Hijo de La Mente

by John Saul, Ariel Bignami (translator)

Alex Lonsdale era uno de los jovenes más populares de La Paloma, California. Hasta el horroroso accidente automovilístico que le produjo enormes daños cerebrales. Hasta que el brillante milagro médico de Raymond Torres, un neurólogo genial, lo rescató de las garras de la muerte.
Ahora Alex parece casi recuperado, excepto por una cosa: no siente nada, y sus recuerdos son confusos. Su cerebro restaurado es capaz de comprender y de acumular datos, pero carece de emociones. Aprende, sin embargo, a simularlas y parece un joven normal otra vez… Pero en su mente se abre paso el recuerdo de una enorme injusticia que sufrieron los antepasados de Raymond, una injusticia que clama venganza.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Science Fiction, Suspense, Supernatural

365 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

John Saul is an American author best known for his bestselling suspense and horror novels, many of which have appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list. Born in Pasadena and raised in Whittier, California, Saul attended several universities without earning a degree. He spent years honing his craft, writing under pen names before finding mainstream success. His breakout novel, Suffer the Children (1977), launched a prolific career, with over 60 million copies of his books in print. Saul’s work includes Cry for the Strangers, later adapted into a TV movie, and The Blackstone Chronicles series. He is also a playwright, with one-act plays produced in Los Angeles and Seattle. In 2023, he received the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement. Openly gay, he has lived with his partner—also his creative collaborator—for nearly 50 years. Saul divides his time between Seattle, the San Juan Islands, and Hawaii, and frequently speaks at writers’ conferences, including the Maui Writers' Conference. His enduring popularity in the horror genre stems from a blend of psychological tension, supernatural elements, and deep emotional undercurrents that have resonated with readers for decades.

Reviews

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just as simple as that:

I hate horror books.
I don't like science fiction.
I despise unprovoked and unjustified violence.
And yet there is something in this novel.
Perhaps the style...

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another typical Saul novel-- ok verging on good, but not great. Saul has a very distinct formula he utilizes for all its worth. A. Small town. B. Family with a teenager. C. Something happens and tears the family apart. In this installment (and I think that is fair) La Paloma is the small town, and the family (the Lonsdales) have a teenage son named Alex. Alex gets involved in a serious car wreck and it technically brain dead. However, a brilliant brain surgeon steps in to save the day. Yet, Alex is quite different when he awakes. Besides memory loss, Alex has no feelings what so ever; he is like a sociopath to the extreme. Yet, he on occasion seems to remember things from long ago, back when La Paloma became basically annexed to the USA in 1848...

To continue on the plot would entail spoilers, so just some comments. The ending had some nice twists (again, as usual for Saul), but the middle of the novel dragged quite a bit. We have our usual 'hysterical' female characters and the coolly logical father. This could have been a very nice novel, but as it stands, it kinda typifies the 80's horror mania-- cool covers with very little to chew on. There are lots of good horror novels from this era, do not get me wrong, but this one is not worth looking for. 2.5 stars.

[John McDermott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back in 1985 when Brain Child was first published,(I was 18 back then!! Good Grief), I probably would have found this book to be more effective on the scary front, but,reading it today I just found it quite silly.
Using the familiar trope of the popular High School Teenager who is brought back from the dead and now there’s something about him that’s not quite right! Add an ancient curse and cue all kinds of murderous mayhem !
Trashy but entertaining,it also made me nostalgic for all those classic Eighties horror novels I loved back then : Brian Lumley ,James Herbert and of course Guy N Smith! In tribute to him I award Brain Child only just three 🦀🦀🦀😁

[Joel Saa'C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me quede pegado desde el inicio, y eso qué sólo lo leí (al principio), porque un amigo me lo recomendó. Me había dicho que era de Terror y Suspenso, pero más allá de eso, me ha encantado como narra el tema puntual (a mi parecer) del libro: la venganza, y además detalla cómo una persona con rencores puede llegar a planear algo tan macabro; y el final, MADRE MÍA WILLY!! Tremendo final, mejor incluso que en las mejores películas. Totalmente recomendable.

[MikeR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brain Child takes the classic “gifted teen” trope, injects it with a dose of rogue science, and wraps it in a slow-burning thriller where memory, manipulation, and madness collide. Fair warning: this book will make you extra nervous around teenagers who know how to code.



Plot in a Nutshell
Alex Lonsdale is your average high school boy in the sleepy town of La Paloma, California. Until… boom! Car crash. Traumatic brain injury. Medical miracle.

