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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Feel like the idea could have been explored more. Almost wish there was a greater sense of desperation. Overall still enjoyed but was left wanting more from the story.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
dark
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is quite a page-turner-I struggled to pause while reading to do other things. It successfully hits on the struggle for survival in a desperate situation and creates a vividly memorable monstrosity.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
There really is a talent for capturing true horror in a novel. It's not just about the scares, but a perfect balance of suspense, heart-stopping sequences, and a haunting hook to pull the reader in. I've read a few books of this nature in the past, with The Troop by Nick Cutter being a standout that I always recommend. And, now I've finished it, I'm thrilled to say that The Ruins has also joined that elusive group of perfect horror novels.
Jeff, Eric, Stacy and Amy are American tourists travelling through Mexico enjoying those last lazy carefree days before real adulthood begins. With endless days lost to the beach and nights out blurring into one, the friends are more than interested in helping a fellow tourist who's looking for his missing brother, and soon find themselves in the heart of the jungle with absolutely no idea of the grandeur of what they're facing. When Amy makes one simple mistake, things go from bad to worse, and soon, the friends are living in nothing short of a nightmare.
The Ruins was a real page-turner, and I lost hours to this book, reading over a hundred pages at a time because I was so drawn into the action. The characters are well fleshed out, and the horrendous situation they find themselves trapped in actually induced a real sense of panic and claustrophobia in me. That's how good Scott Smith's writing is. Released in 2006 and an effortless 5-star read for me, it's clear to see that The Ruins is a timeless cult classic and a book I wish that I'd come across much much sooner.
Jeff, Eric, Stacy and Amy are American tourists travelling through Mexico enjoying those last lazy carefree days before real adulthood begins. With endless days lost to the beach and nights out blurring into one, the friends are more than interested in helping a fellow tourist who's looking for his missing brother, and soon find themselves in the heart of the jungle with absolutely no idea of the grandeur of what they're facing. When Amy makes one simple mistake, things go from bad to worse, and soon, the friends are living in nothing short of a nightmare.
The Ruins was a real page-turner, and I lost hours to this book, reading over a hundred pages at a time because I was so drawn into the action. The characters are well fleshed out, and the horrendous situation they find themselves trapped in actually induced a real sense of panic and claustrophobia in me. That's how good Scott Smith's writing is. Released in 2006 and an effortless 5-star read for me, it's clear to see that The Ruins is a timeless cult classic and a book I wish that I'd come across much much sooner.
dark
tense
fast-paced
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is excellent survival horror. Smith does a good job of getting us invested in the group and hoping for a miracle I was invested until the last page. For me, the only downfalls of this story are the weak contrive reason that they seem completely unprepared when voyaging to a small unknown town. it’s strange that they thought of this as a fun day trip. Also, there’s a fair amount of xenophobia. The boisterous over friendly Greek, the practical and stoic German, the dull superstitious Mayans. The Americans are the only ones who get to be full people also the women are just children. they are impulsive in a way that strains my belief. They fantasize like children. They behave like children and it’s not just the stress of the situation. This these are the attributes as described by the author. This book share several plot points with another survival horror that I read earlier this year and I like the other novel better.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes