Nightshade

Rating:
Summary: Nightshade
Review: Nightshade is a poisonous European plant, also known as Belladonna. This title implies that something is deteriorating rapidly - the world of New Hampshire's Hapgood family. Actually one more meaning, I'll mention it later in this review.

Let's start with the Hapgood house, we've Matt Moore, his mom Joan, his stepdad Bill Hapgood and his grandmom Emily Moore.

Life looks great and sweet but it starts turning to nightmare when Emily (she has Alzheimer's Disease, a brain disease that impairs mental and emotional functions) accidentally burns down her own house and moves in with the Hapgoods. Then Emily claimed Cynthia (who is Joan's sister and dead) has returned. Moreover, Matt starts to have erotic dreams that Cynthia satisfies herself on him and leaving behind the pungent scent of her Nightshade perfume. Then one day Bill is killed while hunting with Matt and no doubt Matt is then accused to be the killer. Finally, Joan is trying to find the real killer and the story continues...

The author weaves a fascinating prose with dark family incidents. Trepidation, dread, doom all gathering. It's a enjoyable read of horror and suspense.

Rating:
Summary: It is dull, dark and depress...if this what you like.
Review: When I read the first 100 pages, I thought: What's wrong with all the negative review? It's a easy read,keep me turn every pages and read till I couldn't open my eyes at late night...
So it's good then, yes. And when I got this book, I first thought it's a haunted house or something about haunted. But then, when things started to happened, when Matt's dad killed...
I found out this is not a haunted story but a very depress, dark mentally murder story. At least I don't get the chill, scary feeling but I don't feel well at my stomach and not comfortable when I read it along. When all the detail, killing part, how they struggle for life...made me feel like them. So Mr.Saul wrote a good honor story then, yes. It effect reader, which they will experience the darkest things that they don't want to happen in their life. But for me, I am a haunted, ghost story fan but I have a weak stomach for murder, crime story that I always try to avoid. So this is an accident that I read this book, It made my weekend depress and I have that dull dark feeling in me when I think of going back to it. So I am not sure if I will read till the end. But If you really love murder or blood, killing story then you will love this for sure. Mr.Saul has a unique perspective of darkness for human mind.
I gave 3 stars, cause it is really a page turner and good write.
But for the story and idea, you be the judge.
If reader that can just read the story and can't affect from it at all...maybe you will read. But for those who's sensitive, I would say think twice before you read it. It effect your mind.

Rating:
Summary: Frightening
Review: I've never read Saul before, but I am pretty certain that I'll read him again. This was a terrifying book full of suspense and twists that kept me turning pages. Unlike many suspense novels I've read, this book doesn't waste much time before it starts getting creepy. Things happen early often in this book. And each time I was sure I had it figured out, Saul blindsided me with a new wrinkle. Great book. Highly recommended for suspense/horror fans.

Rating:
Summary: A masterful novel of psychological horror
Review: With Nightshade, John Saul gets back to what he does best, giving birth to a story almost as chilling and compelling as his premier masterpiece Suffer the Children. Forget biomedical experimentation, genetic manipulation, and all of the other external forces that often lie behind Saul's plots; this book marks a return to good old-fashioned madness and horror. Of course, we start with the perfect all-American family-Joan Moore Hapgood, her son Matt, and husband Bill who has always thought of his step-son as his own true son. Suddenly, Joan's grim, bitter, nasty, Alzheimer's-afflicted mother almost burns her own house down and comes to live with the Hapgoods. Emily Moore is obsessed with her daughter Cynthia, the perfect child whom she refuses to believe is never coming back home to her. Immediately, Matt's nights are filled with the horrible nightmares he had not experienced since leaving Emily's home as a child to move to the home of his new step-father. Watching his mother-in-law tearing his happy family apart, Bill simply leaves his wife and son to the misery of Emily's company. A series of tragedies unfolds, affecting not only the family but the entire close-knit community. Matt changes into a haunted young man, seeing suspicion and dislike pointed toward him from everyone he has ever cared about. Misery turns to the ultimate tragedy, and the reader is left to ponder just who is responsible. Is it Matt, who looks guilty in the eyes of everyone else? Is it his aunt Cynthia, whose presence comes to permeate the house and exert an unhealthy influence on Matt's life in spite of the fact that she is long-dead? Or could it be someone or something else?

Saul hits a home run with this novel. Whatever suspicions the reader entertains, the truth is never truly known in spite of its foreshadowing, not until the ultimate conclusion. As the plot progresses, Saul slowly but surely increases the tension, drawing the reader further and further into this fascinating story. One is never really sure what to think about the action as it unfolds. Even when the true source of the horror is revealed a couple of chapters before the end, the heightened sense of expectation and worry for the characters so well-presented and seemingly real continues unabated. To some degree this is a ghost story, but it is better described as psychological horror. Madness makes for a much more compelling villain than outside entities, and that is why Nightshade stands as one of John Saul's most compelling novels. Filled with insanity, ghostly impressions, terror, murder, a bit of blood and gore, and a surprise or two at the end, Nightshade reveals the true talent that resides in the mind of an author too little appreciated by the horror community.

