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Title: More Depressing Than Scary
Review: "The Ruins" is a relentless novel; Scott Smith ratchets the tension up to 11 in the first few pages, and pretty much just keeps it there -- there's no comic relief, no hope, just a trudge to the ending.The characters are wooden; they are more collections of traits than living, interesting people. I can see that Scott Smith was more interested in group dynamics than in individual character development, but the result here is that I didn't care about anyone.Tension without drama doesn't make for a very satisfying read. Honestly, if Stephen King thinks this is the best horror novel of the new millennium (at least, that's what the quote on the cover of this edition claims), then Mr. King's taste has gone downhill.
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