Book Review
Feb. 20th, 2008 12:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
firebyrdI just finished reading The Darkest Evening of the Year, my first Dean Koontz novel. For some reason, I've always had an aversion to reading him and this book, started in desperation for something to do at my mom's, hasn't changed my feelings.
The main character is a woman who rescues golden retrievers. The book drips with animal rights movement propaganda and beats the reader over the head with guilt. Nevermind that the situation for homeless animals in the U.S. is getting better and better all the time. There are no shelters around here, for example, that kill an animal if it hasn't found a home in three days or whatever. Just a quick glance at the Pet Harbor website where the Ogden Animal Shelter lists all of their animals shows that they've had a number of dogs there for almost a month. Clearly they're just killing animals willy-nilly. Of course I push spaying and neutering. Of course I discourage so-called "backyard breeding" of animals with no genetic screening. And of course animal mills are disgusting, though I do not for one second believe they are nearly as prevalent as this book would have you believe.
It is gripping, but mostly because it's dang confusing. There are several viewpoint characters, some of whom are clearly insane and whose chapters make no sense. You have to keep reading just so you can figure out what the hell these psychopaths have to do with anything. It comes together in the end in a somewhat interesting way, but then ends with one of the lamest deus ex machinas ever. *SPOILER* Both of the good guys are mortally injured on one page, and then the next, they were healed by the dog, who afterwards was just a dog. So, what was the point of even hurting said characters, then?
Thumbs down. While it did the job of entertaining me, it was stupid, especially the end. I am not inclined to pick up anything else of his.
The main character is a woman who rescues golden retrievers. The book drips with animal rights movement propaganda and beats the reader over the head with guilt. Nevermind that the situation for homeless animals in the U.S. is getting better and better all the time. There are no shelters around here, for example, that kill an animal if it hasn't found a home in three days or whatever. Just a quick glance at the Pet Harbor website where the Ogden Animal Shelter lists all of their animals shows that they've had a number of dogs there for almost a month. Clearly they're just killing animals willy-nilly. Of course I push spaying and neutering. Of course I discourage so-called "backyard breeding" of animals with no genetic screening. And of course animal mills are disgusting, though I do not for one second believe they are nearly as prevalent as this book would have you believe.
It is gripping, but mostly because it's dang confusing. There are several viewpoint characters, some of whom are clearly insane and whose chapters make no sense. You have to keep reading just so you can figure out what the hell these psychopaths have to do with anything. It comes together in the end in a somewhat interesting way, but then ends with one of the lamest deus ex machinas ever. *SPOILER* Both of the good guys are mortally injured on one page, and then the next, they were healed by the dog, who afterwards was just a dog. So, what was the point of even hurting said characters, then?
Thumbs down. While it did the job of entertaining me, it was stupid, especially the end. I am not inclined to pick up anything else of his.
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Date: 2008-02-21 08:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-22 09:14 pm (UTC)