I was hoping for more out of a Koontz book. I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd expected or hoped. DNF

I received a free copy from NetGalley. I use to really enjoy Koontz. I had read this was like his early works that I enjoyed. I guess I have moved on as I didn't enjoy this one. It has hints of paranormal and bits of mystery and horror but it just moves so slowly.

An enjoyable read.
I would recommend to family and friends.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Well, what can I say…I never even read the blurb because…it’s Dean Koontz…and I was so disappointed to be denied my dose of horror that I was expecting, though I did finish it and gave it a 2 star rating for that reason, I could never get past my expectations and I know I will be reading blurbs from here on out.

Didn’t read book. It sounded interesting but it wasn’t what I thought it was.
No other comments.

I'm sorry it has taken so long to review this title. I absolutely loved it and appreciate being able to have the opportunity to read it. Thank you.

Three stars: An interesting story, but it lacks the suspenseful punch Koontz is known for.

Jonah Kirk has a story to tell. One that involves villains, heroes and the mysterious city where he lives. Jonah at nine, almost ten years old. Is a smart, young piano prodigy who lives in The City with his mom and grandfather. Jonah’s mother is a struggling singer, trying to provide a good life for her son since Jonah’s father walked out on them. When Jonah encounters a strange woman living upstairs, he is fearful. Then he starts having dreams about his father and impending danger. With the help of Mr. Yoshika, one of the residents in Jonah’s building, Jonah tries to unravel what it means to be a resident of The City. Can Jonah stop the villains?
What I Liked:
*The City is a book that takes its sweet time to unwind and get interesting. It may lack the supernatural punch you are used to with a Koontz novel, but it still is an interesting book.
Jonah is a fun main character. He is a nine year piano prodigy living in the late 60s in a big city. He is smart, talented and resourceful. I loved Jonah.
*One of the highlights of the story was the friendships Jonah forms throughout the book. I adored the relationship Jonah had with his grandfather. My favorite friendship was that between Jonah and Mr. Yoshika. I loved that Mr. Yoshika completely trusted and believed Jonah, never doubted his intuitions. Together the two work to solve the mystery. I also enjoyed the friendship between Jonah and Malcom. Malcom was hilarious with his obsessive compulsive traits. Watching these friendships form was wonderful.
*The best part of the book was learning the secret of The City. It was so clever and unexpected, I loved it.
*The ending was satisfying in that all of the loose ends were tied off, no unanswered question or cliffhangers. It all ends well.
And The Not So Much:
*This book is slow going at first. There are a lot of descriptions and background detail that goes on and on, and nothing really happens. It takes a long while before the story gets interesting, and I fear many readers will give up on it before it gets good. This one requires patience.
*Mr Koontz is known for suspense, paranormal and scary stuff, this book lacks all of that. I kept expecting a big paranormal reveal, but alas, there really isn’t. The whole concept of The City is really cool, but I was expecting so much more.
*I was intrigued by The City, and I was left wanting to know so much more about The City.

The City is a hard book to review. I didn’t not like it but I wasn’t in love with it either. I was expecting so much more from Mr. Koontz. Yes, it was an interesting story with memorable characters and The City was fascinating. Yet, the book had a plodding pace and not much happens. If you are a die hard Koontz fan, you will probably enjoy it, but if you want a thrilling read, this one is not for you.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

This will be super quick and short: This story was neither good nor bad... it just was meh. It was slow with far more references to poets, art, musical artists, and cultures I'm not familiar with. These details saturated the overall story and as a result, the point was lost. It felt like too much history was being forced on the reader and not enough story. This was the first Koontz story I've read and I certainly hope they aren't all like that or I won't ever read any in the future.

I really enjoyed Jonah's story. I'm not normally a Koontz fan, but this one was one that I liked. I thought Jonah was a great character, and the storyline kept me interested from beginning to end.

Loved this book, I have been a huge fan of Dean Koontz for as long as I remember and this book doesn't disappoint.

I am going to start by pointing out that I am a Dean Koontz fan - what I am not a fan of, are books that are written in first person. No matter how much I wanted to get into the story, I did not like the perspective of it, and therefore gave up after 4 chapters.

I usually love all of Koontz's books, but this one seems below his standard. There was not much intrigue and I had trouble connect with the main character. It doesn't affect my opinion of this author. I can't recommend this book, but I loved many of his earlier works, Twilight Eyes among others.

This book was reviewed on my blog a very long time ago. Since then I have migrated to a new blogging home and this review is either hiding in my archives or somewhere in the ether. (Sad times)