Night Chills

Rating:
Summary: My favorite Dean Koontz book
Review: I am not the Dean Koontz fan that I once was which was just over a decade ago. He and Stephen King were my two favorite authors in high school. I voraciously read their books like there was no tomorrow. "Night Chills" was my first Dean Koontz book that I read. I discovered it when I read in a blurb in a magazine that former Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson was a fan of this particular book. The concept of subliminal messages and using them to brainwash an entire town fascinated me. I enjoyed reading the story of Paul Annendale and his children who takes a trip to Black River only to discover the evil deeds of Olgen Salsbury. The results was very interesting. I loved the book the first time I read it, and I still love reading the book over and over again. What was disturbing about this book was that it made me think about subliminal messages and whether it was possible or not that my own government could use subliminal messages on its own constituents. After all the US government in recent years has managed to intrude on my personal life even more so than a decade ago. "Night Chills" is a fascinating fictional take on the possibilities of subliminal messages and what happens when it is used for evil purposes. "Night Chills" is a truly a literary classic by Dean Koontz.

Rating:
Summary: Startling and sometimes frightening
Review: Night Chills is a look into the human mind and what drives it. The novel is about an intelligent man named Ogden Salsbury, a misogynist at the same time, who has developed a drug that, when ingested, will allow him to control a person's mind. With the help of multi-millionaire Leonard Dawson he dumps it into a town's water supply. With one simple phrase he can control whoever drank the water's mind.

I was surprised by this book. There are some extremely startling and disturbing scenes such as when Ogden controls a blond woman named Brenda and forces her to masturbate in front of him. There's also the fact that Koontz develops the villains in this novel more than the good guys. And while that was an intriguing aspect it also hurt the story. I felt like I wanted to root for Paul, the novel's "hero". You certainly want Salsbury to pay for all the people he hurt and killed but there wasn't enough characterization of Paul to actually like him.

There is certainly a lot of sexual material in this book concerning rape and will offend, possibly even repulse, many people. However, for those who can handle the material may find it a thought-provoking, albeit flawed, but still interesting novel about the human psyche.

Rating:
Summary: Koontz's most darkest book...
Review: Night Chills is set in the town of Black River. A man named Oldgen Salsbury has developed very effective mind control techniques that are delivered through subliminal advertising. The people of Black River have been exposed to the advertisements for months now, and Oldgen decides that it is time to experiment on the townspeople. By uttering the phrase "I am the key", the mind is unlocked and open to suggestion. This leaves anyone in town vulnerable. The people of Black River begin to commit violent and random acts of rape and murder, and have no memory of what happened afterwards. To make things even worse, the townspeople begin to suffer from flu like symptoms that are refered to as night chills. A man named Paul Annendale has been spending his summer vacations in Black River for the last seven years with his two children Mark and Rya. Since they are now the only ones in town who were not exposed to the subliminal messages, it is up to Paul to discover the truth and put a stop to Oldgen.

Night Chills is without a doubt the darkest and most disturbing book that Koontz has ever written. The subject of subliminal advertising and mind control is a frightening one, because it could happen to anyone in real life. Koontz's description of the killings and sexual acts in this book is so realistic, that it will literally give you the creeps. Some scenes in this book disturbed me very deeply and it takes a lot to make me that upset. However, the book is so terrifying and disturbing that it is impossible to put down. You begin to become intrigued and you begin to anticipate what Oldgen will do next. That is why Night Chills is such a great book. Koontz's character development is great once again. Oldgen is one of Koontz's best villans because he is so ruthless. There is nothing he won't do. He literally uses the people of Black Rivers to carry out his sickest desires. Paul Anenndale plays the typical Koontz heroine, and is a very likeable character. Paul's two kids are also enjoyable characters as well.

Overall, Night Chills is one of Koontz's best books. While it is his darkest and most disturbing book, the suspense the story brings is intense, and the characters are all great. Koontz's realistic and frightening look at mind control and subliminal advertising will have you glued to the pages.