Day 04/30

Day 04/30 - your favorite book

man, these prompts just get harder and harder. it's hard for me to choose a favorite book. I've been reading a LOT lately and have had the pleasure of picking up fantastic novels. there is one book that always sticks out in my mind. I read it years ago, and to this day, I still consider it one of my all time favorites. 

Odd Thomas - Dean Koontz

I've always been more of a mystery/suspense reader and not so much a fan of love stories. but to my surprise, this book contained a little of both. 

Odd Thomas is the story of a young man living in the desert of a small town called Pico Mundo. he seems like an ordinary guy - he's a line cook at Pico Mundo Grill and he spends his time with his long time girlfriend, Stormy. the truth is that Odd is a little... well... odd. he has a gift (or maybe it's a curse) in which he can see and communicate with the souls of those who have passed on. not only that, but he can sense when danger is near, and he has used his skills in the past to help the local police chief solve minor crimes. 

a strange man arrives in his home town, and immediately, Odd senses that the man is destined to do horrible things to his city. he's dreamed about this day for years. he doesn't know much, just that a lot of people may die if he doesn't stop him. throughout the book, he tries to learn more, while still attempting to cover up his premonitions from those around him. his concern for others far outweighs his concerns for himself, and he puts his life at risk trying to save the town from tragedy.

obviously, I'm not going to give the book away and spoil the plot. I highly suggest that anyone who is a fan of mystery and suspense novels pick this book up and read it. Dean Koontz is such an amazing writer, and he really got it right with Odd Thomas. he delivers much of what I like in a book... horror, suspense, a little violence, and just the right amount of weird. this book illustrates exactly why Dean Koontz is such a successful author. 

also, Koontz took it bit farther and wrote a few sequels to follow Odd Thomas. Forever Odd, Brother Odd, and Odd Hours are those sequels. while I enjoyed reading all of them, if not to learn just a little more about Odd himself, they don't hold a candle to the first book.

if you wanna take a peek at the entire 30 Day Challenge, check it out here! 

Happy Thursday!