At about 40% into the kindle version of this book it started to become very uncomfortable reading. I’d no idea where it was going to go and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be along for the ride. Now I’m finding it very difficult to review. It felt like reading a client’s journal work - I use writing therapy in my counselling practice when I’m working. There was something prurient about reading Ruby’s account, because it was so intimate and harrowing who could gain pleasure from reading it? Perhaps this is exactly the effect that Phoebe Wynne was hoping to evoke in the reader? In her first novel Madame we were introduced to some of the same themes: the super rich who are above the law and practice exploitation like a religion; young teenage girls being groomed to become Stepford wives to the millionaire class; a creepy gothic school where the girls are educated; the complicity of women in this continuous cycle. Yet with that book the creepy undertones were enough to suggest a supernatural element and the malice of some of the pupils was just enough to stop the reader feeling sorry for them. Once I’d finished I felt like I’d glimpsed behind life’s curtain, to see the decadent and corrupt workings of society. This felt different. The girls were younger for a start and the flashbacks to what should have been a blissful summer for three girls at a French château, became claustrophobic, exploitative and very dark indeed.

Ruby and her family are spending the summer at their Château in France, as usual they are joined by her father’s two best friends Harley and Angus, with his daughter Imogen. However, added to their party this year are the Fullers and their daughter Annie, plus a woman called Georgina and her teenage daughter Ned (Edwina). Their normal equilibrium is disturbed immediately when one of the Fullers drives back to the château after a few drinks and hits a child in the village. With their combined power and influence, the men ‘handle’ the problem, but Mrs Fuller is not so easily silenced. Was she driving or is she reacting to her husband’s callous disregard for life? Whatever the reason she returns to the château screaming and crying. She has to be sedated and removed back to England as soon as possible. From there the holiday descends into decadence - heavy drinking becomes the norm, little jibes and full blown arguments ensue.

Make no mistake these men are in charge and however they choose to behave, no one will rebuke them. The author creates a sense of powerlessness in the women of the party, from the hysterical Mrs Fuller to the passivity of Ruby’s mum. Where there is a patriarchy, women are policing the borders. Whether it’s because they believe in the system or are just trying to keep the younger women safe, it’s still a reaction to male dominance. Ruby’s mum is a walking list of instructions - keep up your flute practice, stay quiet at the table, don’t ask questions and above all don’t read books. Ruby’s love of Agatha Christie is frowned upon by the men and acted on by her mother. At first it is tolerated, then Harley cruelly ruins the end of Murder on the Orient Express making the point that reading fiction is not the best use of Ruby’s time. A seemingly kind birthday present of Death on the Nile becomes tainted, it’s intentions called into question by later events and eventually the book becomes part of a terrible traumatic memory. I don’t have any personal experience of what Ruby and Imogen go through that summer, but it’s still shocking to read. It was the neglect that bothered me most, the fact that none of these mothers, except perhaps Ned’s mother Georgina, are on their daughter’s side. Not only do they seem curiously detached from how their husbands behave - until it’s in front of other people - they don’t intervene with their daughters, spend time with them or speak up when they are treated badly. Their silence makes them complicit.

In between the flashes of that summer we follow another trip to France, many years later, with Mrs Cosgrove. She’s come to visit the château that’s for sale along with the coast, the venue of childhood memories and events that still haunt her today. Some locals seem to recognise her but she denies being here before, claiming to be taking a holiday. Yet Mrs Cosgrove is jumpy, looking out for particular cars and appearing frightened when two men appear also claiming a link to the château. Does this place and it’s memories still have power over her? Or can she finally breathe, sure that what happened here is no longer important? However, she might not be the only one who has ghosts to lay here. I found the mood of these sections very different from the tension and seedy atmosphere of the past. Mrs Cosgrove is tense, but curiously I wasn’t even though her story takes us back into the truth of that summer. Maybe because I knew the worst had already happened. Considering the scandals that haunt the headlines these days, whether it’s Harvey Weinstein, Jimmy Saville, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, this book shows us just one reality in which the rich and entitled behave as if anything they want they can take. Maybe my reluctance to read about it says a lot about why these abusers were free to commit crimes against those less powerful than them for so long - no one wants to face the reality that people can and do act this way. The men in this novel are grotesque, we want to think of them as monsters in order to distance them from ourselves, but sadly they are not. The author wants us to see and not look away, otherwise we are complicit too.

