A review by mshaniak
The Ruins by Scott Smith

challenging dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Decent book. I liked it. A bit dragged out in places, but I loved the body horror. My favourite scenes were the ones with Eric
and the vines growing inside him. The descriptions made me squirm  and gag 😅 
I wish the was more about the curse of this place and more exploration of the mine shaft. 
Overall and ok book. If it wasn’t for the body horror it’d be a 2 star. Maybe because right from the start you know they’re doomed and that really, there’s only one way this can possibly end. You just read to find out in what order they’ll go. 
What I did like is the exploration of the human character in extreme conditions: what are we willing and not willing to do to survive, how far a person can be pushed etc… 
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