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The Neglected Ones
For fans of The Little Stranger, The Sixth Sense, and The Others.
“Salaski crafts an intense, unforgettable story. A novel you won’t want to miss!” —USA Today best-selling author Darcy Coates, author of The Haunting of Ashburn House
David Reid, an esteemed artist struggling to make ends meet during a financial crisis, finds himself in an even greater dilemma when his mother ends up at Haven, a nursing home on the coast of Maine.
Once a magnificent seaside hotel, Haven is now in decline, its eerie gothic structure fading like the residents who live inside.
David has already had a taste of the wicked ways of those who work at the facility. Dealing with the inept staff is an endless battle that saps his resolve. And to make matters worse, his mother claims ghosts are haunting the facility.
But David knows there’s no such thing as ghosts. That is until he’s confronted by a powerful force—an entity who threatens to haunt him for the rest of his life unless he agrees to complete two "simple" tasks.
What follows is a chain of events that leads David to the answer of one of mankind's most important questions.
If you’re searching for a truly original ghost story with an ending to beat all endings, this is it!
“Salaski crafts an intense, unforgettable story. A novel you won’t want to miss!” —USA Today best-selling author Darcy Coates, author of The Haunting of Ashburn House
David Reid, an esteemed artist struggling to make ends meet during a financial crisis, finds himself in an even greater dilemma when his mother ends up at Haven, a nursing home on the coast of Maine.
Once a magnificent seaside hotel, Haven is now in decline, its eerie gothic structure fading like the residents who live inside.
David has already had a taste of the wicked ways of those who work at the facility. Dealing with the inept staff is an endless battle that saps his resolve. And to make matters worse, his mother claims ghosts are haunting the facility.
But David knows there’s no such thing as ghosts. That is until he’s confronted by a powerful force—an entity who threatens to haunt him for the rest of his life unless he agrees to complete two "simple" tasks.
What follows is a chain of events that leads David to the answer of one of mankind's most important questions.
If you’re searching for a truly original ghost story with an ending to beat all endings, this is it!
- GenresHorrorParanormalFiction
312 pages, Paperback
First published September 17, 2017
174 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 19, 2018
I work as an administrator in the senior resident care industry. I also have experience with placing family members and guiding friends in their search for senior communities, including nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. While I do get paid to do what I do, my faith walk has led me to see myself as a servant to and a minister to the aged. I also work in the ministry field of spiritual deliverance. I shared this with you, the fellow reader to give you a background of who I am and my review of this book.
Prior to starting this book, the author shared some private background which prompted me more to read this book. I must admit that I started reading this book with great anticipation and hope. I was pulled in by the first few sentences. Ms. Salski is a talented wordsmith and has a talent for painting a mental picture for us. I had a multi-sensory experience while reading this well-crafted novel. My heart was touched and my humanity was stirred by the author's writing and tale. In reference to emotional content, there is compassion, anger, contempt, naivete and cynicism. The strain of cynicism is throughout the book and most dominant. Whether it be about God, recovery, senior healthcare, etc, the author does not veil her critical and/or sarcastic attitude. While she handles this well by spreading it among several characters and throughout the novel, it is distracting. There are times it slows the pace or disrupts a tense moment.
In regard to the story, itself, it is multi-faceted and consists of several tales. One has the tales of Zelda Reid, an elderly woman at a rehab/nursing home; the love and devotion of her son, David, arising artist; David and his family's struggles, especially the financial struggles and his daughter Hannah's emotions; a couple of other families' struggles with the nursing home staff; and the sinister and uncaring attitude of the Haven staff. The author does craft a connection between the four tales and makes this a well-crafted novel. I especially enjoyed how she intermeshes happenings away from the nursing home back to it. It is a tightly-knit novel about heartache, disappointment and mistrust.
The author also introduced the theme of a paranormal and spiritual bent into the story about halfway through the novel. She nips at it with some sensory incidents and builds on that. In the last 50 pages, we get a waterfall of spiritual themes. This was totally unexpected and non sequitor. She needed to develop these themes earlier if they were going to be central to the climax.
Overall, it was difficult to see what this book was supposed to be: a dramatic tale set around a nursing home, an expose of the real problems that do exist at some nursing homes, a criticism of the relationship between government (funding) of nursing homes and the nursing home industry, a tale of hope, or a tale of (paranormal) suspense. I enjoyed it but it could have been two equally effective novels. I do applaud Ms. Salaski on her first novel effort.
