D. Walker, Mrs. Brown, Brother Odd

Koontz, Dean. Brother Odd. Bantam Dell, 2006.


I read the story Brother Odd by Dean Koontz. This story takes place at a monastery in California. Odd Thomas, the main character is a young man with the ability to see the spirits of the dead. He is a guest at the monastery, but because of his special trait he becomes extremely important. During the beginning of the story Odd sees many ominous spirits, which foreshadows that a terrible event is going to take place. Odd and his friends have to find out how to stop this catastrophe before it is too late. In order to stop this event from happening Odd must speak to children at a hospital for severely ill patients. Odd can communicate with spirits through the medium of children that have died, but were then revived. If Odd cannot stop this terrible event from taking place then many people will die. The setting in the mountains of California creates a snow-ridden landscape, which makes Odd Thomas’s mission extremely difficult. The author makes this book very exciting; at every point in the book there is an intensity that the reader can almost feel. He uses humor effectively throughout the book, which provides a good break from the story. He also utilizes imagery extremely well; he makes the reader feel as if he or she is really there. Overall, Koontz writes a very compelling and intriguing novel that should be read by one who likes a good action story.