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Guardian
A telephone ringing in the dead of night signals the beginning of a journey into fear as MaryAnne Carpenter hears the shocking news: her friends the Wilkensons are suddenly, inexplicably dead, their only child, MaryAnne's godchild, abruptly orphaned and dependent on her. Even as MaryAnne rushes to embrace her young charge the disturbing questions mount. Was it a tragic mishap that took their lives - or murder?
As winter closes in on the majestic ranch where the young family lives, the darkness and danger of nature and the unimaginable evil around them seem to work in tandem. An insatiable and brutal killer is closer than they could ever have imagined.
As winter closes in on the majestic ranch where the young family lives, the darkness and danger of nature and the unimaginable evil around them seem to work in tandem. An insatiable and brutal killer is closer than they could ever have imagined.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1993
127 people are currently reading
2673 people want to read
About the author
John Saul
149 books2,834 followersJohn 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
April 4, 2024
MaryAnne Carpenter gets a phone call informing her that her good friend Audrey Wilkenson and her husband Ted are dead. MaryAnne has been named the guardian of their only son, Joey. So MaryAnne travels to the Wilkenson’s ranch home in Sugarloaf, Idaho, with her two young children (Logan and Alison) and her husband, Alan. MaryAnne is having trouble with Joey, who goes out a lot at night in the forest. Then, some campers are brutally murdered. Sometimes MaryAnne feels like they are being watched. Should she stay at the ranch or go back home? This story was interesting and captivating at times, but I just didn’t enjoy this book as much as other books I’ve read by this author. I found Joey to be an unlikable and annoying character and I didn’t really like his backstory with the mountain man, etc. A so-so read.
January 29, 2020
This book is about an "accidental" death of a child's parents and his godmother flies across the country to take care of him. Mysterious happenings occur on this ranch setting and questions arise of their deaths.
This was a likable read from this author. John Saul has a reputation of his books dealing with children and this one was no exception. I loved the setting of this book as it is a ranch with acres of vast, open terrain that adds to the overall atmosphere. This book is told as a thriller mystery as the reader doesn't know what the antagonist actually is even though there are tiny hints sprinkled throughout the novel. I did have a couple of issues with this book and why I could not give it a higher rating. A couple of times it seemed like characters jumped to a conclusion to further the plot and I was mystified with their logic at how they got there. Also, there were a couple of plot points that were introduced and never really explored. I believe if the author just relied on your basic creature book this would have been a more enjoyable read.
I am recently getting back into reading this author's books. I use to read his books when I first started reading and I shied away from his work throughout the years. This isn't his best offering but it still was a decent read.
This was a likable read from this author. John Saul has a reputation of his books dealing with children and this one was no exception. I loved the setting of this book as it is a ranch with acres of vast, open terrain that adds to the overall atmosphere. This book is told as a thriller mystery as the reader doesn't know what the antagonist actually is even though there are tiny hints sprinkled throughout the novel. I did have a couple of issues with this book and why I could not give it a higher rating. A couple of times it seemed like characters jumped to a conclusion to further the plot and I was mystified with their logic at how they got there. Also, there were a couple of plot points that were introduced and never really explored. I believe if the author just relied on your basic creature book this would have been a more enjoyable read.
I am recently getting back into reading this author's books. I use to read his books when I first started reading and I shied away from his work throughout the years. This isn't his best offering but it still was a decent read.
February 25, 2017
Better not call this Saul.
This was a good enough novel. What I remember most about is the moonlight and something to do with an almost wolf.
It gets its high rating because when I was reading it I was very very happy. Though not about this book. Something to do with moonlight and how we ate it.
October 17, 2012
This was the first "grown-up" novel I ever read. Sounds cheese huh? I was 10 years old and a total bookworm who had read every Christopher Pike, R. L. Stine, and Babysitter's Club book available! My best friend, also a superreader, snuck it from her dad's library and gave it to me. I immediately fell in love with the horror genre and thus became the up-all-night-must-finish-just-one-more-chapter-flashlight's-going-dead-bookworm I am today. John Saul scared the living crap out of me as a kid and continues to do so today.
November 16, 2015
I enjoyed this one to start but by the end I kind of just wanted it to be over.
November 13, 2019
Which came first, the chicken or the egg - Stephen King or John Saul? They both weave tales of terror! Actually SK was first by a few years, but their themes of normal families besieged by horror is very similar. JS always follows this formula whereas SK has a much broader scope of plot lines. But the suspense holds true for both.
Again, this loses a star for downright sickening happenings - just have to skim over the gory stuff. Olivia was by far the best character, lots of chutzpah!! A page turner I could barely put down.
Again, this loses a star for downright sickening happenings - just have to skim over the gory stuff. Olivia was by far the best character, lots of chutzpah!! A page turner I could barely put down.
March 11, 2024
Mary is frustrated. Her husband has left her for a younger model (bummer) and her best friend and best friends husband have both DIED in two separate accidents - just hours apart.....
One good thing, is that Mary is now RICH as she has been left a shed load of cash in the WILL - but, she has to take care of her 13 year old Godson (again, Bummer)
The Godson seems like a normal kid at first, but something soon feels not quite right. Then there is that strange feeling that someone is always watching. With murders happening closer and closer to home Mary starts to worry that her Godson is someone connected - or even directly involved!
