Analysis of Odd Thomas Essay

"Odd Thomas" is a book written by Dean Koontz. This book falls under the genre of thriller and mystery,although the book does contain some spiritual and supernatural elements within the plot. Koontz has selected his protagonist to be a twenty year old male named after the book itself,Odd Thomas. Odd likes to think of himself as a normal and average person. He works his job as a short-order cook in a restaurant called Pico Mundo Grille located in the small California town of Pico Mundo. Odd is also a churchman,he also doesn't conform to drugs,drinking,and anything that is considered wrong. However,Odd isn't considerably just like every other human. Odd has said to have a sixth sense,he can see dead people,but not just any deceased person,but the ones who can't let go of their earth lives. Those deceased are unable to move on so they wander around finding peace,since Odd is able to see them,He attempts to help them move on and drift peacefully into 'Heaven.' For instance,in the beginning of the book he comes across a deceased young girl who wanders around his job. The girls name is Penny Kallisto,she is the victim of a sexual predator as she was brutally raped and murdered. Penny is unable to let go and Odd helps her find her killer,who happens to be Odd's high school mate,Harlo Landerson,and he is finally caught and put in jail. There are a few minor characters in the story that have a bit of an association with Odd,there is Chief Wyatt Porter one of the policemen of Pico Mundo. The chief helps odd in many situations and it has said he also acts as the father figure in Odd's life,he is one of the very few people who know some of Odd's secrets,like that he can see the dead. Another minor character is Little Ozzie,he is portrayed in the beginning of the story. Little Ozzie is called Big Ozzie because his father is still alive. Odd describes in the story that Little Ozzie probably weighs about 400 pounds. Ozzie owns a cat named Terrible Chester whom Ozzie claims is fifty years old and will outlive them all. Odd isn't very fond of Terrible Chester because Chester always urinates on Odd's shoes. Ozzie also has six fingers on one of his hands and is also one of the very few people who knows Odd's secret of seeing the dead. An important character also includes Odd's girlfriend,Stormy Llewellyn. Stormy's real name is actually Bronwen,but she believes that it makes her sound like an elf. Stormy and Odd believe they are soul mates,as they have matching birthmarks,and a fortune-telling booth had both told them that they are destined to be together for all eternity. Stormy is one of the only people who knows all of Odd's weird secrets. Stormy also believes in a practice called delayed gratification,meaning the act of waiting for a reward,she claims that it makes the reward a lot better. Stormy also has a philosophical view of her own,she believes that our current lives is just 'boot camp' and practice for the next life. The character in the story that opposes Odd is a man named Robert Thomas "Fungus Man" Robertson. Odd first encounters him when he is found hanging around Odd's job,Pico Mundo Grille. Odd immediately gains suspicion of this man and keeps a careful watch on him.

A great amount of 'bodachs' (malicious house spirits) accompany Fungus Man. Little is said about this Fungus Man in the beginning of the story,in the story it explains that Roberson (Fungus Man) was actually killed by three men that are satanic followers by the names of Eckles, Varner, and Gosset a few months before the incident at the Green Moon Mall. Roberson was killed in Odd's house,Odd came home to find Robertson dead in his bath tub. Little is known why he was in Odd's house and how the three satanic worshipers were able to find him there. Robertson's ghost whom ends up stalking Odd acts as a poltergeist. After Odd suspects that Fungus Man is up to something,he borrows his good friend Terri's (boss at his job,and good friend.) mustang model car and he begins to follow him to his house. He then finds out that Fungus Man has a plethora of files that are about serial killers. Odd develops a really bad feeling of Robertson and begins to gain a feeling that Fungus Man is behind a great catastrophe that is soon to happen. When Robertson was younger,he hung around Eckles,Varner and Gosset. The three boys have been fascinated with satanic rituals since they were fourteen years old. They claim to have killed their first victim at the age of fifteen years old,since then they have became very loyal to their dark god and complete any orders that he asks. Ever since the three met Robertson they have always planned to kill him someday. They actually ended up killing Roberston's mother and gave him her ears as a trophy. Odd then decides he is going to show up at Chief Porter's at three in the morning to let him know about the incident that happened with Fungus Man at his house. Little did Odd know that when he pulls up to the drive way,three police men tell him that Chief Porter has been shot four times but he is expected to live. The story then shifts it's main focus on the Green Moon Mall,Odd makes it there in time and the mall door opens and then the conflict begins,a man in a black jacket and a huge gun is standing in the doorway,the story identifies the man as Eckles. Odd stops him before he gets to shoot anyone else,although he had already shot three other people. There also appears to be another gunman,who is identified as Varner. He ends up killing more people all around the mall,Odd attempts to save a few people,but not all. 49 people got injured in the attack,and 19 got killed. Odd is one of the 49 that survived but got injured,Varner shoots Odd in the back and all goes black for Odd,he wakes up with repeating his soul mate's name,Stormy. He asks to see her,and it appears that she comes up to him and they have a short romantic evening with each other,just before their wedding. The nurse accompanied by Odd's friends give Odd an urn full of ashes what says to be Stormy's ashes. Odd doesn't realized that Stormy was actually shot and killed in the massacre,and when he was with her earlier,it was actually Stormy's ghost. Odd is having troubles coping with Stormy's death,as she is his better half. Odd's best friend,Little Ozzie,talks Odd into letting go of Stormy so she can move on herself and let go of her earth life and drift up into paradise. Odd finally begins to accept her death and Stormy slowly fades away whispering to Odd as he tries to reach for her I'll see you in service.... The story then ends the same way it started with My name is Odd Thomas...

The theme of this story is to sustain perseverance and obedience even when life throws it's obstacles at you,throughout the story Odd is required to maintain a calm attitude even if life attempted to make it difficult for Odd. All in all,Dean Koontz has portrayed to us very well of what he was trying to interpret in the story.