Title: The City
Author: Dean Koontz
Publication Date: July 1st, 2014
Publisher: Bantam
Genre: Literary Fiction
Pages: 416
ISBN13: 978-0345545930
Source: ARC from Publisher
Rating:
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
The city changed my life and showed me that the world is deeply mysterious. I need to tell you about her and some terrible things and wonderful things and amazing things that happened . . . and how I am still haunted by them. Including one night when I died and woke and lived again.
Here is the riveting, soul-stirring story of Jonah Kirk, son of an exceptional singer, grandson of a formidable “piano man,” a musical prodigy beginning to explore his own gifts when he crosses a group of extremely dangerous people, with shattering consequences. Set in a more innocent time not so long ago, The City encompasses a lifetime but unfolds over three extraordinary, heart-racing years of tribulation and triumph, in which Jonah first grasps the electrifying power of music and art, of enduring friendship, of everyday heroes.
The unforgettable saga of a young man coming of age within a remarkable family, and a shimmering portrait of the world that shaped him, The City is a novel that speaks to everyone, a dazzling realization of the evergreen dreams we all share. Brilliantly illumined by magic dark and light, it’s a place where enchantment and malice entwine, courage and honor are found in the most unexpected quarters, and the way forward lies buried deep inside the heart.
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 R. Koontz has also published under the names Leigh Nichols, Brian Coffey, David Axton, Owen West, Deanna Dwyer and Aaron Wolfe.
Dean lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Anna, and the enduring spirit of their golden, Trixie.
I was really excited to have the opportunity to review Dean Koontz' new book, The City! In his most recent novel, Dean Koontz introduces the reader to Jonah Kirk (that's the short version of his name) in his fifties who reminisces about his childhood as a musical prodigy. The tone of this book is very different from other books by Koontz and has its own set of pros and cons.
I wish I could say that I loved this book and it met the speed and satisfaction of his other works, but it was really hard for me to get into. There aren't many books that I have so much trouble connecting with that it seems to drag on, but this was unfortunately one of them. Although the style and technicalities were all there, the content just wasn't. The pace was slow, the characters were mostly flat, and the storyline was 2-dimensional. I hate to say that I was a bit disappointed. It had a lot of potential, but it was just missing the magic that normally grasps you in most Dean Koontz books.
Normally I enjoy books that fit more into the "literature" category, and I wish I could put my finger on what exactly this book was missing. I guess you could say it was that the voice did not seem to come from Koontz, and the whole thing lacked depth and focus. I didn't feel like I had a goal to reach, and so the journey to nowhere just dragged on.
I still believe in Koontz as a writer, and I have every intention of reading future books by him, but this one just wasn't one of my favorites.
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