A very cool super creepy read and just a tad devastating.
One good thing, is that Mary is now RICH as she has been left a shed load of cash in the WILL - but, she has to take care of her 13 year old Godson (again, Bummer)
The Godson seems like a normal kid at first, but something soon feels not quite right. Then there is that strange feeling that someone is always watching. With murders happening closer and closer to home Mary starts to worry that her Godson is someone connected - or even directly involved!
A very cool super creepy read and just a tad devastating.
March 30, 2018
NO ERA NADA DE LO QUE ME ESPERABA Y ME ENCANTO
ME GUSTARIA UNA SEGUNDA PARTE
ME GUSTARIA UNA SEGUNDA PARTE
January 16, 2019
Me encanto la trama que se situara en un lugar tipo campo y ese ambiente frio cerca del final. Muy buena novela
January 27, 2016
I've always enjoyed John Saul, and I like how he made the 'child-horror' theme his own. When you're dealing with kiddos, things can get more emotional. Here it's hard to know what to think of Joey, but I liked how it ended and wrapped things up with the character. Saul jumps from having the villain one-layered to being full fledged and sympathetic. There's not many cliche characters, although Saul seemed to have struggled a bit with the parents. The standard jerk father is overboard and not terribly convincing, while MaryAnne doesn't seem that bright.
The book's pace is great, starting right away with personal angst and tragedy, ending with great loss and astounding grief, leaving the door ominously open for a potential sequel. From a fear factor point of view, suspense was there but there was never much that was too frightening. More violence wouldn't have hurt, but the violence that was there counted in a semi-chilling way, even if it was not gory and was short-cut. One death in particular was very surprising and emotionally gripping.
On the negative side, the book isn't the most believable story for it's setting, ruined in part by some of the mother's actions. Sometimes things slow a bit to where they could be helped with a spruced up death sequence, or else more hints laying with Joey and his involvement in it all. If Saul had included more government agencies or anything along those lines, the book may have picked up a more intelligent high. In the end it was a fun read though, a light horror book that took an interesting twist on an age-old horror theme. I won't give away what that theme was for fear of spoiling the 'mountain-man murders', but I liked how this small surprise was saved for the end. I for one would enjoy a sequel.
The book's pace is great, starting right away with personal angst and tragedy, ending with great loss and astounding grief, leaving the door ominously open for a potential sequel. From a fear factor point of view, suspense was there but there was never much that was too frightening. More violence wouldn't have hurt, but the violence that was there counted in a semi-chilling way, even if it was not gory and was short-cut. One death in particular was very surprising and emotionally gripping.
On the negative side, the book isn't the most believable story for it's setting, ruined in part by some of the mother's actions. Sometimes things slow a bit to where they could be helped with a spruced up death sequence, or else more hints laying with Joey and his involvement in it all. If Saul had included more government agencies or anything along those lines, the book may have picked up a more intelligent high. In the end it was a fun read though, a light horror book that took an interesting twist on an age-old horror theme. I won't give away what that theme was for fear of spoiling the 'mountain-man murders', but I liked how this small surprise was saved for the end. I for one would enjoy a sequel.
November 22, 2017
John Saul nos da una historia llena de viejos recursos para aterrar a su lector.
Un ambiente extraño y hostil para sus personajes, sacarlos de su zona de confort mientras una amenaza imparable les pisa los talones.
Es el primer libro que leo de este maestro y no me cambio la vida, pero es porque yo esperaba mucho mas de un autor tan difícil de conseguir en Mexico.
Es sin duda un gran libro y lo recomiendo ampliamente.
Un ambiente extraño y hostil para sus personajes, sacarlos de su zona de confort mientras una amenaza imparable les pisa los talones.
Es el primer libro que leo de este maestro y no me cambio la vida, pero es porque yo esperaba mucho mas de un autor tan difícil de conseguir en Mexico.
Es sin duda un gran libro y lo recomiendo ampliamente.
September 24, 2018
Un libro con la historia de un hombre lobo, me gustó la descripción del ambiente donde se desarrolla la novela. Lo único malo es que es el primero de una serie de libros, supongo ya que el final quedó abierto.
Recomendable
Recomendable
July 5, 2014
So...Werewolves now...Ok.
May 7, 2016
This book really dragged. The characters annoyed me and I found the whole premise quite silly. The only reason I finished the book is because I hate not finishing books.
September 29, 2024
Bland as shit.
January 16, 2015
I am fairly impressed by the quality of writing for this thriller, as many genre novels are usually just focusing on building up the mystery/thriller while the literary aspect is overlooked completely. I believe John Saul is in the same league as Stephen King, at least taking into account this novel. He is a keen observer of various human types and manages to create at least some believable characters and situations.
As with the most novels in the genre, the book does not inherently have a message. It just proposes to entertain the reader via mystery/thriller and if it succeeds, we can consider it is a good novel. But in the spirit of my own rating criteria, I need to give it a separate rating for the premise. And since it is lacking one, I'll give it a 1 for premise.
