The Ruins by Scott Smith

I just finished reading The Ruins (Scott Smith), and I am a little disappointed. I kind of expected that it wouldn't be stellar, which is why I waited for the paperback. Honestly, the story itself was engaging. Imagine taking a vacation in a foreign country with friends, then getting trapped in the jungle on a hill covered with a vine that seems to have extraordinary abilities. It seems to be actively seeking out ways to kill you and your friends. You can't leave the hill because a group of Mayans has set up a 24 hour watch around the base of the hill, brandishing weapons. You find the remains of several other people all over the hill. One of your friends is gravely wounded. You have very little food and water. You have no way of getting help.

Sounds like a good story, right? Do you want to know how it ends? Of course you do, so you keep reading. It all seems to be going somewhere, leading up to something....

And then everybody dies.

This is no story of the incredible resilience of the human spirit. Dean Koontz would cry after reading this book.

However dull the ending, I did enjoy the story. The characters were well drawn, and Smith shows a remarkable gift for displaying human emotion and reactions to stressful situations.

So, not a total waste of time, but no fireworks either. I'll be posting this one on my giveaway list on Bookmooch.