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The House at the End of the World
Soon no one on Earth will have a place to hide in this novel about fears known and unknown by #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense Dean Koontz.
In retreat from a devastating loss and crushing injustice, Katie lives alone in a fortresslike stone house on Jacob’s Ladder island. Once a rising star in the art world, she finds refuge in her painting.
The neighboring island of Ringrock houses a secret: a government research facility. And now two agents have arrived on Jacob’s Ladder in search of someone—or something—they refuse to identify. Although an air of menace hangs over these men, an infinitely greater threat has arrived, one so strange even the island animals are in a state of high alarm.
Katie soon finds herself in an epic and terrifying battle with a mysterious enemy. But Katie’s not alone after all: a brave young girl appears out of the violent squall. As Katie and her companion struggle across a dark and eerie landscape, against them is an omnipresent terror that could bring about the end of the world.
In retreat from a devastating loss and crushing injustice, Katie lives alone in a fortresslike stone house on Jacob’s Ladder island. Once a rising star in the art world, she finds refuge in her painting.
The neighboring island of Ringrock houses a secret: a government research facility. And now two agents have arrived on Jacob’s Ladder in search of someone—or something—they refuse to identify. Although an air of menace hangs over these men, an infinitely greater threat has arrived, one so strange even the island animals are in a state of high alarm.
Katie soon finds herself in an epic and terrifying battle with a mysterious enemy. But Katie’s not alone after all: a brave young girl appears out of the violent squall. As Katie and her companion struggle across a dark and eerie landscape, against them is an omnipresent terror that could bring about the end of the world.
407 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 24, 2023
About the author
Dean Koontz
709 books37.3k followersAcknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.
Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com
Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,236 reviews
January 27, 2023
For some reason I’ve never read anything of Koontz’s before, but I felt like reading something suspenseful and The House at the End of the World delivered on that. Unfortunately, everything surrounding the suspense was bullshit.
We follow Katie, a woman who basically lives as a hermit on a small lonely island because of some devastating trauma, as she tries to survive what I’ll describe as some kind of supernatural zombie breakout originating from the high security research facility on the next island over. Later on, there is also a young girl called Libby whose parents worked at said facility.
The book manages to drag things out to ridiculous degrees while at the same time ratcheting up the tension until the halfway mark. It’s only then that we a) learn what trauma Katie suffered and b) what’s going on on her island. I read through the night to get to this point but after that the tension collapses and I skimmed to the end and didn’t care at all what happened to Katie and Libby; aka what I’m trying to say is, this book is 200 pages too long.
Now, I don’t like to let an author’s politics influence how I view a book because I don’t want to be lumped in with the idiots who cry about woke indoctrination because there was a non straight, non white character in a novel. In this case though, I actually felt like I read an entire book about the author’s political views masquerading as a horror novel, so I feel like it’s a valid point to bring up.
It only took me a few pages to start wondering if Koontz has some sort of agenda and over the course of the book it just got worse and worse and worse.
Some amuse-bouches:
- the Covid lab conspiracy theory is presented as fact
- scientists are hubristic and evil
- main character owns an AR-15 “which only people who know nothing about guns call an assault rifle”… prime #shitamericanssay material
- main character “isn’t a prepper, but likes to be prepared”. Main character is in fact a classic prepper
- people living on a lonely island far away from shore (!!) are nevertheless so worried about gangs or bAd pEoPlE that they turn their houses into Fort Knox and have guns in every room. Guns freely accessible to their young child in one case, by the way.
- the government is fascist and evil (never explained what’s fascist or evil about them by the way, “just trust me bro”) but cloaks their fascism in tolerance and compassion, or something to that effect. Bruh. How in the ever loving fck can you write something like that unironically.
- oh sorry, I forgot, they’re fascist because (drumroll)… they want to take muh guns! Get into the bunker guys, the end times are here.
The penny finally dropped for me when the source of Katie’s trauma is revealed after pages on pages of vague references to some giant conspiracy. Spoilers ahoy:
It’s not a giant conspiracy. There’s also some deranged musings about the government protecting drug gangs (yup, really). Oh, and can’t leave out the countless references to them of course.
In the run up to this, I thought it would turn out to be a conspiracy involving a global corporation or the military or something. But someone of Koontz’s persuasions obviously has no problem with those, or with how easily his evil gang members can get their hands on the guns that killed the main character’s family. No no. It’s the fascist government wanting to take your guns who’s at fault.
Again, I think enough about politics in daily life that I don’t want to have to complain about it in my fiction. But this isn’t normal fiction. This is a “libertarian’s” paranoid daydreams committed to paper with some supernatural stuff thrown on top to try and make it less obvious. I feel naive for trying to read this in good faith and for wanting to give the narrative a chance to play out.
We follow Katie, a woman who basically lives as a hermit on a small lonely island because of some devastating trauma, as she tries to survive what I’ll describe as some kind of supernatural zombie breakout originating from the high security research facility on the next island over. Later on, there is also a young girl called Libby whose parents worked at said facility.
The book manages to drag things out to ridiculous degrees while at the same time ratcheting up the tension until the halfway mark. It’s only then that we a) learn what trauma Katie suffered and b) what’s going on on her island. I read through the night to get to this point but after that the tension collapses and I skimmed to the end and didn’t care at all what happened to Katie and Libby; aka what I’m trying to say is, this book is 200 pages too long.
Now, I don’t like to let an author’s politics influence how I view a book because I don’t want to be lumped in with the idiots who cry about woke indoctrination because there was a non straight, non white character in a novel. In this case though, I actually felt like I read an entire book about the author’s political views masquerading as a horror novel, so I feel like it’s a valid point to bring up.
It only took me a few pages to start wondering if Koontz has some sort of agenda and over the course of the book it just got worse and worse and worse.
