When the Spellmans move to Pleasant Valley, it is to begin a new life. For Karen, it is a chance to be truly happy for the first time since her husband's death. For her daughters, it is a chance that is not universally accepted. While Molly, the youngest, is excited for the new place, the teenager, Julie, is not at all happy with the move, but is willing to go along with it because she wants her mother to be a whole person again. Things seem to be going well when their new stepfather gives them each a new horse, and their stepbrother offers to introduce them to the other kids in town. But then, unusual things start to happen, some teens in town (including Julie) begin acting oddly, and, unknown to anyone, an alien presence starts to grow.

This novel should come with a warning. Anyone who suffers from entomophobia, or a fear of insects, should not read this book. There are several scenes of bugs crawling over various body parts, and it is enough to make even the least sensitive start to squirm. In spite of that, this is a really good story that combines horror and mad scientist type sci-fi. Just be prepared to feel really buggy while and after reading it.

A change of genre is always ::A:Good:Thing::



If bugs bug you then this read is not for you!

I have a few other Saul's in my goodie bag, however he does seem to teeter on the high 2, low 3 mark for me.

#51 TBR Busting 2013

3* Perfect Nightmare
2* The Homing
3* Sleepwalk

Taken at face value it’d be a solid 3.5 (4) rating but the writing isn’t the strongest and pretty over used tropes although I finished it with ease. Swarms of insects with a human interim queen was definitely an interesting read. I’ll be looking more into Saul’s works.

This is a chilling read that puts genetic modification at the heart of a horror story set in the idyllic Californian countryside that takes the humble bee and turns it into a killing machine. Add to this a good dash of good old fashioned power and corruption and you have a fast paced horror that keeps you engrossed from start to finish.

I really enjoyed John Saul's book, The Homing. It was a fast pace thriller that could really happen in today's world, if it hasn't happened already. Scientist are always trying to re-create God's creatures, thinking they can do better. I bet it usually ends up in disaster for the world. That's the scary part.

Once again, I don't want to give away any part of the book. The blurb on the back about the book is good. John Saul is a good writer and this book is no exception. He makes you think of all the horrible possibilities that may be in anyone's backyard, including yours and mine.

Very good,fast paced,the more i read the more nerve racking it got.I'm a huge bug lover and even i wanted to scream GAH! KILL IT! KILL IT!

It was okay. I felt like it left a lot of questions unanswered, though. For example: What happened to the infected coyote? Why did Julie get all distended and disgusting? Was it just because she was the queen, and all queens of insects are bigger than the others? Why was she the queen? Was it b/c she was infected first? Why were the infected chicks always naked, but the dudes weren't? If the other girl (Sarah?) would've gotten to the group, would've she been another queen, or something else b/c Julie was the queen? Why didn't Carl (I think that's his name...) take his hatred and rage out on his sister, since she was the cause of it, instead of on others? Did anyone even notice Vic Costas (?) was missing after the ants ate him? Why would Carl kill everyone else, but not the doctor? I mean, he had the means AND he told her who he had killed. Why did he throw "just spiders" in as opposed to scorpions or ants, thereby making it impossible for her to tell anyone if anyone came to try to save her (which happened)? So very many questions this book made, but never answered for me...

Cómo siempre John Saul me atrae con una vertiginosa historia, que involucra niños

This is more a 2.5 -- it isn't that the book is poorly written or badly plotted -- I found myself finishing it even when I discovered the subject was not interesting to me in the least, but I feel sort of mislead by the description (as it appears on the book) and I found the premise rather stupid.

Insanely creepy and unnerving. With a really cool story. Intense moments and great characters. With a great creepy ending to go along with everything.

What starts out with a family trying to make a new start, quickly turns into a horror story beyond bizarre!! Very Stephen King-like.

My grandsons dubbed me Grandma Bee and I have a tattoo at my ankle of same. After reading this I may need to make a change.

This would make an excellent horror film to the delight of every teenager. I’m not much for this genre but couldn’t put this book down.

Can you say "Contractual Obligation Book"
Because that's what this one feels like. Saul is usually a safe read, never stunning, but usually good enough. Sort of like Koontz.
This one feels like he was facing a deadline and just yelled, "I don't know, some crap with bees or something."
Paper thin villain, paper thin weird stuff, and an unsatisfying ending