Second Child: A Novel by John Saul

Second Child: A Novel Reviews

• 
  Peter

  After many years I came back for an old John Saul novel I missed back then and wasn't disappointed. There is no other author mixing appaling family secrets with horror and ghost appearances like John Saul. You really feel for Melissa and Cora hate Phyllis and cant' believe the stunning details you read about Teri and her former family. Everything takes places in a small village world of inhterited money, a very plausible setting, even today. What about D'Arcy? An absolute page turner with interesting characters and an author who really knows how to write a bestseller. The tension here is nailbiting until the very end. You get the meaning of the title in the last sentence of the book! Highly recommended not only for summer. A real John Saul classic. Reading this books shivers will run down your spine.
• 
  Sandra

  When Charles Holloway’s ex-wife Polly and her husband die in a fire in their home, Charles brings his pretty daughter Teri (who has been living with her mother Polly for years) to his home at Secret Cove, to live. Charles is now remarried to a woman named Phyllis and has another daughter, in which he dotes on, called Melissa. Charles and his ex-wife Polly were raised with money and had been living in a posh town called Secret Cove. Polly didn’t like the trappings of wealth, moved away, remarried, and gave her money away. Years later, Polly’s daughter Teri resented this. She felt she should be at Secret Cove, receiving the finer things in life.
  
  Teri arrives at Secret Cove and meets her shy half-sister Melissa (who is ridiculed and mocked because she doesn’t fit in… she’s a bit overweight, shy, plain.) Melissa is happy to now have a sister. She’s quite lonely. Add to that, she has a very cruel mother (Phyllis) who abuses her.
  
  There is talk, told by children around campfires at night, about a ghost called D’Arcy who also didn’t fit in. A hundred years ago a terrible thing happened at the August Moon Ball. Now, on the anniversary of that day, is D’Arcy back for revenge?
  
  John Saul really knows how to write captivating stories. I had a hard time putting this book down, I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. Some of the characters were very likable… Melissa, her father Charles, the maid Cora, and Cora’s grandson Tag. And some characters were really horrible. Especially Melissa’s mother Phyllis, the snobbish kids at Secret Cove, and Melissa’s half-sister Teri, who isn’t as sweet as she seemed. I also liked the setting of the coastal town.
  
  Another engrossing and compelling read by John Saul.
• 
  Chris Berko

  John Saul never disappoints. It's been decades since I have read anything by him but I do remember I love his endings. Black Creek Crossing's end haunts me to this day. For Halloween my mom recommended this to me she said she remembered it scaring her way back when. This was a little bit Mean Girls, a little bit Heathers, a little Cinderella, a little bit Carrie and a lotta bit awesome. There was so much happening in the final one hundred pages that I kept thinking, okay this is it, this is the finale, but then it kept going and going. By the time it truly ended I was tense AF but it was totally worth it. Saul nails the landing and lives up to reputation.
• 
  Mark

  What a shame that some of the reviewers here have given away the plot!
  
  I haven't read Second Child for a long time but I often think about getting it off the shelf once more.
  
  Melissa, the second child of the title, is overjoyed when she discovers that her unknown elder sister Teri is coming to live with her father's new family at Secret Cove. What Melissa can't foresee is the horror and confusion that the beautiful Teri's arrival will bring to her own life, nor how her supposedly imaginary friend D'arcy will shatter the peace of the wealthy coastal community as she exacts revenge for an act committed one hundred years earlier.
  
  Second Child is a terrific read - well worth being given a chance. Others here have criticised Saul's style - my main gripe as a reader of several of Saul's novels is that each seems to contain a character called Jeff! If that's my only real gripe, he ain't doing bad ...
• 
  Rachel

  This was the first book I read by John Saul. I was maybe 13 at the time and I found it in a basement. I was bored and figured I'd read. I opened it out of curiosity and was yanked in by the the first line- "When Polly MacIver awoke just before dawn that morning, she had not the slightest presentiment that she was about to die."
  I devoured it and it scared the shit out of me. This is not what I call a 'visually' scary book. Saul does a good job with scene setting and you can easily imagine whatever is currently happening. This book is psychologically scary. It got into my mind and almost made me question what I felt.
  I've read this book quite a few times over the years and it has never failed to freak me out on some level.
• 
  Space

