It was as good, a little slow and unbelievable but good.

This book is about an "accidental" death of a child's parents and his godmother flies across the country to take care of him. Mysterious happenings occur on this ranch setting and questions arise of their deaths.

This was a likable read from this author. John Saul has a reputation of his books dealing with children and this one was no exception. I loved the setting of this book as it is a ranch with acres of vast, open terrain that adds to the overall atmosphere. This book is told as a thriller mystery as the reader doesn't know what the antagonist actually is even though there are tiny hints sprinkled throughout the novel. I did have a couple of issues with this book and why I could not give it a higher rating. A couple of times it seemed like characters jumped to a conclusion to further the plot and I was mystified with their logic at how they got there. Also, there were a couple of plot points that were introduced and never really explored. I believe if the author just relied on your basic creature book this would have been a more enjoyable read.

I am recently getting back into reading this author's books. I use to read his books when I first started reading and I shied away from his work throughout the years. This isn't his best offering but it still was a decent read.

I’m feeling kind of meh about this. MaryAnne’s husband is a jerk who ruins every scene he is in. The rest of the characters are ok but pretty one dimensional. The story is predictable so there is no real tension. The big reveal at the end is obvious. Maybe I’m just in a bad mood but this book didn’t do much for me.

A wonderful take on the werewolf myth. Great characters, and an engaging sub-plot. The reveal is spot on, too.

Guardian, John Saul, 1993

My favorite quote: “Suddenly MaryAnne Carpenter had an uneasy feeling that there was a dark facet to Joey Wilkenson’s personality that she knew nothing about. A darkness she was just beginning to see.”

Notable characters: Joey Wilkenson, a boy with special abilities; MaryAnne Carpenter, Joey’s godmother; Alison and Logan Carpenter, his new faux-siblings; Rick Martin, the deputy

Most memorable scene: I’m thrilled to announce that one of the characters in this book does, indeed, go sailing off a cliff in true John Saul style. I won’t say who it is, but I always wait for someone to go sailing of a cliff in John Saul books and they are always my favorite scenes

Greatest strengths: The quality of writing here is a step or two above some of Saul’s other works

Standout achievements: Its pacing is impeccable. Not more than a page or two goes by without some kind of horrific twisted tragedy taking place … and that’s the way (uh-huh, uh-huh) I like it

Fun Facts: This is one of Saul’s more sciency (rather than horrory) books (though it has plenty horror) and I love it

Other media: N/A

What it taught me: I always pay attention to my own emotional responses when I’m reading, and -- for my sensibilities anyway -- this book is a lesson in creating and sustaining suspense, in keeping the reader in nice tight grip throughout

How it inspired me: Saul’s prose is simple, straightforward, and therefore, effective. I always return to him when I find myself getting too caught up in technique. John Saul always reminds me that simplicity is power

Additional thoughts: If you’re reading this book and can’t figure out why you keep getting “Livin’ La Vida Loca” stuck in your head like I did, I’ve figured it out: it’s on account of the deputy’s name. Rick Martin. As in Ricky Martin. You’re welcome

Haunt me: alistaircross.com

First I have to admit I didn’t finish Guardian. I read about halfway and wasn’t enjoying it so I stopped.

Two tragic accidents leave young Joey Wilkenson without parents. His godmother moves with her own children onto Joey’s ranch to take care of him. Soon though she begins to realize there is something strange going on with Joey. At times he is a sweet, caring child and at others he lashes out in anger. The boy himself is confused by the rage that comes over him, causing him to run off to the woods where he feels a kinship with the wild.

I’ve read a lot of John Saul books I enjoyed but Guardian bored me. The characters weren’t interesting and the plot was stretched thin. In the half I read there was a lot of repetition and eventually I just didn’t care what happened.

Better not call this Saul.

This was a good enough novel. What I remember most about is the moonlight and something to do with an almost wolf.

It gets its high rating because when I was reading it I was very very happy. Though not about this book. Something to do with moonlight and how we ate it.

This was a pretty book of its type. I generally steer away from such books, but I liked this book. Joey's parents die, his godmother (and her children) visit and help take care of him and the ranch. Everything goes wrong when people continue to die after Joey's parents die from something (some creature) in the woods (mountains). The book is a good story and an easy read.

Het ding door John Saul

Wasn't quite as weird and insane as my favorite John Saul books. This is more if a straightforward werewolf story, but with a bit of a twist.
It gets pretty crazy in the last act, but before that it's pretty slow-moving. The characters are a bit bland, so the build-up feels a little tedious.
Still not a bad read.

what the fuuuuck?

This book seems like it is trying to go somewhere interesting and deep - but there is never the punchline.

The themes are not coherent or compelling, and sometimes the narrative seems lost in what it is trying to say.