The Neighbor

The City #0.5

by Dean Koontz

A prequel to The City

The year is 1967. Malcolm Pomerantz is twelve, geeky and socially awkward, while his seriously bright sister, Amalia, is spirited and beautiful. Each is the other’s best friend, united by a boundless interest in the world beyond their dysfunctional parents’ unhappy home. But even the troubled Pomerantz household will seem to be a haven compared to the house next door, after an enigmatic and very secretive new neighbor takes up residence in the darkest hours of the night.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Short Stories, Mystery, Suspense, Paranormal

33 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Acknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.

Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.

Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com

Reviews

[Bobby Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever wondered how good a short story can be, Dean Koontz reminds us in The Neighbor. While it is touted as a prequel of sorts to his novel, The City, you need not have read it — I confess I haven’t yet — to enjoy this mesmerizing and tender short story.

Koontz immediately sucks us into the world of gangly 12 year old Malcolm and his beautiful 17 year old sister, Amalia, whom Malcolm adores. Their parents are terrible, and Malcolm describes their house as being like Poe’s House of Usher just before it sank into the swamp. Music is an escape for them, Malcolm finding the one thing he is graceful at in the Saxophone, while his very talented sister plays the clarinet and wants to be a writer. They also share a love for Big Band music of the 1930s and 1940s, which they play on vinyl records in the garage to avoid parents who hardly speak to one another. It is little touches like these which separate Koontz from the pack.

At the center of the story is the house next door, once belonging to recently deceased teacher Rupert Clockenwell. Someone is turning on lights at night in the old house, and Malcolm and his sister Amalia decide to pay the new neighbors a visit. Except there are no new neighbors, only sad revelations, and great danger. To reveal more would ruin this touching and enthralling short story I truly loved.

In addition to being an amazing read, it reminded me why I so much prefer Koontz to others in this field, especially King. With no need for padding because this was not a novel, Koontz excels, giving readers a truly engaging little story. Koontz’s optimistic attitude in regard to the human spirit, and the spiritual in general, and his sometimes common-sense conservative tone, sets him apart for this reader — and is most certainly the reason some don't like his work, if comments from readers about his books in general are to be believed.

However, everything I enjoy about Koontz — when he’s at the top of his game — is on display here in this tender and unforgettable short story. Highly recommended.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and suspenseful tale of the supernatural. Apparently “The Neighbour” is a prequel to the novel The City, but it works perfectly well as a stand-alone read. There are a few references to the events in The City, but they didn't affect much (other than making me want to read the novel).

I don't really have anything to say about this story that hundreds of other reviewers haven't already said, but I found it to be slightly spooky yet endearing, and the two main characters are likeable and sympathetic.

I'd probably give this a 3.75 star rating if it were any other author, but since Dean Koontz once autographed two novels for me in exchange for me telling him a lame joke (actually, he said that he was signing them for me in spite of my joke, but I'm sure he secretly loved it), I'll bump it up to 4.25 stars just because he's a really cool human.

[Paul Falk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dean Koontz brilliantly tugged at the coming of age of two impressionable youngsters. They lived in a time when the war in Vietnam was escalating. That in itself had no specific effect upon the storyline. This well-written short story gave me a look at the unpredictable dynamics of a family. The characters of this narrative were well-drawn. It was a captivating read - beginning to end.

12-year-old Malcolm had been awoken in the middle of the night by a faint sound coming from the house next door. He couldn't tell what it was. Didn't sound quite human. It was a bit unnerving. The owner of the home, Rupert Clockenwall had died the previous month. He had lived alone there many years. Now it stood defiantly empty. Next morning Malcolm's older sister Amalia had mentioned she had heard a noise coming from the house too. Now it was confirmed.

The siblings kept this matter hush-hush. They felt no one would believe them. Soon enough their curiosity got the better of them. The time had come for them to check out the whispering house. A door left ajar made for easy entry. Seemed too easy. Little did they know, they were not prepared for what they were about to face. The author tossed in a twist that I never saw coming. It was well executed. Trapped, there was no going back. The thunderous ending came out of nowhere. It had thrown me for a loop. Turned out, it would have been better for them to have stayed home. Too late now. They were drawn into a hopeless position that involved a battle of life or death.