Regarding the form, as I already said, I was pretty impressed by the quality of writing. This is something not too common in this literary genre. It is a crisp style, without too many metaphors, centered on the story. I'll give it a 4 for form.
In terms of originality, the one thing that differentiate this from other similar novels is that it deals with children. I heard that John Saul is specialized on children thriller, which is an interesting thing. Unfortunately, this is too little for my standard, so I will give it a 2 for the level of originality.
On the characters, I liked the fact that John Saul managed to create some credible characters, at least in the first part of the story. Even though they are stereotypes, he really managed to do them closer to real persons with their own contradictions and thoughts. In the second part he focused more on building up the intensity of the thriller, plus it is very hard to do a believable monster character. So I will give it a 3 for characters.
Regarding the complexity and difficulty, the novel is fairly simple: it delivers the story while making sure there is enough thriller emotion building up. It is also not difficult to read as it contains few references and those are from pop culture. Thus I will rate it with a 2 for complexity and difficulty.
In terms of credibility, I would prefer not to spoil the lecture of people that have not read it, so I will just say that the kind of monster that provokes havoc in this novel is plain fantasy. Apart from that, which I ignored in order to enjoy the rest of the novel, the story is consistent with itself. So my rating for credibility is 2.
The last criteria is edition. My ebook had a good pagination but there were quite some misspelled words, spaces where it should not be or none where they should have been. Despite that, I could read it easily, so I'll give it a 2.
To summarize, I liked this thriller especially because the author is writing better than the majority of writers that tried this genre. All in all, my final rating for it is 2.29, which I will round it to 2 on Goodreads system.
For more details on how I rated and reviewed this novel, please read these guidelines.
As with the most novels in the genre, the book does not inherently have a message. It just proposes to entertain the reader via mystery/thriller and if it succeeds, we can consider it is a good novel. But in the spirit of my own rating criteria, I need to give it a separate rating for the premise. And since it is lacking one, I'll give it a 1 for premise.
Regarding the form, as I already said, I was pretty impressed by the quality of writing. This is something not too common in this literary genre. It is a crisp style, without too many metaphors, centered on the story. I'll give it a 4 for form.
In terms of originality, the one thing that differentiate this from other similar novels is that it deals with children. I heard that John Saul is specialized on children thriller, which is an interesting thing. Unfortunately, this is too little for my standard, so I will give it a 2 for the level of originality.
On the characters, I liked the fact that John Saul managed to create some credible characters, at least in the first part of the story. Even though they are stereotypes, he really managed to do them closer to real persons with their own contradictions and thoughts. In the second part he focused more on building up the intensity of the thriller, plus it is very hard to do a believable monster character. So I will give it a 3 for characters.
Regarding the complexity and difficulty, the novel is fairly simple: it delivers the story while making sure there is enough thriller emotion building up. It is also not difficult to read as it contains few references and those are from pop culture. Thus I will rate it with a 2 for complexity and difficulty.
In terms of credibility, I would prefer not to spoil the lecture of people that have not read it, so I will just say that the kind of monster that provokes havoc in this novel is plain fantasy. Apart from that, which I ignored in order to enjoy the rest of the novel, the story is consistent with itself. So my rating for credibility is 2.
The last criteria is edition. My ebook had a good pagination but there were quite some misspelled words, spaces where it should not be or none where they should have been. Despite that, I could read it easily, so I'll give it a 2.
To summarize, I liked this thriller especially because the author is writing better than the majority of writers that tried this genre. All in all, my final rating for it is 2.29, which I will round it to 2 on Goodreads system.
+--------------------------+-----------------+
| Criteria | Rating |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Premise | 1 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Form | 4 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Originality | 2 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Characters | 3 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Difficulty/Complexity | 2 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Credibility | 2 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Edition | 2 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Total | 2.29 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
For more details on how I rated and reviewed this novel, please read these guidelines.
April 28, 2025
Alerta.- John Saul
“En su interior brotó un grito instintivo, cortado antes de que un solo sonido surgiera de sus labios, pues antes de que el aire de sus pulmones pudiera pasar por sus cuerdas vocales, su laringe fue arrancada de la garganta, y la enorme arteria que llevaba sangre desde su corazón hasta su cerebro fue despedazada.
Bill Sikes murió sin emitir su grito final de terror.”
Mary Anne Carpenter no lo dudó ni un instante. Tomó un avión y recorrió las 2000 millas que la separaban del rancho de su mejor amiga, quién acababa de morir en el mismo día que su marido, ambos en trágicos accidentes. A pesar de la delicada situación de Mary Anne, recién divorciada y madre de dos hijos, llegó al rancho con la idea de cuidar y hacerse cargo de Joey Wilkenson, hijo de su matrimonio amigo. Lo que Mary Anne no esperaba era encontrarse con una maldad que acecha al rancho, una maldad que parece no detenerse ante nada ni nadie.
Alerta (Guardian) es una novela de terror escrita por el autor estadounidense John Saul (1942-) y publicada originalmente en el año 1993.
