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The Ruining
Annie Phillips is thrilled to leave her past behind and begin a shiny new life on Belvedere Island, as a nanny for the picture-perfect Cohen family. In no time at all, she falls in love with the Cohens - especially with Libby, the beautiful young matriarch of the family. Life is better than she ever imagined. She even finds romance with the boy next door.
All too soon cracks appear in Annie's seemingly perfect world. She's blamed for mistakes she doesn't remember making. Her bedroom door comes unhinged, and she feels like she's always being watched. Libby, who once felt like a big sister, is suddenly cold and unforgiving. As she struggles to keep up with the demands of her new life, Annie's fear gives way to frightening hallucinations. Is she tumbling into madness or is something sinister at play?
THE RUINING is a complex ride through first love, chilling manipulation, and the terrifying depths of insanity.
All too soon cracks appear in Annie's seemingly perfect world. She's blamed for mistakes she doesn't remember making. Her bedroom door comes unhinged, and she feels like she's always being watched. Libby, who once felt like a big sister, is suddenly cold and unforgiving. As she struggles to keep up with the demands of her new life, Annie's fear gives way to frightening hallucinations. Is she tumbling into madness or is something sinister at play?
THE RUINING is a complex ride through first love, chilling manipulation, and the terrifying depths of insanity.
313 pages, Hardcover
First published February 7, 2013
37 people are currently reading
3908 people want to read
About the author
Anna Collomore
1 book49 followersAnna Collomore is the pen name of Anne Heltzel, a New York City-based author and book editor.
@anneheltzel on Twitter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 343 reviews
February 9, 2013
I've always found something fascinating about mental illness. As much as I find it fascinating, though, it's equally terrifying. It renders you helpless to your own mind, and oftentimes medication can not be relied upon. The Ruining is the perfect read for those who also share the same intrigue on our brain's workings--or malfunctions. Reminiscent of the short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper (super short and seriously creepy ending), The Ruining is the story of a girl whose sudden nanny opportunity is starting to seem too good to be true.
You've probably noticed that I've been reading a lot of great mind f*cks lately--I've been on a great run!--, it seems like each one I read is better than the last, and you can be sure this one will give you a run for your money! At her new job as a nanny, it all seemed so surreal how lucky Annie was to get this great job. A rich neighborhood, a giant house, even a cute boy next door. However, things have been starting to get weird when Annie's memory seems to be faulty, and she's had this… feeling, that something is just not right. It looks like Annie is going mad, and honestly, I felt like I was going insane right along with her. I felt anxious and creeped out both by Libby--the mother--and Annie's actions. I was made to question absolutely everything that was happening, never quite sure what to believe. Annie's narrative is especially convincing of her fragile state of mind. I found myself lost in her own confusion so deeply that I started to feel like I was losing my own marbles just by trying to keep it all straight. As far as mind f*cks go, it can hardy get any better than this! This is especially surprising considering the bigger picture of the mystery is not all that hard to figure out, it doesn't change the threatening, sinister feeling that gets greater as you advance in the story. Anna is a master at building suspense!
This leads me to Annie's mother. A woman who goes from the sweetest employer to a raving bitch in mere days, as if she was bipolar. I thought it made her such a great character in this type of story as you never know what will cause her next freak-out, or if she gets like that because she's secretly enjoying mentally torturing Annie. The whole book has this same tone, you never quite know who's at fault, here. Even the little girl started to give me the creeps with her constant humming of that nursery rhyme.
Annie's rock and the only sane part of the book, is Owen. She finds a friend, and then more, in the boy next door. I thought the romance was sweet, and Owen incredibly likeable. He's a truly good guy, and it's sad to say that these have been rare in YA lately. With all the suspense in the story, I did not dwell on the romance very much, but it's a great way to balance out the insanity, giving our minds a mental break.
