3.5 stars rounded up to 4.


I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but it wasn't a disappointment. It's more of a psychological horror and shows the affects that severe emotional and physical abuse can do to a child who has grown to adulthood. It was hard to read at times but that's what makes it a horror I guess.

I enjoyed the twist this book has with the characters. In the beginning you get a pretty clear idea on who is the bad guy and who is the victim. But then about half way through, you end up questioning what's going on and realising that the good guy isn't really that good.

I'm interested in what else this author has.

This is the worst john saul book ive read. Dont get me wrong, it was good. It just wasnt up to par with his other stuff.

Far from the best book I've ever read. The plot was fairly basic, and the outcome far too predictable. It passed a little time, but I won't read it again, and I don't recommend it if you are looking for something scary or intense.

I really liked to read thrillers growing up and John Saul is great at creepy.

“Looking on, Bill realized that, in a way, Diana reminded him of a rabbit—warm and soft, easily startled.”

Nine -year-old Christie Lyons’ last parent is dead and she’s come to live in the house on the hill. No child has lived in this house for more than 50 years and there’s a reason for that…a very messed up reason! As she tries to adjust to living with Diana and her abusive mother, Christie will learn that when the wind blows….the children will cry.

I have fond memories of reading John Saul as a child. I remember reading every book of his I could get my hands on and that must’ve included this one. In my recent re-read, however, I’ve concluded that maybe this one just didn’t age well. While reading, I kept thinking about the staying power of “popular fictoion.” Some books age well and are still relatable decades later. Unfortunately, I don’t think this was one of those. It checked all the horror-trope boxes, but it just didn’t flow the way I wanted it to. That said, this was one messed up family and, once I realized that, I was able to enjoy it a bit more. I gave it 3 stars for the nostalgia factor. I have a few more John Saul in my collection, here’s hoping it gets better!

Fans of Stephen King will love this book. Well, this and all books by John Saul. They're paranormal, supernatural, psycological thrillers that will keep you up past midnight.

Old timey horror. These are the books I would steal from my brother when I was a teenager. A simple story with simple wording. Good for a laugh, atrocious with spelling and grammatical errors (I would have expected more from a well known horror author) and lots of conversations vs paragraphs. A decent quickie horror read.

This is a bone chilling story filled with myth and legend. The twists and turns that John Saul takes you on in his stories is just as mind blowing in this tale.

It was good, not great. The way children are treated in some of John Saul's stories might lead some to believe the writer really detests kids. I am sure that is not the case. Maybe he feels it makes for better storytelling. If I were him I would be a little more creative with my plots instead of rewriting the same stories with different characters.

This is the 2nd John Saul book I've read, and I definitely enjoyed it. Creepy and suspenseful. Just be prepared for some abusive situations towards children and some dated descriptions of some of the characters that haven't aged so well. But all in all, a good read that kept me engaged until the final page.

In 'When The Wind Blows', nine-year-old Christie's life turns into a nightmare when her father dies and she has to live with her new guardian, Diana. Although Diana appears sweet and normal on the surface, it's evident that she has many secrets. Meanwhile, her mother Edna doesn't want Christie to be part of their lives. As a result, Christie finds herself growing increasingly lonely and scared especially because when the wind blows, Diana changes for the worse..

Initially, this story was pretty engaging. I was lured by the mystery behind the mine which had claimed many lives years ago. Several questions came to mind. Why was there a sound of a baby crying when the wind blew? Whose baby was it? Why was Diana badly affected by the wind? What had happened in the past and why was Edna adamant about making sure Diana couldn't be a mother to Christie? Unfortunately, the mystery itself was straightforward and unimaginative. It didn't help that the journey to the disappointing revelation was a major snoozefest.

The repetition killed this book's potential to deliver a scary, melancholic tale. Basically, Diana would be happily spending time with Christie. Then Edna would say or do something to upset her. Subsequently, Diana and Edna would get into an argument while Christie was forced to stay in the creepy nursery until she was allowed to come out. Rinse and repeat. Before I even reached the halfway point of the story, I was already sick of Diana and Edna - two grown adults who behaved more like immature teenagers and sometimes even kids.

Christie was the only remotely decent character here but she just wasn't smart enough to know when it was time to leave. When Diana got more and more abusive while Edna clearly didn't have her best interests at heart, Christie should have turned to their help, Esperanza or at least confide in her friends' parents. Perhaps she could have just run away. Anyhow, people would be more likely to believe a child over an adult especially if the latter is known to be emotionally unstable. I could somewhat overlook this since she's a kid but even kids have their limits. As for her friendship with a bunch of other kids, it was laughable and unconvincing.

Besides that, Esperanza should have been a pivotal character considering how much she knew about the mine. Instead, she was relegated to a minor role. Every now and then she would say something that indicated she knew why Diana had constant blackouts. Despite that, she was ignored most of the time. Her son, Juan was also conveniently discarded when he wasn't needed to keep the story moving. In terms of horror, a couple of scenes were actually downright cruel rather than spine-chilling. The author didn't need to remind me that the wind was oh-so-scary. It was obvious.

The epilogue was predictable and annoying. Of course, the cycle goes on. Now Christie is the next Diana while her daughter Corale is the new Christie. Great.. Overall, 'When The Wind Blows' was a dull, repetitive story which simply failed to live up to the synopsis. With lots of thorough editing, it could have been a little more bearable.

My first shot at a John Saul book. Reminds me of VC Andrews (who I shamefully LOVE), but not as captivating for some reason. I actually did not finish this and just googled what happens. It just didn't seem to have much purpose for me other than just torturing the reader. I knew what I was getting into and wanted an easy read, but I just found myself aggravated with the characters who brought the most "action," as opposed to wanting to keep reading. I did want to know what happens but didn't want to put in the time to get there b/c Diane and her mom were so batty.