Rating:
Summary: It will keep you at the edge of your seat
Review: Nightshade is one of the best books I have ever read. It just caught my attention right from the moment I opened the book. It is full of suspense and mixed emotions. As any other book the first few pages are descriptions of the setting and everyone's life but don't let this fool you or prevent you from reading it because soon John Saul will get to the really good part and you will never want to put his book down. The story is about the Hapgoods family. This American family is quite perfect. There is a mother and a father and only one child. A boy named Matthews. In this story it was stunning to see how a young boy's life can change all of a sudden, from having it all, a family that adores him, a stepfather who he sees as a real father, and a mother who cares for him, to having nothing but tragedies one after another. His unhappiness begins when an unexpected fire burns his grandmother's house and they are forced to take her home with them.
From the book we learned that his grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer, after many years, couldn't accept the fact that her dearly beloved daughter, Cynthia, was dead. His grandmother is not able to face the truth about Cynthia's death, so she decides to think that she is on a trip and soon she will come back home. Meanwhile she keeps Cynthia's memory alive by visiting Cynthia's bedroom and leaving all her belongings intact. When her house burns down she decides to move into Matt's house and she took an empty room and recreated Cynthia's room there. Then Matt is brought back to his childhood fears, he starts having horrible and perverted dreams in which his aunt Cynthia is involve just like when he was a kid. Matt is not the only one that suffers; his mother Joan can also sense the presence of her dead sister. Matthews becomes a victim of his aunt, and he is forced to do horrible unimaginable things that lead everyone, including his mother to doubt him, and finally he is left alone. His real father abandoned him and his stepfather who he had known since he was a baby was now dead; murdered, and many think Matt did it. Now Matt feels like he has no mother, and no friends. He is also blamed for the disappearance of his grandmother, and many other tragic events that will change this charmed boy into a teen full of fear and instability.
Find out why Matt's life all of a sudden changes by reading this incredible book, which will leave you wanting to read more and more. It is absolutely thrilling and absolutely recommendable. The twisted ending would have you at the edge of your seat. Don't miss out on what may be John Saul's most famous masterpiece. Get your copy of Nightshade right away and also find out the reason why it was given its title. You will not regret it.

Rating:
Summary: Saul Returns to the Family Frightfest!
Review: John Saul got started writing masterful tales of families that go beyond being merely dysfunctional. I have often wondered if Mr. Saul had a good childhood, after reading his novels focusing on evil children, weak parents, stifling relatives. John left that behind for a while, but returned with the rather disappointing "Right Hand of Evil," and now his latest shocker, "Nightshade." Since the plot has been discussed several times, no need to summarize. Suffice to say, this is a nasty little novel, full of incest, sexual frustrations, murder, gore, and extremely unlikeable characters. Saul is very good with this genre, and he is at his best in this novel. Although there are lapses in suspense and evidence of some "padding," the novel works as an eerie ghost story----and you have to ask, are we dealing with possession or split personalities? Who is the child in the beginning of the book? What happens at the end with Kelly and Matt? As usual, Saul infuriates us with the demise of one of the most likeable characters in the book, but he has always done this. You know when you read a John Saul book, no one is safe from the grim reaper. But enjoy the book for what it is---an offering from a master at creating really unearthly families!

Rating:
Summary: good reading
Review: This was a good reading. John Saul always grabs your attention right from the very beginning of his books.
Matt is a normal teenager who has a lot going for himself. Hes popular has a girlfriend and his mother joan and stepfather bill love him dearly. Then his grandmother moves in after a fire. She insists on decorating the room next to hers as a memorial to her daughter cynthia who died over ten years ago. Him and his mother then start to feel the presence of his aunt cynthia in the house and his life is turned upside down. After an accident with his stepfather every one turns against him. Things get worse after his grandmother and girlfriend go missing to. Matt keeps having blackouts and losing track of time...could he have possibly done the things he was accused of?
Though the book was kind of predictable, it was good. This book will have you on the edge of your seat. I started reading friday night was finished saturday afternoon. Its fast paced and doesnt lag at all. I never look for a happy ending when reading john saul, so i wasnt surprised with all that happened. The only thing i wanted was to know exactly what happened between joan and her father. Was it really how her mom said or was it just a figment of her imagination. Also i was disappointed with the way that cynthia died. After all the trouble she's caused joan growing up i was just waiting to read how joan gave it to her. But no it wasnt what i expected. Poor becky though and her mother got EXACTLY what she deserved. And i agree with cynthia. After everything her mother did to joan she still managed to love her.
But pick up the book and you wont be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: A scary, disturbing book
Review: I thought this book was creepy and disturbing. How could it end up being the person it was?? I won't give the book away but I was deeply disturbed and the ending wasn't that great. I don't think I will read any of his other books!

Rating:
Summary: Dark Pleasure
Review: I got this book from my Aunt, who gives me "bags of books" to read. Usually I don't find many I love but this grabbed me. I was expecting your usual ghost story but instead, got a thriller that kept me reading all night. It is rather dark, but I didn't "figure it out" until almost the very end, which is unusual for me! Everytime I thought the book was ending, something else popped up to surprise me.

Rating:
Summary: What is wrong with this guy?
Review: I have read a couple of John Saul books now and have noticed a certain pattern. It goes like this; start with a happy family. Something happens to happy family. They have to move in with an irritable or evil extended family member, and a ghost appears, attacks the pre-teen child, and absolutly destroys the nice life they had. Did Mr. Saul have an unhappy childhood? He has explored this "idea" with "Nathanial", "Second Child" and now "Nightshade" Many of the charactors are so bigited that they are hard to understand and impossible to like, and the victoms are so slow to catch on to what is happening that they are hard to identify with. Was there anything in this book I liked? Yes, the lawyer, Mr. Wayneright seems like a perfectly normal and level headed man. But the whole book is so dark and depressing that I can't recomend it to anyone. Sorry guys.