A gothic story, dark and disturbing at times. It's not a heartwarming or funny book, there's a lot of sufference and it talks about abuse and trying to move on and leave old wounds behind.
I loved the style of writing, hated the characters, and appreciated how the author was able to convey the sufference.
I found it a bit too intense at times but this my personal experience.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was difficult to read at times. Disturbing as well. This is not a typical thriller. I also wouldn't really describe it as gothic.

It feels very weird to say I enjoyed this as it's not very enjoyable at all. It's heartbreaking and dark.

I just wanted to scream and protect those girls. Not only from the neglectful parents in general. But from what the men put them through.

The mothers. Especially Ruby's irritated me. The way she treated her daughter disgusted me.

I didn't see the twists at the end coming. But truthfully I don't think I really had an idea where the book was going to end up. All I knew I wanted was for all the men to suffer for what they did. But also the mothers should face consequences since they also failed to protect the girls.

Set against the backdrop of the French Riviera, #TheRuins explores one fateful summer full of family secrets, rising tempers, old disputes, darkness and the three young girls caught in the middle. Twenty five years later, one of the girls returns to unpack the trauma she experienced there and the true events of that summer.

This is a really difficult book to review. I could feel how deeply personal this book was to the author as I was reading it. I could feel her pain and trauma funnelled through the pages, and as such, assigning a rating or review to it feels like rating her trauma. THE RUINS feels like an exercise in catharsis for any woman or femme presenting person who has ever had their autonomy taken from them. Anyone who has ever been made to feel uncomfortable in order to please or benefit a man. That what it feels to me that Phoebe Wynne was trying to achieve with this book, and it achieved that goal really well.

I wouldn’t say it was as much of a page turner as other books I’ve enjoyed, however, there was a really nostalgic, dream-like quality to the writing. Wynne, again, manages to achieve a timeless, gothic feel (as she did with MADAM) despite her books being set in the 80s and 90s. The whole story felt reflected in the crumbling French chateau, as though you’re looking back on childhood memories, expecting to reminisce fondly on long summer days filled with innocent joy - but instead finding only the cracks and rot left behind. It’s a story about the corruption of the rich, the high society circles where no one is ever held to account for their actions - which all feels still incredibly relevant.

I adore how Wynne weaves Greek Mythology into her stories as an allegory for her characters. This was one of my favourite elements of her debut, so I appreciated the way she once again wove these elements in but in a very different way. This is a dark, slow burn, sinister read, that focuses on corruption of innocence and the concept of consequence, all experienced through the lens of three girls too young to understand what is happening around them. It’s hard to read at times, but nuanced as the girl peel back the layers of secrets and find themselves forced to confront the truth of who the adults they should look up to and be cared for by truly are.

If you read and appreciated MY DARK VANESSA, this one could be for you, but please proceed with care and be aware that it contains strong themes of child neglect, violence and sexual assault.

Thank you to @quercusbooks for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Haunting, Horrifying…
The glamour and beauty of the French Riviera is set against the horrors of underlying darkness in this disturbing suspense with a truly dreadful and despicable cast of characters. Effectively narrated across a dual timeline, the life of the Château de Setes goes on amidst the British aristocracy within. Atmospheric and haunting, horrifying and disturbing all in equal measure. A difficult and appalling yet powerful read.

The Ruins ⭐️⭐️⭐️

1985 - Ruby and her family are spending the summer at their family chateau on the glamorous French Rivera, but this year they are joined by some guests, some of which have arrived without invitation.
As the heat intensives so does the tension between the adults, leaving Ruby and her two young friends to fend for themselves.

I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book with such despicable characters! The adults verged from indifferent to cruel, and were to self absorbed to know, or care what going on under their noses.

My rating isn’t reflective of the writing which was tense and atmospheric, however I found this an uncomfortable read so while it’s a well written book it’s not one that I’d be able to recommend to everyone.