Las novelas que fui leyendo de John Saul en los últimos tiempos, tienen una característica en común (además de que hasta el momento me gustaron todas, scrolleen mí feed para buscarlas, no sean fiacas): si sos niño/adolescente y estás en un libro de Saul, la vas a pasar mal, muy mal. Es que el señor Saul, ya desde su primera novela publicada con su nombre, la súper recomendable y especial para quién quiera arrancar a leer a este autor, Dejad A Los Niños, no hace más que hacerles pasar mal rato (y no tiene empacho en liquidar a alguno) a todos los niñes de sus libros.
Alerta en particular, sin ser un libro perfecto, cumple en mantener la atención constante del lector, gracias a sus escenas truculentas y de horror muy bien orquestadas y un ritmo bastante decente para una novela de más 450 páginas en las que no hay mucha variedad de escenarios, quizá se le puede achacar algo de su resolución que se ve venir antes de lo que quisiera el autor supongo, pero esto al finalizar el libro no me representó algo tan negativo como para arruinar la lectura.
🤘🤘🤘🤘
“En su interior brotó un grito instintivo, cortado antes de que un solo sonido surgiera de sus labios, pues antes de que el aire de sus pulmones pudiera pasar por sus cuerdas vocales, su laringe fue arrancada de la garganta, y la enorme arteria que llevaba sangre desde su corazón hasta su cerebro fue despedazada.
Bill Sikes murió sin emitir su grito final de terror.”
Mary Anne Carpenter no lo dudó ni un instante. Tomó un avión y recorrió las 2000 millas que la separaban del rancho de su mejor amiga, quién acababa de morir en el mismo día que su marido, ambos en trágicos accidentes. A pesar de la delicada situación de Mary Anne, recién divorciada y madre de dos hijos, llegó al rancho con la idea de cuidar y hacerse cargo de Joey Wilkenson, hijo de su matrimonio amigo. Lo que Mary Anne no esperaba era encontrarse con una maldad que acecha al rancho, una maldad que parece no detenerse ante nada ni nadie.
Alerta (Guardian) es una novela de terror escrita por el autor estadounidense John Saul (1942-) y publicada originalmente en el año 1993.
Las novelas que fui leyendo de John Saul en los últimos tiempos, tienen una característica en común (además de que hasta el momento me gustaron todas, scrolleen mí feed para buscarlas, no sean fiacas): si sos niño/adolescente y estás en un libro de Saul, la vas a pasar mal, muy mal. Es que el señor Saul, ya desde su primera novela publicada con su nombre, la súper recomendable y especial para quién quiera arrancar a leer a este autor, Dejad A Los Niños, no hace más que hacerles pasar mal rato (y no tiene empacho en liquidar a alguno) a todos los niñes de sus libros.
Alerta en particular, sin ser un libro perfecto, cumple en mantener la atención constante del lector, gracias a sus escenas truculentas y de horror muy bien orquestadas y un ritmo bastante decente para una novela de más 450 páginas en las que no hay mucha variedad de escenarios, quizá se le puede achacar algo de su resolución que se ve venir antes de lo que quisiera el autor supongo, pero esto al finalizar el libro no me representó algo tan negativo como para arruinar la lectura.
🤘🤘🤘🤘
February 27, 2018
This book was so good. Creepy and suspenseful right from the start. It had a tight grip on me the whole way through, making me more and more nervous as to what was going to happen with every passing page. There were a few things I saw coming, and others that completely shocked me. I was unsettled the entire time, not sure until near the end of just what was happening. If you like that edge of your seat, nail biting kind of feeling, you need to read this book.
November 9, 2017
This turned out to be a good book. Saul did a great job maintaining suspense throughout the story. There was an small issue I had while reading; e.g repetitive situations and dialogue, but for the most part I enjoyed reading Guardian. I was leery of the werewolf subject matter but Saul added a little dimension to it. I was pleasantly surprised.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2020
One of my all time favorite books as a teen, was fun to reread it now, all these years later. I'd read everything John Saul wrote so many years ago, it was really, really comforting to fall back into the familiar prose and patterns again. Glad I decided to pick this one up again.
June 30, 2024
MaryAnne Carpenter becomes a guardian of her orphaned god son after the untimely and rather mysterious deaths of his parents. But all is not well in Idaho and certainly not with the boy who has rather weird habits in connection with the woods and nature and thus the search for suspects and clues begin.
I enjoyed my flashback to the 1990s with this mystery thriller, where kids don't talk about TikTok challenges, adults have the same old (US) trigger warning-worth problems of how to learn to load a gun, immediately marrying rich strangers from Silicon Valley or cheating on their wives with blonde bombshells, being stay-at-home-mothers with bankrupt husbands and provincial sheriffs cursing at forensic lab assistants over unamusing test results. The drama unfolded, the mystery gets clearer, the deaths get resolved and everything has an open ending, because you shall think about what comes next with evil in the world.
That thriller genre was so popular back then, it feels like you have read or watched all of that before, which makes the reading very predictable. Yet, it's kind of interesting to see again how male authors wrote about women and family, which are 2 important parts of the setting in this story. They all feel like clichés and more like chess pieces to be moved towards the inevitable crimes and mystery. You won't find the big character developments in there, the god child Joey coming closest to having a real arc.
Still, if you like mystery, thrill and look for something that does not include the world of touch screens or you're feeling a bit nostalgic, it's worth reading this book. The conclusion included a very 90s-like twist on an old myth, which has become a widely used topic in paranormal stories since then. It's nice to see the beginnings.
