Review: The City

The City by Dean Koontz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Jonah Kirk came from a musical family. His mother was a great singer and his grandfather was a “piano man.” Jonah was forbidden to learn to play the piano by his father, but fate intervened through the guise of a woman known only as The City. The City was a manifestation of the city’s essence so that she could better understand and help its inhabitants. One of her many blessings enabled Jonah to begin piano lessons. These lessons quickly proved he was a music prodigy and he could play any piece from hearing it once. Unfortunately, The City’s blessing also came with dreams that showed Jonah a future he wanted to avoid. Can a boy change the course of destiny? What small acts can cause consequences beyond our control?

The City is a disturbing new story that will pull readers in quickly and propel them along the entire time. Koontz does not let loose the reins of the adventure and as supporting characters weave their way into and out of the story we learn a variety of different tidbits about them. Readers who are looking for one of Koontz’s dark and terrifying tales need to know that this is more a coming of age adventure and not a thriller, but it is still a fully satisfying read. The majority of the book takes place during the more innocent times of the late 1960s, but the narrator is in the present and sometimes mentions more modern pop culture trivia. I strongly recommend this book to readers new to Koontz and his longtime fans.




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