Phoebe Wynne should be on everyone’s must buy list. Madam was a treat to read, and The Ruins was just as good! The characters, the setting, the way Wynne seamlessly weaves narrative throughout is truly something special.. I fly through her writing and am always so enveloped in her stories. I’m already over the moon excited for her next book!

The Ruins is a horrifying book that is just all too human. It is an incredibly tough read at times, but offers a haunting exploration of abuse, trauma and the way the past interrupts our present.

Wynne has a habit of writing books that just sink under my skin. I read Madam last year and thought it traded on secrets and shadows, mysterious movements in the dark that keep you utterly enthralled. Well, The Ruins does the opposite, placing the abhorrent behaviour on blatant display in the scorching sun. Every little detail is shown, yet there is still a culture of secrets and shame surrounding this. It is a claustrophobic and terrifying space, intensified by our child protagonist. Through the innocence, the monstrosity is evident and easily inferred by Wynne. Some scenes are genuinely sickening and difficult to read, but remind us of similar events all too well.

Wynne also offers up an intriguing mystery, leaving us trying to piece together the little details and establish what truly happened. The past and present narratives often collide in unexpected ways and I found myself attempting to pre-empt what would happen next, only to be thrown sideways once more by the next revelation. This is a superbly and tightly plotted little snake of a book. It hides its poison in plain sight, allowing Wynne’s strike to hit even deeper. Of course, it helps that the characterisation is vivid and hideous, with few redeeming features among the adult cast. In the present narrative, this is more complicated. Wynne mediates on legacy, trauma and family well in these sections. There are quite a few thought-provoking moral and ethical dilemmas on display, with plenty left to mull over. That ending was fantastic and I audibly gasped when I connected the final details together.

The Ruins conjures up a scorching story that leaves everyone in its vicinity burnt. This is a heavy book, but one that exposes the underbelly of society and its perfect veneers.

The Ruins by Phoebe Wynne is a dark and atmospheric novel that portrays an endless and troublesome summer that stretches in front of a rich family and their friends.

This is not an easy book to read. Most of the characters are extremely unlikable, it made me uneasy to read about them, but then again, I guess that that is part of the point. However, throughout the book you feel a lot of empathy towards the young daughters that have to endure their parents’ reckless and sometimes even disgusting behavior.

I enjoyed the dual timeline (1985 and 2010) because it gives the book a greater dose of mystery. You really have to wait till the last moment to fully understand what happened.

Though very atmospheric and well written, I feel like towards the middle of the book it became quite slow paced which made me lose interest for some time. However, the significant ending saved it all.

Even though this book is a work of fiction, the author mentions in the prologue that some of it was inspired by her personal experiences. I think that mentioning that fact is very brave and admirable.

Overall this is a moving and disturbing read. People should not be deceived by the summer cover and think that this is a light book. I would recommend checking the trigger warnings.

This is gripping and uncomfortable reading, be sure to understand the subject matter before you read, the cover and title leads you to believe it's a balmy summer novel but it's not at all. The adults all made my skin crawl and I was constantly second guessing the men. I wanted to put it down but couldn't, even during the difficult parts of which there are many, especially during the second half of the book. It's hard to pin down in terms of genre, but the writing was great even if all the characters are highly unlikeable.

Amidst the glamour of the French Riviera lies the crumbling façade of Chateau de Sètes, a small slice of France still held by the British aristocracy. But this long since abandoned chateau is now up for sale, and two people are desperate to get their hands on it despite its terrible history.

This was a dark and compelling novel. Phoebe Wynne is the queen of creating a detailed atmospheric landscape that manage to encapsulate the feelings of the main characters.

The majority of characters were unlikeable however I could not help but want to read more about them, their secrets, and the lives they led. Both Max and Harley were abhorrent, I felt for the young girls in this novel who were trapped and forced to endure the antics of these abysmal men as well as their own parents.

There was a small bit of lagging in the middle of this novel, but the beginning chapters were gripping and after the first 50% I could not put this novel down. I felt that the author allowed us insight into a world that most of us will never be able to touch, she showed how tainted the world of the upper classes really was during that time period (and possibly today).

I did love the subtle details that were included to remind us of the era, such as mentions of Walkman’s, VHS tapes and the pop culture that was referenced through the films that Ned was watching.