[Alejandro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am huge fan of Dean Koontz so it isn't easy for me when I read something by him that it wasn't good. I was meditating to give it a 3-star rating but at the end, I realized that this short story was just okay, so the 2-star rating was sadly the right call in my opinion.

The narrative is nothing out of the ordinary, the premise and development is predictable and even something too much seen in other places, you only have to watch some episodes of Criminal Minds and adding the cliché paranormal factor of the haunted house next door and you have it.

Also, nothing really happens since even when you think that something grose just happen, it is solved in magically way, so the characters hardly get any changes from what they were at the beginning of the story.

Sadly I have to indicate that this short story is nothing that you need to put in your TBR list. You won't miss anything if you never read it.

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I figured I should review the prequel to The City separately, seeing as how I enjoyed The City so much and it was included with the volume. This short story is about Malcolm and Amalia, shortly before Jonah moves in next door. The narrative is also in first-person, but it’s about them, not Jonah. Their neighbor is recently deceased, and yet they believe they’ve heard sounds coming from the house next door. It isn’t a new neighbor that has moved in next door, but could it be a malevolent presence, ghost, revenant? Why is Amalia hearing whispers in her ear? Why has she made Malcolm promise never to go back to their neighbor’s house? A truly chilling read, and absolutely worth the extra time examining the prequel that sets the stage for some supernatural, existential thoughts.

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Some felt that perhaps in his past lay a tragedy with which he had never been able to make his peace, that the only companion with which he felt comfortable was sorrow.”
― Dean Koontz, The Neighbor

I really enjoyed this story. I had not read Koontz in years but was seeking a short story and this looked good. It was.

It would appear to be a Ghost story and it is somewhat but more than that, it was also a great story of the love between a brother and sister. I have not read The City so I have no idea what happens in it.

But this was both moving and also genuinely creepy. I will admit I thought it would go in a completely different direction than it wound up going.

I loved the two main characters. It is interesting that in such a short story such as this it contained mystery, eeriness and very strong character development. The siblings in this story were both adorable and fun. I could see the being friends.

I am also now interested in reading The City. I had never heard of The Neighbor before. I found it purely by chance and am glad I did.

SPOILERS:

I thought the dad was going to turn out to be the murderer. I don't know why I did. At first, I thought the neighbor was REALLY a good guy and was trying to lead the kids to the REAL truth.

I was wrong! I invented a whole different scenario because that is not what happened at all. Oh how creepy that neighbor was! And yeah, he was pure evil.

I'd give this a solid four stars. I will look to reading "The City."

[Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was going through my ebooks when I found this little novella and thought "what the heck, it's short and I don't know what to read next". Then, I realized it was the prequel to The City. But fortunately, it was not that bad and I actually liked it better than The City.

It was a quick read about an event before the siblings Malcolm and Amelia met Jonah. You really don't need to read this before you read The City, well you really don't need to read it after either. But at least it was better then The City. I liked Malcolm and Amelia and I would rather have read a book about them and the boring The City.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fab creepy little tale

[Anni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but spooky - quite a difficult trick to pull off!

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story about a 12 year old boy and his 17 year old sister whose neighbour has passed away, but then they see the lights on in his house...

A very short, somewhat predictable tale that weaves aspects of the supernatural with your typical creepy neighbour story. Entertaining enough and not too bad for a free kindle book.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Childhood Darkness

Dean Koontz has a way of writing a little warmth into his horror stories as he did with the close relationship between Malcom and his sister Amalia in this story. They were years apart, but close as twins and loved each other “more than anything”.

When they discover someone seemed to have moved into the abandoned house next door Amalia decides to make cookies to welcome the new neighbors. It’s when they go to what appears to be the still abandoned house that something mysterious and terrifying happens.

This was an excellent short story by Mr. Koontz, although I am not one to appreciate horror I like his addition of lovable characters that always come out on top. I will give this a solid four stars.

