This was the first book I had read by John Saul and I LOVE LOVE LOVED it. I read it 13 years ago and still I remeber everything about it. For those that have never read anything by Mr Saul I think this is a great starter book! Very suspenseful! ( )

A good, solid, entertaining experience. Mildly suspenseful, though the surprises and twists and turns are well above average; meaning, I did not see the left and right hooks coming and was a bit taken aback in a very enjoyable way. Saul's prose for a genre writer is surprisingly above average, his pacing is excellent, and the characters, especially the young boy with the gift (or is it a curse?) of thought perception/communication, are well fleshed out and able to draw the reader into their psyches of turmoil, fear, & courage. Not the happiest of endings I might add, which makes me extremely happy and desirous of reading some more early John Saul.

"Nathaniel's" premise goes like this: Widow & her son with unbeknownst esp return to her husband's hometown, where he died mysteriously in a barn some few months previously (the widow's husband had not been back to his hometown since before he'd met his wife, and had never spoken about his family with his wife, which adds to the mystery of the storyline) and look to settle in order to raise her nine year old son and the baby -- her dead husband's -- on the way. Her husband's family seems okay at first, but events soon demonstrate otherwise, particulary with her father-in-law and his overly strict relationship with her son. Her son begins seeing and hearing things emanating from the barn of a cantankerous, reclusive neighbor. He struggles with friendships because of his unique paranormal abilities. Talk of Nathaniel soon transpires. Who is, or was, Nathaneil? Are the sick, twisted, sad rumors regarding Nathaniel true? And why are so many newborns in the family, presently and in the past, born dead? The plot thickens weaving in and out of these questions, which are all ultimately answered, though the answers aren't really the answers a hopeful, optimistic reader -- heh heh heh -- expected. ( )

“A very clever plot that builds slowly into a surprising ending. I really enjoyed this.”

As seems to be the case when I read Saul's books, I always enjoy the story and the concept, but somehow find something amiss at the end...

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/3... ( )