Odd Interlude started a lot like the previous Odd Thomas novels, but part way through it I realized that it was drastically different. After reading the first two books in the series, I was pretty sure I knew that this series fell into the genre of supernatural fantasy horror, with maybe some mystery thrown in there. Brother Odd hinted at a bit of science fiction, but I didn’t feel like it was enough to pull the series out of the fantasy genre. Odd Interlude is very firmly science fiction with just a hint of fantasy.
Another key difference in this book is that Odd doesn’t use his abilities very much. I was expecting his powers to play a bigger role in solving his problems, like they have in previous books. Instead, Odd purposefully avoids using his abilities and relies almost solely on his wit and cunning to overcome his enemy.
At this point in the series, Odd’s pretty much who he is, so all the character development happens with new characters. Jolie Ann is Odd’s primary ally, and in another departure from the rest of the series, part of the book is told from her perspective. At first, it was a little surprising to hear someone other than Odd narrating the events, but this worked, and I hope that Jolie Ann makes another appearance in the series (though I know, given the events of the book that that’s unlikely). I was a little surprised that Annamaria played such a small role, especially given how important she was in the previous book. By the end, however, it made sense.
I’ve been reading other things for a while, and it was nice getting back into this series. Odd Interlude is well written and compelling, and it got me back into the world quickly. I’ve already started reading the next book, and am enjoying it.
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