[MM Suarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

"One of the good things about being twelve or younger is that you tend to believe that you’ll live forever. Therefore, you take stupid risks with little hesitation, and sometimes the risk pays off. Except when it doesn’t."

I enjoyed this little story and loved Malcolm and Amalia, the brother sister duo in this tale of the supernatural with the next door neighbor from hell. I loved Koontz early work and this prequel had that early vibe, I haven't been a fan of most of the current offerings. I am tempted to read The City novel but was not impressed with the reviews, but hey maybe one of these days when I run out of books.😆

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Malcolm and his sister Amalia have a less than idyllic childhood, filled with secondhand smoke and TV dinners. Their father is cold and emotionally distant, while their mother lives to watch television and gossip with the (other) neighbor. The two children, although five years apart, are very close. The strength of the love between the siblings ends up being of utmost importance to the resolution of the story.

This is a short-story prequel to Dean Koontz's upcoming novel "The City," which will be coming out on July 1st. Whereas "The City" is the story of musical prodigy Jonah Kirk, "The Neighbor" is the story of Jonah's lifelong best friend, Malcolm Pomerantz and the strange events that happened a few weeks before the two men met as young boys. From what I can tell, this is a standalone story – you can read it even if you don't plan to read "The City," and/or you can read "The City" without reading this story. But if you like ghost stories, "The Neighbor" is worth grabbing. It's a great quick and spooky read with both human and supernatural scariness. The characters of Malcolm and Amalia are very likeable, and I'm curious to read more about them in "The City" (even though it's not *their* story).

[Judy Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dean Koontz’s THE NEIGHBOR, a novella, e-short story to prepare- tantalize, readers for the exiting upcoming book, THE CITY.

PS. Just finished THE CITY, as received an ARC (it is like no other book-5 stars). Had to go back and read, the e-short story, (as did not want to miss a thing)!

THE NEIGHBOR gives you a little background of Malcom Pomerantz, a little OCD, a musician, and saxophone child prodigy, and very inquisitive young boy of twelve.

Malcom is white and his best friend, Jonah is black, also a musician and a piano prodigy. They met in 1967, when Jonah and his mom moved in with Jonah’s grandfather, across the street from Malcom’s family. THE CITY is more about Jonah, even though Malcom and his sister are part of the book, as well.

Jonah is eccentric, talented, smart, intuitive and Malcom is a talented, comedian, and geek misfit. Together they make a dynamic duo of music, mischief, and dreams---you cannot even imagine. They meet when Jonah is ten and Malcom, twelve.

They grow up friends, and at age fifty-seven and fifty-nine, Jonah tells his story into a tape recorder—his story will become THE CITY, starting back before age seven.

Along with this incredible, suspenseful, an engaging, story and a big part of THE CITY, is Amalia, Malcom’s big sister, age seventeen. They were very close—she is smart, talented, a writer, and an old soul.

In early June, nearly a month before Jonah moved across the street, some strange things began happening one door west of him, at the former Rupert Clockenwall place (who died of a massive heart attack the month prior). Is there a story here about this guy, and was he really Teacher of the Year material?

The late Clockenwall’s only surviving relative was a brother who lived far away and the house is empty with ghosts and much more, as they discover a past and evidence which proves this guy was very disturbed.

Of course, having the usual fantasy life of a twelve-year-old there was sometimes imagined dramas when none existed. Rupert seemed to have been too bland a soul to come back from the grave on a haunt? Who was Melinda Lee—a middle school girl who three months before her thirteenth birthday, went missing? What does this guy have to do with his sister and the cross she began wearing at age fifteen?

Read both books.Mesmerizing. You will not be disappointed!

[Calvin Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Neighbor is a short story by Dean Koontz. The house next door sits vacant. Mr. Clockenwall died of a massive heart attack a month earlier. Twelve-year-old, Malcolm, viewed the old man, a retired English teacher, as quiet, one who kept to himself. But one night, an unusual sound drew Malcolm and his older sister, Amalia, into the vacant home. Amalia confides that Mr. Clockenwall gave her the creeps, and for good reason. She admonished Malcolm never to set foot in his home alone. Malcolm can’t resist. Forces working beyond Malcolm’s control draw him into home. He finds scrapbooks, pictures and newspaper clippings. In the basement, he finds more evidence of a man with problems. Will the force overcome him? And his sister?

