Book Review - Relentless by Dean Koontz
Category Book Review Dean Koontz Relentless
I'm developing a bit of a love/hate relationship with Dean Koontz books. I finished Relentless a couple of days ago, and I like and dislike it at the same time. It all depends on what aspect of the book I'm looking at...
In the latest book, we have Cullen "Cubby" Greenwich, a successful author of popular fiction who has just released his latest book. His wife is also a successful children's author, so they are well into the writing lifestyle. We also have Milo, their son, who is six going on genius when it comes to working with computers, physics, and all those heavy-duty subjects. And let's not forget the dog, Lassie... *not* a golden retriever, but still has a unique personality that seems to be hiding a human within. Cubby gets a series of good reviews on his new book, but one in particular is rather scathing. It's by a reviewer by the name of Shearman Waxx, who is known for his intellectual ramblings, lack of humanity, and his reclusive nature. Cubby's agent tells him to just let it go, as does his wife, and as does everyone else. But he can't resist just trying to get a look at this guy who apparently hates his work. He runs into him at a restaurant, and the only word Waxx says to Greenwich is "doom". That starts a psychotic series of attacks on Cubby's family, all heading towards a probable killing of them all. No matter where he goes or where he runs, Waxx seems to be there, slowly eating away at their security and sanity. Research on Greenwich's part reveals that he's not the only author who has be targeted after brutal reviews by Waxx, and the parallels to his own situation are frightening. He has to try and play Waxx's game without knowing all the rules before Waxx takes everything that Cubby values.
On the positive side, I loved the characters. Cubby is a guy who is great with words, but pretty much inept at anything mechanical. Both his wife and kid give him endless grief over his lack of skill in that area, and the verbal exchanges are quite fun to follow. As someone who sort of views himself that way, I could relate. Koontz is still, in my book, a master at character dialogue and at painting a scene with humor and tension. But as with a number of his recent books, the plot seems thin in various areas. Waxx remained a mystery to me, even after the final chapter. The whole logistical and operational force behind his abilities to show up anywhere was far from believable, nor was I able to catch much of a reason as to why they existed in the first place. And Milo's endless absorption into his "project" seems to drag on until the very end, when it's a plot device to help Cubby and family escape. Again, it just seems to pop up out of nowhere, even though looking back there are clues to what might be happening (weak, but they're there).
I don't think Relentless was a waste of time, as I did enjoy it on a writing and character level. But I do wish that Koontz would once again deliver some of his plotlines that are more solid and believable, even when he's dealing within the "supernatural" genre.
I'm developing a bit of a love/hate relationship with Dean Koontz books. I finished Relentless a couple of days ago, and I like and dislike it at the same time. It all depends on what aspect of the book I'm looking at...
In the latest book, we have Cullen "Cubby" Greenwich, a successful author of popular fiction who has just released his latest book. His wife is also a successful children's author, so they are well into the writing lifestyle. We also have Milo, their son, who is six going on genius when it comes to working with computers, physics, and all those heavy-duty subjects. And let's not forget the dog, Lassie... *not* a golden retriever, but still has a unique personality that seems to be hiding a human within. Cubby gets a series of good reviews on his new book, but one in particular is rather scathing. It's by a reviewer by the name of Shearman Waxx, who is known for his intellectual ramblings, lack of humanity, and his reclusive nature. Cubby's agent tells him to just let it go, as does his wife, and as does everyone else. But he can't resist just trying to get a look at this guy who apparently hates his work. He runs into him at a restaurant, and the only word Waxx says to Greenwich is "doom". That starts a psychotic series of attacks on Cubby's family, all heading towards a probable killing of them all. No matter where he goes or where he runs, Waxx seems to be there, slowly eating away at their security and sanity. Research on Greenwich's part reveals that he's not the only author who has be targeted after brutal reviews by Waxx, and the parallels to his own situation are frightening. He has to try and play Waxx's game without knowing all the rules before Waxx takes everything that Cubby values.
On the positive side, I loved the characters. Cubby is a guy who is great with words, but pretty much inept at anything mechanical. Both his wife and kid give him endless grief over his lack of skill in that area, and the verbal exchanges are quite fun to follow. As someone who sort of views himself that way, I could relate. Koontz is still, in my book, a master at character dialogue and at painting a scene with humor and tension. But as with a number of his recent books, the plot seems thin in various areas. Waxx remained a mystery to me, even after the final chapter. The whole logistical and operational force behind his abilities to show up anywhere was far from believable, nor was I able to catch much of a reason as to why they existed in the first place. And Milo's endless absorption into his "project" seems to drag on until the very end, when it's a plot device to help Cubby and family escape. Again, it just seems to pop up out of nowhere, even though looking back there are clues to what might be happening (weak, but they're there).
I don't think Relentless was a waste of time, as I did enjoy it on a writing and character level. But I do wish that Koontz would once again deliver some of his plotlines that are more solid and believable, even when he's dealing within the "supernatural" genre.
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