‘I loved this novel’ SARAH PEARSE, bestselling author of The Sanatorium
‘Rippling with suspense’ VICTORIA SELMAN, author of Truly, Darkly, Deeply
BEHIND EVERY STRONG WOMAN IS A GIRL WHO SURVIVED . . .
Summer, 1985: Ruby has stayed at the chateau with her family every summer since she can remember. It was her favourite place to be, but this year uninvited guests have descended, and everything is about to change. . .
As the intense August heat cloaks the chateau, the adults within start to lose sight of themselves, and darkness begins to creep around them. With the summer spiralling out of control, Ruby and her two young friends soon discover it is best not to be seen or heard until, one fateful night, an incident occurs that can never be undone. . .
Summer, 2010: One of the three young girls, now grown and newly widowed, returns to the chateau. In her fight to free herself from its grip, she uncovers what truly happened that long, dark summer.
The Ruins is a dark and suspenseful tale of control, and the women determined to fight back.
~*~ WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE RUINS ~*~
‘Powerful and accomplished‘ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Kept me absolutely gripped‘ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Dark, atmospheric and suspenseful‘ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Should be on everyone’s must buy list’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A really, really dark read that was beautifully written‘ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I couldn’t put it down . . . will stay with me for a long time’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I loved it‘ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Reviews
I was completely transported by The Ruins. Phoebe Wynne has evocatively rendered a beautiful, doomed French chateau while creating immersive, almost dream-like atmospherics. I loved this novel
Tense and atmospheric, The Ruins investigates trauma and memory with a knowing, meticulous hand. The Chateau des Sètes - in all its crumbling, sinister glory - will imprint on your psyche as if you, too, spent a fateful summer there years ago... but it's the young women who call it home that leave the most lasting impression. This is a book that understands the inherent dangers of girlhood, and one that believes wholeheartedly in the innate resilience, bravery, and compassion of teenage girls themselves
The French Riviera has never been more captivating or unsettling. A story rich with family tensions and a chateau that serves as a gilded cage. The Ruins is both beautifully written and haunting at its core. Another stunning novel from Phoebe Wynne
Rippling with suspense and gripping from the outset, The Ruins is a powerful feminist novel written with real panache
The Ruins is a raw, unsettling coming-of-age story not for the faint-hearted. Harrowing and compelling, this is a story burning with rage and the heat of the male gaze
Beautifully written and haunting
Whilst this is not a comfortable book to read, I couldn't stop reading it. I guess I wanted justice
A timely, bittersweet plot that will make you think
This evocative novel would make the perfect holiday read
Fans of Patricia Highsmith will enjoy The Ruins