Odd Thomas - Part 2: Antagonizing Antagonists

       I am pretty well into the book, and I have got to say, one of my favorite aspects by far is the use of the obscure mythological creature, the Bodach. It is a creature of Gaelic origin, and mainly serves as their culture's bogeyman, scaring children into listening to their parents and elders. However, within these pages, the Bodach is something a little more sinister.

     What separates this Bodach from the one hiding under your bed is what it represents. An added feature to these Bodach is the fact that they gather around living people who will experience a large catastrophe or disaster. They feed off of the negative energies from these events and even relish in the suffering and death that follow. Transparent and intangible, Bodach, according to Odd, don't appear as regularly as ghosts. In spite of this, they're very dangerous when they actually do appear. A rule Koontz made against these creatures is that they cannot know you see them, otherwise they'll kill you. Because of this, Odd does his very best to avoid them finding out. Other than him, Stormy and the Police Chief know about their existence, but Odd Thomas is the only one who can see them.

    Their first appearance in the book is relatively close to the beginning. While Odd is working as a diner cook, the "Fungus Man" appears not only bringing one single Bodach, but hundreds. This is the signal for the imminent quest for Odd, because when he sees them, he knows that soon disaster will strike. Throughout the book, they're rare, but when appearing, they serve as a limitation for Odd, but a constant reminder of what he was trying to prevent. "Fungus Man" may be the physical antagonist, but most definitely, the Bodach are the true antagonists.

    I believe that the Bodach truly adds on to the Thriller aspect of the story. As mentioned before, they are constant reminders of what might happen if Odd fails, but personally, their presence within the story is very significant. The Bodach in their entirety are mysterious. Their origins aren't explained, and even Odd admits that the name "Bodach" is something he uses to refer to them; the creatures' true name isn't given. They aim for tragedy, but have no clear motive other than pleasure. What is the point? Do they work for someone or something? Where do they go when they disappear? Their obscurity perplexes me, but mostly intrigues me to find out what their true goal is. Perhaps it all will be revealed in the end, after all this is a series.