Book Review: Lightning

Title: Lightning
From: Dean Koontz
Cost: $7.99 paperback, $4.99 audio cassette, ~$20 used hardcover

This book was originally published in 1988. And, about 5 years afterwards, this was one of the first Koontz novels I read (Icebound being the very first).

I adore this story. It is touching, and full of hope, and tragedy, and love, and unimagineable loss, and growth, and scarring and justice for... most.

The book opens on a dark and stormy night (although not in those exact words ;) ), where we see an inebriated doctor being held at gunpoint so that he won't oversee the delivery of a little girl named Laura Jean Shane.

When Laura was 8, she and her father were saved from an armed robber by a mysterious man.

Multiple times throughout her life, Laura was rescued from some sort of trauma by the same stranger.

She was always a loner, having lost her loving father before her teens (her mother having died during childbirth), making a couple close friends during her years at the orphanage. She found a wonderful guy during college and they married and had a child. All was happy for her again...

Then, after over a decade since their last encounter, the man appeared again.

I don't want to give anything away to those who haven't read the book.

You should have the chance to get to know and love Laura and her father Bob, the Amazing Ackerson twins, her husband Danny Packard and their son Chris and Thelma's husband, Jason.

And shudder with revulsion at Dr. Markwell, the burglar/assaulter, the Eel, the foster parents and the mysterious men with slight accents who show up with guns.

And... wonder about the mysterious man, Stefan Krieger.

Who was he? Where did he come from? Why did he want to help Laura? How was he able to know when and where to come to her aid on so many occassions?

Will she, a novelist, be able to protect her loved ones?

Learn along with Laura; Learn to edure, Learn to fight, Learn to accept.

I'm not sure how to classify this novel... mystery? yes. intrigue? yes. love story? yes. tragedy? yes. inspirational? yes. science fiction? ...

Overall Rating: Excellent!

Dean Koontz crafts a convincing story with his words. This is just mysterious enough, and tragic enough, and hopefull enough to keep you turning pages long into the night.

If you've read this book, chime in and let me know what you thought about it.