John Saul (1) (1942–)

This is definitely a page-turner. It's fast-paced and once the action gets going it never really stops. The plot is very interwoven with the mystery of the haunted house in question, despite the fact that everything that happens is within modern times. The two main characters, Seth and Angel, are very relatable and very sympathetic. I think anyone who grew up bullied at school, or anyone who didn't have a great home life growing up, can probably relate to it. You don't have to have show more experienced both, necessarily. In fact, I think anyone except perhaps bullies would enjoy this book. But who knows, maybe even they would like it.

Personally, I found the character of Angel Sullivan to be especially easy to relate to. I could easily go back in time and put myself in her shoes as an unpopular girl who isn't quite sure why nobody likes her and everyone seems to enjoy picking on her, who wants to do her best and is hoping that a move and a new town with a new school will provide her an opportunity to turn things around for herself and start fresh. Instead of being frustrating, her naivete is sympathetic and it's very easy to feel for her. While I don't usually find it difficult to relate to main characters (only sometimes), I've only ever related so well to one once before and that was when I was a kid in high school reading Carrie by Stephen King for the first time. This book is nothing like that book, and I'm 31 now as I read this one, opposed to being a teen when I read about Carrie White (who Angel has quite a bit in common with but is absolutely not a carbon copy of in any way).

And while I think guys reading this book could still relate quite easily to Angel and her situation, there is a character for them in Seth Baker as well that I think many guys would find a lot in common with as a character.

This book is very well written and despite being written by a man, I found the characterization of the girls and women, especially Angel Sullivan herself, to be very spot on for the type of person that she was supposed to be with the type of social and home life that she has. Very well done. This author has found a way to step into the shoes of his characters, regardless of their gender and the differences of their experiences that their gender may cause, and write them competently and relatably.

The plot itself and the mystery involved is very engrossing, and the way that he writes about the witchcraft is also something that I really do enjoy. It doesn't seem inherently evil in itself, and I don't think it is. Most of it is just either protective or about healing. It's what you do with it that really counts, and that's quite close to how actual practitioners today describe magic and the usage of it. So I feel like this writer likely did some research into this sort of thing rather than just going entirely with what Hollywood likes to sell. I'm not saying he didn't take his own liberties, but I do see where things were different from a lot of other books I've read where teenagers discover witchcraft.

There are many parts in this book that are tense, and there were a few scenes in which I found myself crying rather blatantly to the point that I had to put the book down for a moment so that I could dry my tears and blow my nose and get myself together again. I think most people will know what I'm talking about when they get there.

Now, without giving any actual spoilers, I want to just say that I was NOT expecting that ending at all and while I am disappointed with the ending (you'll see why when you get there, I think) that isn't say that it doesn't make sense or isn't right for the book. I would have docked at least one star, perhaps more, if I thought the ending were lacking or that it made no sense for the book or the plot. It absolutely works, even if it isn't what I was expecting.

The epilogue brings the entire story and the events themselves which began even before the story started, full circle in such a way that I think was very intriguing and absolutely right for this book and the story that was told. And, if the one other book that I've ready by this author is any indication, it makes perfect sense for a book written by him as well.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about magic, haunted houses, and revenge. show less

High school student Sarah Crane is lamenting the loss of her mother to cancer six months earlier. This tragedy has crippled her father, Ed, and has forced him to seek solace at the bottom of the bottle. And as if things weren't bad enough, his alcohol abuse serves as the catalyst for two horrific events: the manslaughter of a fellow bar patron during a drunken brawl, and the injuring of Sarah in a drunk driving accident. The former deed places Ed in prison and Sarah in foster care. Sarah show more eventually is taken in by the Garvey family. Ironically, her foster father Mitch happens to be a prison guard where Ed is being held. The Garveys are staunchly (if not hypocritically) religious, and Sarah does not fit in well there. Furthermore, she must face the constant taunts of her new high school classmates, who mock both her permanent limp and her murderer father. The only student with whom she is able to connect is another outcast, Nick Dunnigan, a delusional schizophrenic. Sarah also finds comfort in an art class, taught by a unique character named Miss Bettina Phillips. Bettina resides alone with several dogs and cats in Shutters Mansion, a place that once served as an insane asylum. In eerie fashion, she is able to channel feelings from Bettina's home, and she begins to paint images of Shutters and some of its less-than-friendly past inhabitants. Additionally, while Sarah is painting these unfamiliar images, Nick is having visions of his own that involve acts of violence and terror stemming from the dark heart of the old asylum.

John Saul is at his best when he gets inside the heart and mind of his teenaged characters, and the team of Sarah Crane and Nick Dunnigan firmly represents teen angst at its darkest and most dangerous. This is a perfectly eerie tale presented just in time for the Halloween season. show less

I have been a big fan of Saul's work since I was a kid and after decades of reading his work, I have to give Faces of Fear a less than stellar rating. The first half of the book feels like someone else wrote it, but towards the end it picked up considerably. The story was mild and extremely predictable, but still good enough to have you wondering who the bad guy(s) were. It seems he was in an awful big hurry with this one and much of it reads like it was just thrown together. The "OH MY" show more moments were far and few between but they were there. A surprise or two was thrown in. However I do feel that he achieved his point with this story. Plastic Surgery, self esteem and the overall shallowness that goes along with privileged people. Good for a quick read. Try not to base opinions of his work on this novel. He can and does much better. And not to judge a book by it's cover, but come on...a bestselling author should have the clout to do better. Very generic. show less

A haunted Catholic school filled with infernal agendas, double crosses (pun intended), secret identities, and a diabolical plot that stretches all the way to The Vatican! What's not to like? Plenty, actually, but if you can get past the eye-rolling plot twists and cartoonish sense of malice this is an addictive read at least until the final pages where it all seems to fall apart in a rushed jumble of "WTF?" moments which leave too many dangling threads in their wake. And what's with all show more those ghostly Hallmark moments? But having grown up in a Catholic family and been sent to a Catholic highschool I smiled through every moment. If only my old alma mater had been this cool... show less