Koontzland - Dean Koontz discussion

Dinah wrote: "Has anyone read this book? Is it any good?"

Yes. No.


:-) I was surprised to find we didn't have a topic started on this book, but I must just keep talking about it in the Disappointed thread. Your Heart Belongs to Me is one of my least favorite books by Dean Koontz and in my opinion one of the worst books he has written. I read Your Heart Belongs to me when it was first published and it turned me off Koontz for about 6 months until Relentless came out. I will give Your Heart another chance when it's chosen as a group read but I don't have very good memories of my initial reading.

OMG I totally agree! Stay away!

I had to create a books-I-don't-like shelf on GR just to put this one in there. I know every author is entitled to a stinker, but MAN that was bad.

I just wanted to clarify, for those who don't know me: I absolutely adore Koontz and have not given any of his books less than 3 stars. That's what made this one so disappointing. I'm always afraid someone out there will pick this one up as the first Koontz read and will get the wrong impression.

Good idea! New Odd Thomas book is already out, so read that instead:)

Dinah wrote: "I've never read any of his stand alone novels, so thought this one might be good, and with a bargain price tag. :D"

Oh, then you have so much to discover! I am insanely jealous right now.

I always recommend Lightning as the first book. In all my time on different Koontz boards, that's the one book everyone agrees on being great.

Dinah wrote: "The second Odd Thomas bad though. I didn't like it. Got bored. I have the entire series, so hopefully the others are better."
Hi Dinah,
I also didn't like the 2nd Odd very much. I found the whole set-up continually disturbing. I loved at the end when he was reunited with his peeps but other than that, I wanted out of that book. I really liked the 3rd and I believe it was because there was a healthy dose of good people as opposed to just Odd confronting Evil all on his own. Since 3, I have read because I love Odd but not the stories. Odd Hours was disturbing. Odd Apocalypse ditto. I know people read Odd for that aspect so I am not complaining. I just want Oddy to have some healthy interactions on camera too.
Jen

If Your Heart is chosen as a group read then we can all bash it together :-)

I also like Lightning and don't care for Forever Odd but I'll try it again when it's chosen as a group read because every Dean Koontz book deserved a second chance right?

I rate books similar to Masha. I give 3 stars to average books. The books has to really make me upset to get 1 or 2 stars. I give out lots of 4 and 5 stars because I am a generous person :-)

The time has come. Your Heart Belongs to Me has been chosen as July 2013 Group Read (along with Shattered). I will re-read this and give it another chance. I will try to read with an open mind but I will also be openly and honestly critical if I feel like it :-)

Who else is ready, willing and excited for this Journey?

FYI: Your Heart Belongs to Me currently tops the list (which I created) of The Worst of Dean Koontz. Feel welcome to check the list out and cast your vote:
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/29...

I've been wanting to read this one forever!

Holly wrote: "I've been wanting to read this one forever!"

:-)Your time for Your Heart is now!

I'm excited to read this, as it will be the first group read of a book that I now own!! :-)

Oooh, this is one that I haven't read before but have had it on the TBR list for ages. This will be a good opportunity to force myself to finally give it a go.

Yay!!! Can't wait to read this one! :-D

Currently reading - two thirds done. Having just finished Whispers, this is a short one. Glad we have two in July.

I read this when it first came out and it is the worst book he's written. For the first half of the book, I was waiting for it to start. Once is enough for me.

A woman said, "Are you ready to see Rebecca's apartment?"
Rebecca Reach. Samantha's mother.
-Your Heart Belongs to Me, Chapter 14

I think it's stupid that the author feels the need to remind us who Rebecca is here. Really like we forgot. I just think it's a bit belittling to the reader that is all. Rebecca Reach was fully introduced to us in Chapter 11 and I for one, did not forget who she was by Chapter 14.

Here is some blatant Golden Retriever propaganda inserted into the story for you at the doctor's office:

Ryan focused on the golden retriever in the family portrait. He had long wanted a dog. He'd been too busy to make room for one in his life. There had always seemed to be plenty of time for a dog in the years to come.
-Your Heart Belongs to Me, Chapter 22

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Here is some blatant Golden Retriever propaganda inserted into the story for you at the doctor's office:

Ryan focused on the golden retriever in the family portrait. He had long wanted a dog. He'd..."

In retrospect, this seems like part of Ryan's characterization. No room for a dog= no room for love etc.

And I wonder how that Golden Retriever connection is gonna play out in the end :-)

It seems to me that he had made room for Samantha in his life.

I've stood back on this discussion as I think this is one of the weakest books Koontz has ever written (my opinion throughout of course). It's not the Golden Retriever part(s) that bother me. I love Retrievers. I can understand his being enamored with them. It's just that this is a poorly written book. It's especially sad as it came on the heels of several of his books I really like.

Life I guess.

Finished Your Heart last night. I still don't like it.

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I love Retrievers. I can understand his being enamored with them. It's just that this is a poorly written book."

