𝑨𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒈𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎...𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒌𝒚 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚; 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓-𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆-𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒕...

I've loved this author since I was in junior high, and I have enjoyed watching his writing style change over the years. even though his earlier books were more in the horror "lite" genre, he always wove a thread of hope into even the darkest of his tales. His last several books have been more hopeful, focusing on strong women and the good of humanity overpowering evil. THE BIG DARK SKY is a prime example.

Joanna Chase lived on a ranch in Montana until tragedy upended her life. Now in her mid-thirties and living in Santa Fe with only vague memories of the past, she begins to receive pleas—by phone, through her TV, in her dreams: 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆, 𝑱𝒐𝒋𝒐. 𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒎𝒆. Heeding the disturbing appeals, Joanna is compelled to return to Montana, and to a strange childhood companion she had long forgotten. Joanna isn't the only one drawn to the ranch-people from all walks of life are drawn there too, their fates all woven together by some strange synchronicity that none of them understand.

I wrote the author a letter last year, and he wrote a personal letter back, detailing many similarities in our lives, and he ended with, 𝑰 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚. That letter kept coming back to me while I was reading this book. Beautifully written and a gentle reminder that we are all under the same sky.

I am finding it very difficult to decide what to say about  'The Big Dark Sky' and so I will use the following quote from the book itself, which I believe sums it up perfectly:

       "This is batshit crazy," she said.
       "It absolutely is," he agreed.

Yep, it is crazy. Huge fun and very entertaining crazy but nevertheless totally and utterly bat poop crazy.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Right... I certainly didn't expect this to happen when I started reading The Big Dark Sky. I confess that it's been a long time since my first and only experience with one of his books (2014 to be exact), but it was a good first expression and I've been meaning to read another Dean Koontz book ever since. The blurb of his newest story sounded fascinating, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to refamiliarize myself with his writing. I'm not sure if it was simply the wrong time for me to read The Big Dark Sky, but the fact is that this story and me sadly didn't get along at all. I'll try to explain briefly why.

First of all I want to stress the fact that I hardly ever have to make the hard decision to DNF a book, and I never take that decision lightly... In fact, I only DNF a handful of books each year, so having to resort to such a drastic move twice in one week comes as a hard blow. Especially when it's a story I fully expected to have a great time with. Sadly, there was just something about The Big Dark Sky that I simply clashed horribly with. My main issue is with the writing style, which felt so unnatural, wooden and simply like it was trying to hard... I felt so frustrated by the prose that I had a hard time absorbing what was actually said, and add the fact that nothing really made sense (or at least in the first part of the story) it was hard for me to find a reason to keep reading.

I wasn't a fan of the multiple POV structure either... It felt like there were way too many different POVs to juggle and somehow they also felt way too similar? Things might have improved later on in the book, but after reading the reviews of those people who also struggled with this story I doubt this would have made a difference for me. I tried skimreading to see if I could slowly get used to the writing style and lack of and/or strange plot, but I felt like I was only fooling myself and there was no other logical conclusion than to simply throw in the towel and DNF. The Big Dark Sky and me sadly really weren't a good fit at all, but I do know that most people did enjoy it a lot better so don't give up on my account.

I enjoyed The Big Dark Sky by Dean Koontz. It had me hooked straight away and I found it hard to put down. I felt it was a little drawn out in places but on the whole it was a good solid read that I would not hesitate to recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my ARC.

The Big Dark Sky is the latest story from Dean Koontz. I enjoyed the story as a whole, but it took some time to get into it because of all the various characters. I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an early copy to review.

Love this book. Kept me looking for more. Would highly recommend. Looking forward to reading more from this author!!!!

Dean Koontz can really tell a story! I grew up reading every book I could get my hands on. This novel was different, wonderous and packed full of emotions. A worlds melded with AI and humans seeking righteousness, and traveling down a rabbit hole of madness. There's craziness, despair and at times overwhelming hope woven through the pages. The ending left you questioning if it was really the end of their story. Hopefully not.

Thank you Dean Koontz and Netgalley for this arc

I thought this book was great but it doesn't compare to the earlier works of this talented author. There are alot of strange twists in this plot. The characters are realistic and gritty. The story is quite dark and leaves you feeling uneasy but you can't put it down. I definitely recommend this book to dystopian fans as well as science fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I am not a huge science fiction person, but I thought this one was pretty good! The Other is able to control not only technology, but animals and even people as well. Creepy and tense, with an ending that did fall a bit flat for me. 3.5 stars.

It took me a minute to get into this particular story, but once I kept going, I found myself invested in seeing how it all turned out. There is a lot going on, and it ultimately all ties together. I liked the “good” guys and wanted to learn how/if they prevailed. I like reading about good versus evil and justice prevailing. There is a Jane Hawk reference that made me snicker and the last line of the book made me laugh out loud, while at the same time, thinking humanity never learns. I look forward to reading what Mr. Koontz comes up with next.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC.

It's been a minute since I've cracked open a Dean Koontz novel, but I was excited! Imagine my surprise as I found myself either rolling my eyes or scratching my head. I wanted to like this one but, sadly, it just wasn't for me.

First, there are so many POV. I don't mind alot of POV typically but this one really muddied the waters. The characters blended a bit because a lot of the all seemed the same. The speech was odd and stilted and everyone seemed to talk like they were the smartest person the room.

I don't mind science in a story but this one seemed really far fetched. As it stretched in to the completely odd and bizarre, I was just not feeling it anymore. It just wasn't for me.