Dr Raymond Torres, (the Elon Musk of the neurological world), a local neurologist, uses experimental surgery to revive Alex (because in John Saul's world, “experimental” always means “this is going to end terribly.”) "Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world's first microprocessed man. Alex Lonsdale will be that man. Better than he was before. Better . . . smarter . . . and psychotic."



Alex wakes up smarter. Like, terrifyingly smarter. Memorizing entire textbooks, mastering languages overnight, solving complex math problems... and also suddenly very interested in controlling others and committing acts of violence. Totally normal recovery process, right?

As his personality darkens and people around him start dying, his best friend (and low-key love interest) Lisa starts asking questions. What exactly did Dr Torres do to Alex’s brain? And is it really Alex in there?


Cast of Characters (Has no one thought to call Child Protective Services):

Alex Lonsdale
From sweet, average teen to creepy, genius sociopath faster than you can say “experimental brain surgery.” One minute he’s crushing on Lisa and playing football, the next he’s memorizing calculus while plotting... things. Bad things.



Lisa Cochran
Smart, loyal, and clearly the only one paying attention. She clocks that something’s off with Alex before anyone else.

Dr. Raymond Torres
Science man with a God complex. He doesn’t just study the brain—he plays chess with it. Sees Alex less as a human and more as a test subject in his twisted vision of brain-enhanced humanity.

Ellen and Marsh Lonsdale
Alex’s parents. Mostly confused and concerned. Ellen senses something is deeply wrong, but Marsh is too busy being vaguely supportive and 100% oblivious.

Alejandro de Meléndez y Ruiz
The man, the myth, the syllables. A mysterious figure with a name that sounds like he should be wearing velvet and quoting poetry at midnight. A great name to impress the ladies—until they realize they might have to spell it. Definitely more intriguing than “Jeff.” His presence in the narrative adds flair, mystery, and just enough suspicion.




Themes That Make You Want to Hide Your Brain:

“Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should”
Science gone rogue is classic Saul, but here it’s personal. The horror comes from the idea of losing yourself—literally—because someone else decided your brain was their playground.

Teen Angst, but With Murder
This isn’t your average moody teen story. Alex isn’t just acting out—he’s actively becoming someone else. Identity crisis meets possession story meets tech horror.

Memory, Morality, and Mind Control
If you could implant brilliance into a kid—but also risk destroying their soul—would you do it? Saul forces you to wrestle with that question, even while ducking from the metaphorical brain grenades he lobs every few chapters.



What I Took Away (Besides a Fear of Brain Surgery):
Brain Child is one of Saul’s darker, more psychologically driven novels. It's less about ghosts and more about the scariest question of all: What if who you are could be overwritten? There's no haunted mansion, no prairie cult—just a boy, a surgeon, and the terrifying truth that the mind can be its own worst enemy.

If you like your horror grounded in science and rooted in identity horror, Brain Child delivers. Saul balances teenage drama with cerebral terror, all while reminding you that sometimes the scariest thing in the world is what’s going on inside your own head.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

There isn't that much to be said about John Saul. I mean, I remember coming randomly across him in a second-hand bookstore and being mildly captivated by the covers on all his books. His titles are pretty lame - The Unloved!! The Unwanted!! Comes the Blind Fury!! Punish the Sinners!! - but I couldn't resist the cheesy goosebumps vibe I got from reading the back sleeves.

First Saul book I read was Hellfire, because it had a creepy front-cover and the back said something about a haunted mill in rural America. I read it and ... well, it wasn't exactly awful, but it wasn't anything special either. Were it not for the awesomely unexpected - and bravely gruesome - conclusion to the story, I would have forgotten it completely. Next book I read was called Sleepwalk. Fucking, while the writing was an improvement, the story was boring and lame.

That was back in 2012, I suppose. I've not been in any hurry since then to revisit his books. I've sussed him out a little better since then. I decided that he's not an artist in the sense that more prodigious authors like King, Palahniuk, and Straub might be. He's the best definition for pulp fiction that you could find. I’ve only read three of his books now*, but I take it their intentions are not to inspire entire generations of readers. They hold no staying power, and that statement is perfectly justified by the fact that you only seem to find this guy in the dusty back corner of any charity shop or used bookstore.