Some amuse-bouches:
- the Covid lab conspiracy theory is presented as fact
- scientists are hubristic and evil
- main character owns an AR-15 “which only people who know nothing about guns call an assault rifle”… prime #shitamericanssay material
- main character “isn’t a prepper, but likes to be prepared”. Main character is in fact a classic prepper
- people living on a lonely island far away from shore (!!) are nevertheless so worried about gangs or bAd pEoPlE that they turn their houses into Fort Knox and have guns in every room. Guns freely accessible to their young child in one case, by the way.
- the government is fascist and evil (never explained what’s fascist or evil about them by the way, “just trust me bro”) but cloaks their fascism in tolerance and compassion, or something to that effect. Bruh. How in the ever loving fck can you write something like that unironically.
- oh sorry, I forgot, they’re fascist because (drumroll)… they want to take muh guns! Get into the bunker guys, the end times are here.
The penny finally dropped for me when the source of Katie’s trauma is revealed after pages on pages of vague references to some giant conspiracy. Spoilers ahoy:
It’s not a giant conspiracy. There’s also some deranged musings about the government protecting drug gangs (yup, really). Oh, and can’t leave out the countless references to them of course.
In the run up to this, I thought it would turn out to be a conspiracy involving a global corporation or the military or something. But someone of Koontz’s persuasions obviously has no problem with those, or with how easily his evil gang members can get their hands on the guns that killed the main character’s family. No no. It’s the fascist government wanting to take your guns who’s at fault.
Again, I think enough about politics in daily life that I don’t want to have to complain about it in my fiction. But this isn’t normal fiction. This is a “libertarian’s” paranoid daydreams committed to paper with some supernatural stuff thrown on top to try and make it less obvious. I feel naive for trying to read this in good faith and for wanting to give the narrative a chance to play out.
February 27, 2023
Katie lives alone on Jacob's Ladder island. 🏝️
Her realtor implied that the island had been a research station that was operated by the EPA. She wasn't concerned though, probably just another "rumor" she thinks.
She has no family. She needs a refuge. She is running from her past, the trauma she suffered.
She has the funds and can buy this remote island and live in peace. Her own little artist's retreat where she can paint and thrive.
BOOM!
Something is amiss. She hasn't found the tranquility she was seeking.
Horror overtakes her world. 😱
Frightening things begin to happen. Her glock is always by her side. She seems to be trapped in a horror show.
I mostly listened to this book (ebook at night) and always wanted to keep going. Short chapters, lots of edge of your seat suspense, otherworldy witchy happenings. I was completely swept up! Katie and Libby captured my heart - strong, capable and self-sufficient.
If you enjoy suspense with horror and sci-fi interweaved, I recommend this one! ( gave me some The Drift (CJ Tudor) vibes. *Bonus- you get to meet Michael J Fox 🦊
Audio was 10 hours/ 22 min and excellent narration from Natalie Naudus (she also narrated my last book Talk Bookish to Me)
Also on KU if you want the ebook.
Her realtor implied that the island had been a research station that was operated by the EPA. She wasn't concerned though, probably just another "rumor" she thinks.
She has no family. She needs a refuge. She is running from her past, the trauma she suffered.
She has the funds and can buy this remote island and live in peace. Her own little artist's retreat where she can paint and thrive.
BOOM!
Something is amiss. She hasn't found the tranquility she was seeking.
Horror overtakes her world. 😱
Frightening things begin to happen. Her glock is always by her side. She seems to be trapped in a horror show.
I mostly listened to this book (ebook at night) and always wanted to keep going. Short chapters, lots of edge of your seat suspense, otherworldy witchy happenings. I was completely swept up! Katie and Libby captured my heart - strong, capable and self-sufficient.
If you enjoy suspense with horror and sci-fi interweaved, I recommend this one! ( gave me some The Drift (CJ Tudor) vibes. *Bonus- you get to meet Michael J Fox 🦊
Audio was 10 hours/ 22 min and excellent narration from Natalie Naudus (she also narrated my last book Talk Bookish to Me)
Also on KU if you want the ebook.
December 8, 2022
4.5 Stars
It’s been so long since I’ve had the delight of reading a Dean Koontz novel and when the opportunity arose to read his new release hitting the shelves in January 2023, to say I jumped would be an understatement. I like what this author consistently brings to the table – original plots, memorable characters, and a writing style that doesn’t fail to draw you in with a few words. I didn’t think that his brand of storytelling could get much better, but The House at the End of the World exceeded all my expectations.
Have you ever found yourself wanting to escape from life? I know I have. Sometimes it all just gets a bit too much, doesn’t it? The daily grind of work, sleep, cooking, and cleaning – it’s all so predictable that you just want to do something spontaneous. This is exactly what Katie does after something catastrophic happens in her life. She has a promise to keep, and she fully intends to do just that. She buys the Island known as Jacob’s Ladder, it’s a haven, and she’s completely isolated from everything and everyone. It’s exactly what she needs, the wildlife and the vista doesn’t exactly bring her back to life, but it certainly helps calm her.
The neighbouring island of Ringrock harbours a secret – a life-altering and destructive government research facility that if their true intention were to be leaked would impact the islands, the continent perhaps even the world. A concept that unleashed upon the residents would be a nightmarish hellfire. This isn’t usually my immediate go-to genre, but it left me feeling unseated and questioning what goes on these little islands that are scattered around the world.
If I was to try and sum up The House at the End of the World it would be – You might want to shut your eyes, but Koontz prises it open with hooks, and the terror is forced upon you without any escape plan.
The story dips in and out of Katie’s past and the event that shaped her becomes clear. It’s more than any person should have to deal with. It would kill the strongest of people and yet she’s still standing albeit with a metaphorical hitch in her step. It’s the worst kind of reality check but she won’t ever be a vulnerable victim again. Katie believed that Jacob’s Ladder would be her opportunity to hide away but what if she was more at risk on the island than she ever was on the mainland?
