Rehrig,+Julie

[[image:The_face_dean_koontz.jpg width="239" height="325" align="center"]]
**Destiny Review** Even though //The Face//, by Dean Koontz, is a science fiction novel, it doesn't make it hard for the reader to be completely enthralled in the plot line. Koontz's ability to describe to the reader exactly how the characters feel makes the audience able to connect with the characters very early in the book. Once the reader opens the book, he is thrown into the middle of the plot and cannot put the book down afterwards. Koontz is able to make it seem as though the reader is part of the plotline and that their life depends on the choices and decisions that the characters make. Four stars.

**Situation** The book's plot is centered around many different characters. One of the main characters is Alfric Manheim who is the son of a famous actor and who was raised by the workers in the mansion. Fric, who is very reserved, receives strange calls telling him to find a place to hide. At first he tells no one, but soon he tells Ethan Truman, a new worker who was an ex-cop. Ethan, who has also been experiencing strange occurences, decides that he needs to protect Fric. These calls are actually calls from the dead warning them of impending danger by the name of Corky Laputa. Corky is a strange man who walks around in a big yellow raincoat spreading chaos by giving bags of drugs to children or poisoning dogs. Chaos, he believes, keeps him safe when he is killing people. The book offers interesting twists and suspense.

**Main Characters**

__Alfric Manheim__
 * 10 year old child of Channing Manheim and Freddie Nielander
 * Point of ridicule because of his physique- small and lanky
 * Home schooled because of his asthma- has no friends
 * Quiet, introverted, and mature for his age

__Ethan Truman__
 * Ex-cop
 * New to the Manheim estate
 * Main job is to protect the people in the mansion
 * Befriends Fric

__Corky Laputa__
 * Twisted mind
 * Kills for pleasure or to get ahead
 * Good connections but no friends
 * Has chaos “on his side”


 * Style **

__ Realism __ //The Face// by Kootnz is said to be in the science fiction genre. However, after reading it, one may believe that the plot could actually happen. Koontz’s ability to describe, in detail, what the characters are seeing and hearing leads the reader to believe that a real person could experience such supernatural occurrences. It is very intriguing to read about something that few have experienced. The characters are also very real because they portray human emotions such as fear and sadness. Koontz helps the reader to connect with the character by showing a first person point of view for all main characters in the book. This ability to see what each character is thinking gives the audience an inside view on the character's motives.

// “First you believe the people in the book can be real people, then you begin thinking that they can believe these things are really happening to them, and eventually you're believing it yourself --- all of it” (Day). //

__ Action __ //The Face// by Koontz starts off somewhat slow because the reader needs to know the background information that will help them to fully understand the plot. However, once Koontz explains this background information, the plot takes off. With every page comes questions that need answering and plenty of action. However, in order to really enjoy the book, one must read it in a short amount of time because there are many characters, each with their own plot branch, and it can become confusing if the reader cannot read it in a few sittings.

//"The problem with// The Face //is that the book is 600 plus pages of over the edge exciting suspense that hooks the audience into needing to finish it in one sitting (expect a long but gratifying night)"// (Klausner).

__ Description and Detail __ Koontz uses his ability to describe the setting fully. He sets the scene with his description of the weather and the character’s thoughts and feelings. The book is mostly placed in settings where it is thunder storming outside and everyone is jumpy. However, this works for the plot because this constant nervous feeling from the characters is very suspenseful and makes the reader question what is going to happen next.

// “Koontz must have been laughing too when he slyly adopted the old “dark and stormy night'' backdrop --…" // (Brown).



Dean Koontz was born on July 9, 1945 in Everett, Pennsylvania. He has written many novels that have been placed on the New York Times’ Bestseller List. He wrote his first novel, //Star Quest//, in 1968 and has been writing science fiction ever since. He graduated from Shippensburg University and his first job after graduation was with the Appalachian Poverty Program. He lives with his wife Gerda and his dog Anne in Southern California.

__Past Novels-__ //Anti-Man// (1970) //Beastchild// (1970) //Dark of the Woods// (1970) //Soft Come the Dragons// (1970) //Hell's Gate// (1970) //The Fall of the Dream Machine// (1969) //Fear that Man// (1969)

Brown, Scott. "The Face (2003): Dean Koontz." 30 May 2003. Web. 27 May 2010. <[] > Day, Ava Dianne. “Review: The Face.” 2010. Web. 27 May 2010. <[]>

Klausner, Harriet. “The Face: Dean Koontz Book Review.” May 2003. Web. 27 May 2010. <[]>

Koontz, Dean. //The Face.// New York: Random House, 2003. Print.