I remember two instances in Stephen King’s marvellous critique of the genre, Danse Macabre, where he actually insulted John Saul. Like, he made a very homophobic comment that has not aged well for the outspoken liberal at all. No, I’m just joking - but yeah, John Saul is homosexual. Not that that changes anything; it’s just a bit of trivia which actually makes his work the slightest bit more interesting in my opinion. He also stands up when he writes, which I found fairly odd, but then again, I’ve tried that and it kind of makes sense. I think your brain is meant to be more active when you're standing or some shit.

With John Saul, I always considered him a bit of a James Patterson of the horror genre. But to be honest, that’s really not fair. John Saul spins a much better yarn than James Patterson. Or, at least, he doesn’t rub me the wrong way like that man does. At least Saul actually pens his own goddamned stories. I just remember seeing an interview on YouTube, and I couldn’t take him all that seriously afterwards. I got the impression that he regarded writing as more of a lark than an actual passion. He said something like: “I don’t enjoy the process of writing. I just enjoy looking back on a book that I’ve written”. Saying shit like that, I can understand why someone like Stephen King wouldn’t like him.

I also noticed his habit of trying to make his books seem longer than they really are by wasting as many pages a possible between chapters. Even when he starts his next chapter on a new page already, he still, for some reason, places the chapter title more than halfway down the page. I reckon this book could have been almost twenty-percent shorter if he hadn’t done that.
But all things considered, John Saul is just there for filling time. Don’t read him expecting anything outstanding, something that will change your perceptions on what great literature is. He’s basically just something to read on the shitter.



So, now I’ve said my bit on John Saul himself. Let's get to Brain Child in particular.
Again, the title isn’t all that encouraging. Might as well call it “Terror Face” or “Monster Boy” or something. And as usual, Saul jumps right into his usual formula. Middle-Upper-Class Californian teenagers are the main characters, so if that don’t rock your boat, then perhaps you chose the wrong author, idiot. Except Saul does not approach this group with the same acidic wit as someone like Bret Easton Ellis would. There’s all the same stereotypes. The protagonist is quiet and attractive, and he probably has an equally attractive girlfriend. There’s the snooty rich girl, who will probably get killed in a way that isn’t supposed to be satisfying but can’t help being so anyway. There’s a lonesome, creepy individual who will serve as the conduit for whatever supernatural events take place. And there might be a mildly-incompetent police officer who does nothing but follow the trail of breadcrumbs. At least there’s no talking dog, or genius baby, or any of that Dean Koontz bullshit to put up with as well.

Looking back, the whole last paragraph seems to give a negative vibe. But while this book does have all the staples I hear have been plunged into most of Saul’s books, there is still some enjoyment to be had in this one. The characters, though fairly one-dimensional, are at least not too obnoxious. I can’t say my feelings grew for any of them, but the killings that happen later on in the book do get pretty suspenseful when you feel that certain characters don’t deserve to die, regardless of whether they’re that interesting or not.

The story is certainly not scary. None of Saul’s stuff is scary, not matter what the critics try to tell you. But this story was at least serviceable. It had a decent ending, and there was enough bloodshed for me to be satisfied that at least he wasn’t a pussy. I like that he’s willing to kill off anyone. Some might say that’s just a gimmick to make up for lacklustre storytelling and character development, but I don’t know … I’m willing to take it.

John Saul is like a cheeseburger. An analogy like that isn’t mean or false. But unlike some people, I don’t mind pulling into McDonalds and getting one on the way to work sometimes. There are still plenty of fancy restaurants out there, but sometimes it’s nice to just grab a cheeseburger instead.



Just don’t do it too often.

[Georganne Neely · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it!

[Anto Tilio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hijo de la mente es una historia sobre maldiciones y venganzas en un pueblito de California. Pero también tiene un lugar importante la ciencia y los estudios sobre el cerebro. La Paloma sufre un cambio rotundo después del accidente de Alex y su recuperación. Y todo se remonta a lo pasado el siglo anterior combinado con una venganza personal.

Reseña completa

[Ruben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro empezó muy bien, al final algo así como al final de dos terceras parte del libro tiene un bajo un tanto pronunciado, el cual es remontado con un evento el cual no podía creer mientras leía, un final un tanto escabroso pero bueno y acorde a toda la novela, muy recomendable.

[Kelley Stoneking · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story! Despite being published in 1985, it wasn't all that dated.

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compré éste libro hace tres años para una clase de ingles. Se suponía que leeríamos un libro y al finalizar el ciclo daríamos una reseña, sin embargo, nunca llegamos a realizar dicho trabajo. Ahora, después de todo éste tiempo, he leído el libro y estoy aquí para escribir esa reseña.