It's really hard to review this type of book because everything is a spoiler. I want to talk about the ending, I want to praise things about it, and complain (minorly) about others. Aside from its predictability, all I can say is I thought it ended a little "easily". As if after the mystery was revealed, the author wanted to be done with the story while still having it end all nicely tied up. It's minor in the larger picture, but I was hoping for something a little more dramatic--even an ambiguous and disturbing ending like The Yellow Wallpaper would have been preferred. Needless to say, this book is fantastic and the ending only bumped it slightly to the 4star side--otherwise, it would have gotten the full 5 stars it greatly deserves for messing with my mind so completely!
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
You've probably noticed that I've been reading a lot of great mind f*cks lately--I've been on a great run!--, it seems like each one I read is better than the last, and you can be sure this one will give you a run for your money! At her new job as a nanny, it all seemed so surreal how lucky Annie was to get this great job. A rich neighborhood, a giant house, even a cute boy next door. However, things have been starting to get weird when Annie's memory seems to be faulty, and she's had this… feeling, that something is just not right. It looks like Annie is going mad, and honestly, I felt like I was going insane right along with her. I felt anxious and creeped out both by Libby--the mother--and Annie's actions. I was made to question absolutely everything that was happening, never quite sure what to believe. Annie's narrative is especially convincing of her fragile state of mind. I found myself lost in her own confusion so deeply that I started to feel like I was losing my own marbles just by trying to keep it all straight. As far as mind f*cks go, it can hardy get any better than this! This is especially surprising considering the bigger picture of the mystery is not all that hard to figure out, it doesn't change the threatening, sinister feeling that gets greater as you advance in the story. Anna is a master at building suspense!
This leads me to Annie's mother. A woman who goes from the sweetest employer to a raving bitch in mere days, as if she was bipolar. I thought it made her such a great character in this type of story as you never know what will cause her next freak-out, or if she gets like that because she's secretly enjoying mentally torturing Annie. The whole book has this same tone, you never quite know who's at fault, here. Even the little girl started to give me the creeps with her constant humming of that nursery rhyme.
Annie's rock and the only sane part of the book, is Owen. She finds a friend, and then more, in the boy next door. I thought the romance was sweet, and Owen incredibly likeable. He's a truly good guy, and it's sad to say that these have been rare in YA lately. With all the suspense in the story, I did not dwell on the romance very much, but it's a great way to balance out the insanity, giving our minds a mental break.
It's really hard to review this type of book because everything is a spoiler. I want to talk about the ending, I want to praise things about it, and complain (minorly) about others. Aside from its predictability, all I can say is I thought it ended a little "easily". As if after the mystery was revealed, the author wanted to be done with the story while still having it end all nicely tied up. It's minor in the larger picture, but I was hoping for something a little more dramatic--even an ambiguous and disturbing ending like The Yellow Wallpaper would have been preferred. Needless to say, this book is fantastic and the ending only bumped it slightly to the 4star side--otherwise, it would have gotten the full 5 stars it greatly deserves for messing with my mind so completely!
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
December 5, 2013
Blech. I was hoping for a pulp-Gothic, Rebecca-for-teens-esque experience with this book, but it was just a mess. Between the dumb-as-bricks narrator and the ridiculous events after the first half, it was entertaining in a trainwrecky way but certainly not a good book. I knew what the outcome was going to be, but kept reading just because the whole thing was so ludicrous.
Annie is a recent high school graduate from Detroit who packs up and moves to San Francisco for a nannying job. She's excited to work with the seemingly-perfect Walker and Libby Cohen and their adorable children Zoe and Jackson. But pretty soon, Annie starts to think there's trouble in paradise. She finds strange papers in the garage while trying to unearth Zoe's tricycle. Libby keeps calling her "Nanny," then insisting that she's not (a ripoff straight out of the movie version of The Nanny Diaries). What's really going on at the Cohen house?
Honestly, this book was boring, and then it went off the wall into crazypants territory. I can roll with crazypants if it's realistic, but this just plain wasn't. So many of the nutty things Annie experiences just aren't explained - like, why didn't Annie's mother recognize her voice on the phone, or seem to remember she had a daughter? Even the crappiest mom would remember that, at least! And although the author kept trying to sell us this super-duper loving sisterly relationship between Annie and Libby, I couldn't buy into it. Libby was too overtly creepy. And Annie has to be the densest person on the face of the planet. If your live-in employer kept calling you by the wrong name, bullied you into submission, and forbade you from having friends, wouldn't you... I don't know... quit? Annie keeps saying she has nowhere to go, but she's a college student with a hunky next-door neighbor who's obviously in love with her. Speaking of which...
This book has to have the most ridiculous damsel in distress complex I've ever read. "Owen, I'm choking on this banana bread my boss sabotaged! You're an EMT, save me!" "Owen, my boss committed me to a psych ward against my will! Save me!" Annie never did anything for herself, which was so completely infuriating as a reader. I wanted so badly for her to wake up and smell the damn coffee and get HERSELF out of her situation... but no, we must have a hunky boyfriend ready to rescue her from this outlandish BS. Ugh.
If you're looking for a funny trainwreck of a book that you can predict from a mile away and you don't mind the horrible, spineless narrator, this is your book. Otherwise, nope.
Annie is a recent high school graduate from Detroit who packs up and moves to San Francisco for a nannying job. She's excited to work with the seemingly-perfect Walker and Libby Cohen and their adorable children Zoe and Jackson. But pretty soon, Annie starts to think there's trouble in paradise. She finds strange papers in the garage while trying to unearth Zoe's tricycle. Libby keeps calling her "Nanny," then insisting that she's not (a ripoff straight out of the movie version of The Nanny Diaries). What's really going on at the Cohen house?
Honestly, this book was boring, and then it went off the wall into crazypants territory. I can roll with crazypants if it's realistic, but this just plain wasn't. So many of the nutty things Annie experiences just aren't explained - like, why didn't Annie's mother recognize her voice on the phone, or seem to remember she had a daughter? Even the crappiest mom would remember that, at least! And although the author kept trying to sell us this super-duper loving sisterly relationship between Annie and Libby, I couldn't buy into it. Libby was too overtly creepy. And Annie has to be the densest person on the face of the planet. If your live-in employer kept calling you by the wrong name, bullied you into submission, and forbade you from having friends, wouldn't you... I don't know... quit? Annie keeps saying she has nowhere to go, but she's a college student with a hunky next-door neighbor who's obviously in love with her. Speaking of which...
This book has to have the most ridiculous damsel in distress complex I've ever read. "Owen, I'm choking on this banana bread my boss sabotaged! You're an EMT, save me!" "Owen, my boss committed me to a psych ward against my will! Save me!" Annie never did anything for herself, which was so completely infuriating as a reader. I wanted so badly for her to wake up and smell the damn coffee and get HERSELF out of her situation... but no, we must have a hunky boyfriend ready to rescue her from this outlandish BS. Ugh.
If you're looking for a funny trainwreck of a book that you can predict from a mile away and you don't mind the horrible, spineless narrator, this is your book. Otherwise, nope.
February 21, 2013
The best part of starting a book with no expectations, is when you end up loving it. I started The Ruining without even knowing weather it was a contemporary or a paranormal. All I knew for sure was that I just LOVED the cover. The book starts off with the main protagonist, Annie, wanting to get away from the life she's living. Annie lives with a horrible stepdad, and an alcoholic mother. When she gets accepted to her dream university, and gets a job opportunity at the Cohens family, she doesn't blink to take it. First of all, I'm going to point out that this book was not revolved about us feeling sorry for Annie about her horrible parents (thank God), or else that would have been a typical storyline. That aside, it was very interesting to see how Annie would get accustomed living with the Cohens. There, we meet Libby. The gorgeous, young, wife and mother. Annie immediately feels connected to Libby, and I really liked how Libby made her feel welcome, and treated her good. Then we meet Zoe, the daughter. It was absolutely adorable reading about Zoe! I really loved that little girl!! Then there's Walker, the father, and lastly, the baby boy, Jackson (If im not mistaken). At first, Libby's family is a perfect portrait of how Annie would love hers to be.. That is until she figures out the truth behind it.