  I read this one based on someone's recommendation, and was not at all unhappy with it. I did find, though, that I didn't like the author or his style. He seems a little amateur. He would find a word he liked, like 'sear' and he'd use it a boatload of times in just a few pages - noticeably. I don't like that. He does that all throughout the book. Altogether, this isn't a major thing, but coupled with his overuse of dialog attribution, and his severe POV shifts, I really felt let down. This seemed to me to be a great story, with a lot of potential, but he effed it all up trying to tell it. He switches point of view several times a page in some cases, and without warning. I lose touch of the characters when authors do it, and it's not like a professional writer to do that.
  
  The story: It's about a girl whose house burns down, killing her mother and stepfather, so she is forced to go live with her father and his wife. Well, they have a child of their own. And the stepmother, this witch, is very happy about the other daughter coming to live with them. She's the daughter this woman always wanted, and didn't have in her first one. She treats her own daughter horribly, to the point of near-abuse, but she really takes in this other girl. And stuff starts happening. They find out that things aren't what they had originally seemed. And the stuff hits the fan.
  
  All together, the story was great, like I said. But it had a very weak ending. He supported the entire story (which I read in four nights) with suspense and guessing. I loved it. Then he let me down at the end, as if he just got sick of telling the story, and gave up. It was totally unlike the rest of the book, and given the circumstances, very unbelievable. It was - well, the ending was just plain crap. I wouldn't recommend this book, and on my book reviews page, I gave the storyline three stars.
  
• 
  Kurt Reichenbaugh

  This is the first John Saul novel I've read. I had friends back in the late 70's and early 80's who liked his novels, but none of them appealed to me at the time. Looking at the plots back then, they all seemed to be the same type of novel about "haunted" children. I'm not a big fan of novels with children as the main protagonists. Teenagers and older are fine, but kids under 12 with ESP or telekinesis, or the ability to communicate with ghosts don't appeal to me. They never seem real. They're too wise or too cute or too whatever. So, I skipped John Saul books until now. This one features a 13 year old girl named Melissa who talks to a ghost named D'Arcy. That was a big hurdle for me, until the teenagers, namely her older half-sister Teri and a group of snotty rich kids from central casting, come into the plot.
  
  At 35o pages it's kind of a slow burn. There isn't really anything more to the characters beyond their basic urges. But it's a commercial horror novel, and as such it delivers. When the blurb on the cover quotes PEOPLE magazine, you know it's going to be a digestible product for the masses. And there's nothing wrong with that. Whatever gets people reading books is a good thing. I did admire some of the surprise twists in the last 70 pages. So, all in all, Second Child succeeds in its expectations.
• 
  Richard K. Wilson

  Dont, I say DON'T go to the August Harvest Moon Ball and expect to have a wonderful time.....EVIL will be attending this year! Another incredibly gruesome ghost story from the master of suspense Horror!
  
  Okay, so a month or so ago on my Youtube Channel; AreYouIntoHorror? I started to reread of all the Horror novels by my favorite Horror author John Saul in publication order and I called it 'The John Saul Horror Reading Challenge' and this is book #13 in that challenge.....so hang on and get ready for my Vintage review of John Saul's 1990 classic (in my opinion only that is, and Larry Yonce's) "Second Child".
  
  As in a lot of Sauls works there is a 'many years ago' prologue and that was always one of the reasons why i loved reading his books, they set me up for the horrors and suspense and revenge horrors to come my way....and this one had one of those. 100 years ago, at the August Moon Ball a young and very beautiful servant girl is set up to be the butt of a joke, and it turns into a deadly display of horror that the people of Secret Cove never ever forget!!! You are told this story very early in the book as newcomer to town, 14 year old Terri experiences at her first bonfire on the beach party that she and her younger sister Melissa attend, which is hosted the most popular boy at school and the one that Teri is obsessed with knowing. It is the party of all parties and the one that changes these two sisters lives and the town forever! The town is small and very wealthy and some very 'snobby and snotty people live there' and Teri soon fits right in. Upon moving into her new 'new family's mansion' she realizes their wealth and quickly takes advantage of being able to spend what ever she wants of her Daddy's money etc. However Melissa being the shy and not well liked one of the two, would rather spend time in her room with her 'friend' D'Arcy. Is is just a coincidence that Darcy was also the name of the servant girl who was the butt of a bloody and terrifying joke 100 years ago at the August Moon Ball? And who will be going to their first ball this year....both Teri and Melissa.
  