Me gustó. La historia logro interesarme en muchas ocasiones aunque luego daba giros que me parecían malos, pero bueno, estaba bien. La narración era bipolar: algunas veces era bastante descriptiva e intensa, como debe ser en un libro de terror; y otras veces era más bien sencilla y algo floja. Los diálogos también eran tan buenos cómo malos: algunos personajes, como María Torrer mantenían conversaciones realmente interesantes mientras que otros, como la pareja de policías, me parecían tontos y exasperantes.

Alex, un adolescente popular y carismático, sufre un accidente en su auto que destroza su cerebro, el Dr. Torres está dispuesto a arreglarlo usando los milagros de la tecnología. Alex logra sobrevivir la cirugía pero ahora Alex ha perdido la capacidad de sentir emociones, empieza a escuchar voces en su cabeza y a recordar cosas de hace más de un siglo. Ahora Alex ya no es el mismo.


Hay escenas que creo pudieron haber sido más extensas y más detalladas. Por ejemplo cuando Alex asesina a sus dos primeras victimas: ahí no hubo nada de emoción, nada de acción. Fue aburrido.

El uso del español en el libro me gustó. No sonó estúpido ni forzado, fue bastante bueno. Era un toque realmente grandioso para cuando Alex entraba en una especie de trance para convertirse en Alejandro.

La ciencia aquí me gusta, suena bastante creíble y eso siempre se aprecia en un libro de ciencia ficción. El Dr. Torres creo que fue un personaje muy poco explotado, daba para más.

El final pudo haber sido mucho mejor, de hecho estaba yendo bastante bien hasta que Alex regresó a su casa. La forma en la que es asesinado por su padre me pareció muy rápida y aburrida. El libro tenía la capacidad de emocionarme en algunas escenas, pero me falló completamente con ese final.

[Ignacio Senao f · Rating 2 out of 5]

Comienza muy chachi con un adolescente que tras sufrir un accidente no tiene emociones y se convierte muy inteligente. Lo que podría ser un asesino perfecto. Pero qué va, continúa la historia de la manera más aburrida.

[Luis Capuchino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro fascinante que entra, en mi opinión, dentro del género terror psicológico. ¿Una posesión o una auténtica máquina de asesinar?

[Gary Reads (garysbooksnthings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Saul never disappoints me

[Marianneboss · Rating 2 out of 5]

Evil doctor with evil plans and an evil experiment...and you know the rest of the story if you've read a John Saul book before.
Nothing new under the sun.
Also, the author is a cheater, he writes a character giving it some thoughts and treats that drastically change towards the end making it seem it was like that since the beginning but it doesn't make any sense since it's supposed to be an omniscent narrator Dr. Torres at the beginning acts like he doesn't know what's going on with Alex, even when he's alone, but at the end turns out he did know the whole time because he programmed him to do all those things. So what the hell, John Saul?? Do you even give a fuck for character consistency???

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a bit different than what John Saul usually writes. I mean, of course, there are crimes and suspense moments, all wrapped in a shroud of mystery but still... I realised by reading this book that, after all, the soul is what makes us human: the experiences we've been through, the emotions we've learned to express. And if something can interfere with our humanity and our empathy towards others is not knowing to forgive and forget.

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave it 2 stars because I managed to finish it. This might be the first of his books I’ve read. I’m not eager to pick up another.
Popular teen gets into an accident after a party and is not expected to survive. Brilliant surgeon enters the picture and saves teen’s life. Teen wakes up a totally different person. No one knows why.
The plot on this was ludicrous which I don’t necessarily mind if there are other high points of the book. The characters weren’t badly written but there was absolutely nothing interesting about any of them. A couple of them weren’t brought in until almost the very end so I wondered why even bother writing them.
I think John Saul is probably a decent writer so I figure he had a contract to get a book out by the end of the year and raced through this loser to get it done.
Unless you’re a big Saul fan or you just need something to get through a long flight, I’d suggest moving on to more rewarding reading.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A typical Saul book, and they are great 1980 style horror books.
As with all Saul books, leave yourself a period of time between each one as he is a formula writer.

Fun horror.

[Fiona BookDragon4Life · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this as a teen and not as good as remembered. Good characters but storyline was meh.

