Book Review: DEVOTED by Dean Koontz *** and a 1\2 out of *****

While no one could argue that Dean Koontz has been more prolific than ever these past ten years, his output has been polarizing, to say the least. There have been some very good books (Odd Apocalypse [2012]), some middling ones (What The Night Knows [2010]), and some terrible ones (The Silent Corner [2017]). Some fans, especially lifelong ones, had even started to think that the Koontz of old (of terrific books like Midnight, Hideaway, and Odd Thomas) was gone, never to return. Then came Devoted (2020), restoring the faith.

Devoted is Koontz energized, impassioned, and focused. Yes, there are still instances of heavy-handed social commentary and sentimentality, and the main characters aren't that memorable, but Koontz hasn't written a book this enjoyable, this readable, this moving, in years. The plot - about an autistic boy and his mother getting entangled with a cabal of assassins, a hyper-intelligent dog, and a seemingly omnipotent killer - isn't that original, and, at times, feels like a greatest hits compilation of Koontz's best novels. But what sets this novel apart, what makes it special, is Koontz's energy. His writing hasn't felt this ebullient in more than a decade. Devoted also features one of his scariest villains in Lee Shacket, and some of the darkest, most violent scenes Koontz has ever written.

Consisting of over a hundred short chapters, this is an addictive read, and a most welcome return of a master. Highly recommended.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2020.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of the feature film Wingrave, released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @Dark.Fantastic.AK·Writer