I loved Katie’s character. She’s a badass that is determined to get to the bottom of the suspicious goings-on Ringrock. She’s angry that her peace is being shattered and has the means to protect herself and her property if push came to shove. A strong and resilient character that has the will to see through her intentions.
As always with a Koontz novel, he writes animals so incredibly well. You fall in love with them – Michael J. was one of them (had more than one chuckle with the aptly named fox). The story is served with a pacing that immediately has you engaging the seatbelt and doing three hail marys. The narrative is as sharp as a rough-cut diamond, ready to tear apart the wearer. An incredible exploration of grief, secrecy, and redemption.
It’s been so long since I’ve had the delight of reading a Dean Koontz novel and when the opportunity arose to read his new release hitting the shelves in January 2023, to say I jumped would be an understatement. I like what this author consistently brings to the table – original plots, memorable characters, and a writing style that doesn’t fail to draw you in with a few words. I didn’t think that his brand of storytelling could get much better, but The House at the End of the World exceeded all my expectations.
Have you ever found yourself wanting to escape from life? I know I have. Sometimes it all just gets a bit too much, doesn’t it? The daily grind of work, sleep, cooking, and cleaning – it’s all so predictable that you just want to do something spontaneous. This is exactly what Katie does after something catastrophic happens in her life. She has a promise to keep, and she fully intends to do just that. She buys the Island known as Jacob’s Ladder, it’s a haven, and she’s completely isolated from everything and everyone. It’s exactly what she needs, the wildlife and the vista doesn’t exactly bring her back to life, but it certainly helps calm her.
The neighbouring island of Ringrock harbours a secret – a life-altering and destructive government research facility that if their true intention were to be leaked would impact the islands, the continent perhaps even the world. A concept that unleashed upon the residents would be a nightmarish hellfire. This isn’t usually my immediate go-to genre, but it left me feeling unseated and questioning what goes on these little islands that are scattered around the world.
If I was to try and sum up The House at the End of the World it would be – You might want to shut your eyes, but Koontz prises it open with hooks, and the terror is forced upon you without any escape plan.
The story dips in and out of Katie’s past and the event that shaped her becomes clear. It’s more than any person should have to deal with. It would kill the strongest of people and yet she’s still standing albeit with a metaphorical hitch in her step. It’s the worst kind of reality check but she won’t ever be a vulnerable victim again. Katie believed that Jacob’s Ladder would be her opportunity to hide away but what if she was more at risk on the island than she ever was on the mainland?
I loved Katie’s character. She’s a badass that is determined to get to the bottom of the suspicious goings-on Ringrock. She’s angry that her peace is being shattered and has the means to protect herself and her property if push came to shove. A strong and resilient character that has the will to see through her intentions.
As always with a Koontz novel, he writes animals so incredibly well. You fall in love with them – Michael J. was one of them (had more than one chuckle with the aptly named fox). The story is served with a pacing that immediately has you engaging the seatbelt and doing three hail marys. The narrative is as sharp as a rough-cut diamond, ready to tear apart the wearer. An incredible exploration of grief, secrecy, and redemption.
February 8, 2023
Let me start by saying that I have been a Koontz fan for years. I have been reading and enjoying his books since the 80's.
Things started slipping with the Jane Hawk series. The first couple of books were great, fourth was just okay, and the last book was a hot mess. His books since then have been going steadily downhill.
Elsewhere was okay, Devoted felt like he was trying to write like he used to but it wasn't quite there, The Other Emily was an absolute trash fire, The Big Dark Sky was ridiculous, and Quicksilver was just a terrible wannabe knock off of Odd Thomas.
Now we come to The House at the End of the World... This book has finally put me over the edge. I am no longer a Koontz fan. I will not be buying anymore of his books going forward. To be honest, I don't think he is even writing his own books anymore.
His characters are boring, shallow, and unlikable.
His plots are just lame, but when there are moments where you think things are going to get better, he just squashes them.
The endings feel like he was pressed for time and just had to throw something down so he could turn it in.
There is nothing new in his last few books, and this one is no exception. Actually, I take that back - he has a fox in this one, (uncreatively named Michael J.) instead of a golden retriever. Best character in the book.
This story is drenched with way too much description, every little thing is over explained repeatedly and unnecessarily, to the point where it feels like he thinks his readers are idiots.
This book was a chore to read. You could skip half of it and miss nothing. If you actually want to read a good Koontz book, go back and read the Watchers, Strangers, Lightning, Midnight, the Odd Thomas series, or Fear Nothing & Seize the Night (was supposed to be a trilogy but the third book never materialized) - all great, well written books. The House at the End of the World is garbage, save your money.
Things started slipping with the Jane Hawk series. The first couple of books were great, fourth was just okay, and the last book was a hot mess. His books since then have been going steadily downhill.
Elsewhere was okay, Devoted felt like he was trying to write like he used to but it wasn't quite there, The Other Emily was an absolute trash fire, The Big Dark Sky was ridiculous, and Quicksilver was just a terrible wannabe knock off of Odd Thomas.
Now we come to The House at the End of the World... This book has finally put me over the edge. I am no longer a Koontz fan. I will not be buying anymore of his books going forward. To be honest, I don't think he is even writing his own books anymore.
His characters are boring, shallow, and unlikable.
His plots are just lame, but when there are moments where you think things are going to get better, he just squashes them.
The endings feel like he was pressed for time and just had to throw something down so he could turn it in.
There is nothing new in his last few books, and this one is no exception. Actually, I take that back - he has a fox in this one, (uncreatively named Michael J.) instead of a golden retriever. Best character in the book.
This story is drenched with way too much description, every little thing is over explained repeatedly and unnecessarily, to the point where it feels like he thinks his readers are idiots.
