Just finished "Forever Odd"

I picked up a copy of Dean Koontz' latest, "Forever Odd," during a trip to Sam's Club last night. I also picked up a copy for my mother, another Koontz fan. I woke today up at 4 a.m., unable to sleep, so I decided to crack my new book.

Amid putting the kids on the bus, I finished the book around 8 a.m. The book, like Koontz' earlier "Odd Thomas," revolves around the life of Odd Thomas (his real name), a young man who tries to live a quiet life despite seeing ghosts and feeling compelled to act against perceived future mishaps. Despite being a pawn in whatever game destiny plays, he accepts his fate with remarkable aplomb. I won't pass along any spoilers here, but the book gets a very high recommendation.

I love reading Koontz because he is such a fine wordsmith. He uses simple words to paint detailed pictures of his characters, their environment and their interactions. He consistently pens works in which good triumphs over evil and in which the essential nature of man includes integrity and a sense of duty. I have no patience for authors who substitute large words and complex sentence structure for readibility - the purpose of writing is to communicate, and if you can't write clearly enough to communicate to the masses, you're a failure at your job (despite winning critical praise.)

Koontz seldom disappoints and his latest release is no exception.