I feel like I could blabber on and on about this book, but I have to control it. *breathes* okay, back to topic. Annie starts going to college, but then she finds it hard to start getting friends. Libby still tries to encourage her, but when Annie wants friends to come over, she disagrees. After a certain incident, Libby starts acting VERY strange. It literally drove me crazy!!! Though there was the cute boy next door who kept me sane. Owen. That's his name. I really liked how Annie got to meet him, and I was very curious to as why he was always hinting at Annie to not trust the Cohens family that much. I really felt connected to Annie, and Anna Collomore did a fantastic job on making all the characters feel completely realistic to me! Later on, Libby was seriously starting to get to Annie's head. Libby was always acting one way, then another. Also, her strong neglect to Zoe made me suspicious of her even more!! I really do love mystery books, but this one made me scratch all over for answers!
Overall, I tried reading The Ruining whatever chance I got. It was shockingly addicting! I don't think there was any flaw in this book. I loved the characters, the writing style, and I just loved how the author was able to grab my attention at ALL times! This will definitely not be the last of what I read from Anna Collomore. I'm officially a huge fan of her. I think she did a tremendous job on her debut novel. Mystery lovers will eat this book up like a piece of chocolate cake. (If you love chocolate cakes)
I feel like I could blabber on and on about this book, but I have to control it. *breathes* okay, back to topic. Annie starts going to college, but then she finds it hard to start getting friends. Libby still tries to encourage her, but when Annie wants friends to come over, she disagrees. After a certain incident, Libby starts acting VERY strange. It literally drove me crazy!!! Though there was the cute boy next door who kept me sane. Owen. That's his name. I really liked how Annie got to meet him, and I was very curious to as why he was always hinting at Annie to not trust the Cohens family that much. I really felt connected to Annie, and Anna Collomore did a fantastic job on making all the characters feel completely realistic to me! Later on, Libby was seriously starting to get to Annie's head. Libby was always acting one way, then another. Also, her strong neglect to Zoe made me suspicious of her even more!! I really do love mystery books, but this one made me scratch all over for answers!
Overall, I tried reading The Ruining whatever chance I got. It was shockingly addicting! I don't think there was any flaw in this book. I loved the characters, the writing style, and I just loved how the author was able to grab my attention at ALL times! This will definitely not be the last of what I read from Anna Collomore. I'm officially a huge fan of her. I think she did a tremendous job on her debut novel. Mystery lovers will eat this book up like a piece of chocolate cake. (If you love chocolate cakes)
July 4, 2022
This book was INSANE. INSANE. it was so dark and manipulative and crazy but the ending was so hopeful and happy. I LOVE THE CHARACTERS IN THIS TOO. their so real and they make mistakes and the lines between good and bad are blurred and it’s just so good. Owen>>> :) I love him!!! This was so good and well written and so underrated and wow. Thank u for listening. (If ur into true crime and psychology you would LOVE this)
April 1, 2013
I don't know what to say.
I was reeeeally interested in this book in the beginning. The eeriness really drew me in. However, it failed in execution.
I liked Annie's backstory. Yes let's make the main character someone with a very difficult past. Yes, let's make the MC a victim of mental illness. Why not? This gave Annie some dimension and honesty. I am tired of the perfect MC who doesn't know she's pretty and is clumsy and adorable. In other words, I'm am so tired of Bellas!!! Make it stop! Anna, thank you for a character so far removed from the typical. I really liked Annie. I was able to understand her decision-making, this doesn't often occur in YA.
I enjoyed the build up of the novel very much. I was interested and engaged. I enjoyed the allusions to eerie works of literature. However, from the climax to the end there was like a day (in the novel) that went by, it was all wrapped up so neatly and quickly. An investigation that was on hold for years was solved and wrapped in a day. This was very unrealistic. With all the bureaucracy involved, there is NO WAY all the paperwork, reports, etc would be conducted and processed overnight. NOT A CHANCE. This made for not only a really boring and anticlimactic ending, an unbelievable one as well. It really left me wanting for a little more.
I would definitely read another novel by this author. There is a lot of potential here. I really would have enjoyed this book the resolution had been better or more developed.
I was reeeeally interested in this book in the beginning. The eeriness really drew me in. However, it failed in execution.