I enjoyed my flashback to the 1990s with this mystery thriller, where kids don't talk about TikTok challenges, adults have the same old (US) trigger warning-worth problems of how to learn to load a gun, immediately marrying rich strangers from Silicon Valley or cheating on their wives with blonde bombshells, being stay-at-home-mothers with bankrupt husbands and provincial sheriffs cursing at forensic lab assistants over unamusing test results. The drama unfolded, the mystery gets clearer, the deaths get resolved and everything has an open ending, because you shall think about what comes next with evil in the world.
That thriller genre was so popular back then, it feels like you have read or watched all of that before, which makes the reading very predictable. Yet, it's kind of interesting to see again how male authors wrote about women and family, which are 2 important parts of the setting in this story. They all feel like clichés and more like chess pieces to be moved towards the inevitable crimes and mystery. You won't find the big character developments in there, the god child Joey coming closest to having a real arc.
Still, if you like mystery, thrill and look for something that does not include the world of touch screens or you're feeling a bit nostalgic, it's worth reading this book. The conclusion included a very 90s-like twist on an old myth, which has become a widely used topic in paranormal stories since then. It's nice to see the beginnings.
July 13, 2025
Früher (so als Jugendliche) habe ich die Bücher von John Saul verschlungen. Jetzt hat es mich kaum abgeholt. Ob die Zeit einfach vorbei ist (wie auch bei den Historicals); es altmodisch und schrecklich gesetzt ist, mit viel zu langen Kapiteln; oder es einfach nur an dieser Geschichte lag kann ich dabei garnicht so eindeutig beurteilen.
February 24, 2025
Not quite what I expected, but enjoyable nonetheless. Wish it focused a little more on the horror wolfy aspect. 👀🤷🏼♂️
August 6, 2020
I’m feeling kind of meh about this. MaryAnne’s husband is a jerk who ruins every scene he is in. The rest of the characters are ok but pretty one dimensional. The story is predictable so there is no real tension. The big reveal at the end is obvious. Maybe I’m just in a bad mood but this book didn’t do much for me.
December 23, 2020
Although I'm not marking any spoilers, there may be a few minor ones ahead, so here is my warning.
This was my first John Saul book, so I'll be talking a little bit about my experience with the novel and my thoughts on the writing rather than a review of just the book itself.
I picked this book up at a library book sale. I've always heard/known of John Saul, but never read anything of his. This is apparently one of his newer*ish* books.
Starting out, I noticed right away how straight-forward and simplistic his style of writing is. No fancy prose, not too much detail, etc. - He gets right down to business with his writing. It's not bad, but not great, either. There were a few times where I thought his choice of wording was poor, and there were a few scenes I think could have been shown a little better where he instead told us how or what the characters were feeling.
Other than those minor complaints, I actually liked the story being told; I thought it was very creative and enjoyable - but not particularly compelling. I was never really drawn into the story, never experienced a sense of immersion, and never felt like I really cared about the characters all that much. At times, even, some of the characters felt pretty one-dimensional.
Although I enjoyed the story being told and I wanted to find out what happened next, it felt like I was observing what was happening from a distance. I just couldn't really get into it that much.
There are also a couple of continuity errors that I noticed, and I point them out not just for the sake of being negative or trying to pick out the flaws, but to bring them into question a little bit, and see if maybe anyone else has noticed them. Earlier when I mentioned minor spoilers ahead, this is where they might lie.
The first one is actually pretty big, (and the only one I'll even bother to mention) It's in chapter eight, when Olivia is talking to MaryAnne, and then she leaves, driving away, and MaryAnne is talking to another character (I fail to remember his name), and then all of a sudden, in the same scene, "the other character" is gone, and MaryAnne is now talking to Olivia again, as if she had never left.... I read over this scene like three times, wondering what it was that I missed, and found out that I didn't miss anything - this whole scene just didn't make sense. I'm not sure if it's an error in my copy of the book, if maybe I have an older edition or something - I have no idea, but it was pretty weird to encounter something like that. (I don't know, maybe there is still something I missed there, please comment if you know)
Anyway, onto the rest of the story,
I did enjoy it, it was suspenseful and a bit chilling at times, though towards the end I started to get a little tired of it and was more or less excited to be done with the book. It did feel a little repetitive in the second half of the novel. A lot of the same stuff kept occurring.
There were a few plot twists towards the end, one of which was a bit predictable, and another that I actually did NOT see coming at all, and I enjoyed very much.
Based on how the rest of the story had been going, and the way Saul wrote it, I thought I knew where the story was going and how it would end, but he actually proved me wrong and surprised me at the end, so bonus points for that.
The ending itself was good, but not great. Again, it took a slightly different turn than expected, which is always a good thing, and I didn't dislike the ending at all - though I did feel a little less fond of the story by the end of the book versus when I was halfway through it and it had more of a mystery aspect to it, which is probably when I was enjoying it the most.
I was going to give this book 3.5 /5 stars, but the more I think about it, I think a simple 3 / 5 is more suitable.
I liked the story, but can't see myself reading it again, and I don't feel the need or desire to go out and read other books by Saul. Only if one comes as a strong recommendation from someone, maybe then.