This book was a chore to read. You could skip half of it and miss nothing. If you actually want to read a good Koontz book, go back and read the Watchers, Strangers, Lightning, Midnight, the Odd Thomas series, or Fear Nothing & Seize the Night (was supposed to be a trilogy but the third book never materialized) - all great, well written books. The House at the End of the World is garbage, save your money.
May 22, 2023
Katie, a woman with a mysterious and violent past, lives alone on Jacob's Latter, a remote island. Near to her is Ringrock, an island where experiments by the government take place. One of the experiments seems to have gone wrong. Two ISA agents secretly sneak around her island and try to prevent her getting to the mainland. What are they looking for? What is the experiment about? Will Katie survive and come to terms with her past? This is a very interesting and at parts eerie novel with everything Dean Koontz stands for. Conspiracy, evil government schemings, extraterrestrial views, extreme situations, criticism on society... he's done his job very well and comes up with a very intriguing and terrifying tale. Okay, the end is a bit too cosy. I would have loved to read more about the Moloch project. Otherwise entertaining and compelling Koontz as you know and expect it. Really recommended!
July 26, 2023
In true Dean Kootnz manner, this author always has the ability to scare you while carrying on a lesson of good versus evil.
Katie lives alone on an island she purchased after the devastating loss of her husband and daughters. She likes the solitutude, the escapism, until strange goings on occur on an island not too far away from her. Ringrock is mysterious as it is a government run facility (think Plum Island) so what is happening there is a deep dark secret, until the secret gets out and puts not only Katie and a young girl in imminent danger, so the ladies call upon their courage and strength to battle together to get away. What has escaped and how do the pair find safety?
It's a harrowing story that elicits current times with UFOs looming overhead and the duplicity of our government.
Mr Kootnz always seems to nail it when it comes to his take on the world we live in. It's particularly frightening since so much of what he says has proven true. If you like books that might shake you up a bit and hit you with truisms, then I am sure this one might be in your library. The one issue that I had is the length of the story clocking in at over four hundred pages, but it is a quick read as we wonder if once again mankind might survive this possible onslaught.
Katie lives alone on an island she purchased after the devastating loss of her husband and daughters. She likes the solitutude, the escapism, until strange goings on occur on an island not too far away from her. Ringrock is mysterious as it is a government run facility (think Plum Island) so what is happening there is a deep dark secret, until the secret gets out and puts not only Katie and a young girl in imminent danger, so the ladies call upon their courage and strength to battle together to get away. What has escaped and how do the pair find safety?
It's a harrowing story that elicits current times with UFOs looming overhead and the duplicity of our government.
Mr Kootnz always seems to nail it when it comes to his take on the world we live in. It's particularly frightening since so much of what he says has proven true. If you like books that might shake you up a bit and hit you with truisms, then I am sure this one might be in your library. The one issue that I had is the length of the story clocking in at over four hundred pages, but it is a quick read as we wonder if once again mankind might survive this possible onslaught.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2023
This book is about a woman who has suffered a tragedy and wants to cut herself off from the world. But an event brings her back into the world that she has abandoned.
Koontz was my first author that I read many, many years ago and he is one of the main reasons that I love to read. But lately his offerings haven't impressed me. I have wondered if he lost his touch or did my tastes in novels change. This latest book answers the question that he has definitely not lost his touch. I enjoyed this book so much. This book incorporates different genres and Koontz intertwines them seamlessly. It harkens to back why I fell in love with his earliest offerings but also takes the best of his latest novels. It has the suspense that reminded me of his book Watchers while mixed in with horror and delves into government conspiracy that fans of his Jane Hawk series will love. The characters are vintage Koontz and a delight. Koontz usually writes about good triumphing over evil and this is no different. His positive message is on full display here as good can overcome evil no matter where it is coming from.
I know many fans of Koontz has been turned off by him recently as they feel he has not performed up to par. And I can understand that because I see why. But if you want to try Koontz again this book is the one to do it. And if you haven't read this author before this is a nice introduction. It does lean heavy on the conspiracy but not enough to detract from my enjoyment. I loved every second of it as it kept me on the edge of my seat.
Koontz was my first author that I read many, many years ago and he is one of the main reasons that I love to read. But lately his offerings haven't impressed me. I have wondered if he lost his touch or did my tastes in novels change. This latest book answers the question that he has definitely not lost his touch. I enjoyed this book so much. This book incorporates different genres and Koontz intertwines them seamlessly. It harkens to back why I fell in love with his earliest offerings but also takes the best of his latest novels. It has the suspense that reminded me of his book Watchers while mixed in with horror and delves into government conspiracy that fans of his Jane Hawk series will love. The characters are vintage Koontz and a delight. Koontz usually writes about good triumphing over evil and this is no different. His positive message is on full display here as good can overcome evil no matter where it is coming from.
I know many fans of Koontz has been turned off by him recently as they feel he has not performed up to par. And I can understand that because I see why. But if you want to try Koontz again this book is the one to do it. And if you haven't read this author before this is a nice introduction. It does lean heavy on the conspiracy but not enough to detract from my enjoyment. I loved every second of it as it kept me on the edge of my seat.
February 10, 2023
Koontz has taken a hard turn toward the right wing
I’ve read nearly every book that Dean Koontz has written and have loved his hopeful books (One Door Away from Heaven, From the Corner of His Eye, Life Expectancy) and his funny books (Odd Thomas series) as well as others like Watchers and Strangers.
But this book sounds like Koontz now writes as an old man who has Fox News blaring in the background all day!
In addition to his typical paranoia and obsession with guns, Koontz now bashes the following in this book:
- methane from livestock contributing to climate change
- the harmful consequences caused by gas stoves in homes
- scientists
- people who learn for fun
- people who refer to automatic weapons improperly as ARs
Koontz is obsessed with rampant crime; his writing in this book reminded me of my Trump loving relatives who swear Democrats are literally burning entire cities to the ground. And his evil gangsters have suspiciously foreign sounding names.
