor - whose appearance in the novel suggested that he was part of the 'gang' but who drifted out of the text almost as rapidly as he stormed into it. Maybe the author intended the ending to be somewhat ambiguous, but it left me feeling that ends maybe weren't as neatly tied up as they should be. But, as I say - maybe the author meant this, providing an uneasy uncertainty over the life of the city, a place where: "No matter what happens, disaster piled on calamity, no matter what, everything will be okay in the long run". Or will it.....?
Had to give this five stars, and am now adding a pile of Koontz novels to my TBR list. A fantastic but creepy novel which I will DEFINITELY be recommending to others.
Many thanks to Goodreads and Harper Collins Publishers for sending me this.
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