This was my first John Saul book, so I'll be talking a little bit about my experience with the novel and my thoughts on the writing rather than a review of just the book itself.
I picked this book up at a library book sale. I've always heard/known of John Saul, but never read anything of his. This is apparently one of his newer*ish* books.
Starting out, I noticed right away how straight-forward and simplistic his style of writing is. No fancy prose, not too much detail, etc. - He gets right down to business with his writing. It's not bad, but not great, either. There were a few times where I thought his choice of wording was poor, and there were a few scenes I think could have been shown a little better where he instead told us how or what the characters were feeling.
Other than those minor complaints, I actually liked the story being told; I thought it was very creative and enjoyable - but not particularly compelling. I was never really drawn into the story, never experienced a sense of immersion, and never felt like I really cared about the characters all that much. At times, even, some of the characters felt pretty one-dimensional.
Although I enjoyed the story being told and I wanted to find out what happened next, it felt like I was observing what was happening from a distance. I just couldn't really get into it that much.
There are also a couple of continuity errors that I noticed, and I point them out not just for the sake of being negative or trying to pick out the flaws, but to bring them into question a little bit, and see if maybe anyone else has noticed them. Earlier when I mentioned minor spoilers ahead, this is where they might lie.
The first one is actually pretty big, (and the only one I'll even bother to mention) It's in chapter eight, when Olivia is talking to MaryAnne, and then she leaves, driving away, and MaryAnne is talking to another character (I fail to remember his name), and then all of a sudden, in the same scene, "the other character" is gone, and MaryAnne is now talking to Olivia again, as if she had never left.... I read over this scene like three times, wondering what it was that I missed, and found out that I didn't miss anything - this whole scene just didn't make sense. I'm not sure if it's an error in my copy of the book, if maybe I have an older edition or something - I have no idea, but it was pretty weird to encounter something like that. (I don't know, maybe there is still something I missed there, please comment if you know)
Anyway, onto the rest of the story,
I did enjoy it, it was suspenseful and a bit chilling at times, though towards the end I started to get a little tired of it and was more or less excited to be done with the book. It did feel a little repetitive in the second half of the novel. A lot of the same stuff kept occurring.
There were a few plot twists towards the end, one of which was a bit predictable, and another that I actually did NOT see coming at all, and I enjoyed very much.
Based on how the rest of the story had been going, and the way Saul wrote it, I thought I knew where the story was going and how it would end, but he actually proved me wrong and surprised me at the end, so bonus points for that.
The ending itself was good, but not great. Again, it took a slightly different turn than expected, which is always a good thing, and I didn't dislike the ending at all - though I did feel a little less fond of the story by the end of the book versus when I was halfway through it and it had more of a mystery aspect to it, which is probably when I was enjoying it the most.
I was going to give this book 3.5 /5 stars, but the more I think about it, I think a simple 3 / 5 is more suitable.
I liked the story, but can't see myself reading it again, and I don't feel the need or desire to go out and read other books by Saul. Only if one comes as a strong recommendation from someone, maybe then.
November 27, 2019
This book seems like it is trying to go somewhere interesting and deep - but there is never the punchline.
The themes are not coherent or compelling, and sometimes the narrative seems lost in what it is trying to say.
The themes are not coherent or compelling, and sometimes the narrative seems lost in what it is trying to say.
June 19, 2020
MaryAnne Carpenter wordt midden in de nacht opgebeld. Haar petekind Joey is in een keer wees geworden nadat zijn ouders zijn omgekomen bij een ongeluk. MaryAnne neemt haar twee kinderen mee naar de boerderij van haar overleden vrienden om Joey op te vangen.
Maar Joey reageert raar. Hij is niet de verdrietige jongen die MaryAnne verwachtte, maar een jongen met hele diepe geheimen.
En dan worden in de buurt een voor een mensen vermoord en MaryAnne heeft het gevoel dat het te maken heeft met Joey en dat haar gezin in gevaar is.
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Het Ding is een verhaal dat je vol ongeloof leest. Ik heb het boek al twee keer gelezen en ik sta elke keer weer verbaast over hoe John Saul zo goed het verhaal heeft beschreven.
Samen met De Kronieken van Blackstone was Het Ding mijn kennismaking met John Saul en ik ben er verslaafd aangeraakt. John Saul staat met zijn boeken in mijn top 10 van beste Thriller/Horror auteur aller tijden. Het verbaast me nog dat ik nooit een verfilming van zijn boeken heb gezien. Misschien maar goed ook, want anders wordt het weer zo afgezaagd.
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John Saul is geboren in 1942 in Pasadena, Californië. Hij groeide op in Whittier en haalde zijn diploma in 1959 van de Whittier High School.