Prior to starting this book, the author shared some private background which prompted me more to read this book. I must admit that I started reading this book with great anticipation and hope. I was pulled in by the first few sentences. Ms. Salski is a talented wordsmith and has a talent for painting a mental picture for us. I had a multi-sensory experience while reading this well-crafted novel. My heart was touched and my humanity was stirred by the author's writing and tale. In reference to emotional content, there is compassion, anger, contempt, naivete and cynicism. The strain of cynicism is throughout the book and most dominant. Whether it be about God, recovery, senior healthcare, etc, the author does not veil her critical and/or sarcastic attitude. While she handles this well by spreading it among several characters and throughout the novel, it is distracting. There are times it slows the pace or disrupts a tense moment.
In regard to the story, itself, it is multi-faceted and consists of several tales. One has the tales of Zelda Reid, an elderly woman at a rehab/nursing home; the love and devotion of her son, David, arising artist; David and his family's struggles, especially the financial struggles and his daughter Hannah's emotions; a couple of other families' struggles with the nursing home staff; and the sinister and uncaring attitude of the Haven staff. The author does craft a connection between the four tales and makes this a well-crafted novel. I especially enjoyed how she intermeshes happenings away from the nursing home back to it. It is a tightly-knit novel about heartache, disappointment and mistrust.
The author also introduced the theme of a paranormal and spiritual bent into the story about halfway through the novel. She nips at it with some sensory incidents and builds on that. In the last 50 pages, we get a waterfall of spiritual themes. This was totally unexpected and non sequitor. She needed to develop these themes earlier if they were going to be central to the climax.
Overall, it was difficult to see what this book was supposed to be: a dramatic tale set around a nursing home, an expose of the real problems that do exist at some nursing homes, a criticism of the relationship between government (funding) of nursing homes and the nursing home industry, a tale of hope, or a tale of (paranormal) suspense. I enjoyed it but it could have been two equally effective novels. I do applaud Ms. Salaski on her first novel effort.
September 19, 2018
Confused
The author is making a point about an important, yet often ignored, social problem. That is to be commended.
Unfortunately this really wasn't the best vehicle in which to do so. The end result is an incredibly confused mashup which just doesn't work at all. It is no paranormal tale, it's a quasi religious outlook at nursing homes with some very clunky 'ghosts' thrown in - seemingly as an afterthought - in which, I suspect, was a rather cynical way to try to hook the interest of the huge amount of people who are fans of the genuine supernatural/horror genre.
It is painfully obvious that the author has absolutely no interest in ghosts, plot or even the basic 'rules' of fiction writing.
It's a great lesson in why any creative should stick to what they are truly passionate about rather than forcing themselves to dabble in an area that they do not care about just for the sake of a slightly bigger audience.
Had the author stuck to what they are obviously hugely passionate about - the shocking treatment that some elderly people sadly endure due to uncaring, and even vindictive, carers in some institutions - they could have conveyed their strong message in a meaningful and touching way.
Sadly that all gets a bit lost after the frustration, confusion and the slow realisation that you've parted with your time and money on a book that is not what it portrayed itself as.
The author, I feel, has done their beliefs, convictions and their cause a huge disservice by writing this book in such a way. Which is really rather sad.
The author is making a point about an important, yet often ignored, social problem. That is to be commended.
Unfortunately this really wasn't the best vehicle in which to do so. The end result is an incredibly confused mashup which just doesn't work at all. It is no paranormal tale, it's a quasi religious outlook at nursing homes with some very clunky 'ghosts' thrown in - seemingly as an afterthought - in which, I suspect, was a rather cynical way to try to hook the interest of the huge amount of people who are fans of the genuine supernatural/horror genre.
It is painfully obvious that the author has absolutely no interest in ghosts, plot or even the basic 'rules' of fiction writing.
It's a great lesson in why any creative should stick to what they are truly passionate about rather than forcing themselves to dabble in an area that they do not care about just for the sake of a slightly bigger audience.
Had the author stuck to what they are obviously hugely passionate about - the shocking treatment that some elderly people sadly endure due to uncaring, and even vindictive, carers in some institutions - they could have conveyed their strong message in a meaningful and touching way.
Sadly that all gets a bit lost after the frustration, confusion and the slow realisation that you've parted with your time and money on a book that is not what it portrayed itself as.
The author, I feel, has done their beliefs, convictions and their cause a huge disservice by writing this book in such a way. Which is really rather sad.
