Customer Reviews

Creature

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

When I read a brief summary of this book, I wasn't really sure whether or not I would like it. Somewhat to my surprise, I found this to be a riveting novel. It's not Saul's best, but it is a great read. Creature is a sort of utopian novel, prompting one to ponder the effects of advanced genetic manipulation and subtle mind control on a controlled population. When Blake Tanner is suddenly promoted and transferred to Silverdale, he cannot be happier; TarrenTech only sends its future corporate elite to this small, idyllic town in Colorado. His family is initially happy there, but they gradually come to suspect and later fear something about the place. The total absence of junk food and colas in town would be enough to drive me out. TarrenTech basically owns and runs the whole town, including the mysterious sports clinic (given the foolish name Rocky Mountain High). Silverdale's high school football team is an all but unbeatable group of huge, strong athletes, earning a reputation for playing rough and dirty (despite the coach being named Phil Collins). A childhood illness had left Mark Tanner a short and skinny guy, greatly frustrating his athletic father. When Dr. Ames at the sports clinic says he can make Mark big and strong, Blake Tanner jumps at the chance. He pays no heed to the experimental nature of the "vitamin" treatment or the fact that one football player seriously injured another player in a game and later pummeled Tanner's own son in a jealous rage. When Mark soon begins to change, committing a few acts that I found particularly disturbing, Blake blames the change on teenaged hormones. Significantly, it is the women (old and young) in this novel who sniff out the danger lurking in the perfect little town and attempt to safeguard their families from its insidious effects.

At first, I enjoyed this book because I love seeing the little guy get the girl despite his lack of athletic prowess, but as things really started happening in town and the focus and tenor of the novel shifted, it was the storytelling craft of Saul that kept me turning the pages eagerly. Sure, you can tell early on the direction in which the story will go, but the ending was typically John Saul-not quite what I expected and not what I had wanted. Saul is not going to give you a happily ever after ending, and I applaud him for that. He remains faithful to the story from beginning to end. At times, his characters do act a little unnaturally, their dialogue somewhat forced or their behaviors a little too puppet-like, but all in all these moments are subtle and do little harm to the reading experience.

This was an absolute thriller and John Saul in the master at suspense! He strings you along till you almost have it figured out, but then the plot thickens and you continue to wonder just what will happen next. The overall plot of the book is the best; it will scare you, amaze you, make you wonder, sadden you, and terrify you as the plot suddenly unfolds in the most interesting ending that will keep you begging for more!!! The characters are so developed and so real that you see them as being real and you begin to feel as if you're right there in the story. I finished this book in two days simply because I couldn't put it down! (Don't read the book at night, it's just too scary!)

CREATURE was the first John Saul book I ever read. Having grown up in a small town and played football, It caught my interest.

What I found was a truly riveting novel that takes a basic concept and magnifies it with Love, Action, Secrecy, and how the advancement of science and the glory of high school football can drive some to do the unthinkable.

Silverdale, Colorado, the perfect all-american town set in the mountains. The perfect little community, or so they thought. The football team here regularly blows out its opponents by big scores of 45-0. Mark Tanners family has moved to town and Mark joins the team. Soon we start finding out that all the MVP and all-state selectins from past teams never seemed to go on to do anything, they have pretty much disappeared or ended up in secret asylums. A company called TarrenTech provides the high school teams with every advantage, including a high-tech sports clinic. Dr. Martin Ames transforms the teenage gridiron greats into something more, while at the same time ultimately sealing their fate and future. Sharon Tanner goes to him for answers when her gentle son Mark turns into a supernatural athlete with animal like aggresiveness.

This book had me on the edge of my seat, right up to the end. Though the ending is somewhat sad, it is more realistic than how Saul could have ended it. A great supernatural thriller, I think CREATURE would make an excellent movie!

Creature written by John Saul is one of those books that captivates its readers. I have been reading horror novels since I can remember, and this is the first book that I branched out from only ever reading Stephen King, Clive Barker and Dean Koontz.

The Tanner's were a pretty perfect family from by the San Francisco Bay. After Blake Tanner recieved the news that he was being transfered for more money in what seemed to be a perfect little town in Silverdale, Colorado,he was ecstatic. His wife Sharon was not very pleased with the news, but had to be there to support her husband. Mark Tanner the main character was their son. He was a very scrawny sixteen year old that was only alittle over five foot, due to rheumatic fever he never grew to be as big as his father hoped. His father in high school was the quarterback that won alot of trophies, and expected the same from Mark. Mark pretty much stuck to himself and loved animals and taking pictures. He was always bullied and thought maybe moving would help. After moving to the small town, Sharon noticed that everything was too perfect. The sports team's never lost, the town did not have junk food of any kind. The high tech company of Tarrentech ran the entire town. While still getting picked on yet again Mark decided to go to the local sports clinic to see if they could help him. When Mark started to become bigger, stronger all within a short period of time his mother begain to worry. Marks father tried to tell her that it was just hormones and not to worry so much. After Mark became violent and ran away from home, Sharon made it her mission to find out what was making her son into a monster. In this story you find out what extreme measures a mother will go through to save her son.