Na verschillende opleidingen aan net zoveel beroepsopleidingen te hebben gevolgd zonder het behalen van een diploma of graad, besloot hij van school te gaan en auteur te worden. In de daarop 15 jaar schreef Saul verschillende manuscripten en had hij verschillende baantjes. geen enkele uitgever zag iets in zijn verhalen, totdat zijn agent bij Dell terecht kwam. Daar wilden ze niets kopen, maar vroegen ze hem of hij een psychologische thriller kon schrijven. Saul maakte een verhaallijn, schreef het uit en hoopte dat het goed genoeg was. Zowel zijn agent als Dell waren laaiend enthusiast en zagen in dit verhaal een bestseller. Dell pakte groots uit. Advertenties en TV spots voor deze onbekende auteur werden gemaakt. En het slaagde. Saul werd in een klap wereldberoemd. Suffer the Children was geboren. Alle boeken die erna kwamen kwamen wel in de Bestsellerlijsten en zijn boeken werden wereldwijd uitgebracht en in verschillende talen vertaalt. De boeken werden uitgegeven door uitgeverijen die zijn verbonden aan Random House. Naast auteur is Saul ook acteur, scriptschrijver en is 1 van zijn boeken in 1984 uitgebracht als film.
Meer informatie over John Saul is te vinden op een van de onderstaande sites.
http://www.johnsaul.com/index.html
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0766657/
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Boekinformatie
Uitgeverij Van Reemst
ISBN: 90.410.0196.4
Maar Joey reageert raar. Hij is niet de verdrietige jongen die MaryAnne verwachtte, maar een jongen met hele diepe geheimen.
En dan worden in de buurt een voor een mensen vermoord en MaryAnne heeft het gevoel dat het te maken heeft met Joey en dat haar gezin in gevaar is.
---
Het Ding is een verhaal dat je vol ongeloof leest. Ik heb het boek al twee keer gelezen en ik sta elke keer weer verbaast over hoe John Saul zo goed het verhaal heeft beschreven.
Samen met De Kronieken van Blackstone was Het Ding mijn kennismaking met John Saul en ik ben er verslaafd aangeraakt. John Saul staat met zijn boeken in mijn top 10 van beste Thriller/Horror auteur aller tijden. Het verbaast me nog dat ik nooit een verfilming van zijn boeken heb gezien. Misschien maar goed ook, want anders wordt het weer zo afgezaagd.
---
John Saul is geboren in 1942 in Pasadena, Californië. Hij groeide op in Whittier en haalde zijn diploma in 1959 van de Whittier High School.
Na verschillende opleidingen aan net zoveel beroepsopleidingen te hebben gevolgd zonder het behalen van een diploma of graad, besloot hij van school te gaan en auteur te worden. In de daarop 15 jaar schreef Saul verschillende manuscripten en had hij verschillende baantjes. geen enkele uitgever zag iets in zijn verhalen, totdat zijn agent bij Dell terecht kwam. Daar wilden ze niets kopen, maar vroegen ze hem of hij een psychologische thriller kon schrijven. Saul maakte een verhaallijn, schreef het uit en hoopte dat het goed genoeg was. Zowel zijn agent als Dell waren laaiend enthusiast en zagen in dit verhaal een bestseller. Dell pakte groots uit. Advertenties en TV spots voor deze onbekende auteur werden gemaakt. En het slaagde. Saul werd in een klap wereldberoemd. Suffer the Children was geboren. Alle boeken die erna kwamen kwamen wel in de Bestsellerlijsten en zijn boeken werden wereldwijd uitgebracht en in verschillende talen vertaalt. De boeken werden uitgegeven door uitgeverijen die zijn verbonden aan Random House. Naast auteur is Saul ook acteur, scriptschrijver en is 1 van zijn boeken in 1984 uitgebracht als film.
Meer informatie over John Saul is te vinden op een van de onderstaande sites.
http://www.johnsaul.com/index.html
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0766657/
---
Boekinformatie
Uitgeverij Van Reemst
ISBN: 90.410.0196.4
November 25, 2023
Earlier this year (2023), I read my first John Saul novel, Creature. Today, I finished my second and last.
Creature wasn't particularly good, but the writing was interesting enough that it kept me entertained while reading it. So, as I was getting ready to go on a weekend getaway, I decided I wanted something simple and entertaining to read for the trip. You know, an airport book (even though I wasn't flying anywhere).
Well, I started this book nearly 20 days ago and it's taken me forever to finish as it became more and more of a slog. Also, Creature had a lot of problems, but the writing was breezy enough that I could dash through it. Here, the writing felt incredibly repetitive and redundant and I'm certain I could easily edit this down 100 pages (from 350 to 250). There's that much unnecessary text. I couldn't believe how many times the reader is given the same information over and over again.
I'm honestly surprised this book's rating is as high as it is and I was originally going to give it two stars, but the ending is so bad, I just can't.
A quick non-spoiler note about the ending -- the story isn't even wrapped up properly. After slogging through all the pages, there's no solid conclusion that felt satisfactory.
SPOILER -- This applies to both Guardian and Creature
It's funny how both books have almost the same ending - a child changed into monster who is alone and still on the loose in the mountains. Both books just leave you hanging as to their fate. In the case of Creature, it felt more satisfying because that child, a product of an experiment he never agreed to, finds his way to freedom. Here, it's just like we read a 350 page prelude to an upcoming horror story that never happens. Now there's this werewolf on the loose, but whatever. No ending, no redemption, no real horror either. It's all just bland and bloated. There, that's what I've been trying to say -- bland and bloated. Good night.
