THE RUINS by Scott B. Smith

GRADE: A

A group of young friends on a Mexican vacation decide to go off and travel deep into the Mexican jungle to find their missing buddy. And after hey stumble upon an ancient Mayan ruin, all hell breaks loose! I know this plot sounds very generic, but trust me, this novel is awesome.

With a concept and "villain" that could easily turn the book into just silly camp, it's the sheer audacity and confidence of the writing and character development, not to mention the harrowing tension that builds throughout, that elevates this story above expectations! One of the novel's most ingenious achievements is trapping the characters in an environment that's claustrophobic and at the same time terrifyingly exposed! This is one of my absolute favorite horror novels. Scott Smith needs to stop taking these long breaks between books! Where the hell has he been?!

*NOTE: I think the less you know about the plot of this book, the better the experience. So avoid learning more about it and just read it!*