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ari613's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
dj68's review against another edition
3.0
It wasn't as bad as I'd expected or feared, but I can't consider it a masterpiece. It could easily have been shortened to a novella and still regain all of the main ingredients. And it wasn't too cute or dog-ish, which I'd certainly expected.
But let me start off by saying, I'm not religious, I do believe in more than meets the eye, but I can't really believe that evolution is wrong. Maybe there are some holes here and there, but I think that there's enough proof to back up, that evolution is, indeed, fact. I'm not saying we know it all, as it is clear that there are tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of things yet to be discovered.
Overall the book entertained me and I was never really bored with it - except, maybe, for the Henry parts, I really didn't find them interesting or particularly well-written. They didn't seem to belong in this story - and no, don't say that I didn't "get it", it's entirely possible to get it and still don't think that it fits.
I really liked the story of Tom Bigger the best, would have loved to read a whole novel about him.
Also, why does it seem, in all his later books, that unless a couple is married, people are asexual? That really isn't realistic. He has no qualms writing about violence, but sex is a no-no.
My main gripe with the book is, that it seemed really juvenile. I have read children's books with better plots and better characterization. Plus, there really seemed to be a lot of filler just to meet some length-requirements.
Which brings me to: The Darkest Evening... is 354 pages long, Your Heart.. is 337 pages, Frankenstein 3 352, Relentless 356 and Breathless 337....what, is Koontz now under contractual obligations to write between 335 and 360 pages? Just semes weird.
Anyway, it kept me going, but it's definitely not a masterpiece, I'll reserve that praise to Under The Dome ;)
Oh, maybe koontz should just shift gears entirely and start writing religious fiction. There's a big market for that.
But let me start off by saying, I'm not religious, I do believe in more than meets the eye, but I can't really believe that evolution is wrong. Maybe there are some holes here and there, but I think that there's enough proof to back up, that evolution is, indeed, fact. I'm not saying we know it all, as it is clear that there are tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of things yet to be discovered.
Overall the book entertained me and I was never really bored with it - except, maybe, for the Henry parts, I really didn't find them interesting or particularly well-written. They didn't seem to belong in this story - and no, don't say that I didn't "get it", it's entirely possible to get it and still don't think that it fits.
I really liked the story of Tom Bigger the best, would have loved to read a whole novel about him.
Also, why does it seem, in all his later books, that unless a couple is married, people are asexual? That really isn't realistic. He has no qualms writing about violence, but sex is a no-no.
My main gripe with the book is, that it seemed really juvenile. I have read children's books with better plots and better characterization. Plus, there really seemed to be a lot of filler just to meet some length-requirements.
Which brings me to: The Darkest Evening... is 354 pages long, Your Heart.. is 337 pages, Frankenstein 3 352, Relentless 356 and Breathless 337....what, is Koontz now under contractual obligations to write between 335 and 360 pages? Just semes weird.
Anyway, it kept me going, but it's definitely not a masterpiece, I'll reserve that praise to Under The Dome ;)
Oh, maybe koontz should just shift gears entirely and start writing religious fiction. There's a big market for that.
hebberelle's review against another edition
2.0
Completely disappointing Koontz. It's like someone else wrote this. It has all the elements, but none of the magic. The conversations are stiff, the characters have no depth, and the plot is nearly non-existent. The ending is just nothing. No reveal, no connection, no magical insight, just poof, ended.
dukeofbacon's review against another edition
2.0
Lot of build up and a lot of threads, but as enjoyable as that all was to me, there was no real payoff to the ending. Which is a shame because even though I despised some of the characters I liked that it was intended, but ultimately irrelevant.
Great premise, but not enough promise.
Great premise, but not enough promise.
ms_chievous's review against another edition
4.0
So let me tell you...
I did NOT want to like Dean Koontz's books. And then I read Breathless. And now...now I'm hooked.
This book is masterfully written. A nice blend of storylines that gives you just enough to keep things interesting and not too much where it bores you.
I swear, as I went through this story, I was constantly texting and calling my Dad (the one who so lovingly recommended this book) because Dean Koontz is just a literary genius.
I have so much more to say about this book, but the amount is overwhelming, so I may add more to this review later.
Just...GO READ THIS BOOK NOW.
mkay.
I did NOT want to like Dean Koontz's books. And then I read Breathless. And now...now I'm hooked.
This book is masterfully written. A nice blend of storylines that gives you just enough to keep things interesting and not too much where it bores you.
I swear, as I went through this story, I was constantly texting and calling my Dad (the one who so lovingly recommended this book) because Dean Koontz is just a literary genius.
I have so much more to say about this book, but the amount is overwhelming, so I may add more to this review later.
Just...GO READ THIS BOOK NOW.
mkay.
nbonz4's review against another edition
3.0
This was a simple and quick read. I'm glad I picked this one up and got around to it after being disappointed with some of Koontz's recent releases. This story goes back to his roots of weirdom, although on a very shallow level.
Good book, but I wish we could get a new one from him that is a bit more intense/involved like the older ones.
Good book, but I wish we could get a new one from him that is a bit more intense/involved like the older ones.
sophietica's review against another edition
1.0
This is a very odd book. It has no real plot, progression or satisfying ending. It feels like DK started 4 different novels, and then just published them all as a single book. Not his best effort.
jocelyn_17's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This book is so weird
kylemurphy's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book, even if the ending felt a little rushed. I was very invested in the characters and what would happen to them, but I suppose that always happens when animals are involved, you instinctively feel protective towards them. But Koontz has always been able to get me caring about his characters. Through all these years and books of his I've read, I've got to give it to the guy, he keeps on delivering. One of my all-time favorite authors, he deserves more respect than he gets.
papidoc's review against another edition
3.0
Not his best, but also not his worst. I like Koontz' writing, and he is one of the few novelists that I continue reading. In Breathless, I enjoyed how he kept juggling multiple characters and sub-plots, eventually bringing them together to form a whole. Breathless is a welcome return to Koontz’ signature blend of fantasy and humanity-induced horror.