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too short to have much substance, but it was ok.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Neighbor is a short prequel, used to promote the full-length novel, The City. I originally did not enjoy The City, but did enjoy this short story. After re-reading The City in 2020, decided I might as well re-read The Neighbor. This time around, I found more value in The City and increased the book's rating to four stars.

With few words and pages, The Neighbor goes to some interesting places. The build up, background and character description is well-written and intriguing - from there the story is over rather quickly. It's difficult to truly understand another person and their unique perspective unless we are able to walk in their shoes so to speak.

Favorite Passages:

The strangeness started at 3:00 one morning, when an unusual sound awakened me. As I sat up in bed, I didn't think the noise had been in my room. I was pretty sure it came from beyond the window, although it might have been the last sound in a dream that, by its very threatening nature, compelled the sleeper to wake. In this case, it called to mind a long sword being drawn from a metal scabbard, the stropping of steel on steel.
_______

Through the sheers that hung over the upstairs window, a sinuous dark form whidded past the curtained glass. Although any moving shadow is bent by light and by every surface over which it travels, this one seemed particularly strange, bringing to mind the supple wings of a mantra ray swimming the sea with all the grace of a bird in flight.
_______

Most mornings, our old man preferred a sandwich for breakfast, usually bacon and eggs on heavily buttered toast. In bad weather, he stood at the sink to eat, staring out at the small backyard, silent and remote, as though he must be pondering important philosophical issues - or planning a murder. On the nearby cutting board stood a mug of coffee. He held the sandwich in his right hand, a cigarette in his left, alternating between the two. When witness to this, I always hoped that in error he would take a bite of the cigarette or attempt to smoke the sandwich, but he never became confused.
_______

"What did he say - the man under window?" I asked.
"He called my name. Twice. But I'm sure he was in the dream, not really there."
What was the dream about?"
"I don't remember."
"Not even a scrap of it?"
"Not even."
_______

"Before you go away to the university, you'll have to teach me to iron."
Her green eyes sparkled, I swear they did, when something moved or amused her. "Sweetie, I'd no sooner put an iron in your hands than I would a chain saw."
_______

"You could never ruin my life, Malcolm. Why you're the most important and wonderful thing in it."
She never lied. She didn't manipulate people. If she'd been anyone but who she was, I could have looked her in the eye and insisted that I'd commit hara-kiri, even though I knew that I never would. Instead, I stared at the trimmed-off crusts of my toast and tore them into little pieces as I said, "You've go to take the scholarship. You've just got to. It's the best thing ever happened to us."
I heard her put down her fork. After a silence, she said, "I love you, too, Malcolm," and then for another reason entirely, I couldn't meet her eyes. Or speak.
After we cleared the table, after she washed the dishes and I dried them, she said, "Hey let's make oatmeal cookies."
"With chocolate chips and walnuts?"
"For Mom and Dad, we'll make them with chopped anchovies and lima beans, just to see their expressions when they bite into one. The rest with chocolate chips and walnuts. We'll take a plate of them to the new neighbors and introduce ourselves."
_______

The delicious aroma of baking cookies eventually reached the living room, where our mother left the TV long enough to come to the kitchen and say, "Are you making a mess"
"No, ma'am," Amalia said.
"It looks like a mess to me."
"Only while we're baking. It'll all be cleaned up after."
"There's housework that should come before this kind of thing," our mother said.
"I'm ahead of schedule on the housework," Amalia assured her, "now that school is out."
Mother stood just inside the door to the hall, an apparition in her quilted pink housecoat and morning hair, looking mildly confused, as though the task upon which we were engaged must be as mystifying to her as any complex voodoo ritual. Then she said, "I like min with almonds, not walnuts."
"Sure," Amalia said, "we're going to make a batch like that."
"Your father likes the walnuts but not the chocolate chips."
"We're going to make a batch like that, too," Amalia promised.
To me, my mother said, "Have you dropped and broken anything?"
"No, ma'am. I've got it together."
"I like that glass measuring cup. They don't make them like that anymore."
"I'll be careful," I said.
"Be careful with it," she said, as if I'd said nothing, and she went back to the TV in the living room.
Amalia and I baked the cookies. We cleaned up. I didn't break anything. And then we went next door to meet the new neighbors.
_______