Creature wasn't particularly good, but the writing was interesting enough that it kept me entertained while reading it. So, as I was getting ready to go on a weekend getaway, I decided I wanted something simple and entertaining to read for the trip. You know, an airport book (even though I wasn't flying anywhere).
Well, I started this book nearly 20 days ago and it's taken me forever to finish as it became more and more of a slog. Also, Creature had a lot of problems, but the writing was breezy enough that I could dash through it. Here, the writing felt incredibly repetitive and redundant and I'm certain I could easily edit this down 100 pages (from 350 to 250). There's that much unnecessary text. I couldn't believe how many times the reader is given the same information over and over again.
I'm honestly surprised this book's rating is as high as it is and I was originally going to give it two stars, but the ending is so bad, I just can't.
A quick non-spoiler note about the ending -- the story isn't even wrapped up properly. After slogging through all the pages, there's no solid conclusion that felt satisfactory.
SPOILER -- This applies to both Guardian and Creature
It's funny how both books have almost the same ending - a child changed into monster who is alone and still on the loose in the mountains. Both books just leave you hanging as to their fate. In the case of Creature, it felt more satisfying because that child, a product of an experiment he never agreed to, finds his way to freedom. Here, it's just like we read a 350 page prelude to an upcoming horror story that never happens. Now there's this werewolf on the loose, but whatever. No ending, no redemption, no real horror either. It's all just bland and bloated. There, that's what I've been trying to say -- bland and bloated. Good night.
December 14, 2021
Guardian, John Saul, 1993
My favorite quote: “Suddenly MaryAnne Carpenter had an uneasy feeling that there was a dark facet to Joey Wilkenson’s personality that she knew nothing about. A darkness she was just beginning to see.”
Notable characters: Joey Wilkenson, a boy with special abilities; MaryAnne Carpenter, Joey’s godmother; Alison and Logan Carpenter, his new faux-siblings; Rick Martin, the deputy
Most memorable scene: I’m thrilled to announce that one of the characters in this book does, indeed, go sailing off a cliff in true John Saul style. I won’t say who it is, but I always wait for someone to go sailing of a cliff in John Saul books and they are always my favorite scenes
Greatest strengths: The quality of writing here is a step or two above some of Saul’s other works
Standout achievements: Its pacing is impeccable. Not more than a page or two goes by without some kind of horrific twisted tragedy taking place … and that’s the way (uh-huh, uh-huh) I like it
Fun Facts: This is one of Saul’s more sciency (rather than horrory) books (though it has plenty horror) and I love it
Other media: N/A
What it taught me: I always pay attention to my own emotional responses when I’m reading, and -- for my sensibilities anyway -- this book is a lesson in creating and sustaining suspense, in keeping the reader in nice tight grip throughout
How it inspired me: Saul’s prose is simple, straightforward, and therefore, effective. I always return to him when I find myself getting too caught up in technique. John Saul always reminds me that simplicity is power
Additional thoughts: If you’re reading this book and can’t figure out why you keep getting “Livin’ La Vida Loca” stuck in your head like I did, I’ve figured it out: it’s on account of the deputy’s name. Rick Martin. As in Ricky Martin. You’re welcome
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
My favorite quote: “Suddenly MaryAnne Carpenter had an uneasy feeling that there was a dark facet to Joey Wilkenson’s personality that she knew nothing about. A darkness she was just beginning to see.”
Notable characters: Joey Wilkenson, a boy with special abilities; MaryAnne Carpenter, Joey’s godmother; Alison and Logan Carpenter, his new faux-siblings; Rick Martin, the deputy
Most memorable scene: I’m thrilled to announce that one of the characters in this book does, indeed, go sailing off a cliff in true John Saul style. I won’t say who it is, but I always wait for someone to go sailing of a cliff in John Saul books and they are always my favorite scenes
Greatest strengths: The quality of writing here is a step or two above some of Saul’s other works
Standout achievements: Its pacing is impeccable. Not more than a page or two goes by without some kind of horrific twisted tragedy taking place … and that’s the way (uh-huh, uh-huh) I like it
Fun Facts: This is one of Saul’s more sciency (rather than horrory) books (though it has plenty horror) and I love it
Other media: N/A
What it taught me: I always pay attention to my own emotional responses when I’m reading, and -- for my sensibilities anyway -- this book is a lesson in creating and sustaining suspense, in keeping the reader in nice tight grip throughout
How it inspired me: Saul’s prose is simple, straightforward, and therefore, effective. I always return to him when I find myself getting too caught up in technique. John Saul always reminds me that simplicity is power
Additional thoughts: If you’re reading this book and can’t figure out why you keep getting “Livin’ La Vida Loca” stuck in your head like I did, I’ve figured it out: it’s on account of the deputy’s name. Rick Martin. As in Ricky Martin. You’re welcome
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
August 22, 2022
Absolutely horrible. A werewolf man developed by the government through DNA manipulation? Then said hybrid was able to reproduce? And the kid was also a werewolf? What an awful imagination. But what is worse? I didn’t even care if any of the characters died…that’s how one dimensional and annoying everyone was…should have killed off the main character in fact. Not even the relationships were realistic. Why the hell even write about the husband if it makes the story even worse? Utter trash.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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