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• For me, absolutely his scariest book ever. For a while, the narrative did not even seem to be like his normal style of writing. I've become used to his hero-heroine-big bad triad. In this novel, Koontz gives us a group of characters to get invested with. At times, it seemed I was reading another author's work. There were similarities to Lovecraft, John Saul, Clive Barker and early Stephen King. In my opinion, that's not a bad thing that Koontz has expanded from the standard I'm used to. Jumped out of my chair a couple of times because I was so on edge with this tale. I think because there could be a possibility of a post-apocalyptic society being created in this time that this story is so incredibly scary to me. Okay, and the haunted house-living nightmares. Honestly, towards the end, I was still thinking this may not be Koontz after all. Cats ! Really ! A mention of a black lab. What? Okay, redemption at the end with the mention of not one but two goldens :)

  5.00 out of 5

  MrsMich02

• I’ve always been a fan of Koontz’s work. That being said, I started reading it thinking it would be like his other books but was pleasantly surprised. He kicked up the psychological horror up a notch and I enjoyed reading this book immensely. As far as the other bad reviews on this book, I would disagree with most of them. Koontz’s glimpse of the future is hair-raising and touches upon Nano-machine technology which is even now in the working stages. It was a brilliant insight in the minds of the people of Pendleton and you learn what people can and will do when they get to their breaking point. You find out the courageous ones and the ones who are the cowards.I would recommend this book to fans of future apocalypse scenarios, not quite dystopian but enough to keep you turning the pages and leaves you thinking whether it could really happen. It’s also good for the readers who like psychological suspense and horror.This gets 5 stars for giving me food for thought and the heart stopping scenes that thrill as well as horrify you.

  5.00 out of 5

  earthwindwalker

• * Hardcover: 464 pages * Publisher: Bantam (December 27, 2011) * ISBN-10: 0553807714 * Author: Dean Koontz * Cover art: I really like the simplicity of it. * Obtained:My personal book shelf * Over all rating: ****1/2 out of 577 Shadow Street by Dean KoontzReviewed by Moirae the fates book reviews.I am the One, the all and the only. I live in the Pendleton as surely as I live everywhere. I am the Pendleton’s history and its destiny. The building is my place of conception, my monument, my killing ground. . . .The Pendleton stands on the summit of Shadow Hill at the highest point of an old heartland city, a Gilded Age palace built in the late 1800s as a tycoon’s dream home. Almost from the beginning, its grandeur has been scarred by episodes of madness, suicide, mass murder, and whispers of things far worse. But since its rechristening in the 1970s as a luxury apartment building, the Pendleton has been at peace. For its fortunate residents—among them a successful songwriter and her young son, a disgraced ex-senator, a widowed attorney, and a driven money manager—the Pendleton’s magnificent quarters are a sanctuary, its dark past all but forgotten.But now inexplicable shadows caper across walls, security cameras relay impossible images, phantom voices mutter in strange tongues, not-quite-human figures lurk in the basement, elevators plunge into unknown depths. With each passing hour, a terrifying certainty grows: Whatever drove the Pendleton’s past occupants to their unspeakable fates is at work again. Soon, all those within its boundaries will be engulfed by a dark tide from which few have escaped.Dean Koontz transcends all expectations as he takes readers on a gripping journey to a place where nightmare visions become real—and where a group of singular individuals hold the key to humanity’s destiny. Welcome to 77 Shadow Street. (Synopsis provided by Goodreads)I'm in the minority on this one, most fans didn't like it, I'm not sure why exactly. Yes, there was a lot of description, I mean a lot. (Which is the only thing knocking this to a 4 1/2 from a 5.) I read this mainly at night and got creeped out a lot.I really enjoyed how we got to see multiple POV's in this, Koontz always lets the reader know who's POV we are seeing. I really enjoyed Sparkle and Winny's characters. Mickey was by far the most eccentric of the characters and he freaked me out (But I think that this is what Koontz was going for.)Koontz really did an awesome job on this book, there is so much to it! (Can't say too much as it would be a spoiler.) I also really liked how we got to see the POV of The One.All of our character's stories are interconnected but individual at the same time, which was a nice touch. There was not a whole lot of dialogue in this one, which was a bit of a disappointment for me, but the descriptions captured more of the creep factor then dialogue could have even though the descriptions as I've said were a bit much at times. The ending was a lot different then I thought it was going to be but it wasn't a let down at all for me. If you are a fan, I'd suggest reading this one, if you are new to Koontz, I'd suggest this as well as his previous book Your heart belongs to me.

  4.50 out of 5

  _Lily_

• What's not to like? Part Poe-sian ghost story, part Lovecraftian horror, part Chrichtonian science thriller, <B>Dean Koontz's</B> most recent title - <I><B>77 Shadow Street</B></I> has a bit of suspense to dish out, and Koontz dishes it out most deliciously. The story takes place in a mysterious mansion-turned-condo, where mysterious happenings happen every 38 years (give or take a few months). The residents of the condominiums in 2011 are confronted with a sudden leap in time (maybe place?) full of sinister creatures (what else?). I do not want to spoil any moment of this delicious read by going into details; suffice to say that Koontz gives us a nice blend of fairly well-developed characters who complement each other well, a nicely structured roller-coaster of a ride, and some food for thought. My only problem with the book is that some of the characters are not introduced until well into the story (I <I>hate</I> when writers do that!), and a couple of superfluous characters are presented by way of adding little shoves to the story. These are minor annoyances only - they do not detract from the excellent narrative Koontz provides for us.This is a page-turner of a book, and Koontz mercifully gives us a few lulls where we can set the book down, imbibe in one's favorite beverage/snack/sleeping position before returning to the story.

  4.50 out of 5

  jpporter

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