Our mother liked nothing more than having a legitimate reason to criticize us. She'd peck and peck and peck at you for the littlest mistake, until you thought she was going to keep at it until you were nothing but bones.
_______

He had been polite; and if he happened to be in his yard when you were in your, he would spend a few minutes in agreeable conversation over the fence. No one considered him aloof or cold, only shy and on occasion melancholy. Some felt that perhaps in his past lay a tragedy with which he had never been able to make his peace, that the only companion with which he felt comfortable was sorrow.
Amalia was somewhat distressed. "Somebody should have cleaned up these dishes and emptied the refrigerator before things in it spoiled. Leaving it like this . . . it's just wrong."
_______

"He said, 'Melinda. Sweet Melinda.'"
"Who said"
"It sounded like Mr. Clockenwall."
When I was younger and my sister was not yet perfect, she had enjoyed spooking me by reporting with great conviction things like, Dad didn't realize I was there, and he took off his face and under it was this lizard face! Or on one occasion, Oh, God, I saw Mom eating live spiders! She was so convincing that I needed about a year to become immune to her bizarre declarations, and for another year I pretended to believe them because it was such fun. Then she became interested in boys and lost interest in scaring me, although I was never so scared by any of her hoaxes as by a couple of the idiot guys she dated; even in those days, however, she was too smart to go out with a psychopathic maniac more than twice.
"Mr. Clockenwall is dead and buried," I reminded her.
"I know he's dead and buried." Holding the plate of cookies with her left hand, she rubbed the back of her neck with the right, as if smoothing away gooseflesh. "Or at least he's dead."
"I'm not nine anymore, sis."
"What's that mean?"
"I know Mom eats only dead spiders."
"I'm not joking with you, Malcolm." As before, she startled and turned, as if toward a voice that I couldn't hear.
"What now?"
"He said it again. 'Sweet Melinda.'"
_______

Bad things happened to good people when invisible men or their equivalent were around.
_______

Forty minutes later, in the kitchen, after we had toted that barge and lifted that bale, as we were peeling carrots and potatoes for dinner, I asked her again, and she said, "Nothing happened."
"Well, something did."
Focused intently on the potato that she was skinning, Amalia said, "Something happened only if one or both of us insists it did. If both of us decide nothing happened, then nothing happened. You know what they say - if a tree falls in the forest and there's no one there to see it, then it didn't fall. Okay, all right, I know that's not how it goes. If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one to hear it, maybe it didn't make a sound. But my version is a logical corollary. Entirely logical. No tree fell in the Clockenwall house, so there was nothing to hear or see. You're twelve, so maybe that doesn't make sense to you, but when you've had a few more years of math and a course in logic, you'll understand. I don't want to talk about it."
"If nothing happened, what is it you don't want to talk about?"
"Exactly," she said.
"Are you scared or something?"
"There's nothing to be scared of. Nothing happened."
"Well, at least now we're talking about it," I said.
She threw a ribbon of potato skin at me, and it stuck to my face, and I said, "Sibling abuse," and she said, "You ain't seen nothin' yet."
_______

. . . I stood listening, but there was only silence so deep that the house might not have been located in the city any longer, might have been enveloped by some bubble in space-time and set adrift in eternity.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually read shot stories but this one caught my attention for three reasons. 1. It was a ghost story...2. It was written by one of my all time favorite authors, Dean Koontz...and 3. It was one I knew I had never read, or even heard of. So...off to an afternoon with "Uncle Dean". It didn't make an afternoon ...it barely made it to an hour but it was a fascinating well told little ghost story. It had hidden elements that were slowly brought out that made it all the more interesting. It didn't try to gloss over the happenings that caused the haunting with disbelieves and denials. It just told the story and left it to the reader to believe it or not. As for Malcolm and his sister Amalia...no one had to convince them that the horror that dwelled yet next door was anything other than what it was. Excelled story...but way too short. I guess that's what makes it a "short story???:)

[Lyn *Nomadic Worlds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy, creepy. I suppose October can't pass by without me reading one of Dean Koontz's books. I still remember how creeped out I was by Winter Moon.

[Siobhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m a big Dean Koontz fan, and even though I wasn’t crazy about The City I was curious about this little prequel.

In truth, I would have gotten along just fine had I never read The Neighbor. It’s not a necessity, it’s just a little extra. It was interesting, to a degree, but for the most part it fell short. Things came together well, but I was never sucked completely into the story.

It could just be the fact I’m not the biggest fan of short stories, though, as for the most part this left me with the wish I’d been given more.

[Franky · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best quality of a short story (be it humor, horror, mystery, drama, sci-fi, or any other genre) is one that leaves a lasting impression and is one that you can come back to and read again to savor the experience. In my opinion, “The Neighbor” is such a story. Dean Koonz’s “The Neighbor”, a prelude to the novel “The City,” is a tale that not only has moments of heart and familial bonding, but also is quite frightening, disturbing, scary, mysterious and intense.

What I particularly loved about this tale is how Koonz carefully sets up the back story and background to his characters, especially main character Malcolm and his older sister, Amalia. Malcolm’s narration into the time, neighborhood and neighbors has a bit of a nostalgic, yet mysterious tone to it. As he describes time and place, you get the sense that something more mysterious and unsettling is brewing underneath it all. In this case, it involves a particular house on the block, one that once belonged to deceased teacher named Rupert Clockenwall. Odd happenings seem to be associated with the house: lights turning on, odd ball noises, mysterious voices. Assuming there are new neighbors on the block that have moved in, Malcolm and Amalia decide to investigate and pay a visit….

It’s not often that a story can be equal parts scary and touching, but somehow Koonz has managed just that with “The Neighbor.” Despite this tale being only 32 pages in length, I felt like the characters were strongly developed and the building to the last moments were quite tension-filled.

I’m definitely interested in reading “The City.”

This one is definitely recommended for anyone who enjoys a nice little spooky tale.

[Monnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story - just 33 pages - is a prequel to The City, the author's latest novel. Since I haven't read the book yet (it's next on my list), I'm not sure how important it is to read this story, released as a Kindle single. But I do know it's excellent on its own.

It took less than half an hour to read, and yes, what takes place here makes me want to read more (which, I suppose, is one of the main reasons some authors have taken to writing these little ditties). Set in 1967, it's about 12-year-old Malcolm Pomerantz, a gifted musician, and his equally gifted older sister Amalia. Their home life is not a very happy one, and they rely on each other for comfort and companionship. Amalia, however, has earned a full scholarship to college and will be leaving the nest - and her brother - soon.

One night, Malcolm notices lights on in the house next door - a house that's stood empty since the owner, a former school teacher, passed away. When Malcolm learns that his sister also saw activity in the house, the two can't resist paying a visit to see what's going on. What they find is creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky. And isn't that great?

[Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unclean Spirit...

This is a prequel to The City: A Novel and should be read first.

This short eerie story explains about the vacant house next to Malcom and Amalia's childhood home. They discover secrets they would have rather not know in the pursuit of being neighborly with the new neighbor they assume moved in at 3 am the night before. What happens next will overshadow their lives forever!

Full of suspense this short and chilling thriller sets a very supernatural tone to the neighborhood where the characters from The City: A Novel grow up. I don't want to give spoilers but this is a definite prerequisite for reading the novel! I can't wait to read The City: A Novel and find out what happens next to these intrepid youngsters raising themselves and taking care of their parents in the turbulent times of the late 60s!