  Saul never ever ceases to thrill and scare the shit out of me with the gift of writing very well. If you have never read John Saul, this is where you could easily start to be a fan. Trigger Warning:
  You will witness animal abuse and murder, but only once and quickly.
  
  So just remember that if you are invited to the August Moon Ball, do NOT wear Emerald Green, and dont befriend Darcy!
  
  Pick it up, you will not regret it!
• 
  Peter

  This is a story about Teri, who burnt down the house that she lived in, killing her mother and her stepfather. With the death of her mother, Teri is force to move to Secret Cove, with her father and his wife. Charles and Phyllis already have one daughter Melissa. Melissa is always being abused by her mother and can never do anything right. On the other hand, Teri is daughter that she always dreamed of having. Melissa has been sleepwalking for as long as she can remember. Her evil mother sometimes ties her down in bed to prevent her from sleepwalking. Melissa has an imaginary friend D'Arcy, who protect her at night from the evil that goes on in the house. Teri fits in perfectly with the rich brats of Secret Cove. None of these kids like Melissa and they are always picking on her. Phyllis always says to Melissa, why can't you be more like Teri! When evil things start to happen in Secret Cove, the terror is non stop. The characters are well developed and this makes for a stronger story line. John Saul is worth checking out.
• 
  Bren fall in love with the sea.

  Was not for me. I went a long time without reading Saul who was a favorite of mine in my teen years. I wanted to give him a chance by reading one of his newer books. (Well..it was new at the time I first read it.)
  
  This book however did not do it for me and I hate saying that because I still consider myself a John Saul fan and often reread some of my all time faves from him.
  
  Second child falls along the creepy scale but lacks the subtle atmospheric brooding quality that so much of his works has and that is what immersed me so much about him.
  
  Here the horror starts pretty much on the first page. The really isn't any build up or lead up or anything. It did not feel like the John Saul I adored. It could have been any horror novel about children. I was really let down.
  
  I see by some of the glowing reviews that not all people feel that way and that is good. Second Child was a quick read for me but not one that I feel I will come back to as I didn't particularly like it.
• 
  Phil

  This is a deeply disturbing novel by Saul, and one of his best. The story centers upon a family in a rich resort town in Maine. The father Charles was born to wealth and divorced his society wife shortly after they had a child and married the nursemaid (who was carrying his child). His second child was the love of his life, but not his new wife, who makes mommy dearest look like a poster child on how to raise a child. After a 'tragic' fire that kills her parents, the first child moves in with her father and now stepmom in Maine. The second child never fit in with the 'in' crowd at the resort, but the first child takes to it like she was born to it. Lots of graphic scenes of child abuse and utterly ruthless actions by several people, this makes you want to seriously question the human condition.
• 
  Vicky

  The one thing I hated was how unbelievably stupid the father was.
• 
  Ana

  NOTE : see this review and more on
  http://cocainepages.wordpress.com
  
  Oh well I wish I'd have been able to give it even three stars, but I can't. So this gets a well deserved "it was ok" status.
  
  I remember that after I read a book of Saul's, for the first time, I was so excited! He seemed to be such a good author, and I really liked the way he presented things! But I think what I read then was a lucky shot, because up to now everything else I've read from him turned out to be not so good!
  
  He still knows how to tell a story, and he still has "the flow". But that flow ain't nothing compared to the "Midas touch" some other horror authors have. He lacks.. interest. I can't put it another way. I just can't seem to get interested in his stories as much as I do in others!
  
  If you are a fan of Saul's, I don't mean to offend you. I can understand why people would like him. But I believe he is just not for me.
  