September 27, 2017
This story tackles an important subject and raises awareness of a crisis in our communities. I enjoyed the way the story was personalized with his mother in a rehab/nursing home. There are some caregivers in the story who are wonderful and unfortunately many who are not. My family has experienced many disappointments in this area but whether or not you have personal experience, you should read it.
It is a thought provoking read that I hope will spur change. If not with all the baby boomers ageing, God help us!
It is a thought provoking read that I hope will spur change. If not with all the baby boomers ageing, God help us!
December 11, 2017
This story starts out with a surprising twist...a contemporary artist with a family to support, caught up in the current economic struggle to survive during a "dry spell" that threatens his family's life support system, and then suddenly faced with the need to put his aging mother in a nursing home. The story starts out with a close-up view of both David Reid and his mother, Zelda, as he takes her to Haven, a 19th century Gothic style castle. The author, Cindy Salaski, fleshes out the plot with a revealing look at the lifestyle and care systems in a place where the old and sick, our aging parents, are housed...or "warehoused". The reality of this kind of place is a shock...it really is kind of a Gothic nightmare. The story moves on from this to an intriguing dilemma that several families have to face to protect their old folks, dealing with some surprisingly evil staff. The final confrontation is an amazing event, nothing less than a master-minded takedown of the castle staff. Very exciting, suspenseful moments. I particularly liked the mystical moments at the end...as a Christian and a Catholic, I enjoyed Miss Salaski's gratifying inclusion of the angels' descent near the end.
January 29, 2018
Great Book!
I am so glad my parents never had to go to a nursing home. This story really shines a big light on state run nursing homes and their problems. Very well written and subtle, but reassuring, religious overtones. Excellent read.
I am so glad my parents never had to go to a nursing home. This story really shines a big light on state run nursing homes and their problems. Very well written and subtle, but reassuring, religious overtones. Excellent read.
December 11, 2017
YES! This book really did an amazing job of bringing the horrors of what our elderly community go through. Tears were brought to my eyes on multiple occasions. I think the book would have been just as good without the paranormal stuff. I felt like the ghost brought the story down a little bit and were randomly inserted.
October 31, 2017
Absolutely amazing! The supernatural vs. a real life problem. I was so hoping things would be better for the Fitzgerald brothers but sacrifice had to be made to expose the truth about nursing homes. Yes, this is a novel but one that everyone should read. Then work hard to make changes with how our elders are treated.
December 27, 2017
I was blessed with a free copy of this book, and I have chosen of my own volition to share my review with you!
Blown away, absolutely blown away. This tale pulled the reader into the inner-workings of a retirement home. Seeing the abuse that patients experienced, made this reader very sad. The tale draws together a fictional rendering of the sad state of the modern retirement home. Aides are overworked and underpaid. The staff is unable to keep up with patients basic needs, and the government has done nothing to stop this. The main characters in the book take justice into their own hands in-order to make a change in care laws. What would you do, if this was happening to your mother or father....or yourself?
Blown away, absolutely blown away. This tale pulled the reader into the inner-workings of a retirement home. Seeing the abuse that patients experienced, made this reader very sad. The tale draws together a fictional rendering of the sad state of the modern retirement home. Aides are overworked and underpaid. The staff is unable to keep up with patients basic needs, and the government has done nothing to stop this. The main characters in the book take justice into their own hands in-order to make a change in care laws. What would you do, if this was happening to your mother or father....or yourself?
April 12, 2021
This wasn't the typical ghost story I had expected it to be. David is a family man, his wife is a real estate agent, and they have a young daughter. David's mother has a fall and ends up in Haven nursing home to recuperate. Where he slowly realises that his mother, as are the rest of the patients are nothing but cogs in the wheel. The abuse begins to unfold and with the help of two brothers whose father is also a patient at Haven, a plan to expose and hopefully end the abuse is devised.
It was a hard read for me (I see a pattern forming this year with books like this) as BOTH of my parents, while not in a nursing home, were victims of the medical establishment and were both killed- and I don't say that lightly- my father with an antipsychotic drug used as sedation (my dad was not schizophrenic or psychotic in any way) suffered cardiac arrest and was dead within a month of being given this drug his doctor KNEW would kill him. My mum was a different story but her demise was also the result of a doctor who drained her of what money he could and let her die. As in this book, my complaints against the doctors to the AMA fell on deaf ears and I was told to piss off, they saw nothing actionable.
This book hit home hard. I want to thank author Cindy Salaski for exposing the truth about what goes on in an industry that protects its own at all costs.