There were a lot of moving parts throughout this novel and the author constantly baited us with little hooks that kept us reading to the next chapter. The only issue I would mention is that sometimes Ruby found out certain things that the readers had long suspected, which was a little jarring because these things were revealed so late in the game, we forgot that Ruby didn’t actually know about them.

Overall this was disturbing but thrilling read!

A balmy summer at a French chateau. A handful of young girls and their hedonistic parents. A widow, revisiting the chateau decades later. What happened that summer? Who was to blame?

The author warns us right in the blurb that this will make for difficult but important reading.

Ruby, Imogen and Annie are pre- and just teens spending the summer en masse with their parents at the luxurious chateau. However, their parents are neglectful and some of the fathers are disturbingly over attentive.

To put it bluntly, there is nobody who cares enough to protect these children from inappropriate and harmful verbal and physical advances or worse.

This is an extremely uncomfortable and shocking read. All of the adults are loathsome and complicit. Even the girls are unkind to each other, struggling to share and trust.

The mention of the name of Ruby’ and Imogen’s mothers’ boarding school speaks volumes for their mothers’ cold behaviour, linking us smoothly back to the author’s first novel Madam (2021).

I much preferred Madam and would have avoided this novel if I had grasped the subject matter in advance. However, the fact this novel made my skin crawl was precisely the point.

Wow, this makes deeply uncomfortable reading! "The Ruins" by Phoebe Wynne starts off in France, in a chateau, beautifully portrayed of the endless summer stretching ahead of the family and friends who gather there. The friendship group of the three girls is enjoyable: Ruby, Imogen and Annie, in the way that the spend time in each others' company and also protect each other from harm that lurks, in what should be, a safe environment. What is horrible, deeply disturbing, is the hints (and not so hints) of abuse which takes place; the men just seeing the girls as playthings. Even those they think as "safe" older females or adults let them down. Therefore, I really don't blame them for what happens. It does just show that "money" can get you almost anything, and what is even more disturbing, is the fact that there is a mention of a certain Scottish school... do you remember "Madam"? I shall say no more but that just explains it all!

The Ruins by Phoebe Wynne is a hard-hitting and often uncomfortable book which the author says is partly based on experiences in her own life.

11 year-old Ruby Ashby's parents own an inherited Chateau on the French Riviera which they use as an upmarket holiday home. In the Summer of 1985 as the music festival for Ruby's schoolmates winds down and the tents are taken down a small group of the Ashby's long term friends from Britain arrive for a short stay. Circumstances mean that a handful of extra guests are also accommodated.
The Ashby's and their friends are part of the British "establishment", minor aristocracy or members of the judicial system who strut around the local village with a colonial mentality,patronising ,and disliked by ,the local French populous .
Beginning with some sly inappropriate behaviour from one person the adults behaviour gets worse and worse,not least towards the 4 young girls staying at the chateau. I was reminded very much of Lord of the Flies as events spiral out of control and the already rather unpleasant adults slide into full on spiteful behaviour, degeneracy and violence.

The book has 2 timelines, 1985 as the holiday from hell takes place and 2010 when one of the young girls involved in events returns to the Chateau after a life affected by what went on.

This is not an easy read,most of the adults staying at the Chateau are truly horrible people with a sense of entitlement and ,already with a history of covering up each other's appalling behaviour ,that they can get away with anything with the 3 younger girls desperately trying to stay out of sight and out of mind.
As I read this book the words of the author about the book were always in mind, "....little has been invented" ,which makes the whole thing more horrendous.
A powerful and accomplished debut.

Another one I could not put down and devoured in one sitting. I absolutely recommend this book. Be ready for an afternoon or evening of completely neglecting any chores as this one will have you hooked within the first chapter. I live for books that leave me speechless and this book did just that.

This is a beautifully descriptive book, but it is uncomfortable reading due to the underlying themes of child abuse and neglect.

The storyline centres around a group of wealthy families, staying at a small chateau in France for the summer holidays and the experiences of their daughters. The parents are repulsive characters,  focused on  aristocratic rivalries, money and status, to the detriment of their children, who are vulnerable to the unwanted attentions of family friends.

