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.