After a while I just pictured Katie, the main character, as Lauren Boebert! Katie is not well-educated and she is obsessed with firearms so it fit.
Koontz’s distrust of education has definitely increased as he ages. So many of his child characters are brilliant home-schooled autodidacts, a reader could be surprised to learn that Koontz once worked as a public school teacher and claimed to have a knack for it. This book features yet another home-schooled genius who of course comes to love guns. And the bad guys (scientists and government agents) are all nihilistic, narcissistic, sociopathic, and well-educated. The two main scientists in this story are brilliant and fixated on pursuing discoveries that will destroy humanity. It made me wonder if Koontz has ever met an actual scientist! I know many and for the most part real scientists are humble, inquisitive, caring people who study things like freshwater parasitic diseases in Africa and urchin populations off the coast of California, not sinister technologies.
It’s sad, really. An author with such a hopeful voice and unique imagination has lost his way and now rambles on like someone’s right wing family member at an awkward Thanksgiving meal. I won’t be reading any more of Dean Koontz’s work, and that’s a pity. I feel a sense of loss as I used to love to read his uplifting stories.
I’ve read nearly every book that Dean Koontz has written and have loved his hopeful books (One Door Away from Heaven, From the Corner of His Eye, Life Expectancy) and his funny books (Odd Thomas series) as well as others like Watchers and Strangers.
But this book sounds like Koontz now writes as an old man who has Fox News blaring in the background all day!
In addition to his typical paranoia and obsession with guns, Koontz now bashes the following in this book:
- methane from livestock contributing to climate change
- the harmful consequences caused by gas stoves in homes
- scientists
- people who learn for fun
- people who refer to automatic weapons improperly as ARs
Koontz is obsessed with rampant crime; his writing in this book reminded me of my Trump loving relatives who swear Democrats are literally burning entire cities to the ground. And his evil gangsters have suspiciously foreign sounding names.
After a while I just pictured Katie, the main character, as Lauren Boebert! Katie is not well-educated and she is obsessed with firearms so it fit.
Koontz’s distrust of education has definitely increased as he ages. So many of his child characters are brilliant home-schooled autodidacts, a reader could be surprised to learn that Koontz once worked as a public school teacher and claimed to have a knack for it. This book features yet another home-schooled genius who of course comes to love guns. And the bad guys (scientists and government agents) are all nihilistic, narcissistic, sociopathic, and well-educated. The two main scientists in this story are brilliant and fixated on pursuing discoveries that will destroy humanity. It made me wonder if Koontz has ever met an actual scientist! I know many and for the most part real scientists are humble, inquisitive, caring people who study things like freshwater parasitic diseases in Africa and urchin populations off the coast of California, not sinister technologies.
It’s sad, really. An author with such a hopeful voice and unique imagination has lost his way and now rambles on like someone’s right wing family member at an awkward Thanksgiving meal. I won’t be reading any more of Dean Koontz’s work, and that’s a pity. I feel a sense of loss as I used to love to read his uplifting stories.
February 8, 2023
Anything by Dean Koontz is worth reading in my opinion. This book does not disappoint except for a rather abrupt, slightly strange, ending. All in all, I definitely recommend this book.
November 20, 2023
Katie had a terrible family tragedy in the past when she lost 5 people in her life. Now she lives alone on Jacob’s Ladder island for two years not wishing to return to civilisation. The island is a small quiet place in an archipelago of similar small islands. The biggest of these islands is the neighboring island of Ringrock which belongs to a secret government research facility and is securely protected. All is quiet and peaceful around till the day when something strange happens on the Ringrock island.
To save her own life and the life of a young girl who escaped from Ringrock, Katie has to find a way to run as far as possible from her island.
Dean Koontz is a master of writing unforgettable horror books and The House at the End of the World is one of them.
To save her own life and the life of a young girl who escaped from Ringrock, Katie has to find a way to run as far as possible from her island.
Dean Koontz is a master of writing unforgettable horror books and The House at the End of the World is one of them.
March 15, 2023
A supernatural blend with sci fi and signature Koontz personal tragedy that brings this woman to her own secluded island. The reasons become apparent as the narrative flows which normally happens at the start with many of his stories. Add a government conspiracy (reminded me of the Jane Hawk series) and a bit of horror and you have a classic Koontz novel again. I enjoyed this one.
February 12, 2023
In true Dean Kootnz manner, this author always has the ability to scare you while carrying on a lesson of good versus evil.
Katie lives alone on an island she purchased after the devastating loss of her husband and daughters. She likes the solitutude, the escapism, until strange goings on occur on an island not too far away from her. Ringrock is mysterious as it is a government run facility (think Plum Island) so what is happening there is a deep dark secret, until the secret gets out and puts not only Katie and a young girl in imminent danger, so the ladies call upon their courage and strength to battle together to get away. What has escaped and how do the pair find safety?
It's a harrowing story that elicits current times with UFOs looming overhead and the duplicity of our government.
Mr Kootnz always seems to nail it when it comes to his take on the world we live in. It's particularly frightening since so much of what he says has proven true. If you like books that might shake you up a bit and hit you with truisms, then I am sure this one might be in your library. The one issue that I had is the length of the story clocking in at over four hundred pages, but it is a quick read as we wonder if once again mankind might survive this possible onslaught.
Katie lives alone on an island she purchased after the devastating loss of her husband and daughters. She likes the solitutude, the escapism, until strange goings on occur on an island not too far away from her. Ringrock is mysterious as it is a government run facility (think Plum Island) so what is happening there is a deep dark secret, until the secret gets out and puts not only Katie and a young girl in imminent danger, so the ladies call upon their courage and strength to battle together to get away. What has escaped and how do the pair find safety?
It's a harrowing story that elicits current times with UFOs looming overhead and the duplicity of our government.
