Mystery

Ok -- I've never read a Dean Koontz novel before, but my girlfriend conked out early last night and this book (a gift from her cousin) happened to be lying around her apartment. I don't think I've read a novel before that has averaged two and a half stars on Amazon, but I'm also surprised by all the one-star reviews. Those I usually reserve for dull tripe, and even then I usually won't get past the first few pages to know I wouldn't like the book.

I understand what folks are writing about the ending: it seems terribly rushed, a couple of subplots are weakly resolved (if at all), and Koontz manages to shoehorn a didactic bit about a thinly-veiled creationism. But one star, really? The fact that I read the whole thing in one sitting, the fact that Koontz effectively stretches out the suspense in Grady's cabin, or that he manages to capture that sense of wonder that the characters undergo -- well, that takes a bit more narrative skill. It's like people who started pronouncing they hated "Lost" because of the unsatisfactory conclusion. Surely the journey to get to the ending was worth it, and that's what I thought of Koontz's strange mix of horror, religious fable and speculative fiction. ( )

What a strange book. Strange, but also engrossing. Koontz was able to take a disparate group of characters, weave a compelling story and tie them all together neatly with a bow. What's amazing is that none of it felt contrived at all. ( )

This a wonderful and wonderous story that leaves hope in your heart. Narration is great. This story will stay with you. Highly recommended.

FROM AMAZON: Grady Adams lives a simple, solitary life deep in the Colorado mountains. Here the 35-year-old carpenter works out of a converted barn, crafting exquisite one-of-a-kind furniture. There's little about this strong yet gentle man to suggest the experiences that have alienated him from the contemporary world. But that is about to change.

One day, while hiking, Grady spots a pair of stunningly beautiful furred animals unlike anything he's ever seen. They flee the instant they detect his presence, but the mystery of that brief encounter remains. In the days ahead, Grady will approach the creatures again, gaining their trust but coming no closer to solving their mystery. For this he enlists the help of an old friend, veterinarian Camellia "Cammy" Rivers, who, in turn, is stunned - and enchanted - by Grady's new "pets." But while Grady and Cammy carefully observe these enigmatic animals for clues to their origin, they, too, are being watched.

Soon Grady's home and hundreds of square miles of surrounding wilderness will be placed under quarantine by Homeland Security. And Grady, Cammy, and the two creatures they've come to feel they must protect at all costs find themselves virtual prisoners - and the unwilling focus of an army of biologists, naturalists, and research scientists. But it's a stunning event no one could have foreseen that convinces Grady and Cammy to do the unthinkable: to escape with the two creatures on a riveting race for freedom. ( )

Definitely not one of my favorite books by Koontz. The basic storyline was interesting but there were a few ones that I felt were unneeded and even at the end was wondering why they were included.
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