This book will definitely work for many so if it sounds good to you, scroll on over to those 5 star reviews and see all the highlights they loved!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Big Dark Sky is a return to the classic supernatural Koontz who takes the reader on a thrill ride with a diverse cast of characters.

Set in Montana, Koontz takes on the idea of synchronicity and that coincidences aren’t always coincidences, but part of a larger universal act deliberately brought on by the collective of others. At the center of this novel is an alien creature, hell bent on destroying humanity and a ranch in Montana is the epicenter.

Where some characters are definitely more developed than others, each plays their respective role well. Big Dark Sky is a well written thriller that although not full of surprises, is definitely a fun trip.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Dean Koontz, and Thomas & Mercer for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting read as it utilizes a different approach to first contact/interaction with aliens. If involves the use of artificial intelligence by both parties and how the gender used can cause the AI to evolve over time and develop a definite personality. This a definite read for those looking for a different take on first contact/interaction.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog.

Thanks NetGalley for the Arc of The Big Dark Sky by Dean Koontz
Pretty sure thus is a first Dean Koontz book I have read surprisingly. Not really sure what I expected, not this though. I felt I was reading different stories about different characters in different times until they finally all came together in the end. I figured there had to be a link, it was not apparent though
I did not love the book, it was a combination of thriller, suspense murder mystery and Sci Fi. I would like to read more from this author, but not if they are similar to this writing style. I was going to stop reading half way through, but persevered and finished. There are other reviews that recap the book much better than I could. I feel this was just not meant for me.

Joanna Chase spent most of her childhood on Rustling Willows Ranch in Montana, until both of her parents died in tragic accidents within days of each other. Now she is thirty-four, a writer, and living in Santa Fe, with only vague memories of her past. When she begins to receive pleas—by phone, through her TV, in her dreams: "I am in a dark place, Jojo. Please come and help me. "Joanna feels compelled to return to Montana, and to a strange childhood companion she had long forgotten. She isn’t the only one drawn to the Montana farmstead. People from all walks of life have converged at the remote ranch. They are haunted, on the run, obsessed, and seeking answers to the same omniscient danger Joanna came to confront. All the while, on the outskirts of Rustling Willows, a madman lurks with a vision to save the future. Mass murder is the only way to see his frightening manifesto come to pass. Through a bizarre twist of seemingly coincidental circumstances, a band of strangers now find themselves under Montana’s big dark sky. Their lives entwined, they face an encroaching horror. Unless they can defeat this threat, it will spell the end for humanity.
I have mixed feelings about this book. There were parts where I was completely transfixed, and there would be no way you could make me put the book down. Then there were other parts where I just felt like the plot was just a little too convoluted. There were so many threads, and so many names and storylines, it was hard to keep them all straight. Overall it was a good book, but not my favorite book of his.

I had the pleasure to read The Big Dark Sky By Dean Koontz and here is my review.

Rustling Willows Ranch is the place where an unlikely group of strangers will meet to save the world…
Joanna lived in Rustling woods as a child where she had a secret friend. The voice on the phone drawing her back to the home she can barely remember.
She isn’t the only one heading there. The current owner has sent a PI to figure out what is going on at the ranch and 2 hackers are heading that way after their homes were destroyed by an unseen force. Can they come together and save the planet from total annihilation?
This was a really complex read. There were several points of view but they were all necessary. The book centers on the theory of synchronicity and it's a really interesting theme.
I found myself gravitating to the Joanna chapters and couldn’t wait to see where she ended up next. I loved the concept of bringing together AI, exterrestrial, hacking and extreme cult beliefs. It was artfully done and being a huge fan of the authors already, I had massively high expectations and this book blew my whole world apart.
It had a supernatural, thriller, sci-fi feel to it that went together so expertly that it was such a unique read.

The book is so idiosyncratic and really opened up my mind to possibilities of AI and the place it could have in our world.

If you need a book that doesn’t fit the norm, breaks the mold and will keep you entertained from start to finish, this is the book for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars!! Cannot recommend this book enough

The Big Dark Sky by Dean Koonts is an exciting twist filled ride!
This is classic Koontz and I LOVED every minute of this book.

This book is a gender bender, part thriller, part sci-fi, part horror and supernatural.

Well written with excellent, diverse characters.

The story is unexpected with multiple twists, with a satisfying ending.

I'm a big Dean Koontz fan but somehow this one was a bit too sci-fi or apocalyptic for me! He's just signed a new five book deal so I'll be here for the next one!

Dean Koontz is a mystery, suspense, sci-fi, and thriller writer. 'The Big Dark Sky' is no exception. Set in the beautiful big sky of Montana...it is the classic Koontz war of good vs. evil. A young woman is raised for 11 years on a ranch in Montana. Her mother tragically dies and two weeks later her father as well. She is then raised far from the ranch by an aunt. Now she is a hardworking bestselling novelist when strange things begin to happen to her. Her aunt reminds her of a character from her past that her memory struggles to connect with. In a series of events, several characters come together in an epic battle against evil. Koontz has many strengths as a writer but his characterizations are this reader's favorite. In this novel they range from a couple of hackers, a detective, a man with severe birth defects, a young man and his father, an identical twin survivor, and several cult characters as well as an interesting man who works in mysterious investigations and a heroic character that is not human.
I love Koontz's writing and his characters. He brings out the best of mankind and his love of animals, unusual people, those with handicaps, and other unusual characteristics is admirable. This novel talks a lot about synchronization and relates many stories that make it worth exploring. Thanks, Dean Koontz for your writing. Thanks to #NetGalley#TheBigDarkSky for the opportunity to read and review this book.