So this was fun! Definitely gory, definitely some pretty nice kills--very pulpy horror kind of shit here, which, sometimes, is just what you want. Logical? Not particularly. Eerie? Yeah. I enjoyed it.

I read this book 25 years ago and it still sticks in my head when I think of books that haunted me. It had my heart pounding and from page to page, I had no idea what was going to happen next. Ever since this book, I have been a John Saul groupie. His books are high on the creep factor and so very enjoyable to read.

Continuing forward with my project to read all of the John Saul novels in order of publication, and in 1988 JS and Random House brought us The Unloved complete with a flamenco dancing skeleton lady on the cover. Will it be revealed why the skeleton lady is dancing? Sure. JS moves the action down South for this one and taps into his Tennessee Williams, Michael McDowell, Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte phase. Not terribly bright or perceptive Kevin Devereaux (he’s also a pretty terrible husband and father too) drags his Northern wife and kids down to the decaying old family plantation to meet his harridan dying mother and his doormat sister and lots of dead people ensue. JS has a wonderful knack for not being at all sentimental in who gets killed off in service of the plot and there are plenty of over the top and downright crazy elements (including what I’m choosing to believe is a nice little homage to the 1981 movie Happy Birthday to Me) to keep the story humming along. This was a pretty fun one and a decently quick and pulpy read. A solid entry into the JS oeuvre and I’d give it 3.5 stars (which GR rounds up to 4 ).

This book was a let down. Nothing really sinister, just an aunt losing her mind because of abuse she had suffered at the hands of her mother.

De citit noapteape la 2, așa ca mine :D

Książka może nie jakoś strasznie straszna (:P), ale fabuła wciąga :) Mimo drobnego druczku szybko mi poszła i bardzo poooodobało mi się zakończenie :)
Polecam historię rodziny D. (zbyt trudne nazwisko żeby zapamiętac i nie daj Boże jeszcze poprawnie napisać hihihi), ich miasteczka oraz mieszkańców :D

I really enjoyed the first 200 pages then it got bizarre. A 50 year old woman with a bad hip and a severe limp brutally killed about 4 people within 20 pages. Assumably from being mentally and physically abused her whole life.

Then at the end, her niece - who grew up normally until age 17 and has been exposed to this aunt for maybe two months - starts to share the same traits. Totally unbelievable as it took the aunt years of abuse to get this way, unless they are insinuating that the mental illness runs in the family.

I have always loved John Saul's novels but this one was very disappointing.

This book kept me hanging on because I was waiting for the twist. Spoiler, there is no twist. It just got more and more disappointing. I kept waiting for a hero to save me from this nightmare of a book, but sadly, no one came just like no one came for these characters. Three stars for the hope I had 90% through my read.

Gruesome story that keeps you reading until the end. Has you wondering what is going to happen next.

Loved the twists

I almost stop halfway.

Reader beware! You're in for a long and arduous experience.