Brother Odd: Koontz Gets Back On Track

The Top Line

Dean Koontz published Odd Thomas in 2003 and immediately created one of his best characters. He then released the abysmal Forever Odd in 2005 and you wondered if Odd was a one-shot wonder. Fortunately Dean gets back on track with Brother Odd and returns this odd-beat and off-speed character to his roots of interacting with multiple people when the chips are down.

The Plot

Odd Thomas, believed to be a “Todd” with an uncorrected typo on the birth certificate, was a 21 year-old former short-order fry cook in the small Californian town of Pico Mundo. He is stuck with the gift of being able to see both the dead and malevolent spirits, and cursed by the memories of his former relationship with his girlfriend Stormy Weathers (aka Bronwen Llewellyn), who passed away in the first book.

Although Odd can see the restless spirits who have not yet passed on, he is unable to communicate with them verbally. However, he is usually able to determine their needs and assist them in moving on. After the demise of Stormy and the wrenchingly awful plot lines of the second book, he decides to seek peace and salvation in the St. Bartholomew’s abbey high in the Sierra Nevada. Having confided in numerous Christian souls, he is now feeling more secure in his surroundings, yet has still to work out what he is supposed to do with his “gifts”.

The ghost of Elvis, who haunted Odd in Pico Mundo, has moved with him to St. Barts. We are also introduced to some new characters such as Brother Knuckles – a former mob enforcer, John Heinemann – a multi-billionaire scientist ensconced in the depths of the abbey and Rodion Romanovich – a mysterious Russian librarian from Indianapolis and, of course, a dog named Boo.

Odd observes several bodachs, evil spirits, who typically descend upon a place a day or two prior to a catastrophe, and follows them into the school attached to the abbey. (There are also nuns in the equation – go figure). Later that evening he trips over a seemingly dead monk and is nearly brained by a mysterious assailant. The remainder of the book deals with Odd using his psychic magnetism, aided and abetted by Brother Knuckles, to determine the cause and timing of the impending doom.

There is the usual surprise Dean Koontz ending – although not to the physical or emotional degree experienced in the prior books. Be warned though, you may be disappointed at the outcome, yet still greatly enjoy this “spiritual” tale.

Thoughts

Just by reading the teaser chapter at the end of Forever Odd, I knew I was going to like this book – to the point of finishing it in two sittings and staying up late to do so. We get to dig a little deeper into the psyche of Odd, and observe the formation of relationships with the inhabitants of the abbey. The quirky humor returns, abandoning most, but not all, of the horrific one-liners and forced repartee from Forever Odd and Odd even takes a few zingers at modern-day society.

Although many references are made to the two prior manuscripts, this book can be read stand-alone. It is written entirely in the first person from Odd’s point of view, which helps to move the plot along, and explain (or occasionally confuse) events where appropriate. The author even manages to weave quantum (mechanics) foam, pancakes and baseball bats into a single chapter. Brother Odd breathes life and revives the potential “Odd” franchise for Mr. Koontz – an A- of a book, and a thoroughly enjoyable one!

The Bottom Line / Recommendations

A definite read if you are (a) a Dean Koontz fan, or (b) like macabre, yet humorous fiction or (c) were born in a year with an “odd” number in it.

(c) The Perfect Pitch 2007