Mr Kootnz always seems to nail it when it comes to his take on the world we live in. It's particularly frightening since so much of what he says has proven true. If you like books that might shake you up a bit and hit you with truisms, then I am sure this one might be in your library. The one issue that I had is the length of the story clocking in at over four hundred pages, but it is a quick read as we wonder if once again mankind might survive this possible onslaught.
January 27, 2023
So bad. I was hoping for cheesy horror and got a paranoid, right wing rant. I actually read books with pretty conservative slants, but prefer a decent plot and passable writing. Not only did this book have neither, but it was also a big YAWN. I had a hard time finishing this one, something very unusual for this fan of bad horror novels.
January 25, 2023
The first Dean Koontz book that I've given one star to. The story has a great premise but the writing let it all down. Started well but fizzled after that. The story feels like Koontz just wanted to show how many words he could use that would stump the average reader and the sheer annoyingness of this just made me skim past with boredom. No decent ending and it finished not with a bang but with a wet, soggy dose of blah.
February 5, 2023
You would enjoy this book if you are:
-American
-conservative
-gun lover
-conspiracy theory enthusiast who distrust science
since i'm literally neither of these things... my rating of this book is not surprising.
In my own defense, I went into this without knowing anything about the author and as someone who never read anything from him yet. Right around page 20 it became very clear to me what this author was about. And listen, I actually can tolerate when there are political undercuts to the stories (even if I don't necessarily agree with them), but if those undercuts overwhelm the story itself and become very painfully obvious... this is where we have a problem....and that's what happened in this book. Quiet honestly, at times, it felt like I was reading just another unhinged twitter thread about Jewish lasers or COVID conspiracies or about how scientists are bad and evil (I'm scientists myself) from very peculiar people living in the US.
Not only did political undertones ruined the book, but besides that book dragged on and on and ON - it could have easily had 200 pages less than it has. Furthermore, suspense and tension was not existent and I couldn't care less about the main character.
I won't be reading anything else from the author, it's just not for me.
-American
-conservative
-gun lover
-conspiracy theory enthusiast who distrust science
since i'm literally neither of these things... my rating of this book is not surprising.
In my own defense, I went into this without knowing anything about the author and as someone who never read anything from him yet. Right around page 20 it became very clear to me what this author was about. And listen, I actually can tolerate when there are political undercuts to the stories (even if I don't necessarily agree with them), but if those undercuts overwhelm the story itself and become very painfully obvious... this is where we have a problem....and that's what happened in this book. Quiet honestly, at times, it felt like I was reading just another unhinged twitter thread about Jewish lasers or COVID conspiracies or about how scientists are bad and evil (I'm scientists myself) from very peculiar people living in the US.
Not only did political undertones ruined the book, but besides that book dragged on and on and ON - it could have easily had 200 pages less than it has. Furthermore, suspense and tension was not existent and I couldn't care less about the main character.
I won't be reading anything else from the author, it's just not for me.
September 14, 2023
This nifty Dean Koontz novel is the story of Katie, an accomplished and attractive young artistic genius who has suffered terrible loss and adopted an insular existence in a fortress-like house on a small island in a remote lake. She seems just like a character from a Dean Koontz (or perhaps Leigh Nichols) book. There's a top-secret research facility run by a shadowy government agency on a nearby island, a situation which always leads to problems in Dean Koontz books, and on it lives Libby, a brilliant and precocious girl who seems just like a character from a Dean Koontz novel, who is the daughter of two of the scientists. In fact, Libby is a big fan of Dean Koontz: we learn on page 163 that One Door Away from Heaven is her favorite novel. Well, I'm trying to avoid any spoilers for a little while longer, but things go wrong and Katie and Libby team-up and the evil scientific danger that's released is far less of a threat and far less evil than the government black ops group in charge of the project. It's a predictable but fun read, and it's very well and elegantly written. For example, on page 31 instead of just flying away, "...the machines deliquesce into the blackness." His word choice is a little ornate but always poetic and evocative, and his prose is a joy to read. It's an enjoyable story, with some political and philosophical themes. I rarely read other reviews of books before I write my own comments, but this time I did. I found some odd things. Some people said they hated the book, it was the worst thing they'd read in years, and then rated it four stars. Some people said they loved it, that it was the best thing since sliced lemon cake, and then rated it as a two. Several reviews said it was too political because it was offensively left-wing libtard crazy, and just as many knocked it for being arch-conservative gun-crazy anti-everybody. Obviously, these folks didn't all read the same book, and neither did I. I've figured out what happened, so here's where I'm going to spoil it, so stop here, warning, warning, etc. There's a character named Michael J. who's a fox. (Got to have a canine, just like a Dean Koontz novel.) He's a remarkable fox who cozies up to Katie so she can take care of him, and then joins the team for real with Libby when things get worse and worse. After much thought, I've figured out why it all doesn't quite add up. Anyway, what's happened is that the evil alien entity infected him, and after he managed to get Katie and Libby to adopt him and he took control of their brains so they wouldn't notice how un-foxlike he acts, even though they're genius women on the lookout for strange behavior. He's a super-smart alien hybrid, so he probably took over the brains of the writer and editor of the novel, too, just so no one could catch on. The reason for the disparity in the reviews I noted earlier is that he's reaching out through the page to make you read what he wants you to think. I'm not really immune, he just wants me to sound crazy, so you won't take my theory seriously. And I should've posted this on April 1st, but that's too long to wait. Trust no one.
May 8, 2023
Expected Nothing Less from this LITERARY GENIUS!!
My first introduction to Dean Koontz was his book Demon Seed. Although the book was published in 73' it was made into a movie, and my love for this literary genius began.
The older Koontz became and the older I became, I realized what a truly profound writer Koontz was. He wasn't merely writing books for entertainment, he was writing books that were meant to educate.