This is more of a Sci Fi novel than a horror, but it had me turning the pages until the very end. What I loved about it the most was that in this book there was no happily ever after.

This is my first John Saul novel, and it did not appeal to me for several reasons. If you are an animal lover, this book is not for you. Gore is supposed to be an accoutrement to a good horror story, not necessarily a staple. In this case, people simply behaved in a sheeplike oblivious manner that was hard to believe. It is impossible to comprehend that "EVERYONE" in a small town would be so wrapped up in sports, or subject themselves to only being able to purchase health food at the supermarket. The town ended up feeling contrived and the wooden characters even more so. Only the protaganist was fleshed out to any great degree, and that always kills a story for me.

John Saul seems to be very well read, and appears to do his research thoroughly, yet in this offering probably stretched credibility too far. I am not talking about the creature, or the science behind it, but rather the whole town and the way people interacted with one another. I will try another of his works hoping for less gratuitous gore, more realistic settings, and perhaps more three-dimensional characters.

I have read everything John Saul has written and I still reminisce about "Creature". Everything that makes John Saul so wonderful at what he does is embodied in this book. I say that it might be my favorite. But some of his others rank right up there. (e.g. GodPlayer, Brainchild, Shadows) He creates such a unique atmosphere and makes you feel apart of the story. I read "Creature" when it first came out and poured through it quickly as if from starvation. I will definately read it again and again!

I wouldn't classify this as a horror book, but more along the lines of a speculative thriller. Could this kind of thing happen if this kind of experimentation would occur? If you like asking yourself these kinds of questions you will enjoy this book.
I used to read John Saul quite a bit when in high school, but fell out of reading him after I had children. In the past few years I have rediscovered why I enjoyed reading his stories so much. The thrill of the unknown is palatable in every one of his books. This one also leans heavy on the philosophical side; moral responsibility, animal cruelty and winning at all costs just to name a few.
When first perusing these pages I was struck by the undercurrent of familiarity. It smacked of The Stepford Wives. And although this turned out to be nothing like that I kept thinking that this was what the story was going wind up being. The idea of everything being `perfect' allowed the visions of the Stepford scenario to come to the forefront of my brain.
This story, a page turner from beginning to end, asks the question, how far are we, as parents, willing to go to make our children acceptable to ourselves and to society? Mark was the 98 lb. weakling son to the big, buff football player dad. The idea that Mark wasn't good enough, even to himself at one point, suggests that we should do whatever it takes to make ourselves acceptable.
I enjoy books that ask us to contemplate deeper societal issues and this one challenges the very essence of acceptance. Highly recommended.

CREATURE has always been my favorite John Saul book. I think he is an excellent horror fiction writer. In this book even the CREATURE is a victim with whom one can feel related. You feel for both sides (the good and the evil but not the real evil doer). Once again he uses Parental Expectations as an underlying theme. An excellent read from beginning to end.

I was looking through the local library and stumbled across this and being a person who loves a good horror/mystery grabbed it right up. I loved this book and had a hard time putting it down. Of course with all that's going on these days with steroids and HGH it's hard to believe this book was written nearly 20 years ago and is still relevant. The story grabbed me right away with the small kid who wants to be bigger, and the classic athletic father who wants his boy to live up to his expectations of being the star of the local football team. The ending kind of bothered me, it left alot of questions and to what happened and what will happen but overall it was good

I've read in awhile. I don't normally read John Saul simply because he is spooky. I finished this one in a day and a half ~~ and it's spookier than I ever remember Saul being. This one just is a little too realistic for me ~~ it is one of those "what if" books and whew!

This one focuses on the Tanner family as they move from California to Silverdale, Colorado. Touting the mountains as a wonder cure for people who have health problems, the Tanners were excited over Blake's promotion and their move to Silverdale. What Blake would love to see more than anything is his sixteen year old son Mark showing an interest in football just like his old man. Mark was not interested in football and preferred photography and taking care of his rabbits instead of sports. Till he got to Silverdale. And Silverdale is such a picturesque little town with everything just so. Sharon, Blake's wife, is starting to get creeped out especially when certain events start happening around town, and in her own family.

It's really creepy for me and the storyline is intense. It has to do with lab experiments and growth hormones. There are just some things that man shouldn't mess with and hormones are one of them.

If you are looking for something to take your mind off of life, this book should do it! Even now as I am typing this, I am looking over my shoulders. It's that spooky.

8-27-06