Title is deceptive. I like reading stories that take place in ruins, any kind of ruins. This takes place in the LAND of ruins, but nowhere near ruins. The DOOMED aren't even looking for ruins to explore.If you like a horror story about evil, intelligent, hungry plant life, this is for you.Stephen King recommended it, but I've noticed that in many of the books I've read that he's enthused over, that although he can write something truly scary, his taste in stories is lacking.I was disappointed and definitely will not waste time on the movie. ( )

Title is deceptive. I like reading stories that take place in ruins, any kind of ruins. This takes place in the LAND of ruins, but nowhere near ruins. The DOOMED aren't even looking for ruins to explore.If you like a horror story about evil, intelligent, hungry plant life, this is for you.Stephen King recommended it, but I've noticed that in many of the books I've read that he's enthused over, that although he can write something truly scary, his taste in stories is lacking.I was disappointed and definitely will not waste time on the movie. ( )

What a gripping story this was! This book is the closest to "un-put-down-able" I've come to in a long time. I raced through just over 500 pages in four days. Essentially, this is a classic horror tale about a group of young people who head off to some remote ruins within the jungles of Mexico and meet up with something chillingly evil. I was constantly wondering what would happen next. The story is told in a clean, spare style that's effortless to read. It's by turns creepy, suspensful, and gruesome. ( )

Really good. Fast read. I didn't wanna put it down. Stephen King needs to read this. ( )

Much different from the movie; I, personally, like the book better. I had a totally different picture in my head of how the vines/ruins looked than the movie portrayed them. 3 out of 5 reasons I'm glad I don't go on vacation in Mexico. ( )

Great book for this genre

This was a great book for the thriller/suspense genre. For those who didn't think so, maybe you should try reading something else, like....romance novels.
The Ruins is your typical thriller/suspense novel and if you know anything about these types of books then you can expect to read it and sit on the edge of your seat until it is completed. Then you'll sit back and think..hmmm, I wonder if that can really happen? Anything is possible when you mix (dumb) American tourists, alcohol and ancient Mayan ruins.

Read the book BEFORE you watch the movie, which by the way, is almost book verbatim. ( )

The Ruins tells the story of two couples vacationing in Mexico. They meet up with a German named Mathias and three guys from Greece. They hit it off well and enjoy each others company. One day Mathias suggests that they take a day trip to an archaeological site that his brother has run off to visit with a girl he has met. The two couples, Mathias, and one Greek head off to find the site.

The trip ends up being harder than they bargained for. A rough trip on a bus and then a grueling hike through the jungle takes them to a village inhabited by natives. There is a mound near the village that the natives seem to be preventing them from stepping foot on. However, once one of the party steps on a piece of vine from the mound, the locals force them all to go onto the mound and then stand guard to make sure no one leaves.

The group soon realizes that they are not alone on this mound. The vines seem to be moving closer and closer. They seem to have a collective mind. It appears they are coming for them.

This is a great horror novel. It's not the plot that grabs you, face it, people attacked by vines is certainly nothing new. But it's how the characters react in the situation. Some take charge and try to solve their problem. Others are completely self absorbed and take care of themselves. They truly are representative of humanity and that is scary.

Since I read this book it has been adapted for the big screen. The movie is good. But as is often the case, the book is so much better. ( )

This book was said to be the best horror novel of the new century.....well, I tend to disagree. I got halfway through it and just couldn't go on anymore. It started to get boring and repetitive and just lost me.

Back Cover Blurb:
In the wild interior of the Yucatan, far from the lazy beaches of Cancun, two young couples and some new-found friends venture to the site of an ancient Mayan temple, in pursuit of another in their group. What started out as a day trip spirals into a nightmare when they reach the ruins.....and discover the terrifying presence that lurks there. ( )

I only give it a two because I enjoyed the blood and gore. As any other horror story, it was an excuse for sex and death. The story seemd to drag on a bit. ( )

This was well written but I don't like horror. Sadly I kept listening because I was so invested in the horror of the struggle and pathetically kept hoping for a happy ending. It did not come; Although I did enjoy the circular ending in the same sick and twisted way that you turn your head to stare at an accident. ( )

I liked this book, but it seemed much longer than it actually was. Maybe parts of it could have been a bit shorter. I actually watched the movie version on HBO last night, shortly after finishing the book. The movie wasn't nearly as good and several parts were changed, so don't hesitate to read the book just because you may have seen the movie. I liked both endings, but liked the ending in the book a bit better. ( )

What is good about this book is also what's wrong with it. Scott Smith reveals his monster just a little at a time, after it's far too late for his characters to do anything about it.

But at the same time, he drags out the plot - and thus makes you stop caring for any of these people long before the inevitable conclusion. I knew what was going to happen - what HAD to happen - about halfway through the book, but Smith's writing kept me reading in spite of that knowledge.

As several other reviewers have pointed out, it's impossible to describe the story without giving the whole thing away, so I won't even try. All I can say is, it's no surprise that the publisher asked Stephen King to review this book. This reads like something he would have written if he'd gone off his meds. I can favorably compare it to "Salem's Lot" minus the epilogue - and that lack is this book's greatest weakness.

One has to wonder what Smith's next book will be about. ( )

LOVED this! Terrific – creepy and suspenseful! I read it in 6 hours… ( )

This nasty story just screams to be made into one of those pornographically vivid B Grade horror films that have become so popular recently: it is almost entirely without any merit whatsoever and yet, like Hostel and Turistas and Saw, you stay with it to see how it ends.

Six phenomenally stupid youngsters holidaying in Mexico set out on an unplanned excursion to a remote archaeological dig where one of them, Mathias, hopes to find his brother.

A long bus journey, then a long taxi ride, takes them into the heart of the jungle where they set off in search of the path to the ruins, with only a hand drawn map to guide them.

After a lengthy hike they eventually find the track they need and, despite the fact that it has been deliberately hidden, they set off blithely into the unknown. The path ends at an artificial clearing around the hill the want to reach.

Suddenly Mayan Indians appear, trying to stop them crossing the bare clearing and reaching the verdant hill. Although the Indians are armed, the tourists don’t take them seriously and one of the women moves back to take a photograph of the stand off, stepping as she does so into the green vines that cover the hill.

The Mayans do an immediate about face: instead of trying to prevent them reaching the hill they now force everyone onto its leafy slopes, remaining in place below to ensure no-one comes down.

To cut a 300 page story short, the place is deserted and the youngsters soon realize that the growth covering the hill is not only lethal but intelligent and carnivorous, feeding on living flesh. They are surrounded by armed Indians who will kill them if they try to leave, so all they can do is try to survive and hope to be rescued.

Quite frankly, these six deserve the Darwin Award for removing themselves from the gene pool: this story may have been vaguely credible if set in 1906 but in 2006? Never.

Four young Americans pal up with a German and a Greek [who can’t speak any English or Spanish] in Mexico and they go on an excursion using only a hand drawn map without asking any locals for information or advice. They set off into the unknown without a word to anyone and just a few drinks and snacks – no extra clothes and, most unbelievable, no cell phones.

One can suspend – with difficulty – disbelief during the 90 minutes of a gore-filled flick but not through over 300 pages of blood-splattered prose. To enjoy this book even a little, check your intellect in on the first page. ( )

Author of a Simple Plan tells story of seven young adults vacationing in Mexico who end up trapped on a Mexican hillside with flesh-eating plants. Pretty far fetched, but authors willingness to kill off characters keeps you on edge. ( )

I think that when I added this book to my wishlist, I didn't realize it was of the horror genre. I figured that out before beginning to read, but figured I'd go for it anyway. I haven't read a true horror-ish book in many, many years -- not since Stephen King or maybe Dean Koontz. Now I know why. I didn't dislike this book, but it creeped me out, and I'm hoping I won't be having nightmares after reading it. I could easily visualize this entire story as I was reading, so I'm thinking it could just as easily be made into a movie. I can see how it would appeal to fans of horror movies. I don't mind a good horror story now & then, but this one gave me my fill for a while. ( )

Four young American tourist couples, Eric and Stacy, Jeff and Amy are vacationing in Cancun Mexico for three weeks. While in Mexico they meet a German named Mathias and three Greek guys. The German speaks some English but the Greeks do not, so communication is not easy with this group. But they do spend most of the time drinking and lying on the beach and manage to get along pretty well. Mathias has told the group that his brother has gone off with a young girl and some archaeologists into the jungle to join an archaeological dig. Mathias has nothing but a hand drawn map on a napkin with directions to the location. So he convinces the Americans and one Greek to set off with him for the day to search for his brother who was supposed to come back but hasn't returned.

The group figures they should go see the ruins and spend the day doing something besides lounging on the beach so they leave on the bus and end up hiring a taxi to take them to the jungle. They eventually wind up going into the jungle and stumbling upon a clearing, beyond which is an ancient looking temple covered in vines and red flowers. There they see a tent and sign of the archaeologists team, but no people. The also find a deep rectangular hole in the ground. I won't go any further so as not to give any of the plot away, but after this part, I was good and hooked.

It's kind of a mix between the tv show LOST and the movie The Beach.
I liked the characters, the plot was great and the book takes off and just keeps going. I felt bad for these kids, and the situation they get themselves into. The story goes from bad to worse. Some parts just made me cringe. Other parts made me feel clausterphobic.

view my full review here
http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/200... ( )

Hoo, boy, Where do I start? Well, first of all, I'm not much for horror stories. I read almost everything Steven King and Dean Koontz wrote back in middle/high school, and I haven't really had a taste for it since then. But I had read some reviews of The Ruins and it sounded pretty good, and I had been wanting to read it. I went to the library last week looking for an audiobook version of To Kill a Mockingbird (for my class), saw this sitting on the shelf, and decided to give it a listen. It's read by Patrick Wilson (Nite Owl/Raoul - swoon!), which was great. I didn't realize it at the time, but it's also abridged, which is also probably a good thing.

Basic premise: four Americans - Eric and Stacey, Jeff and Amy - are in Mexico, getting drunk and enjoying the beaches. They meet some Greeks - Pablo, Juan, and Don Quixote (not their real names) - and a German, Mattias. Mattias is worried about his brother, who has gone off to an archeological dig with some chick he just met. He wants to go after him, because they're supposed to fly home in a few days. Amazingly, Jeff volunteers to go with him, and he manages to convince his friends to come along. They end up finding a huge hill, covered with dark green vines and pretty red flowers. The local Mayans, who had been trying to warn them away from said hill, now begin holding them hostage and refusing to let them leave. And then things start to get bloody.

Honestly, I wasn't a big fan of this book. It's not my favorite genre, for one thing, and for another, I just didn't really like the characters that much. The girls were shrill, only two of the guys were non-moronic, and it took me a while to be able to distinguish them. I'm not a big fan of horror/slasher books or movies; listening to it was infinitely better than reading it, but still had me squirming uncomfortably a few times. The "other" - the enemy, the person/thing that starts killing them - is completely ridiculous and required a leap of logic I wasn't prepared to make.

And here's where I'm going to spoil it for everyone, so if you want to read this book some day and don't want to know what happens, skip this next paragraph.

Ready? Okay... It turns out that the vines are carnivorous. AND they can talk and mimic human speech. How? I don't know. It's never explained. The characters are not exactly scientists; they agreed to go off into the wilderness of a foreign country with a complete stranger, after all. The vines are also capable of setting traps and thinking. They can sense human emotions and manipulate our protagonists by trying to divide them.

So, yeah. Completely unbelievable. It wasn't a terrible read/listen, just not my cup of tea. Plenty of other people have enjoyed it, though. In conclusion: meh. If you like horror stories, you'll probably enjoy it. I can't imagine what the unabridged version is like, though. ( )

Silly

Silly

Trapped is a good word to describe reading this book. Trapped with no way out or off or away from some fairly despicable people.It isn't long before you wish them all dead and you're really sorry about a quarter of the way through that they aren't already. ( )

I read this on whim, not my usual taste. A terrifying story. But tremendous fun! ( )

King-like horror tale.

Mayan vine traps, kills tourists.

Gruesome, gory, good. ( )

Book was a fast read but some parts were a little gory for me.

The Ruins is probably the worst book I've read all year. The only thing that this book has going for it is that the pacing is pretty fast so it can be finished. The characters are flat and cookie cutter. The plot is unoriginal. The "monster" is not terrifing. I would reccomend against the book though it is ever so slightly better than the movie. ( )