Suffer the Children
by John Saul
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Book Reviews of Suffer the Children
Book Review: It was very good, but I've read much better
Summary: 4 Stars
Well, this book took me a while to get into, but most John Saul books do, the first one I read my him was Nathaniel, then The Homing and so on, they all took me a while to get into, but when I finished them I did feel a sense of satisfaction, maybe because they took me so long to finish, when I can read a Stephen King, Anne Rice, Dean Koontz or V. C. Andrews book very quickly. They story was not scary, I have yet to read a supposed "horror" novel that scares me, with the exception of The Amyityville Horror, but anyway, this book could be scary I suppose if you place yourself in the characters positions, like any other horror novel. I couldn't believe the ending, and I was pretty disappointed with it, I knew this was John Sauls first novel and the first paperback original to be a #1 new york times bestseller, since he came out before V. C. Andrews, who later topped the charts with every one of her books, but I was expecting so much more. The cave scenes were gruesome, I give him credit for that, and the spasms between Jack and Rose were good, I just couldn't believe how it ended, with that ending, I expect a sequel, but he's not the kind of writer to write series, but all in all, it was an exceptional book, i just wasn't too fond of the ending.Book Review: Disturbing, dark and deadly ...
Summary: 4 Stars
John Saul is a master of horror story telling. His stories cause shivers up and down your spine, butterflies in the stomach, and the uncontrollable urge to keep reading. I am deliberately keeping these reviews vague so as to not spoil anything.
In Suffer the Children, Rose and Jack Conger are suffering marital problems because of an incident that happened several years back, causing their daughter Sarah to retreat inside herself and stop talking. Their older daughter, Elizabeth, appears to be the perfect daughter and sister - doing well in school, taking care of her sister patiently and generally maintaining the status quo as much as possible.
But there is something lurking in the woods. The children have been told to stay out of the woods - because there is something dangerous there. However, Elizabeth keeps going into the woods, although she denies she has, and then suddenly children begin to disappear ...
Full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing throughout the story, and Saul - of course, is a master story teller. I couldn't put it down.
Saul writes true horror, so don't expect any happy endings here. But DO expect to be thrilled and chilled. Don't miss this great story.
Book Review: SUFFERING ABOUNDS
Summary: 5 Stars
Jack and Rose Conger feel they have found the ideal town to raise their two daughters, Sarah, 11 and Elizabeth, 13. At the opening of the story, Sarah has been mute for over a year and enrolled in a special program. Elizabeth appears to be an unremarkable preteen until...her parents find a portrait of a girl in their attic who bears a strong resemblance to Elizabeth!
From the time that picture is displayed, Elizabeth undergoes a change of personality. She lures a few local children into a cave where they are left to starve. She rarely entered the cave and when she did, she flogged the children and gave them a dead cat to play with.
Matters reach a head when her sister is found dragging the arm of a child who had died. Sarah is subsequently institutionalized. She remained in an institution for 15 years. When she and Elizabeth are reunited 15 years later, the mere mention of "Beth" sends Sarah back into mute fear.
Who WAS Beth? And who was the child in the portrait? What became of the children who were lured into the cave? And what of Elizabeth, their instrument of doom?
Book Review: Good book, disappointing ending
Summary: 4 Stars
I have been a big fan of John Saul's for a while now, ever since I picked up The Unloved a few years back. Since then, I have been reading everything of his that I can get my hands on, and I have rarely been disappointed. He is an amazing writer, and Suffer the Children is no exception. This is one of those books that when you open it for the first time, you can't put it down again until you've finished! The plot is excellent, the characters are well developed, and it is overall just a really great story. However, I have to say I was VERY upset by the ending of this book. I don't want to give everything away, but the ending didn't resolve any of the problems that arose in the story, and the guilty characters were not punished! I guess I just adhere to the old fashioned belief that, when all is said and done, the evildoers in any book should get their just desserts, and this book didn't live up to that expectation. Other than that, Suffer the Children is just another excellent story that John Saul can add to his long, long list! Read it and enjoy it (until you get to the ending that is).Book Review: Definitely on the distubing side...
Summary: 4 Stars
In Suffer The Children, a couple seems to be living the ideal life with their two daughters, Elizabeth and Sarah. However, Sarah, the younger daughter, has been irrepairably marked by a terrible event that is shrouded in mystery for the first part of the book. Elizabeth, on the other hand, is genuinely perfect. Almost too perfect, one suspects, yet she has such sincerity and genuine love for her younger sister, who clings to her desperately. But what lies beneath is truly horrific.
This book will definitely creep out, upset, and/or horrify most readers, and in this cynical day and age where it seems like we've seen and read it all, that's pretty amazing. While I found most of John Saul's later books to be repetitive and predictable after you've read a few, this one kept me on the edge of my seat and gave me nightmares for years. I looked it up here out of curiousity but in all honesty, I don't want to read it again. It was that creepy. The one big complaint I have is the ending. It just wasn't tied up at all and was rather unsatisfying.