Devoted

This would have been a great book at half the length but the over describing and tiny chapters flitting between the various characters really slowed the momentum down and made what was a good ending too drawn out.

What I throughly enjoy about Dean Koontz are his character arcs. Devoted is a coming of age story for an autistic kid and the story is at its best when it revolves around his journey and the ones that build around him. One of my favorite details of this book is the heavy references it makes to makes to Koontz's significant classic, Watchers, which makes this a sequel of sorts.

The story was turning out to be a great follow-up to Watchers. The pacing of Devoted was excellent, until the last quarter, the third act. At the pivotal moment at the story, we're looking through fresh eyes of various unlikeable characters in separate locations and break away from the significant POVs that built the story since the beginning. These jumps were sporadic and unnecessary. By the end of the book I was glad it was finally over.

I've always thought conclusions were more critical than the rest of the story. I will always leave appreciating the book based on its payoff and character's finished development. I'd even prefer a slower buildup rather than a underwhelming ending.

____

Koontz Ranking:

1 - Lightning
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2 - Phantoms
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 - Watchers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 - Last Light
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5 - Devoted
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
6 - The Neighbour
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
7 - Nameless series
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
8 - Odd Thomas
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
9 - Twilight Eyes
⭐️⭐️

Blends themes from two of my favorite Dean Koontz novels: Watchers and The Silent Corner. Loved it!