I agree :-)

I'm not sure how well or badly the book is written; I think Koontz has done worse a time or two strictly on quality of writing. My problems with this book are fundamental, philosophical. I appreciate Koontz, by his own admission, trying to do something different with his protagonist, but that's not why I read his books. Not to mention the Big Reveal made no sense at so many levels...

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "It's especially sad as it came on the heels of several of his books I really like.
"

Which books? Your Heart was published in 2008. The first Odd Thomas books and Frankenstein books were published before this and then these stand-alones:

Life Expectancy (2004)
The Taking (2004)
Velocity (2005)
The Husband (2006)
The Good Guy (2007)
The Darkest Evening of the Year (2007)

Your Heart Belongs to Me let me down, but I'd still read it again. Mostly because I own it and don't remember much about it.

The Husband and The Good Guy seemed very similar to me. I enjoyed both of them.

My favorite Koontz books are One Door Away from Heaven, By the Light of the Moon, The Taking a few others. That's the thing about Koontz, different books appeal to different readers. This one I thought was among his weakest.

I'm just wondering...Am I the only one who ended up hating Samantha by the time it was all over?

I didn't really care by the end of the book. I found so much of it so totally illogical I was rolling my eyes, shaking my head and just being glad it was over.

I'll say again, I like Koontz in general and he's written some books I really enjoy. Also the books I really like are the same books some other Koontz fans dislike, so a lot of this is subjective.

To me this was a throw away.

Masha wrote: "I'm just wondering...Am I the only one who ended up hating Samantha by the time it was all over?"

No. I thought she was a bitch.

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "My favorite Koontz books are One Door Away from Heaven, By the Light of the Moon, The Taking a few others. That's the thing about Koontz, different books appeal to different readers. This one I tho..."


I like your favorites :-) They are among my favorites also.

I'm hoping to finally start reading this today. I can't wait!

I completed this book in the middle of June, sorry I was a bit early to the group read. This was the first time I've read YHBTM, because of the awful feedback I've read, I had been putting it off.

It was indeed one of his weakest books, but I far prefer this to Breathless or Darkest Evening of the Year. I'm glad to put this one behind me, I don't think I'll ever be reading this one again.

Aaron wrote: "I completed this book in the middle of June, sorry I was a bit early to the group read."

:-) did the same thing. Now I need to start Shattered which is also a July Group Read.

Just started The Servants Of The Twilight and then joined good reads today. I'm so glad there is a Koontz page, one of my favorite authors. As i'm not too far into it yet I shall give this a read and leave SOTT for afterwards :)

I finished it and once again was not impressed. I didn't like the protagonist so it was hard for me to get into it. The mystery was there, the "unexplained" happenings but I didn't really care what happened to the protagonist until the very end.

Danny wrote: "Just started The Servants Of The Twilight and then joined good reads today. I'm so glad there is a Koontz page, one of my favorite authors. As i'm not too far into it yet I shall give this a read a..."

Welcome to Koontzland Danny! Thanks for joining us :-)

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Danny wrote: "Just started The Servants Of The Twilight and then joined good reads today. I'm so glad there is a Koontz page, one of my favorite authors. As i'm not too far into it yet I shall give..."

Thank you sir :)

Danny this is my favorite Goodreads group. We don't always like the same Koontz books, but we share lots of ideas, meanings, and generally enjoy ourselves and Dean Koontz books.

Karen B wrote: "Danny this is my favorite Goodreads group. We don't always like the same Koontz books, but we share lots of ideas, meanings, and generally enjoy ourselves and Dean Koontz books."

Oh, that is so nice :-)

Karen B wrote: "Danny this is my favorite Goodreads group. We don't always like the same Koontz books, but we share lots of ideas, meanings, and generally enjoy ourselves and Dean Koontz books."

I'm sure it will quickly become my favorite as well. looking forward to becoming a participating Citizen of Koontzland!

Danny wrote: " looking forward to becoming a participating Citizen of Koontzland! "

You already are a participating citizen of Koontzland :-)

I read Your Heart Belongs to Me when it first came out. I'm almost halfway through it again and I'm starting to remember why I had not picked it up for a second read before now. I am fully open to giving it a chance until the end, but it's not looking promising. I'm glad, in a way, that it's not just me that finds this book to be a hard read.

Misty wrote: "I read Your Heart Belongs to Me when it first came out. I'm almost halfway through it again and I'm starting to remember why I had not picked it up for a second read before now. I am fully open to ..."

I like the way you think. I feel the same way :-)

I finally finished this yesterday after having a sleepness night with a sick toddler and not much else to do at 2:30 in the morning.
I have to say that I wasn't very impressed. I found that there was hardly any real plot development until around 60% into the story and Ryan's personality and paranoid thinking just annoyed the hell out of me.
The ending was just so underwhelming and I was expecting so much more after the massive build up.
Oh well.....

I agree. I saw the synopsis of this one and thought it sounded good, yet it's one of the novels by Koontz I like least.