Elsewhere by Dean Koontz – (ARC) Review
Thank you to Dean Koontz and Amazon Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
//TW: death, murder, violence//
~Quick Statistics~
Overall: 5/5 Stars
Plot: 5/5 Stars
Setting: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 4.5/5 Stars
Writing: 5/5 Stars
Memorability: 5/5 Stars
~Quick Review~
Elsewhere by Dean Koontz is a compelling and seamless novel that will probably be in my mind for the rest of my life. I spent many nights up late trying to keep my eyes open just to read one more chapter before falling asleep.
~Other Information~
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Page Count: 353 pages
~Book Description (via Goodreads)~
Since his wife, Michelle, left seven years ago, Jeffy Coltrane has worked to maintain a normal life for himself and his eleven-year-old daughter, Amity, in Suavidad Beach. It’s a quiet life, until a local eccentric known as Spooky Ed shows up on their doorstep.
Ed entrusts Jeffy with hiding a strange and dangerous object—something he calls “the key to everything”—and tells Jeffy that he must never use the device. But after a visit from a group of ominous men, Jeffy and Amity find themselves accidentally activating the key and discovering an extraordinary truth. The device allows them to jump between parallel planes at once familiar and bizarre, wondrous and terrifying. And Jeffy and Amity can’t help but wonder, could Michelle be just a click away?
Jeffy and Amity aren’t the only ones interested in the device. A man with a dark purpose is in pursuit, determined to use its grand potential for profound evil. Unless Amity and Jeffy can outwit him, the place they call home may never be safe again.
~Characters~
Elsewhere follows the story of Jeffy and his daughter Amity whose lives are turned upside down once they meet Ed Harkenbach, a brilliant scientist who has created The Key to Everything, a device that can teleport you across the multiverse, to any reality that has been discovered. 99% of the characters were very well written and believable, however I found that while I admired Amity and her bravery, it was little too fantastic to be true. Whenever the novel switched to her point of view, I didn’t feel like I was in an eleven year old’s head. Regardless, the others characters were fantastic and perfectly written.
~Writing and Setting~
There’s not much to say about Dean Koontz’s writing other than as always, the writing and flow of the story was spot on.
While the concept of parallel realities is not exactly a work of fiction (as scientists in our world are currently exploring this theory), I found Dean Koontz’s spin on it very compelling. Amity and Jeffy are constantly going through different worlds that are somewhat similar to our own, but have large and disturbing differences.
~Plot~
The plot of Elsewhere is very interesting and kept me turning the pages. Not only is Amity and Jeffy traveling the multiverse, but they are also being hunted by these really awful and kind of disturbing agents for the shadow state. I was never bored with this novel, and will definitely be reading it again because there are so many details that are easy to miss. The novel moves along quickly, but in a good way.
~Overall Review~
To be honest, this is one of my favorite Dean Koontz novels that I’ve read and I will probably reread it in the near future. For me, it was the perfect mixture of wholesome, action, and darkness and holds a dear place in my heart.
Maya's Reviews 