Bound & Determined to Find a Good Read: Review: Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz

Details:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense comes a riveting thriller that probes the deepest terrors of the human psyche—and the ineffable mystery of what truly makes us who we are. Here an innocent man finds himself fighting for his very existence in a battle that starts with the most frightening words of all…

At thirty-four, Internet entrepreneur Ryan Perry seemed to have the world in his pocket—until the first troubling symptoms appeared out of nowhere. Within days, he’s diagnosed with incurable cardiomyopathy and finds himself on the waiting list for a heart transplant; it’s his only hope, and it’s dwindling fast. Ryan is about to lose it all…his health, his girlfriend, Samantha, and his life.

One year later, Ryan has never felt better. Business is good and there’s even a chance of getting Samantha back in his life. Then the unmarked gifts begin to arrive in the mail—a heart pendant, a box of Valentine candy hearts. And, most disturbing of all, a graphic heart surgery video accompanied by a chilling message: Your heart belongs to me.In a heartbeat, the medical miracle that gave Ryan a second chance at life is about to become a curse worse than death. For Ryan is being stalked by a mysterious woman who feels entitled to everything he has. She’s the spitting image of the twenty-eight-year-old donor of the heart beating steadily in Ryan’s own chest.

And she’s come to take it back.

Audio CD
Published November 25th 2008 by Brilliance Audio
ISBN: 142335690X (ISBN13: 9781423356905)
(Goodreads)

Review:

This review most likely contains spoilers

I have read and reviewed a couple other Koontz books, and so far, he’s either hit or miss with me. Your Heart Belongs to Me has definitely left me on the fence of whether this is a hit or a miss.

Adam is a self-made, rich, and famous. But most of all, he’s likeable and relatable. You could instantly be his friend. He’s obsessive, working hours on end on the same project without stopping. This obsessiveness brings about a downfall of sorts.

He is diagnosed with a heart defect, and needs a transplant. One doctor mentions in passing that poisoning could cause the same defect, but is very unlikely. Well, being the obsessive person that he is, Adam spends a small fortune on trying to find out who poisoned him and why. Which leads to a dead end—no one is! Which is frustrating that Koontz spends more than half the book on this train of thought. As a reader, if you read the description you know that’s not the case, but still.

Adam goes all Tale Tale Heart obsessive—every little knock or creak makes him think someone is out to get him. I appreciate the Hawthornian bend to this novel. As a fan of Hawthorn, I was impressed how easily those themes fit in here. Koontz even creates a character who is a major Hawthorn fan!

It gets a little crazy at times, and there’s a lot of questions that aren’t answered, and then there’s the whole scene at his dad’s house with Lily’s sister and the end of the scene is just…unbelievable.

And the ending is really, very sappy. Who needs redemption when there’s no closure? What about all the questions I need answers to? Apparently, we’re not getting any answers since the book ends and this is not a series. AND I NEED ANSWERS!

I was riveted at times, and liked major chunks of the plot, but not the whole of it.