Review - Life expectancy

Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz

Good things: It's better than Odd Thomas.

The five days that are foretold don't unfold like you'd expect them to, so most of what happens is a surprise.

Bad things: An over-abundance of pastry metaphors, annoying because people don't describe everything in terms of what they do for a living. I'm an engineer, but I don't relate everything in my life to reinforced concrete. Why should a pastry chef, regardless of how good a chef he is, relate everying to baking?

Too much emphasis is given to the first and second of the five days; the latter three fly by rather quickly in comparison.

The events of the last day seem a little too unreasonable (in particularly, the motivations of the character involved, are a bit of a surprise and it seems like an odd end).

Generally: I've now read two Koontz books, and I'm beginning to think that he can only write about cooks and chefs. That said, I do like this book and enjoyed, for the most part, reading it. It's curiously structured and a couple of the plot twists don't work as well as they should, but it's an engaging and easy read. I like the main character's voice, and the majority of the supporting characters are amiably eccentric.

Worth a look.

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See also:
Do you like being odd? (review of Odd Thomas, August 2005)

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50 book challenge 2006:

1 = The Soldier's Son Trilogy: 1. Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb [review]
2 = The Wheel of Time: 11. Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan [review]
3 = Conclave of the Shadows: 3. Exile's Return by Raymond E Fiest [review]
4 = The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman [review]
5 = A Song of Ice and Fire: 4. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin [review]
6 = Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz

Next = Troy: 1. Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell