Books I Kinda Like: The Ruins
There may not be a book premise more ridiculous than one involving super smart vines with the ability to perfectly mimic a chirping cell phone, for instance, in order to lure unsuspecting adventure hunters to their gory deaths. But try reading this book two weeks after a newborn arrives on little to no sleep, and then tell me how ridiculous it sounds.
Terrifyingly ridiculous, that's how.
Scott Smith's The Ruins tells the story of a group of young adults on vacation in Mexico who follow a German man they've recently become acquainted with into the jungle to help find his brother who was supposed to meet a woman on an architectural dig, but failed to return.
Armed with only limited food, some hard liquor, and their wits, they soon find themselves terribly unprepared to face the most terrifying literary situation I've ever read (and I've read Gerald's Game.) And, as any group of well-fed, privileged human beings would do when faced with scorching heat and maniacal foliage, this one deteriorates quickly, but not in a way you would readily imagine, or else you would be writing horror novels.
I won't go into great detail in case you want to scare yourself silly, but a large chunk of the survival situation involves one character's hands-on quest to find the sickness that has invaded his body.
If I have not yet completely scared you away from reading this book, here are a couple things that will enhance your experience:
1. Only read in the daytime.
2. Make sure you have had ample sleep (i.e. wait until your kids have gotten past the newborn stage.)
3. Remember it's just a book.
But I suppose if you're into reading horror novels, the horror is the best part, and this book certainly delivers.
