In 2013 Anton Yelchin stared as Odd Thomas in the film of the same name. I really enjoyed the movie and, like most great movies, I was unsurprised to find out that it was based on a book. I quickly added it to my Goodreads TBR shelf and forgot about it. But, since I am making a concerted effort to systematically work through my physical and electronic TBR, I borrowed the audiobook from my local library. Truthfully, I had forgotten what a wonderful writer Dean Koontz is and I quickly lost myself in Pico Mundo with Odd Thomas and all his ghosts.
Odd can see dead people. He can also see beings he calls bodachs. Bodachs surround themselves with evil and are present before and during moments of violence while they feed on pain of the victims. With the Chief of Police, his boss Teri, his best friend Little Ozzie and his soulmate Stormy Llewellyn as his psychic secret keepers Odd uses his sixth sense to intercede on behalf of the innocent people of his hometown. “I see dead people. But then, by God, I do something about it.” Odd says.
In this first book a new man in town dubbed “Fungus Man,” gains Odd’s attention when he appears surrounded by bodachs. Odd has never seen such a collection of these evil entities and, as such, knows that this stranger is planning to bring massive suffering to his town. As he investigates we learn more and more about Odd Thomas, his strange upbringing, and his social circle while we search along with Odd for clues as to what Fungus man is doing.
At times this book was so suspenseful that I found myself standing completely still while listening to it. The whole last two hours I dubbed “not safe for driving” because I kept startling. I was well and truly impressed by the sheer storytelling and character development of the book and, while I knew the basic ending because I had seen the film, I still found myself thrilled by the action sequences right to the very end.
As with most series books the first one includes tremendous set up. There were times when this book felt too long and too full of characters. But, for a series and for a storyteller like Dean Koontz this is all intended for future books. There are six Odd Thomas books and three graphic novels. If the subsequent stories are anything like this one I cannot wait to read more. However, I think I will read them myself, the audiobook proved to be excellent but too intense for me.
Tell me, please!
Have you ever found a new friend in an old series?
