Phantoms Review
I’ve never read any Koontz before, and a couple of people I know have recommended his books. I kind of selected Phantoms out of thin air - I read some of the reader reviews and decided I’d try it. I also just bought the Barnes & Noble nook, so I wanted an ebook to read on it. I don’t know, maybe reading Phantoms on the nook helped add to my enjoyment.
But I must say, Phantoms was one of those books that pulled me in from the very beginning and never let go. I usually don’t find books all that scary - but there were a few moments here that definitely had me on edge. I’ll give a quick synopsis below - if you want to go in completely spoiler free, though, you might want to skip the next few paragraphs and get yourself a copy.
Phantoms deals with the small town of Snowfield. All the residents have either died a horrifying death, or disappeared off the face of the earth. It’s up to a group of police officers, and two sisters (residents of Snowfield) to investigate the town and try and find out the source: was it a virus? A disease? Or maybe a mass murder plot? Phantoms addresses the idea of mass disappearances, and it gives a really interesting explanation to this unexplained phenomena.
But as I said - the book is scary. Some parts will really creep you out. This is especially true of the first few chapters, where characters are finding out all that’s happened. There’s a scene at the Inn that really freaked me out. As I said, most books don’t scare me, but this scene gave me chills. If you finish the book (or if you’ve already read it), you know what I’m talking about… think of the eyeliner pencil. Ughh, that was terrifying.
Phantoms also handles the topic of religion really well. It’s never preachy, it never tries to say whether or not God (or the Devil) exists. But religious undertones are there regardless. There’s a constant underlying struggle between good and evil. It’s intelligently written though, and allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions about the events at Snowfield.
I must say that I loved reading Phantoms. I have this problem where I never (I should say rarely) finish the books I start. The fact that I finished Phantoms is a testament to how much I enjoyed it. I was never bored once, and the pacing is great.
I highly recommend the book. You can order a copy here if you’re interested. If you do read it (or have already read it), let me know what you think. I imagine you’ll enjoy it.
-MP