***This novella and the corresponding book are suitable for adult readers due to mature and sensitive subject matter

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, of course, I read these in the wrong order...the book The City prior to this short story and prequel. It didn't really matter. Both were beautiful with great characters and both had very creepy story lines. Sometimes I forget how much story and character development can be packed into a short story but Koontz has reminded me. Great short story as a stand alone or with The City.

[Silvie Klokgieter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heel kort verhaal. Het begint goed maar eigenlijk vond ik het uiteindelijk nergens op slaan. 1,5*

[Obsidian · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while since I actually read and reviewed a Dean Koontz book that was not part of his Odd Thomas series. I used to love to read Dean Koontz when I was younger and devoured Strangers, Watchers, The Servants of Twilight, Ticktock (which was more adventure/funny than scary and I loved it), and a collection of short stories that I mentioned yesterday, Strange Highways.

Then I don't know what happened. I started to find myself not loving all of his more recent fare and then just outright not liking them. I finally stopped buying his books because I felt like I was reading the same plot over and over again with new character names. I was tired of reading about this super women that seemed to have no flaws and only existed to further along the hero's plot.

I decided to take a gamble on this short story since hey it was .99 cents and clocked in at 33 pages. I have to say. I am very glad that I did.

This short story really reminded me of old school Dean Koontz. What I mean by that is that you have the story building to a climax and there are no international organizations out to destroy the world, there are no aliens, and most importantly there are no dogs.

There is just a story of 12 year old Malcolm who loves his sister Amalia the most in this world since they were dealt a crappy hand and have two parents who treat them like slaves.

So what would be the worse thing to have happen to this boy? What do you think?

This short story explores that and more. We actually have an interesting tale of a neighbor who was just a man who also was more than he appeared. And this story reminded me again that sometimes people who are truly evil can live next door.

I highly recommend!

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a short and fast read, 33 pages actually. It pulled me in from the very beginning and kept me wanting more. This book is a Prequel to "The City", hoping The City is as moving and spooky as this one.
Yikes!!

The Neighbor:
Every city has its wonders and mysteries. For the Pomerantz family, the most disturbing mystery at the moment is the identity and the intentions of their new neighbor, in this eBook original short story—a prequel to The City, the gripping and moving new novel by Dean Koontz.

The year is 1967. Malcolm Pomerantz is twelve, geeky and socially awkward, while his seriously bright sister, Amalia, is spirited and beautiful. Each is the other’s best friend, united by a boundless interest in the world beyond their dysfunctional parents’ unhappy home. But even the troubled Pomerantz household will seem to be a haven compared to the house next door, after an enigmatic and very secretive new neighbor takes up residence in the darkest hours of the night.

[R.A. White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and creepy story. It's amazing how I could feel like I knew the characters so well in such a short time, but that's one thing I love about Dean Koontz. Now I'm ready to read The City! As if I wasn't, already…
Language: I don't remember any bad words, exactly, but the 'bad guy' is really bad and there's some disturbing stuff.
Sexual Content: I guess ditto on 'Language'.
Overall Message/Theme: It's a short story, not a thesis, but it does illustrate how often the most 'normal' people are actually villains, and that we can be better than those who came before us, in particular, our parents.

[Dannii Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a prequel short story to The City.

Malcolm and Amelia are both siblings and best friends. They share everything, including a fascinating to the mysterious house next door...

This was a pretty dark and disturbing read but the reason why it doesn't garner a higher rating from me is that I believe it spent too long in setting up the events that occurred. Much of the page span was spent introducing the siblings and the portions that focused on the terrifying aspects very brief. Everything was then wrapped up in record time leaving this to be an interesting premise with some shocking moments, but an unbalanced story.

[Brent Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some may be put off by Dean Koontz different approach in this novella and in the book, "The City" , from which the characters in "The Neighbor" are taken. Just because this didn't seem like a Dean Koontz approach is no reason to punish him with a lower rating and in fact the plots of both work perfectly together and are well done. The time period that the books are in are interesting and again well done. The ending of "The City" was unexpected and the profile of the two supporting characters in their own story in "The Neighbor" fits the bigger story and seems to add to it.

See both reviews and also an overview of the author at https://connectedeventsmatter.com/blo...