Who: Teri, a teenager who is the only survivor in a house fire. Melissa, Teri's half-sister, who is punished almost every night by being chained to the bed. The ghost who wants revenge for a 100-year-old crime that was committed.

What: Melissa has been sleepwalking for as far back as she can remember. The ghost, however, protects her at night, when her mother abuses her. In return for this protection, the ghost of this poor servant girl from 100 years ago starts to do the unthinkable. Again.

When: 100 years ago in the past, and in the 1990s.

Where: Secret Cove, a fictional town in New England, and the mansion on the bluff where Melissa lives.

Why: The twist at the end is like a freight train in the night that you don't see coming until it is upon you! -sara

There is nothing creepier than books where children are evil and creepy. I'll admit I was way off on guessing the direction this book was going to take and the route it would take to get there. Parts of it were hard to read because I couldn't wrap my brain around the violence being done by one who feigned such innocence. I enjoyed the ending although I wish the mom/stepmother had gotten what was coming to her but I guess that's what helped it end on what could be called a cliffhanger.

I really did not like the ending to “Cinderella” as a child. I still don’t like it! In Snow White, the Evil Queen is crushed to death by a bolder. In Sleeping Beauty, Malifacent is pierced by a sword and falls to a fiery demise. But what happens in Cinderella? Shoe fits! Angry, horrified look on the evil stepmother’s face. Cinderella is married and they live happily ever after. WHAT?!? No repercussions? No consequences? Cinderella is now queen; the story takes place in France; WHERE IS THE BLOODY GUILLOTINE AND LADY TRELANE’S HEAD ON A PIKE?!? I demand satisfaction in my stories!

So why that anecdote and rant? Because I feel that Second Child exhibits a similar “lack of comeuppance” for some of the wicked characters. Even the ones that do get their comeuppances, it wasn’t satisfactory for the torment and pain they caused. It ended with the popular trope from 80’s horror movies, where a villain more or less gets away, and the final scene is that character somewhere else, starting the cycle all over again. I guess the book is a product of its time.

The author does really make you feel for the protagonist Melissa. The horror she experiences is all too real and it too over 2/3 of the book before you realize that others do actually feel for her too. When other characters finally start trying to help her, it is a breath of fresh air. I think because the author does this do well, is why the ending left a slight bitter taste in my mouth. I wanted better demises for Melissa’s tormentors. Alas, the story is good and it did keep me invested. This was my first John Saul novel and I am willing to invest the time in other ones in the future.

To start, this is the first John Saul book I've read, and I'd definitely read more, I like the writing style. That being said, none of the characters in this story were likable except Melissa and Charles. Which I'm sure was the point considering the plot of the book. It was interesting to see psychology from thirty years ago (for example, they still called DID "multiple personality disorder") and what people thought of it. I think this part was done well, though I can't speak to it from experience. It was good to see those who deserved it, get what was coming to them. I also liked the subtleness of the haunting. It was interesting to question whether it was in fact something like DID or something more like a possession. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and trying to guess what was happening. (Though I wish the dog hadn't died.

Okay , thisone was pretty good....

Usually I go for John Saul novels for mindless, predictable summer reading, but this one was pretty d*mn scary. Spooked me pretty good, even with it being a bit soap opera, as typical of Saul. But that's part of the fun :)

I loved this story. Tense, engaging, and a page-turner. You have an aloof first wife, an abusive second wife, a husband who doesn't really know what's going on and his firstborn daughter is evil to the core and will stop at nothing to get what she feels was rightfully hers. Even if it means killing her mother and stepfather by burning down their house to get back to Secret Cove where she feels she belongs. Phyllis sees Teri as the beautiful, perfect daughter she wished she'd had and Melissa, the quiet outsider, as what she ended up with. I hated Phyllis, I had Teri figured out from the start, but still enjoyed this book. Why I let it sit in my attic for over 20 years without reading it, I dunno. John is a great author. I look forward to reading more of his novels.

DNF.

I started getting annoyed by the snobby kids in their tennis whites, but could ignore it.

Reallllllly not feeling the body shaming, but thought maybe it was a product of its time. Kept reading.

Then the child abuse started happening (from a parent), and I really wasn't enjoying the book anymore.

Finally when the "villain" started giving side-eye to the dog, I decided NOPE. Zero interest in dog deaths, thank you very much.

I'm done.

This is your friendly reminder that you don't need to read books you aren't enjoying. Just toss it aside, book friends.

The first novel that I ever read. I was 11, a quiet child bullied in school on a daily basis by a group of girls two years older than me. I was able to relate to the main character, as well as the events that took place. In my head, it was the perfect revenge. It was like talking to a friend and it gave me the comfort and shelter that I needed at that time. Reading this book opened doors for me. I was not alone. I felt empowered.

This book pulled me in from the beginning. The character I loved in the beginning was not who I loved in the end, and the book had me going back and forth throughout! This book was recommended to me, and I would recommend it to others!

Confused on how to feel about the abuse within the family

This was a typical John Saul book. I haven't read any of his books since I was probably in my early 20s. It proved to be a fast, fun read. It took me back to other John Saul story lines. It had all the classic components: a ghost, sibling rivalry, young love, family strife, and absolute evil. It was a good book in which to escape!

En un incendio (que resultó provocado por ella misma) una chica queda huérfana y se la a vivir con su papá y la nueva familia de esta... Todo bien hasta que empiezan a ocurrir ciertos hechos que resultan con que la hija menor del padre empieza a padecer trastornos psicológicos (ya que la niña tiene una doble personalidad una personalidad que la protege de las cosas externas que pueden hacerle daño) y ocurren hechos sangrientos muertes misteriosas que llevan a la chica menor al psiquiátrico gracias al collar de perlas que le regalo su padre descubre que no está loca y que todo es invenciones de la hermana mayor para quedarse con su vida...