Lush, a deceptively tranquil, the secluded island basks in splendid isolation off the South Carolina coast–as does the Devereaux mansion, a once-great plantation house now crumbling amidst the ancient oaks. Now, for the first time in two decades, Kevin Devereaux has returned here with his wife and children to visit Kevin’s hated, and frightening mother. She said she was ill–but is that … that really why the old woman has summoned the son she has not seen in so many years? Suddenly, horribly, one of the Devereauxs is going to die. And now, all the dark secrets of this once-proud family will emerge to wrap their evil around the unsuspecting children. Until, in the shadowed corridors and dust-covered rooms of the decaying old house, they learn the true terror of The Unloved.
more
He one of my favorite authors
This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and then it hits you with something you didn’t see comming! I read this book 1 time over 20 years ago and have bragged about it every day since. Great read! Definatly my favorite!!!
The Unloved, John Saul, 1988
My favorite quote: “He pitched forward, his vision going black as he died. The last thing he saw was the scarlet gash of Marguerite’s mouth, twisted into a vicious parody of a victorious smile.”
Notable characters: The Devereaux family, Kevin and Anne, and their children Jeff and Julie; Helena, Kevin’s rude-ass dying mother; Marguerite, Kevin’s weird-ass creepy sister
Most memorable scene: When Jenny sees old Aunt Marguerite dancing in the ballroom. Her strange limping waltz is really effective in creeping the reader out. And by “the reader,” I mean me. It creeped me out. There, I said it
Greatest strengths: The horror. And by that, I don’t necessarily mean blood and gore. I mean that it’s seriously scary
Standout achievements: The Unloved has the sole distinction of being the only book that actually made me jump. There’s a line at the end of chapter 20 that says, “… a bolt of lightning flared in the sky outside and a sharp clap of thunder shook the house.” I read this book on a stormy night and right as I read those words, real lightning flashed followed by a big crash of real thunder. It scared me so bad tears were running down my leg
Fun Facts: I know it’s morbid but I was laughing out loud when the little kid corpses were being dragged up the stairs for a dead-kid tea party. I’m calling this a ‘fun’ fact because when I met John Saul many years later, he said he thought that part was hilarious, too, and was cracking up while he wrote it. And that’s when I knew this man was my kinda guy
Other media: N/A
What it taught me: That sometimes, there are no heroes … and that’s okay
How it inspired me: John Saul’s work has influenced me in a million ways, but his ability to foreshadow without weakening the storyline tops the list. Foreshadowing is a tricky thing, but when it’s done well — as it is here — it adds an exciting sheen to even the weariest plotline
Additional thoughts: After giving it a lot of thought (and I actually do give a lot of thought to such things) I’ve decided that this is probably my all-time favorite John Saul novel. Probably. I might feel differently later
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
John Saul creates another nail-biter for his many horror fans! The Unloved is an unnerving tale of gothic terror that depicts the nightmare that unfolds after Kevin Devereaux answers a summons to return home to visit his estranged mother. Shortly after of Kevin and his wife and kids arrive at his mother’s mansion, murders begin to happen on the small island where she lives. No one knows who the killer is. John Saul does a good job of keeping the suspense high by focusing on the troubled and tense relationship between Kevin’s mother and his family. The chilling story leads to a lengthy, but horrifying climax in which the children suddenly find themselves alone, trapped in the house with a murderous lunatic! By this point, the killer’s identity has been revealed, along with the motive for the grisly killings. Once the book reaches this twist, it’s all about the children’s desperate struggle to survive the rampage of someone who has proven that they’re so deranged and unstable that they’re all too capable of murder! This tells you whether or not this is another book by John Saul that focuses on the victimization of children. Anyone who had a hard time reading Suffer the Children because of it, however, will be happy to know that the theme of kids as victims is not as strong in this book. One warning is required, though: IF YOU THINK YOU WON’T BE HORRIFIED WHILE READING THIS BOOK, THINK AGAIN!!!