  "Second Child" is a hurtful story about a girl that is being mentally and physically abused by the people that should love her the most, and how because of that, a dark spirit takes over her body and mind messes her life up. Cute, but not exactly horror. I'd say not even thriller. If someone started reading it to me at night, I'd sleep like a bear in the middle of the winter.
• 
  Aurora Dimitre

  I went into this book knowing almost absolutely nothing and it seriously blew my mind.
  
  It would be almost impossible to explain it without spoiling anything - short story, Teri MacIver's parents die in a fire and she's sent to live with her real father in a huge house in a nice little Maine retreat, where she lives with her stepmother and halfsister. There's a ghost, some child abuse, and a lot of death that I probably should have expected but still took me by surprise.
  
  I really liked this book. It was entertaining, unpredictable, and the characters were all interesting enough. I've only read one other book by John Saul, Creature, and while this didn't quite measure up to that, it was still a great book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
  
• 
  Jessica Montgomery

  I liked it up until the ending. I felt the way the author chose to finish the book was a cop out and he chose the easiest way to tie up the loose ends.
• 
  Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*

  I remember John Saul as being cheesier and less coherent, but this was surprisingly good. Review to come. Poor Melissa, there were several things going on with the story at once which supported it.
• 
  Kyle J. Durrant

  You know, a part of me feels like I should give this five stars just because it managed to keep me invested despite a change of hyperfixation - and if you know me, that usually means I lose all interest in anything outside of my new interest.
  
  Unfortunately, there are just enough flaws for me to justify that lost star.
  
  This was my first Saul. I enjoyed it, and I think I'll be getting more of his stuff in future.
  
  After her mum and stepdad die in a house fire, Teri goes to love with her dad, stepmum, and half-sister. Her sister is a neurotic girl, the stepmum is overbearing, and the dad is coddling. She prepares to settle into a new lavish lifestyle.
  
  But Teri is more than she seems, and there's something weird going on with her sister too.
  
  I found myself pretty invested in this book, mainly because I felt really sorry for Melissa - the half-sister. She thinks she's getting what she's always wanted - a sister - but her life just becomes a living hell.
  
  I won't spoil too much there, though.
  
  It's worth mentioning, though, that this is a story that involves child abuse. Teri is the daughter the stepmum wished Melissa would be, and she tried her hardest to mould Melissa into someone she's not.
  
  God, I wanted the stepmum to die - is that bad? Maybe, but that's just how awful she was.
  
  There's also some animal abuse in here, and that was a difficult scene to read, but it felt like it fit the story - especially the personality of the perpetrator.
  
  It's a weird one. Sometimes it meanders. Sometimes things happen very fast. One of my biggest problems was that the end, especially, just kind of happened. Everything got resolved in a chapter or two, and I almost wish the book was longer to explore some of the themes a bit more.
  
  It also gave away its twists kind of early, and it was quick to explain stuff despite only raising the questions in the previous chapter. That being said, there's still one bit I'm not entirely sure on, but asking that question here would just be a spoiler.
  
  What's interesting is I don't know whether it was a ghost story or a psychological story. There is talk of ghosts, but it also suggests that all the paranormal stuff is just in people's heads. Maybe it's both.
  
  I just wish things had been wrapped up a bit neater at the end. So yeah, I'd say it's a good story with a lacklustre ending, and that's where it loses a star.
• 
  Joanna

