THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY by Dean Koontz

THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY

Dean Koontz (deankoontz.com)

Thomas & Mercer (brilliancepublishing.com)

£19.99

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Alida is a “human oddity”, what many might call a freak. For the first seventeen years of her life, she is the property of Captain Forest Farnam, the star attraction in his “Museum of the Strange”, a so-called 10-in-1. During the off-season, Farnam takes Alida on the road, and makes money on the speakeasy circuit, presenting her deformities as part of a stage show for high-paying customers. One night, following the first of two shows in the Blue Mood in San Francisco, Farnam is approached by Franklin and Loretta Fairchild, movie producers from Los Angeles who have taken it upon themselves to rescue Alida from his nefarious clutches. Adopting her, they take her to their palatial mansion and introduce her to her new siblings and the staff that look after them. Not believing how much her luck has changed, Alida – now Adiel – settles in to her new life, and to the love of a family. As the years pass, and the threat of Farnam seems to fade, Adiel discovers that she has other oddities, gifts that offset her deformities and allow her to help her new family, but which would see her branded as a freak twice over if they ever became public.

Dean Koontz’s latest novel, The Friend of the Family, feels very different from his recent novels. Starting in 1930, and spanning around 15 years, Koontz presents the story of Alida in her own words, in the form of a memoir of sorts. When we first meet the 17-year-old girl, we learn that she is part of a so-called freak show at a carnival, but we aren’t told what her deformity is, what makes her different from everyone else. What’s clear is that she’s living a miserable life, while her so-called guardian, Farnam, exploits her for financial gain. We are as surprised, then, as Alida is, when she is taken under the wing of the Fairchilds, and her fortunes change in an instant. Here is a family that loves her unreservedly and unconditionally; a home that is comfortable and secure; and a life that is charmed as only the lives of the rich can be. As she and the family grow and get to know each other, the girl who is now called Adiel begins to find her place in the world, and ways in which she can help her new family. But there is always a threat hanging over their lives – whether it’s people trying to get photos of the girl to sell to the tabloids, or Farnam, who has found himself a new star attraction, a boy with psychopathic tendencies and razor-sharp teeth.

The Friend of the Family has good points and bad points. I have to admit that I found it a bit of a struggle; while the story at its core is interesting – certainly interesting enough to keep me going to the end (alongside the fact that we need to reach the end before finding out just what is wrong with Adiel) – the manner of its telling is a little too saccharine for my tastes. The Fairchilds are a little too well put together; their staff a little too friendly. Even the banter feels forced at times, and their lives a little too blessed. It’s like watching a TV show where the characters are all a little bit too beautiful, a little bit too perfect. Our central character goes from a life of misery to a life of heavenly perfection in the blink of an eye, and lives the perfect life for thirteen years before tragedy strikes. It’s not until the book’s last fifty pages that we go from seemingly endless descriptions of this idyllic life, the best meal she’d ever eaten, the best day of her life, to the point where the real world pokes its head into the lives of the Fairchilds and things get interesting. 

It has been a while since I’ve picked up a Koontz and found a misfire, but here it is. It’s not for me, but that’s not to say it’s not for everyone. It’s worth a read for the central plot, but go in forewarned that it’s a bit of a plod, a bit of a by-the-numbers melodrama with a hint of suspense and the supernatural. This is Dean Koontz a long way from his best, I’m sorry to say.