audiobooks

The first book in this series (Fear Nothing) was much better, but this one passes the test where the rubber hits the road: it's entertaining. The plot gets a bit twisty, which makes it almost mandatory to read the first book. My only complaint is the absence of Orson! This amazing dog, who steals the show in book one, gets the cameo treatment here. As charming as Mungojerrie is (my apologies to cat-lovers), he just can't fill the paws of Orson. The other characters have lost none of their entertainment value. Christopher Snow, Bobby Halloway, and Sasha Goodall are the tight-knit friends we all long to have. You sense that they truly care for one another, and their dialogue is believable and funny. Speaking of funny, Christopher's narrative is hilarious. It's the kind of stuff you chortle to while reading on a bus, causing others to look at you like you're nuts. I give the book 3 stars instead of 4 because the plot is twisty and kind of sketchy --- yes, I'll say it: a little unbelievable. But it IS entertaining, and that's what's important. It left me looking forward to the third installment of the Moonlight Bay saga. Hats off to Koontz for time and money I spent well!

Continuing the adventures of Christopher Snow, Orson, Bobby and Sasha, "Seize the Night" moved so quickly I read it in one sitting. It was like a movie, experiencing everything in one night, but Koontz, as ever, goes beyond the mere adventure/thriller/horror theme.
Its predecessor, "Fear Nothing", brought us the story of what's happening in Moonlight Bay. "Seize the Night" focuses more on the friendship and emotions of the characters; we get to know them better (except Orson, who's kidnapped and hidden for most of the book). And these definitely are people I'd like to know, and have as friends!
The geek-speak and general banter worked for me - that's basically how my friends and I speak to each other, and that made the whole story more real. The surfer lingo was a plus. It made their conversations much more fun.
Koontz's message that love, friendship and caring for one's fellow man are the most important things in life is familiar to most of his readers - it's a theme he's carried through many of his books, such as "Watchers", "Strangers", "Intensity", "Mr Murder", etc. And his characterisation is as wonderful as ever.
As with his other books, I felt really comfortable with the characters, and I was concerned about what would happen to them. And the pace of the book, the scary situations, the action and adventure added to the thrill!
The monkeys are back and as aggressive as ever, if not more so, while the mysterious figure from "Fear Nothing" shows itself, although it's as much of a mystery as ever (and a reminder of the Outsider in "Watchers". The way in which the residents of Moonlight Bay are changing is described more fully, and the way in which it's changing people who were "good" guys in "Fear Nothing" into villains is made chillingly clear.
In fact, this book seems more like a movie on paper!
I can't wait to see what the third installment will bring, and how the world will end in Mr Koontz's hands.
One thing, though - try to read "Fear Nothing" before you read this book. That's where the characters are developed. "Seize the Night" is written with the understanding that the reader has met them all before, and has learned the basis of the story. Trust me, it'll make far more sense!

Christopher Snow is back. Fans of Koontz's last offering, Fear Nothing (LJ 2/1/98), will remember Chris as the young victim of XP (xeroderma pigmentosum), a rare and deadly genetic condition that forces him to avoid light. Here, the horrifying tale of Chris's hometown, Moonlight Bay, continues to unfold. Chris and his tight band of friends take up the search for four missing children in this town, where experiments with a genetically engineered retrovirus have begun to turn several local residents into creatures that are less than human. Koontz successfully blends his special brand of suspense from generous measures of mystery, horror, sf, and the techno-thriller genre. But his greatest triumph in this series is the creation of Christopher Snow, a thought-provoking narrator with a facility for surfer-lingo and dark humor who, despite his extreme situation, is an undeniably believable character.