"The dead don't talk. I don't know why." But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Odd Thomas thinks of himself as an ordinary guy, if possessed of a certain measure of talent at the Pico Mundo Grill and rapturously in love with the most beautiful girl in the world, Stormy Llewellyn. Maybe he has a gift, maybe it's a curse, Odd has never been sure, but he tries to do his best by the silent souls who seek him out. Sometimes they want justice, and Odd's otherworldly tips to Pico Mundo's sympathetic police chief, Wyatt Porter, can solve a crime. Occasionally they can prevent one. But this time it's different. A mysterious man comes to town with a voracious appetite, a filing cabinet stuffed with information on the world's worst killers, and a pack of hyena-like shades following him wherever he goes. Who the man is and what he wants, not even Odd's deceased informants can tell him. His most ominous clue is a page ripped from a day-by-day calendar for August 15.
Today is August 14. In less than twenty-four hours, Pico Mundo will awaken to a day of catastrophe. As evil coils under the searing desert sun, Odd travels through the shifting prisms of his world, struggling to avert a looming cataclysm with the aid of his soul mate and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock 'n' Roll. His account of two shattering days when past and present, fate and destiny converge is the stuff of our worst nightmares-and a testament by which to live: sanely if not safely, with courage, humor, and a full heart that even in the darkness must persevere.
This was a mind-blowing work from Dean Koontz. It is one of the few books that actually brought a tear to my eye at some parts. The heroic young man is faced with so many challenges, and yet he perseveres. The story instantly captures your attention from the opening page with a humble introduction from the main character. As the action progresses, you'll be gripping the book in white-knuckled anticipation, sighing with relief, and smiling at the beauty of the story.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story about an everyday hero with a bit of a supernatural gift. It deals with the most basic of moral questions, how much evil is there really in an average human? How strong is the power of love? What can you go through and still have faith in humanity?
RATINGS
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Interest Level: 5/5
Overall: 100/A for lack of anything higher.
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