  I kolejna (piąta już!) świetna książka Johna Saula za mną. W “Drugim dziecku” jak i w większości powieści autora głównymi bohaterami są creepy dzieci - w tym przypadku dwie przyrodnie siostry. Opis wydawcy jest wielce mylący - sugerując się nim myślałam, że wiem, która z dziewcząt będzie tą dziwaczną i niepokojącą, a która normalną. I tu - już na pierwszych 20 stronach spotkało mnie pierwsze zaskoczenie - okazało się, że nie jest to kolejny schematyczny horror o morderczych dzieciach, którego całą fabułę możemy przewidzieć już po pierwszym rozdziale. Co to, to nie! Czytając nie miałam pojęcia co przyniesie każda kolejna strona. Kiedy domyślałam się, że wydarzenia pójdą w tym a tym kierunku, to Saul wyskakiwał z zupełnie innym rozwiązaniem - różnym o 180 stopni od tego, co ja przewidywałam. Wszystkie te niespodzianki sprawiły, że “Dziecko” okazało się dla mnie powieścią nieodkładalną, praktycznie czytało się samo aż do ostatniej strony. A i tu - na ostatniej stronie, w ostatnim zdaniu autor zapodał kolejną bombę! Uwierzcie mi - nawet nie próbujcie przewidzieć fabuły tej książki, i tak Wam to się nie uda. Horrory Saula pomimo, że często opowiadają o nieletnich bohaterach, to zdecydowanie są skierowane do starszego czytelnika. Autor nie szczędzi makabrycznych i szczegółowych opisów brutalnych zbrodni czy rozkładających się ciał. Jednak to nie te krwawe opisy najbardziej przerażają w “Drugim dziecku”. Straszne i niepojęte jest to, jak okrutne i bezduszne są niektóre postaci - i to najbliższa rodzina. Pomimo, że książka wciąga, to jednak czyta się ją ciężko - właśnie ze względu na bestialskie i potworne, momentami wręcz sadystyczne zachowania bohaterów. “Drugie dziecko” to nie lekki wakacyjny horrorek, a bardzo przygnębiająca i smutna powieść, która niezwykle silnie oddziałuje na emocje.
• 
  Alistair Cross

  Second Child, John Saul, 1990
  
  My favorite quote: “But though her lips smiled warmly as she accepted the embrace, her eyes -- had anyone noticed -- betrayed an emotionless chill."
  
  Notable characters: Melissa Holloway, a shy young girl; Teri MacIver, her older half-sister; D’Arcy, Melissa’s not-so-imaginary friend; Phyllis Holloway, the horrible mother; Charles, the excruciatingly unobservant father
  
  Most memorable scene: Well, if not Polly MacIver sailing to her death in the opening scene (is it just me or do a lot of John Saul characters sail to their deaths in early scenes?) I’ll have to go with the unearthly visitation Cyndi Miller and Ellen Stevens receive in the woods on their way home from the beach
  
  Greatest strengths: Pacing
  
  Standout achievements: To me, it feels like there are shades of Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte, Carrie, and even the Exorcist here, and yet Second Child manages to feel fresh and original. I’d call that a definite standout achievement
  
  Fun Facts: I’ve had the pleasure of meeting John Saul ... and he’s every bit as awesome as I’d hoped he’d be!
  
  Other media: N/A
  
  What it taught me: That even the most classic trope can feel brand-new if it’s executed well
  
  How it inspired me: Opening lines are everything and this book -- along with Dean Koontz’s Servants of Twilight -- has one of the best ones ever. In fact, I had no real interest in Second Child until I read it’s first sentence: "When Polly MacIver awoke just before dawn that morning, she had not the slightest presentiment that she was about to die." After that, I had to know more. I think about that every time I start writing a new book
  
  Additional thoughts: I think this is one of Saul’s stronger works. It feels a lot more inspired than a lot of his stuff
  
  Haunt me: alistaircross.com
  
• 
  Den Alessandra

  I. Love. It.
  
  My favorite characters are D'Arcy and Melissa! What I like are the spooky chapters! The book is now my fave book of all the horrifying books! The important thing I learned about is be nice and be good to people and animals and never harm/murder them! Because you'll never know if they have a ghost friend who will make you pay for every wrong thing you ever done! And you'll suffer in hell just like mean Teri! Melissa has no mean bone in her body so be like Melissa!
  
  Thank you John for writing this wicked book called The Second Child! If you're reading this! Please write another The Second Child part two book! I shall give this book a big thumbs up and five stars! John you deserve a reward for writing the best horror books thank you so much! 📚
• 
  Tabi

  Second Child by John Saul was entertaining at times, but mostly it felt cliche and forced. I didn't believe or connect with the characters, so unfortunately ultimately I couldn't feel engaged to the story. The first 50 pages or so got me curious, as I felt a mystery was being slowly presented and I wanted to see how things would play out. But then towards the middle of the book it all started getting really annoying. By the final chapters I didn't really care that much anymore.
• 
  Melissa M

