The Manhattan Hunt Club discussion

House of Reckoning is our January 2011 Group Read. Please feel welcome to discuss the book in this thread.


House of Reckoning by John Saul

Great. I'm listening to this on audio in the car and it's good. It's takes me forever to listen to audio books so I'll still remember what I heard in January....I hope.

I have had this for a while now and can't wait to get reading it. I am a Marie Curie nurse and have a night duty New Years Eve and New Years day so this will keep me company.

I'll be re-reading House of Reckoning :-) I'll be listening on audio this time.

The narrator is quite good.

Maicie wrote: "The narrator is quite good."

Good to know. I'm still waiting for the audiobook to become available at the library - got a few Dean Koontz titles to get through before then anyway :-)

I gave this one three stars. On my scale that means it is worth reading (listening to) once but not something I'm likely to revisit.

The story has some interesting twists but some of the events weren't plausible. (imo)

Has anyone read this yet? What did you think of the ending?

I read House of Reckoning when it first came out and gave it 3 stars - I remember I wasn't real impressed. I'm going to revisit it this month and see if my opinion has changed :-)

I tried to get into this on a night shift last week but just couldn't get passed the first few pages so gave up! Will try again soon as I usually enjoy all John's books!

I'm currently reading and I just don't see that I'm going to give it anymore than 3 stars. The characters are so extreme (characters, reactions etc) - the fathers all seem the same and the religious aspect is also extreme - it just has a "fake" feeling to me - not very realistic.

The main character in the book is Sarah Crane through a series of unfortunate events (honestly didn't mean to allude to Lemony Snicket here :-), she ends up in the foster care system with a not so great foster family. Here's a few quotes about her experiences:

"Caseworker, she thought. Where did they get that word? It sounded so...so...she wasn't quite sure what. Sort of like she wasn't a real person, but some papers in a file." - pg.30, chapter 3

"Sarah?" she heard Angie call up the stairs. "Come down and meet your new father."
My new father? Sarah silently echoed. I already have a father. A father who loves me. "Just a minute," she called back.
The man's voice-an angry voice-roared up from below. "Not in a minute, young lady! Now. Com down right now. Don't make me stand here waiting for you. Not ever."
-pages 38-39, Chapter 4

Zack was in his room, talking on his cell phone. Sarah glanced at him lounging on his bed as she passed his open door a moment later.
"Hell no, she isn't hot," she heard him saying. "She's a crip." He glanced at her, then quickly looked away again. "And an ugly one, too." He reached out with his leg, caught the the edge of the open door with his toe, and slammed it in her face. - pg.41,chapter 4

Personally, I don't think they'd put her with a foster family where the dad would work so closely with Sarah's father and I don't think most foster families are this EXTREMELY HORRIBLE. Making her serve food, do the dishes, sleep outside! I can't believe Angie tells Sarah to come meet her NEW FATHER! Insane! I know Saul is trying to hit readers buttons but some of this is just too EXTREME for me :-)