It was a hard read for me (I see a pattern forming this year with books like this) as BOTH of my parents, while not in a nursing home, were victims of the medical establishment and were both killed- and I don't say that lightly- my father with an antipsychotic drug used as sedation (my dad was not schizophrenic or psychotic in any way) suffered cardiac arrest and was dead within a month of being given this drug his doctor KNEW would kill him. My mum was a different story but her demise was also the result of a doctor who drained her of what money he could and let her die. As in this book, my complaints against the doctors to the AMA fell on deaf ears and I was told to piss off, they saw nothing actionable.
This book hit home hard. I want to thank author Cindy Salaski for exposing the truth about what goes on in an industry that protects its own at all costs.
January 10, 2019
The story started out well, but I don’t think that it’s a great way to address the issues it’s trying to bring out. The problems with nursing homes in this country are very real, but using this platform isn’t going to get the message to the people who matter. I also was not aware going in that this was going to be a Christian themed book, and it really brought that in and lost track of the story at about 2/3 through. Not my cup of tea.
October 11, 2019
I wanted to like this book...I did not. It had a good premise and tried to bring awareness to a great topic, but it just didn't do it for me. I wanted a ghost story, as it was marketed, but it was far from your classic or even normal ghost story. The ghost aspect of the story felt like an afterthought and was haphazardly thrown into the plot. I liked the attention it brought to the subject of horrendous nursing home conditions, but I just was not a fan of the book as a whole.
April 14, 2019
The Neglected Ones sneaks up on you and grabs your emotions.
The Neglected Ones explores the love between mother and son, with a revealing look into nursing home care. This is not your average ghost story; it invokes a myriad of emotions with little fear. You will find yourself thinking about The Neglected Ones long after you finish the last page.
The Neglected Ones explores the love between mother and son, with a revealing look into nursing home care. This is not your average ghost story; it invokes a myriad of emotions with little fear. You will find yourself thinking about The Neglected Ones long after you finish the last page.
November 7, 2019
Fabulous
This book was so sad. Both of my parents were in rehab before they passed. My mother had excellent care and passed away at my house. My father did pass away at rehab. The only reason why he had to go to rehab was because my mother couldn't care for him. He was also well taken care of. He loved his nurses. I do believe that nursing homes mistreat a lot of the patients.
This book was so sad. Both of my parents were in rehab before they passed. My mother had excellent care and passed away at my house. My father did pass away at rehab. The only reason why he had to go to rehab was because my mother couldn't care for him. He was also well taken care of. He loved his nurses. I do believe that nursing homes mistreat a lot of the patients.
December 27, 2018
A great read
I chose this rating because this book is such a true story.
My heart has always been heavy for the elderly and disabled.
I love the religious beliefs in here and I hope you will write more.
I chose this rating because this book is such a true story.
My heart has always been heavy for the elderly and disabled.
I love the religious beliefs in here and I hope you will write more.
April 16, 2019
Wonderful book
Everyone should read this book.if you have a loved one in a nursing home or are thinking of becoming a nurse read this book .it touches on so many hot topics that sadly still happen today.I can not say enough about this book.it's that good.
Everyone should read this book.if you have a loved one in a nursing home or are thinking of becoming a nurse read this book .it touches on so many hot topics that sadly still happen today.I can not say enough about this book.it's that good.
October 17, 2019
Reads like Non-Fiction
I have personally worked as a home health aide and worked in a nursing home, one day, as I was appalled how the patients were treated.
And the expense is outrageous who can afford it?
It's someone's mother, father, brother, sister and so on.
Shameful!
I have personally worked as a home health aide and worked in a nursing home, one day, as I was appalled how the patients were treated.
And the expense is outrageous who can afford it?
It's someone's mother, father, brother, sister and so on.
Shameful!
October 24, 2019
A book with a message
I love a good scary book. This one was especially scary to me because of the truth it speaks. We should be ashamed of the way the United States treats our elderly and our poor. So much wealth but oh so much greed.
I love a good scary book. This one was especially scary to me because of the truth it speaks. We should be ashamed of the way the United States treats our elderly and our poor. So much wealth but oh so much greed.
November 28, 2017
could not get into it, this book was not for me
May 5, 2019
This was a good book with cool twists.
July 24, 2019
This mystery was the best I have read in awhile. I could not put down.
November 21, 2019
This book was really disturbing on a bunch of different levels and was sometimes hard to read.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews