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Life Expectancy Audiobook
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(3.00) - 16,529 listener ratings
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With his bestselling blend of nail-biting intensity, daring artistry, and storytelling magic, Dean Koontz returns with an emotional roller coaster of a tale filled with enough twists, turns, shocks, and surprises for ten ordinary novels. Here is the story of five days in the life of an ordinary man born to an extraordinary legacy—a story that will challenge the way you look at good and evil, life and death, and everything in between. Jimmy Tock comes into the world on the very night his grandfather leaves it. As a violent storm rages outside the hospital, Rudy Tock spends long hours walking the corridors between the expectant fathers' waiting room and his dying father's bedside. It's a strange vigil made all the stranger when, at the very height of the storm's fury, Josef Tock suddenly sits up in bed and speaks coherently for the frist and last time since his stroke. What he says before he dies is that there will be five dark days in the life of his grandson—five dates whose terrible events Jimmy will have to prepare himself to face. The first is to occur in his twentieth year; the second in his twent-third year; the third in his twenty-eighth; the fourth in his twenty-ninth; the fifth in his thirtieth. Rudy is all too ready to discount his father's last words as a dying man's delusional rambling. But then he discovers that Josef also predicted the time of his grandson's birth to the minute, as well as his exact height and weight, and the fact that Jimmy would be born with syndactyly—the unexplained anomal of fused digits—on his left foot. Suddenly the old man's predictions take on a chilling significance. What terrifying events await Jimmy on these five dark days? What nightmares will he face? What challenges must he survive? As the novel unfolds, picking up Jimmy's story at each of these crisis points, the path he must follow will defy every expectation. And with each crisis he faces, he will move closer to a fate he could never have imagined. For who Jimmy Tock is and what he must accomplish on the five days when his world turns is a mystery as dangerous as it is wondrous—a struggle against an evil so dark and pervasive, only the most extraordinary of human spirits can shine through.
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"If I wasn't terrified/freaked out by clowns before, I am now. Crazy book with interesting twists and turns. There is always some violence in Koontz' books, but this one was probably the most mild of all of them that I've read. I recommend this one. Kept my turning pages. I love his writing style."
— Rochelle (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Funny, scary and entertaining.”
— Washington Post Book World -
“Koontz writes of hope and love in the midst of evil in profoundly inspiring and moving ways.”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“Prepare to be enchanted.”
— Sunday Oregonian -
“Koontz is a master storyteller and a daring writer, and in his novels he gives readers bright hope in a dark world. Life Expectancy is an exemplar of his extraordinary work and one of his most unusual yet, will leave readers aglow.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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A USA Today bestseller
Life Expectancy Listener Reviews
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" read this book, you'll never look at Clown the same way again. "
— Bob, 2/19/2014 -
" Five Terrible Days...or are they? Are we able to make lemonade when handed lemons? Do the days have to be terrible? Or can we triumph over adversities? Great story! "
— Jessica, 2/13/2014 -
" While all of his more recent books (that I've read, at least) seem to follow similar themes, they do each manage to be different enough to really enjoy them. This was fast paced and cleverly done with multiple twists - great thriller. "
— Jo, 2/7/2014 -
" Another excellent read from Koontz. "
— Tony, 2/3/2014 -
" This was a great book. I have read it once and I plan to read it again. Its evil clowns done in a whole new way. Lol "
— Remme, 2/1/2014 -
" A great story, and more delicious food descriptions. "
— Missyk, 1/25/2014 -
" A quick, fun read for fans of Koontz, both old and new. It's full of quirky twists, turns and suspense, but isn't very dark. It's a great stand-alone work with characters that really come to life. "
— Ash, 1/22/2014 -
" I was actually reading this book when I was in labor at the hospital with my daughter. It is such a good book that it made the time go by so fast. The doctor that delivered me had just finished reading this book as well and loved it! "
— Melissa, 1/19/2014 -
" This was a very strange book to read. I really enjoyed it and it was really surprising through out. Enjoyed it. "
— Mgw, 1/8/2014 -
" This was not the type of story I had expected from Dean Koontz. The main character has an unusual set of events in his life. It was OK, but not great. "
