Commentary/review

Dean Koontz is known for thrillers and horrors. This book, however, failed to scare me. I found it sentimental, overly long and extremely American. The descriptions of weapons and forms of aggression, warfare and policing are just as tiring as the constant references to actual commercial products. Descriptions of a healthcare system where you can obtain diagnosis for a very rare disease in a matter of hours in a single institution, where you never worry about the cost and are able to request any medical procedure in the middle of the night are absurdly unreal. References to Nazi death camps and neo-Nazi groups are heavy handed and lack conviction. I would not recommend this book to anyone actually suffering from an illness.

I would be unfair, however, not to mention that the beginning of the story is very engaging. The main character has charm and the story is interesting – at least in places where it is not absurd. There is the ever-present Koontzian dog trope. References to literature and small puzzles induce mental exercise which is always welcome. Dean Koontz is a writer whom I like and enjoy, despite his genre which I usually avoid. The fact that I did not enjoy some parts of Ashley Bell will not prevent me from reading new titles by this author. The narrator also did a very good job in this production. The main problem here is with the story but my bad impression may be due to the realities and the disillusionment of my part of the world.

This is one of the best audiobook covers I have encountered. It fits the contents and looks pretty on small devices. It is very clear and comes in the same style as other books by Dean Koonz. Audiobook covers should look like that, it is that simple.

Cover Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash