Rating: 
Summary: Story has been done to death!
Review: I was very disappointed with the book for many reasons. First, the story is cliche and has been done to death - black cat, haunted house, witches and magic. Secondly, I didn't feel that the characters were believable. An example is the Marty Sullivan character, a loser and a drunkard with an attitude - the guy you love to hate. His wife is very religious and very proper. Towards the end of the book there are a couple of times where she yells at him and he shrinks like a raisin and takes it from her. This is just not believable in a character like Marty Sullivan. The end was surprising and very abrupt - but also not believable.
Rating:
Summary: Not his best work
Review: I've been reading John Saul's books since I was a teenager. I think perhaps I would have liked this one better back then. The writing style and plot seemed very juvenile to me, along the lines of an R.L. Stine book. Younger fans might enjoy this book, but it didn't hold my interest at all. Toward the end of the book, I was scanning through paragraphs quickly just to filter out the main plot and get it over with.
Rating:
Summary: This book could have been better...1 and a 1/2 stars
Review: It is with a heavy heart that I am giving a favorite author of mine this low of a rating. BCC is actually a 1 and a 1/2 star book, but since there are no 1/2s, I give it 2 stars. I have been reading John Saul for 14 years now and must say he has written some of the finest horror novels I have ever read. He has a style all his own and feel that anyone who is looking to read a good horror book, they will find it with this author, but NOT with BLACK CREEK CROSSING.BCC has a lot of the same similarities to his older books, girl who is outcast by people in school, at least one of her parents rejects her, she gets befriended by something evil, and then evil is unleashed. The only, and I mean only, difference in this book is the ending, but when it happened, I wasn't blown away or anything. BCC does not have any build up of suspense whatsoever and you actually have to read about 2/3 of the book before anything takes off. And when I say take off, it's more of a cough and a sputter. When Angela and Seth begin to dabble in witchcraft, it is such a disappointment because John could have built it up and created such a dark atmosphere, but he doesnt. What he does do successfully with BCC is tell you instead of show you. Anyone who reads horror or any book for that matter, wants to be shown, NOT TOLD. You almost feel as if John was bored writing this book and I promise you will be bored reading it. I found myslef skimming so much towards the end because I just wanted to move on to another book. In the last few years, John has written some of his best books, EVER! BLACKSTONE CHRONICLES, THE PRESENCE, THE RIGHT HAND OF EVIL, NIGHTSHADE, and MIDNIGHT VOICES. BCC is a huge step back...WAY BACK... and I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this was a book he probably started many, many years ago, and didnt have anything to give his publisher this time around so he decided to pull this one out, dust it off, and turn it in. You can skip BCC, but don't write John Saul off just yet, I'm confident he will produce another chiller soon.
Rating: 
Summary: Let's give thanks to a masterful storyteller
Review: Let's take a moment and give thanks to John Saul. The dark fantasy genre is somewhat similar to country music. Singers like Shania Twain and the Vichy Chicks will come and feed at the trawl, get fat, happy and successful, and turn their back on the genre. So, too, with authors who make the monthly nut with dark fantasy, but just long enough to get the notoriety and fortune to turn their back on the genre that jump-started their careers. Saul continues, in the words of Bear Bryant, to "dance with the one what brung him," doing yeoman's work in the genre and doing it quite well, thank you. Saul's latest offering is BLACK CREEK CROSSING, and it has all of the elements that make the genre, and Saul, great. You have the Sullivan family, for one. The Sullivans are a family in crisis. Marty is the alcoholic father who can hold a beer bottle longer than he can a job. Myra is the clueless mother, using religion as a crutch rather than as a tool of strength and fortitude in an imperfect world. And then there is Angel, the not quite pretty 13-year-old daughter, trying to rid herself of the invisible "kick me" sign that is psychically hung around her neck. When an opportunity comes for a fresh start in a different town, the Sullivans jump at the chance. Roundtree, Massachusetts seems to be the answer to all of their problems --- a new school for Angel, a new job for Marty and a new house that they can buy at a below market price. The house, located at Black Creek Crossing, has some history to it. It seems that the last family who lived there --- a husband, wife and teenage daughter --- experienced a bit of a tragedy, to wit, the murder of the wife and daughter by the husband. This does not deter the Sullivans. Almost from the minute they move in, though, things begin to go amiss. Marty is having trouble on the job and Angel immediately becomes a target at school. Angel is soon befriended by Seth Baker, another social outcast who has much in common with her. She also finds a black cat --- or maybe the cat finds her --- that seems able to enter and leave her house at will. The discovery of a mysterious, ancient book in the Sullivans' new home sets Angel and Seth down a path that appears to lead to their salvation. There is, however, a terrible price to pay in the end. While BLACK CREEK CROSSING has many elements that will be familiar to longtime fans of the dark fantasy genre, it will most certainly appeal to those readers who are just beginning to encounter the genre and, by definition, Saul's work. Saul's ultimate strength in BLACK CREEK CROSSING, however, is his ability to explore the world of adolescent angst, to get into those areas where the triple gratings of school, friends and family rub the skin of the psyche raw. Saul writes like someone who has been there and remembers it all too well, even if it was decades ago. It is this ability coupled with Saul's masterful storytelling that make him, and BLACK CREEK CROSSING, worth reading. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Rating: 
Summary: Not one for horror either
Review: Like another reviewer, I'm not much of one for the horror genre. A few authors do it well, blending humor and great settings with the morbid stuff--Anne Rice comes to mind, along with McCrae and his "Bark of the Dogwood," but there are not many who can carry it off the way John Saul does. Great writing and great characters make this a stellar read for those with discerning tastes. Also recommended: Bark of the Dogwood and Little Children
Rating:
Summary: MIXED EMOTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE
Review: On one hand, the author's theme here is wearing a bit thin. As I read it, I kept thinking, "Hmmm, I've been here before." For this reason I am not giving it the highest rating. Perhaps Mr Saul is falling too much into a familiar formula. On the other hand, this was a nice, easy read which did not cause me to think all that much, i.e. nice escapism, and for me, this is filled the bill at the particular time I read it. The character developement was certainly there and the novel was well constructed. I continue to be a big fan. I think if this where the first of Saul's books I had read, I would have been very pleased. I would recommend this one for anyone who wants a nice easy read and who would like to be amused for a while.
Rating:
Summary: That old black magic . . .
Review: Our book club is an eclectic bunch if nothing else. We read everything from self-helps (The Purpose Driven Life) to fiction (McCRae's The Bark of the Dogwood), so I wasn't surprised when someone recommended this book. We had not done a "haunted house" book before, but this read is much more than that. While the subject matter is nothing new, the way Saul treats his characters and material is impressive and well thought out. I highly recommend this book (everyone is our club does). It was quick, easy, and a pleasant change (in a bizarre way) from some of the heavier pieces we've read. Also recommended: The Purpose Driven Life and The Bark of the Dogwood
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 stars
Review: See storyline above. Saul's latest is a mix of horror and ghosts and witchcraft. Though there isn't much in the form of originality here, he does a good job of melding all these genres together and creates a story thats engrossing and captivating. The cruelty of kids, as well as parents, is well depicted. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Black Creek Crossing or Story Line Missing?
Review: There seems to be a trend among successful page turner authors to short change their readers once they have made it. This is a terrific example. I began reading this book, and became engrossed early on. Unfortunately, Saul gets us interested in the story without doing much to develop the characters or make us care much about them. There are numerous loose ends in the book, and the story ends without much resolution. It's almost as if the author did a page count and decided it was time to end the story, whether it made sense or not. Why were the kid's parents the way they were? What happened to the other two bullies? Why did the two main character kids do what they did? What's the deal with the roundtree in the cemetary? This book reads more like a draft than a finished product. My condolences to the author, to the readers who pay good money for the book, and shame on the editor for allowing a half-done book to be published under the guise of a finished product.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book
Review: This book keeps the reader interested with the different twists and turns in the story line. I can say that this is one to read or listen to around Halloween.
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