Search - Black Creek Crossing

I've finally found an author I know I would read again--John Saul. Admittedly, Black Creek Crossing probably isn't his best book but I did get a sense of his style. He writes in complete sentences 95% of the time! His plot line makes sense, his characters are developed enough so that I cared about them and wanted to keep reading.

Angel Sullivan is 15, overweight, lonely and an outcast at school. Her father, Marty,is a lazy alcoholic who can't hold a job and her mother, Myra, is a fervent believer in prayer and visions of the Holy Mother. For years Myra's sister Joni Fletcher has been trying to get her sister's family to move close by. She convinces the Sullivans to purchase the house at Black Creek Crossing at a real bargain price.

Why is it such a bargain? It's got a horrific story behind it and, by law, Joni has to tell them that it was previously owned by a family whose father went berserk and murdered his wife and daughter. In spite of the story, the Sullivans decide to buy the house and Angel is drawn to the smallest of the bedrooms. She finds a black cat hiding in the closet--how did he get there? In my head, I hear the Jaws theme begin to come up.

And so the Sullivans move to Roundtree. Angel, who'd been hoping for a new start, finds herself being rejected again thanks to the influence of her hoity-toity cousin Zack. She does make one friend--another boy who is mercilessly teased and tormented by the others. The boy, Seth Baker, is also physically abused by his father.

Angel and Seth become friends and allies. They are fascinated by the house, by the things they see and hear happening. As they become further involved in investigating the house, they learn that there is more evil present there than they ever suspected.

The story is also about the evil of kids being cruel to each other for no good reason. The story is sort of a Carrie Lite. Angel and Seth are able to give pay backs but at a terrible price. I call it Carrie Lite because it wasn't graphically gory.

I liked the book enough that I am looking forward to reading others of John Saul's books.

Wow! One of the scariest books I've ever read. This one was really hard to put down. If you like witchcraft, black cats, blood and gore, strange thunder storms and haunted houses with lots of suspence, don't miss reading this John Soul bestseller.

This was a really good book. Yes, i say this about all the good books. ;)
It's the kind of book you can get lost in on a weekend while curled up under a nice warm throw on the couch, sipping hot cocoa.

Awesome book, a bit twisted, but awesome!

I like John Saul, and this was one of his best. The story is about a young girl who moves into a haunted house, but it manages to be quite original and fresh. Two young teenagers who are mercilessly teased at school and mistreated by their parents form an alliance and make contact with spirits in the girl's house, with the help of a mysterious black cat that appears out of nowhere and leads them on as they pursue the town's secrets. The two find a devilish way to get even with their tormentors. The depictions of children's cruelty to each other is at times hard to endure, but you will find yourself rooting for the two children. I did not like the ending, but it really had to end the way it did.

This was a really fun book to read. Scarey and just a bit hard to put aside. I think all Mr. Saul's books are good, but i think this is one of the better one.