Brother Odd

by Dean Koontz
Rating 3.5/5
Odd Thomas is just that odd, but in a very likable way. He sees dead people and other personages not of this world. He has seen a lot of violence and unhappiness in his young life and in an effort to keep things in perspective he has developed a delightful sense of humor. In Brother Odd, he lives in a monastery in hopes of finding some peace and to separate himself from the last two horrendous episodes that occurred to him. Of course, he doesn't find peace, but he does meet some interesting people and an ominous enemy.

I probably didn't enjoy this 3rd book in the series as well as the first two, but it was still a fun read. If, and I'm sure it will, a 4th book is added I will be in line to read it. One of the things I like about Koontz's books is the feeling of hope I always have when I finish a book. The bad, the chaoz, the evil in the world can be quite overpowering at times, but the main characters always have a chrystalized hope and belief in good. I like the encouragement I get from these feeble, humble and very real characters. And I always come away with some good quotes:

When we hope, we usually hope for the wrong thing. We yearn for tomorrow and the progress that it represents. But yesterday was once tomorrow, and where was the progress in it? Or we yearn for yesterday, for what was or what might have been. But as we are yearning, the present is becoming the past, so the past in nothing but our yearning for second chances.

The true source of the chill might have been an understanding that our only choice is pyre or pyre, that we live and breathe to be consumed by fire or fire, not just now and at St. Bartholomew's but always and anywhere. Consumed or purified by fire.

I regretted having to let the air out of her plan after she'd evidently spent some time inflating it.

That is the best of all things we can do for one another: Make the dark small.

Knowing that my husband and probably my daughter will be reading our copy of this book, I occasionally slipped a book dart at a meaningful, funny or poignant line or where I thought Koontz wrote a beautiful description or made use of words and language in an unexpected way. I felt like I would be sharing something with them even though I'd moved on to a different book and did't even remember why I thought something was noteworthy. Hopefully, in the context of the book they will know and find themselves smiling or nodding in agreement.