— Kathy, 1/4/2014 -
" also known as "Tick Tock" - pretty good "
— Katie, 12/29/2013 -
" My 1st Koontz novel so I wasn't sure what to expect....which was good because it was by far on of the strangest books I've ever read! However, I couldn't put it down!!! "
— Erin, 12/10/2013 -
" favorite koontz book. must read "
— Tara, 11/15/2013 -
" If you liked the Odd Thomas books, you will like this one as well. No ghost of Elvis, but the same flippant, fun tone. And who doesn't love a hero who is also a first class pastry chef? "
— Steven, 6/7/2013 -
" One of my favorites. Koontz has the wonderful ability to combine humor with thriller effortlessly. This book had a family that you adored, with characters you loved. "
— Sarah, 4/10/2013 -
" This book was so amazing. Twisty. "
— Kathleen, 10/25/2012 -
" The book didn't feel realistic at all, and the characters didn't really strike me as genuine. Not a great one from Koontz. Interesting concept, not executed well. "
— Jake, 9/26/2012 -
" I loved loved loved this book! The characters were charming, the story was playful and inventive and the text was quotable and so many passages stood alone to speak out loud to me. I'll definitely read this one again. "
— Creative, 8/22/2012 -
" This one is funny! Nate and I listened to it on a long trip one time and laughed the entire way. I am not sure it is intended to be funny, but we enjoyed it. "
— Jackie, 8/17/2012 -
" Okay, I gave it a try. Like Crystal said, it was rather slow getting started, but once things got moving I got more interested. I almost gave it only two stars -- just too much violence for me. It did have some interesting twists as the book went along. "
— Lambknitj, 8/7/2012 -
" I don't know Koontz. Leave the clowns either to Barnum & Bailey, or to King. Both seem to do better going full into their chosen paths, then you seem to by combining both of the paths together. However, I still can't stop reading your works, so I guess I can forgive you. "
— Jeremy, 8/4/2012 -
" Scary, funny, moving, surprising, well-plotted and constructed...lots of positive adjectives for this story by Dean Koontz, a master storyteller in the company of Stephen King. Prolific writer who produces quality work every time out. "
— Jean, 6/8/2012 -
" So many twists and turns you won't know what hit you! Hilarious and touching. "
— Samantha, 2/10/2012 -
" A great book by Koontz. Heart pounding action in the way of creepy clowns! "
— Geokowgurl, 7/2/2011 -
" Just read this book and I couldn't put it down. <br/>I like books that stay interesting and I loved that this book had a new "incident" around every corner. The characters are bizzare, entertaining, and easy to fall in love with. "
— Monica, 7/1/2011 -
" Jimmy Tock comes into the world with ten predictions made by his dying grandfather. This book is all about the five bad days that his grandfather predicts Jimmy is going to have. I found the book to be a good read. I was enticed to find out what happened. I enjoyed the book. "
— Brenda, 6/29/2011 -
" One of my favorite Dean Koontz books. Surprised at how much I enjoyed it. "
— Barbtimering, 6/27/2011 -
" Very cleverly written! LIFE EXPECTANCY is a quick read with a good mix of action, suspense, humor, and voice. It will appeal to fans of Koontz and King alike! "
— Tim, 6/24/2011 -
" I could not get through the fourth cd, it could not hold my interest. "
— SueAnn, 6/20/2011 -
" This book was rather bizarre but then again what Dean Koontz book isn't?! "
— Jessica, 6/16/2011 -
" FABULOUS....you don't know everything until the very last chapter......GREAT "
— Karen, 6/13/2011 -
" Koontz's humor shines through in this one. Not what I expected at all but a very pleasant surprise. Rich characters that you really pull for. "
— Scot, 6/7/2011 -
" Great book! One of my favourites. "
— Roxanne, 6/7/2011 -
" Good characters and action. A little strange at the end. "
— Walter, 6/6/2011 -
" I really liked this book. The plot line was new to me. Creepy because there is a clown in it... I don't much care for clowns. Good read. "
— Michele, 5/17/2011 -
" Sucked me right in! Haven't read Koontz in a long time. "
— Kate, 5/16/2011
About Dean Koontz
Dean Koontz is the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, including suspense thrillers and books for young readers. His books are published in thirty-eight languages, and his worldwide sales top 500 million copies. Several of his books have also been adapted into feature films and television miniseries. He has been hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as “America’s most popular suspense novelist.” For more information, visit his website at www.deankoontz.com.
About John Bedford Lloyd
John Bedford Lloyd, Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, has appeared in many major motion pictures, including The Bourne Supremacy, Crossing Delancey, The Abyss, The Manchurian Candidate, and Philadelphia. His television credits include Suits, Pan Am, Law & Order, Spin City, and The West Wing.