In the early 2000 I automatically began to flip to the back of Koontz's book. In the back of certain books he would have the history of the book. Telling that the book was in fact based on true events. Such as his very scary book Tick Tock.
Koontz went on to write like this for many years, he was "BRILLIANT" especially if you are a true fan of the way this mans mind works.
Then he went to writing about his dogs and unfortunately, I lost track of where I left off.
My last book I read The Other Emily and The House at the End of the World, are true heart pounding, can't wait to see what happens next, true Dean Koontz books.
I was very happy to have picked up an old friends books again.
Kudos to Koontz as usual, he really can write no wrong..
Intriguing as always, edge of your seat suspenseful!
👏🏿👏🏿💜
My first introduction to Dean Koontz was his book Demon Seed. Although the book was published in 73' it was made into a movie, and my love for this literary genius began.
The older Koontz became and the older I became, I realized what a truly profound writer Koontz was. He wasn't merely writing books for entertainment, he was writing books that were meant to educate.
In the early 2000 I automatically began to flip to the back of Koontz's book. In the back of certain books he would have the history of the book. Telling that the book was in fact based on true events. Such as his very scary book Tick Tock.
Koontz went on to write like this for many years, he was "BRILLIANT" especially if you are a true fan of the way this mans mind works.
Then he went to writing about his dogs and unfortunately, I lost track of where I left off.
My last book I read The Other Emily and The House at the End of the World, are true heart pounding, can't wait to see what happens next, true Dean Koontz books.
I was very happy to have picked up an old friends books again.
Kudos to Koontz as usual, he really can write no wrong..
Intriguing as always, edge of your seat suspenseful!
👏🏿👏🏿💜
February 4, 2023
Wow, Koontz is on a roll. This is as good as, though quite different, from The Big Dark Sky.
Review to follow.
Review to follow.
June 19, 2023
Slow developing. Too slow. Long and boring. 0 of 10 stars
January 30, 2023
What has happened to the Dean Koontz novels I devoured ? This book and The Big Dark Sky are such a disappointment. I did not finish either one and most likely will ignore future works by Koontz. Where is the tension, suspense and endearing characters ? I could not care less what happened to the main character and looked forward to her demise just to end the struggle to reach a conclusion.
November 3, 2022
Since this book is not out yet I'm not posting any spoilers. As all Dean Koontz books I enjoyed this very much. Is it better than The Big Dark Sky, I'm not so sure. The book holds you till the end as all his books do. At about the 3/4 point you think the book is getting to a conclusion way ahead of itself then he hits you with the surprise that changes the whole direction and keeps the suspense going. All Dean Koontz fans will enjoy this book.
February 6, 2023
M J Fox
I read this cover to cover in one sitting as it provided a story that kept me wanting to dive deeper and faster into it. A fine tale filled with an alien, nuclear threats, and conspiring government interference. With a powerful female lead well two as time goes on, it was a page turner for me.. & by far my favourite character in this book... Is a fox.
For die hard Koontz fans it's a no brainer, read it.
Review by @stuartbrknjohns Twitter/TikTok/Goodreads Author.
I read this cover to cover in one sitting as it provided a story that kept me wanting to dive deeper and faster into it. A fine tale filled with an alien, nuclear threats, and conspiring government interference. With a powerful female lead well two as time goes on, it was a page turner for me.. & by far my favourite character in this book... Is a fox.
For die hard Koontz fans it's a no brainer, read it.
Review by @stuartbrknjohns Twitter/TikTok/Goodreads Author.
August 29, 2023
I don't have much enthusiasm to talk about this piece of crap. What a complete waste of time.
Synopsis and/or Premise:
Katie is a self-imposed hermit due to her traumatic past. One day, she heard some explosions from the neighboring island. What comes next were a series of events where, together with a young adolescent named Libby, they witness some secrets of the government concerning about an escaped biological horror.
The Good and The Bad:
I was having a difficult time squeezing whatever redeeming qualities it could possessed, which I could only identified a couple of. First, I liked the eeriness. The stillness of atmosphere and the uncanny changes in the environment was something I was a bit spooked. Unfortunately it was only present at the first 25% of the book. The protagonist's paranoia/worry was interesting at first, but that's about it. The fox 🦊 was cute. Yup, that's all the positives.
DAMN IT! — I don't care enough to make paragraphs for all the flaws of this book. Here's just the list:
1. Info-dumps ℹ️ (tons of telling.)
2. Uncompelling characters 👥 (yes...all of them.)
3. Too long for too little events 📏.
4. Unoptimized plotting 🙅♂️.
5. Confusing 😵 (WTF was that 3rd act.)
6. Written like a pulp fiction 📚.
7. Endlessly descriptive ❌ (legit unreadable.)
I know these last few ones were kind of petty and personal...but I digress.
8. Weird gun fetish 🔫.
9. Uncomfortably prioritized food over anything else 🥩.
10. Dumb plot points/devices 🤪.
11. Disrespectful use of sexual situations to forced readers in caring about a minor-aged character ✋.
Final Thoughts:
This is a mystery, sci-fi, and suspense novel. It's a fast-paced book, although events were happening too slow (some parts were unnecessary.) To be informed, this was my first time knowing about Dean Koontz. He was a successful author with many published works, and it's even more sad if we take it into consideration because he STILL ended up with this trash. Mind you, I'm not alone on this hate. Many of the author's dedicated readers were finally giving up on him because of this novel. I know their resignation has got to do more on the author falling out of his glory by getting much political and inserting questionable personal opinions/influences to his later works...but that doesn't excuse why this book was dreadful.
Rating: Borderline bottom of 3/10.
"Panic will get us killed, honey. Panic quicker than the bomb."
Synopsis and/or Premise:
Katie is a self-imposed hermit due to her traumatic past. One day, she heard some explosions from the neighboring island. What comes next were a series of events where, together with a young adolescent named Libby, they witness some secrets of the government concerning about an escaped biological horror.