It is a dark and disturbing storyline, but highlights that, sadly, this type of abuse happens in all areas of society and is ,perhaps, hushed up more in affluent circles for fear of losing social standing when influential abusers are involved. Although the story is fictional the author's prologue suggest that personal experiences have been drawn upon, which is very brave.

The Ruins follows Ruby Ashby during her regular summer breaks at her family holiday home on the French Riviera. However, this summer is a little different for Ruby with the sudden appearance of unexpected guests. Her parents ‘friends’ and their daughters suddenly make an appearance at the Chateau des Setes and, hidden behind vast wealth, power and reputation, allow their darkest thoughts and behaviours loose.

I just want to leave a little warning here before we go on as some of the themes present throughout this novel can be triggering for some readers so, continue with caution. There are triggering themes of sexual abuse, mental abuse, physical abuse and alcoholism. So please, if any of these themes are triggering for you I don’t recommend this book.

The Ruins is told from two perspectives. Firstly, we are introduced to Ruby Asher during that fateful summer of 1985. Our second perspective is from Mrs Cosgrove, a widow, who has strange dreams about the Chateau, but, these visions happen in 2010. We are thrown into their lives and with Phoebe Wynne’s incredible writing technique you feel every word. I loved how Phoebe used the two different time periods. It showed how the events from 1985 shaped the future in a butterfly effect scenario.
This book is very true to its genre. Phoebe Wynne creates a very dark and suspenseful atmosphere throughout the entire story, whilst also throwing in some red herrings that throw you off track. Not only this, but there is twist after twist after twist, but not too much that the storyline becomes confusing. Phoebe’s writing style is technically flawless in my opinion as she knows how to give information about the story line/plot, then expertly throw in a cliff hanger or a twist. In a cool way, you cannot trust the narrator which is incredible to read.

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a twisty and dark novel that 100% keeps you questioning until the end. The one thing I loved about this book was that I truly did not guess the ending. I keep a journal where I write all of my predictions for books and my expectations, and I did not guess the ending! I loved it. This book was truly immersive and you feel everything the poor young girls feel throughout. The emotions are high throughout this novel especially as the girls are so young.

The characters are all flawed in their own unique and manipulative ways. The parents of young Ruby, Imogen and Annie, are twisted, dark, power driven, and believe that because they have money and power they are unstoppable. However, with parents like this the children are inevitably going to be affected psychologically and physically as we see throughout this novel.

The only reason I did not give this book five stars was purely because of the topics talked about throughout. I knew what this book was about before going in, but certain chapters were a little too graphic for me and the psychological affects of abuse were truly saddening to read about. However, Phoebe manages to clearly write the affects abuse has on characters through their sudden changes in behaviour. It is horrible to read, but very eye opening at the same time.

I really enjoyed this book, it was dark, atmospheric and suspenseful and completely gripping. A great read that i couldn't put down.

First of all, thank you Quercus Books, NetGalley and Phoebe Wynne for allowing me to read The Ruin in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, while there is a bit of mystery, I think this is more of a coming of age story. Also be sure to read the authors note at the beginning. I don’t want to spoil the book, but be aware of childhood abuse.

August 1985 at the French Riviera. A chateau, the summer home of British aristocrats, or what’s left of that. We meet Ruby and her family. Ruby has spent all summers of her 12 years at the chateau. What great memories, what great way of escaping her strict upbringing. We meet parents who care more for image than their children.
We get to meet two other girls, not yet to be called Ruby’s friends. The adults in this story are absolutely awful. Stuck up, to say the least, and that is probably their best feature.

This was no light summery read, far away from it. It’s disturbing at times. It’s hard to believe that such parents even exist. Are allowed to exist. I am not saying this is a bad book, but at times reading was not enjoyable, which I assume it was not even supposed to be. This book wants to make you think and cringe. If you expected a thriller or mystery, it is not.

I liked the way Wynne’s fluent style of writing. She has a great way with words and I did not find myself bored.

A really, really dark read that was beautifully written. I enjoyed this book a lot. The atmosphere was very well rendered and there was a strong feeling of fear that made it impossible to stop reading. The characters were developed. The men were truly despicable, and In some cases I found it hard to read! The slow burn pace worked very well for the style of book. I would highly recommend..