The Ruins by Phoebe Wynne: Book Review
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The Ruins by Phoebe Wynne is one of those books I knew I was going to review before I’d even finished reading it.
I thought writing the review would be easy. Instead, when I finished the book, I realized that properly conveying how I felt about it wasn’t quite so simple.
I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting into when I picked up The Ruins. I vaguely remembered having read something else by Phoebe Wynne, although I couldn’t immediately place it. The premise intrigued me, the setting caught my attention, and I decided to give it a go.
As it turns out, that vaguely remembered book was Wynne’s debut novel, Madam – another book I found a little bizarre, somewhat disturbing, and strangely difficult to put down.
My Take: The Ruins pulled me in with its glamorous Côte d’Azur setting and slowly turned that beautiful summer escape into something much darker. I loved the dual-timeframe mystery and the unsettling feeling that something was wrong long before I understood exactly what it was. But this is also a disturbing book, with subject matter that will not be for every reader. My verdict? Read. I was completely engrossed, but I’d recommend it primarily to readers who are comfortable with dark Gothic fiction and difficult themes.
What The Ruins Is About
The Ruins is an atmospheric mystery that moves between 1985 and 2010 and centers on the Château des Sètes, a glamorous estate on the Côte d’Azur with a deeply troubling past.
In 1985, several families arrive at the château for what should be an idyllic summer of privilege, sunshine, and indulgence. But tensions among the adults begin to surface, and the children gradually discover that their seemingly enchanted holiday is anything but safe.
Twenty-five years later, a woman returns to the now-decaying château with memories of what happened there that summer. As the two timelines come together, the truth about the house, its guests, and the events of 1985 slowly emerges.
The Ruins by Phoebe Wynne – What I Liked
Even before I started reading, The Ruins had my attention. I’m one of those readers who sometimes judges a book by its cover – wrong, I know! – and this one caught my eye immediately. Then the description introduced the Château des Sètes on the Côte d’Azur, and that pretty much sealed the deal for me.
The setting is in the south of France, on the Côte d’Azur. Although the Chateau in this book is a fictional place, the Cote d’Azur is a region that I’ve traveled to and spent time in more than once. From the very beginning of the book, I was somehow transported back there, and I felt as if I, too, was living in the Chateau des Setes for what was supposed to be a glamorous, magical summer holiday.
The Ruins is set in two different time periods. One of them is 1985, when some of the main characters are children, pre-teens, around the age of 11 or 12. Then, throughout the book are chapters that flash forward to 2010, when those same pre-teen girls would be adults, and told from the perspective of just one of them.
The storyline set in 2010 is from the perspective of one of the characters who was a child in 1985 and is now an adult in 2010. The 2010 flash-forwards don’t begin until Chapter 7, so I was already completely immersed in the 1985 story by the time I got to the first flash-forward. That’s when Mrs. Cosgrove enters the story, and although I knew she was one of the kids from 1985, I had no idea which one. So, a bit of a mystery has begun!
What I especially loved was the way my feelings about the château changed as the story progressed. At first, I was completely enchanted by what seemed like an extravagant summer holiday for privileged families – days spent sunbathing, swimming in the sparkling Mediterranean, and enjoying this gorgeous seaside estate.
But gradually, I began to feel that something was happening just beneath the surface. It was subtle at first, but it was there. As the story progressed, it became darker and darker, and the glamorous façade began to fall away.
Despite the disturbing story underneath it all, I was completely engrossed. Eventually, reading became a race to the end because I needed to know what had happened to these characters.
And if you’ve read Phoebe Wynne’s debut novel, Madam, there is a subtle connection between the two books. I didn’t realize it until I was almost finished with The Ruins. I wonder if you’ll catch it?
The Ruins by Phoebe Wynne – What I Didn’t Like
There are some genuinely disturbing elements in this book, particularly involving the emotional and sexual abuse of young girls. Those elements are integral to the story, but they also make this a book I can’t recommend indiscriminately.
I was able to keep reading because I was invested in the characters and wanted to see how their stories would be resolved, but readers who would rather avoid fiction involving child abuse, neglectful parents, or sexual exploitation should know that going in.
One other, much smaller thing puzzled me: the title. Even after finishing the book, I wasn’t entirely certain exactly how The Ruins was intended to connect to the story. I have a few theories, but I’m still wondering whether I missed something.
The Ruins by Phoebe Wynne – Read, ReRead, or Reconsider
And now, for the 3 Rs of book reviews. Should you read, reread, or reconsider The Ruins by Phoebe Wynne?
Read.
This is one of those books I can recommend enthusiastically with a caveat. I found The Ruins fascinating, atmospheric, disturbing, and almost impossible to put down. But its darker subject matter means it won’t be right for every reader.
If you’re comfortable with difficult themes and enjoy Gothic mysteries in which a beautiful setting gradually reveals something much more sinister underneath, I think The Ruins is well worth reading.
Is The Ruins Worth Reading?
The Ruins was only my second Phoebe Wynne novel, but apparently I’ve discovered something about myself: her slightly bizarre, unsettling stories work for me. Madam left me with much the same feeling — disturbed, intrigued, and still thinking about the book afterward.
I’m curious to see what Phoebe Wynne writes next. And after discovering the connection between these two books, I’m tempted to go back and reread Madam to see what else I missed the first time.
What To Read Next
- The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley – Another atmospheric mystery where a glamorous setting hides secrets, tension, and something much darker beneath the surface.
- The Cloisters by Katy Hays – A good next choice if you enjoyed the dark atmosphere, historical secrets, and slowly unfolding mystery in The Ruins.
- Explore Mystery & Thriller – Browse more mysteries and thrillers when you’re ready for another suspenseful read.
