Back to the small town she grew up in, Judith finds out that corporate powers have been conducting deadly experiments on its people.

Let me start off by saying only a few of the most glaring negative things with this book (in my opinion of course): I think the title and blurb are quite misleading, some characters could be more complex, and there were some questionable creative choices.

With those vague criticisms being said, SPOILERS ahead!

My favorite part of this book was Jed Arnold's character. We see him come from being moody and standoffish to becoming much more spiritual and noble as the book goes on, and I think that he was the most well-explored part of the book. His character has so many complexities: the racism he has to face, his own discontent with his father, his own hatred for the other half of his heritage, and his own spiritual journey. His character was so interesting that I think he made some of the other characters feel a lot less interesting.

The story's progression is interesting to say the least. I was never expecting it to end with the destruction of the entire town they grew up in, and with that a very violent one that straight up killed people. I don't think this was the best way to end the story, it makes Jed almost kind of a villain for killing innocent people lol. But, that just adds to his character's complexities and that's why I like him so much.

The title and blurb are both misleading because they lead me to believe that this was some sort of "Nightmare on Elm Street" type tale, and that was what I was excited for. I'm not unhappy with the story I got but I feel like this story was marketed incorrectly.

Overall though I was pretty into it from start to finish and I had no trouble imagining this world, the story, and its characters so I think this book was pretty decent and was very enjoyable. 8/10.

This wasn't a bad book. It had a good story but there were a few times I struggled to maintain my interest.

*3.5 Stars
A small rural town, Borrego, New Mexico, is plagued by mysterious murder and illness. Teacher Judith and student Jed try to find out what’s happening to students as well as workers at the oil refinery. Along the way, they interact with questionable characters and there is a mysterious “flu shot” that causes people to become mindless “sleepwalkers.” Ultimately it’s up to Judith and Jed to figure out what’s happening and to stop it before it’s too late. 

One of the main characters, Jed, is half Native American and that is a major part of his character. Throughout the book, it highlights his struggle with feeling lost and not fully connected to Borrego and his father's life, but also not fully connected to his mother's life and her family on the neighboring reservation. It is mentioned that Jed stopped visiting his family on the reservation after his mother committed suicide. Jed's mother is brought up throughout the book for various reasons all relating to Jed's personal development. Throughout the book, Jed learns more about his culture and connected with his grandfather, Brown Eagle, who lives on the reservation. Jed finding his identity and accepting himself fully is one of the major side plots of the book, which gives this story more substance, in my opinion. Along with all the struggles of the town, this mystery, and people dying, you still see people living with their daily struggles. *

The other main character, Judith, I felt had a nice storyline and thoughtful character building. She was a teacher, but also a maternal figure for Jed when he needed it. Judith and Jed's connection felt natural as she took on being a maternal figure to him. With this strong bond, they were able to work together and made a great team. Although Judith is not Native American, she helped Jed connect more with his family. Judith grew up playing with some of the children on the reservation and has many friends there. It didn't feel like Judith was forcing anything on Jed, or trying to be his savior. To me, it seemed more like Judith wanted Jed to know more about his mother's family and the community she was from. Judith's character also faced issues with her own family dynamics which shaped her character as well. Throughout all of this, she was shown to be a strong character with a big heart.

Overall this was an enjoyable novel and made me excited to pick up some of the author's other novels. From other reviews, and recommendations from my mom, I know some of his best works and I’ll be sure to add them to my want-to-read list.

*Disclaimer, I am not Native American, so I can not judge if Jed's character was a good representation of an Indigenous character. However, I found his storyline to be one that many people could relate to.

This novel is standard John Saul fare. It's very well written and easy to get through. One aspect I found very intense about this particular novel is Saul's ability to describe claustrophobic situations so well that I began to feel uncomfortable. Kudos for that. I look forward to reading more of his work.

I had really looked forward to this one.
Not what I thought it was going to be. Slow, drawn out and bland, I had to force myself to finish, hoping against hope that it’d pick up speed.
Needless to say, It didn’t.

I didn't like the ending

Like the last few times I read this one to appease the urging of my wife. I will say that this one was more my style. There was someone killing troublesome teens. An American Indian background, and some pretty nasty violence help raise the interest level for me and John Saul in general with this book. I was immediately drawn in to this one and saw what a lot of other Saul fans already knew. This was a book from a great storyteller. I finally found the story that proved this to me.

Typical eerie Saul, with many twists on a story. I'm trying to remember my days of really loving his work, and I recall he has a theme of targeting teens as victims of whatever supernatural force is at work in each book.

just great all around

A really great book. With multiple very interesting characters and there point of views. A really great unique story. And plenty of mystery and creepy moments to keep you at the edge of you're seat. This was a great time reading.

Sleepwalk

Wow what a compelling story! In so many ways it pertains to this time frame. I loved Jude, Jed, Paul, and Brown Eagle. I really was hoping to read more about how they got rid of the micro machine's. Very well written and so intriguing. I would recommend this book.