Life Expectancy

Life Expectancy
By Dean Koontz
Books on Tape, 2004. 10 CDs. Fiction

Jimmy Tock comes into the world on the very night his grandfather leaves it, in the very same hospital. As Jimmy's mother is working to bring him into the world, his grandfather suddenly sits up and predicts that there will be five dark days in the life of his grandson — five dates whose terrible events Jimmy will have to prepare himself to face. Before they can discount Josef's words as delusional rambling, he also predicts the time of his grandson's birth to the minute, as well as his exact height and weight, and the fact that Jimmy would be born with syndactyly. Suddenly the old man's predictions take on a chilling significance. What terrifying events await Jimmy on these five dark days? What nightmares will he face? What challenges must he survive?

This was my first Dean Koontz book, and I listened to the audio version while commuting, and the only bad part about that was having to get out of the car. Koontz certainly knows how to keep the story moving , even if this was also one of the strangest things I've read in awhile. Jimmy Tock is a pastry chef hailing from a culinarily advanced family, so delectable treats and descriptions pepper the narrative. Jimmy's family also loves to laugh and humor is woven throughout the book, although at times when it's juxtaposed with horrific events, it can get a bit macabre. Still, powerful themes of love and family remain dominant even when things get crazy, and I was often surprised by the meaningful wisdom of the narration. Exciting, humorous, delectable, and surprising.

BHG