  John Saul never disappoints! I rate 4 stars only because I feel like the story was wrapped up too quickly. I am thankful for the epilogue, but I certainly wouldn’t have minded hearing more about Phyllis’s reaction, if Melissa’s name was cleared of the things “she” admitted to, etc. In other words, I guess I just wasn’t ready for it to end! I’d recommend to anyone in the mood for a chilling ghost story full of suspense...and well-deserved revenge!
• 
  Davidhealey

  Love a good John Saul book this one might be my new favourite. Such a great read and so action packed.
• 
  Ryan Stacy

  Maybe like 3.5
• 
  Katelyn Miller

  This was recommended to me by someone in a Facebook group for fans of a horror podcast, so I figured it'd be pretty creepy. I also figured it would be written for adults. I can't really say conclusively that it fulfilled either of those expectations. In the book's favor, reading it was just like watching a late 80's/early 90's horror movie. Like, I could vividly picture it in my head, down to the film quality. And it certainly had some spooky aspects! I think that's what was most frustrating for me-- it had all the ingredients of a good horror story, but it never delivered! There was no big climactic scare! (Or any small scares for that matter.) Nothing that'll make me check my closet before I go to bed at night, which is what I was hoping for.
  
  What this book really was was an exercise in restrained frustration. 2 of the 4 main characters are bone-deep evil, and they keep brutally victimizing the most innocent character possible. I spent 80% of the book waiting for the ghost (who may or may not even exist) to drop the damn hammer, and it just NEVER HAPPENS. To offer as few spoilers as possible, good does (mostly) prevail in the end, but if you like seeing the villains get punished and the truth come to light in one beautiful damning reveal...this is not the book for you.
  
  I also took issue with the writing in a lot of places, just because there were strangely amateur mistakes throughout. Reusing the same word or phrase over and over in one section was a big problem. ("Indeed, it looked as if," two sentences later, "He saw that indeed it was..." Then "Even as she watched, the servants," and in the next paragraph, "He saw that the servants, even as he watched..." I'm paraphrasing, but "indeed" and "even as (s)he watched" are two actual examples I remember distinctly.) Also, random little continuity errors. Someone sitting up sits up again. A woman says something tactless and is kicked under the table by...herself. It was all just distracting, although, to be fair, I welcomed the distraction from the monotony of the plot. A bad thing happens and no one finds out, the victim is screwed over, repeat x 10, finish with 99% of the should've-been-satisfying retribution happening off-screen, and there you have it. That's the book. I can't in good conscience say it's a BAD book, but it's not a particularly good one, and it's definitely not a scary one.
• 
  Jarod Silva

  So, now that I have the time, I can give John Saul's "Second Child" a proper review for you all.
  The novel starts off fast paced, and pretty gory as well, but strikes you as unbelievable because of the way "Teri" (one of the main characters) is acting.
  Because of this, I found the first 40 or 50 pages kind of cheesy.
  But, after continuing to read, I was drawn in by her and the other characters. The main being her half sister Melissa.
  Melissa is an odd girl who has an imaginary friend named D'Arcy. Melissa's mother Phyllis is a bitch! Always treating Melissa like shit and doing things to her that makes you despise her. (I'd go into details, but I don't want to ruin the story)..
  The girls' father Charles is a kind and very good man. Never noticing what is taking place because they are a rich family and he's constantly gone to business meetings when the worst happens. Upon his return, things are hidden very well by Phyllis.
  Teri seems to be the ideal half sister to Melissa and also the ideal girl to everyone in Secret Cove, a rich summer estate where the story takes place.
  She fits in with all the younger people that aren't friends with Melissa who have constantly teased her and avoided Melissa in any way they can.
  This you would think would make Melissa jealous, but she is such a sweet girl, she remains cool through the whole story.
  When bad things start happening in Secret Cove, the real terror and mystery begins, leaving you to wonder what the hell is going on and why.
  In the end, I was hooked to this book! Rich families, back stabbing, and child abuse are only the small amount of things I can mention without ruining the story. But.. The story of "D'Arcy" comes to life and all is revealed in the end, which left me with my jaw hanging open.
  An ending I never saw coming!
  Great job, John!