I liked Annie's backstory. Yes let's make the main character someone with a very difficult past. Yes, let's make the MC a victim of mental illness. Why not? This gave Annie some dimension and honesty. I am tired of the perfect MC who doesn't know she's pretty and is clumsy and adorable. In other words, I'm am so tired of Bellas!!! Make it stop! Anna, thank you for a character so far removed from the typical. I really liked Annie. I was able to understand her decision-making, this doesn't often occur in YA.
I enjoyed the build up of the novel very much. I was interested and engaged. I enjoyed the allusions to eerie works of literature. However, from the climax to the end there was like a day (in the novel) that went by, it was all wrapped up so neatly and quickly. An investigation that was on hold for years was solved and wrapped in a day. This was very unrealistic. With all the bureaucracy involved, there is NO WAY all the paperwork, reports, etc would be conducted and processed overnight. NOT A CHANCE. This made for not only a really boring and anticlimactic ending, an unbelievable one as well. It really left me wanting for a little more.
I would definitely read another novel by this author. There is a lot of potential here. I really would have enjoyed this book the resolution had been better or more developed.
April 24, 2015
Good heavens, it’s been ages since I’ve last read a book with this many plot holes and such an unlikable protagonist. Oh no, wait, I finished Fifty Shades of Grey recently. Well then, apart from that, I can hardly recall when last a book has annoyed me as much as this one did with its nonsensical storyline and dumbass female lead.
I have countless complaints about this book, but instead of listing it all here, I’ll try to keep it to a brief summary. I was eager to read this book because of the book synopsis which promised something sinister and mysterious. What I didn’t count on was the book summary being misleading and it instead being a story about a college student who’s completely gullible, naive and spineless, ensconced in a whirlwind romance with the boy next door whom she’s completely obsessed with, and a weak plot where the twist can be spotted long before reaching the halfway mark of the book. I’m sorry to say, but Annie definitely creeped me out and I couldn’t stand her.
Although I didn’t care for Annie at all, I was more bothered by all the inconsistencies in the storyline, and the uneven flow of the timeline. An example of this is when I was under the impression that Annie had almost been a month at the Cohens’, but then discovered that it has already been a few months, even though the storyline didn’t indicate that in any way. The entire story is too heavy on the romance and what could’ve been a great suspense novel turned into an angst-filled love story. Basically, the idea behind this story had so much potential, but it fell flat the moment Annie met Owen. The ending is predictable and is one that can be found in numerous low-budget movies.
My recommendation is that if you’re over the age of twelve, rather give this one a miss.
I have countless complaints about this book, but instead of listing it all here, I’ll try to keep it to a brief summary. I was eager to read this book because of the book synopsis which promised something sinister and mysterious. What I didn’t count on was the book summary being misleading and it instead being a story about a college student who’s completely gullible, naive and spineless, ensconced in a whirlwind romance with the boy next door whom she’s completely obsessed with, and a weak plot where the twist can be spotted long before reaching the halfway mark of the book. I’m sorry to say, but Annie definitely creeped me out and I couldn’t stand her.
Although I didn’t care for Annie at all, I was more bothered by all the inconsistencies in the storyline, and the uneven flow of the timeline. An example of this is when I was under the impression that Annie had almost been a month at the Cohens’, but then discovered that it has already been a few months, even though the storyline didn’t indicate that in any way. The entire story is too heavy on the romance and what could’ve been a great suspense novel turned into an angst-filled love story. Basically, the idea behind this story had so much potential, but it fell flat the moment Annie met Owen. The ending is predictable and is one that can be found in numerous low-budget movies.
My recommendation is that if you’re over the age of twelve, rather give this one a miss.
May 12, 2017
Ehhhhhh...
So, on the one hand, this is a really interesting idea, and done in an interesting way. On the other hand, I can't say it's done well.
In a way, this reminded me somewhat of Nova Ren Suma's Imaginary Girls, in that we are expected to believe that the main character is convinced of another character's all around awesomeness even while ourselves feeling an overwhelming sense of revulsion for that same person. And, for me at least, it just doesn't work. All I do is lose all respect for and interest in the main character because they can't see what an idiot they're being. So it was here.