The Good and The Bad:
I was having a difficult time squeezing whatever redeeming qualities it could possessed, which I could only identified a couple of. First, I liked the eeriness. The stillness of atmosphere and the uncanny changes in the environment was something I was a bit spooked. Unfortunately it was only present at the first 25% of the book. The protagonist's paranoia/worry was interesting at first, but that's about it. The fox 🦊 was cute. Yup, that's all the positives.
DAMN IT! — I don't care enough to make paragraphs for all the flaws of this book. Here's just the list:
1. Info-dumps ℹ️ (tons of telling.)
2. Uncompelling characters 👥 (yes...all of them.)
3. Too long for too little events 📏.
4. Unoptimized plotting 🙅♂️.
5. Confusing 😵 (WTF was that 3rd act.)
6. Written like a pulp fiction 📚.
7. Endlessly descriptive ❌ (legit unreadable.)
I know these last few ones were kind of petty and personal...but I digress.
8. Weird gun fetish 🔫.
9. Uncomfortably prioritized food over anything else 🥩.
10. Dumb plot points/devices 🤪.
11. Disrespectful use of sexual situations to forced readers in caring about a minor-aged character ✋.
Final Thoughts:
This is a mystery, sci-fi, and suspense novel. It's a fast-paced book, although events were happening too slow (some parts were unnecessary.) To be informed, this was my first time knowing about Dean Koontz. He was a successful author with many published works, and it's even more sad if we take it into consideration because he STILL ended up with this trash. Mind you, I'm not alone on this hate. Many of the author's dedicated readers were finally giving up on him because of this novel. I know their resignation has got to do more on the author falling out of his glory by getting much political and inserting questionable personal opinions/influences to his later works...but that doesn't excuse why this book was dreadful.
Rating: Borderline bottom of 3/10.
February 2, 2023
Science fiction and Horror mingled masterfuly by one of the greatest storyteller of our present time!!!
I loved every single page of it!!!
In a remote hydden island a secret military compound is inhabited by a chilling and horrendous being from the outer space...
Near the island a young widow lives in isolation after having lost her whole family by a criminal gang rampagne which let her husband and two daughters death behind.
She has to fight her inner demons, searching for a reason to live on...
But after an accident, this unspeakable evil managed to contaminate various researchers finding a way out of his inprissionment!!!
Great reading experience!!!
Full recommendation...
Dean;)
I loved every single page of it!!!
In a remote hydden island a secret military compound is inhabited by a chilling and horrendous being from the outer space...
Near the island a young widow lives in isolation after having lost her whole family by a criminal gang rampagne which let her husband and two daughters death behind.
She has to fight her inner demons, searching for a reason to live on...
But after an accident, this unspeakable evil managed to contaminate various researchers finding a way out of his inprissionment!!!
Great reading experience!!!
Full recommendation...
Dean;)
February 3, 2023
It appears that Dean Koontz finally decided to answer the question that no one was asking: “Can one novel have way too many metaphors per paragraph, to the point of rendering half of the narration semi-unreadable?” (The answer is yes.)
With that said, I still think 3 stars is warranted just for the concept and plot being as creative, creepy, and scarily fascinating as everyone’s come to expect from a Koontz book. I’ll be thinking about this thriller for a while.
With that said, I still think 3 stars is warranted just for the concept and plot being as creative, creepy, and scarily fascinating as everyone’s come to expect from a Koontz book. I’ll be thinking about this thriller for a while.
January 31, 2023
I think it might be time for Dean Koontz to retire. What a terribly written book. I could write a better book in my sleep. How disappointing.
February 1, 2023
I just couldn’t with this book.
January 28, 2023
I have a love/hate relationship with Dean Koontz books and this one is no exception. He writes well and his stories are always interesting and keep me turning the pages, but I have a quibble with his writing style that drives me crazy. He always chooses $50 words where a 5 cent word would have sufficed. Did I really need to know that wind was Susurrating (and more than once at that) as opposed whispering or rustling? One of these days I'm going to keep a pen and paper by my side as I read one of his books and make a list of all the unnecessary overblown words that I'm pretty sure send most readers to the dictionary instead of just following the written word on each page. I guess I'd have to say Koontz is a sesquipedalian. Ha!
I also think the subject of alien beings or life forces threatening people on earth has been overdone a bit and not just by Dean Koontz. I guess the more recent concept of that being or life force brought back to earth by an astronaut is new but I couldn't help feel like same old/same old with the overall plot of this novel.
I also think the subject of alien beings or life forces threatening people on earth has been overdone a bit and not just by Dean Koontz. I guess the more recent concept of that being or life force brought back to earth by an astronaut is new but I couldn't help feel like same old/same old with the overall plot of this novel.
February 12, 2023
This is a spellbinding novel from the first page. Koontz is an eloquent writer. His descriptions allows the reader to feel as if they have stepped into the novel itself. This is a worthy read with some very intense “sphincter tightening” passages.
May 30, 2023
A love story about the agony of loss, the splendor of a second chance, and the hell in between.
The author goes into great detail describing the solitude the main character, Katie, has chosen to live in. But the reason … Well, that takes time and comes in bits and pieces. But right away we know there's something threatening the sanctuary she's built. And she means to protect it.
The mystery of the island of Ringrock is about to reveal itself. Escaping it won't be easy. Staying hidden from those that want to silence her may be impossible. But if she can do it, she will finally keep her promise. And that's all that matters.
The author goes into great detail describing the solitude the main character, Katie, has chosen to live in. But the reason … Well, that takes time and comes in bits and pieces. But right away we know there's something threatening the sanctuary she's built. And she means to protect it.
The mystery of the island of Ringrock is about to reveal itself. Escaping it won't be easy. Staying hidden from those that want to silence her may be impossible. But if she can do it, she will finally keep her promise. And that's all that matters.
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