[Patrice Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a fairly simple read about a teen who'd gotten into a horrible car accident. After a brain-saving operation is performed, the teen survives. On the surface he appears to be the old Alex Lonsdale that everyone wants him to be, minus feelings. The kid has no feelings at all. And if that isn't creepy enough, he's suddenly a super-genius. He's able to store and recall any information he's given like a computer.

The book is a farely easy read and I was able to breeze through it pretty quickly. I liked it, hence the 3-star rating. There just wasn't anything special about this book that would garner more than 3-stars (for me). There was nothing over the top about it and it was rather predictable. Other than Alex and his father Marsh, I don't remember caring about any of the other charachters. It didn't matter to me if they died or not.

If you're looking for an easy read, or time-filler, this is the book for you. There's no need to think to much. And it does entertain enough, so much so that I didn't want to hurl it at the wall for being a waste of time.

[Richard K. Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, having been a John Saul fan from the date of the publishing of his first horror novel, Punish The Sinners, I have read and loved every single word that he has written. With this being another one, that I had not read since 1985, I enjoyed the horror and suspense all over again as if experiencing it for the first time. When the story starts, 16 year old Alex Lonsdale is getting ready to attend his first junior prom in La Paloma California and this will start and turn into the night that will change his life and all his friends forever. What will transpire will forever change the way you think what the human mind is capable of. Terror and revenge live in the mind of Dr. Raymonde Torres, the doctor who is a brain specialist, and is the one who takes on Alex's case after suddenly becoming brain dead. What the people of La Paloma will go thru that year is an experience that will long ever forget. Read it..

Look for a video review link soon, from my Youtube Channel AreYouIntoHorror here.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this was one of the first John Saul books that I read when I was 15, and at the time it was really groundbreaking in terms of the use of technology. But now, re-reading it, the story loses a bit of it's charm because technology has advanced so far that it doesn't really have the same terror/scary effect now as it did before. The ideas presented are not as far fetched as they once were. The work we are doing with computers and genetics really has come a long way and that dates this book. But the evil factor is still really something to enjoy, and the action is pretty fast paced. An enjoyable read.

[Gloria Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex, a popular high school student, suffers extensive brain damage in a car accident. His parents release what appears to be a brain-dead boy to the care of Dr. Torres, an innovative brain surgeon. Dr. Torres succeeds to the extent that Alex revives, suddenly brilliant but without memory or emotions. Then a seed of evil that stems from an ancient wrong invades Alex's brain, and the question arises: is Dr. Torres a hero or a devil?

The story has a Twilight Zone feel. The viewpoints are many, and the characters are sympathetic, but not so deep as to allow the reader to become overly attached to each. They are, however, realistic, and the ending is logical. This is a riveting read.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another excellent read by John Saul. I enjoy the way the author constructs this story as it is an older book, the technology aspect of this read was fascinating and incredibly creative. This is the second book I read by this author in a little over 24 hours and, with good reason. Once I startb his books I just can't tear myself away. Another reminder why I began to look foward to his books many moons ago. I will definitely be combing the bookstore for more of his books as even after all this time the have not lost their luster.

[Celeste Magnificent · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book picked up a little bit after the brain surgery but overall the plot moved too slowly for my liking. None of the characters were likeable or memorable. When characters were killed toward the end of the book, I wondered to myself, "Who was that?"

Without giving too much away, the moral of this story is be careful who you're rude to in high school-- they may grow up to be influential and hold a grudge.

I give this one star.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't even finish it. It bored the crap out of me. Very seldom do I not finish a book once I start it but this time I just couldn't finish it. I tried to read the book but I just couldn't do it. It was sooooo bad. Hell the book deserves half a star.

Not really anybody's idea of a good start to the year on reading. No one wants to start their year reading a book that sucks ass...well I did so it can only get better.

[Ricci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I just found a new to me favorite author. This was the first John Saul book I have ever read and LOVED it. This book was about a teenager that got into a really bad accident and had a brain surgery that turned him into someone else. Creepy goodness. I didn't want to sleep until this one was finished.

[Aurora Dimitre · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

So, today I read Brain Child, and mostly, this was sad. The majority of the book read like the least sympathetic, "my child/friend had a traumatic brain injury and now doesn't have emotions anymore" situation ever, and then it just got... really sad. This was straight depressing. Probably the most emotional book John Saul has ever written.

[Holger C Andersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book very much.
A science fiction book can develop in any direction the author might want, and thats whats happening here.
Whats happening in the book is totally unrealistic, but I had some nice hours in the company of the brain child.

[Katrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting but at the end led me to think again that there could be a sequel.