The love interest didn't work for me either. Owen and Annie barely even know each other, and yet by the end of the book they are proclaiming their love for one another despite the fact that practically all they've done in the time they've known each other is fight and say mean, jerky things to each other. I didn't buy it. AT ALL.
I also had THE BIG SECRET figured out less than halfway though the story.
And though I pushed myself through the book in spite of hating every single one of the characters because I wanted to find out what happened to Annie, the ending was completely anticlimactic. We're just told the aftermath in about the last two or three pages, after all the angst and anxiety of the previous 300+ pages, and it's simply not satisfying. It made the rest of the book feel like a big waste of time.
I give Anna Collomore full props for the premise, but...the book itself just really didn't work for me.
So, on the one hand, this is a really interesting idea, and done in an interesting way. On the other hand, I can't say it's done well.
In a way, this reminded me somewhat of Nova Ren Suma's Imaginary Girls, in that we are expected to believe that the main character is convinced of another character's all around awesomeness even while ourselves feeling an overwhelming sense of revulsion for that same person. And, for me at least, it just doesn't work. All I do is lose all respect for and interest in the main character because they can't see what an idiot they're being. So it was here.
The love interest didn't work for me either. Owen and Annie barely even know each other, and yet by the end of the book they are proclaiming their love for one another despite the fact that practically all they've done in the time they've known each other is fight and say mean, jerky things to each other. I didn't buy it. AT ALL.
I also had THE BIG SECRET figured out less than halfway though the story.
And though I pushed myself through the book in spite of hating every single one of the characters because I wanted to find out what happened to Annie, the ending was completely anticlimactic. We're just told the aftermath in about the last two or three pages, after all the angst and anxiety of the previous 300+ pages, and it's simply not satisfying. It made the rest of the book feel like a big waste of time.
I give Anna Collomore full props for the premise, but...the book itself just really didn't work for me.
April 4, 2013
Almost a great book, but what started out with a great premise became too obvious, heavy-handed, and melodramatic after the first third or so.
May 7, 2017
I lied, dear goodreads friends.
I told myself earlier I'd go to bed at a decent time. That I'd get some sleep before work in the morning.
Instead, I stayed up until midnight, frantically turning pages, desperate to know what happened to Annie.
I REGRET NOTHING!!!
What was coffee discovered for if not for this exact reason? ;D
Anyway! I picked this one up at dollar tree in January, but just now got around to reading it. I work there & I love when we get new shipments of books, cause I always get to open them first. Yay books for a dollar!
I can't believe I waited this long to read "the ruining" it was amazing!
I loved the main character, Annie. & Owen was adorable.
But what really stood out was the writing & storytelling. It was great. It was absolutely perfect. The way the story unfolded, the tiny little things building up over time. It was all just done so well. So many hints dropped that I didn't get till the very end. & how it just got so intense & crazy towards the end.
I guessed bits of it, but honestly, I spent a lot of the story just as confused & worried as Annie. Truly wondering at the sanity and reliability of our dear narrator.
That's good storytelling right there.
This would make an excellent movie. :) I highly recommend this one for fans of mysteries, horror, and psychological thrillers.
I told myself earlier I'd go to bed at a decent time. That I'd get some sleep before work in the morning.
Instead, I stayed up until midnight, frantically turning pages, desperate to know what happened to Annie.
I REGRET NOTHING!!!
What was coffee discovered for if not for this exact reason? ;D
Anyway! I picked this one up at dollar tree in January, but just now got around to reading it. I work there & I love when we get new shipments of books, cause I always get to open them first. Yay books for a dollar!
I can't believe I waited this long to read "the ruining" it was amazing!
I loved the main character, Annie. & Owen was adorable.
But what really stood out was the writing & storytelling. It was great. It was absolutely perfect. The way the story unfolded, the tiny little things building up over time. It was all just done so well. So many hints dropped that I didn't get till the very end. & how it just got so intense & crazy towards the end.
I guessed bits of it, but honestly, I spent a lot of the story just as confused & worried as Annie. Truly wondering at the sanity and reliability of our dear narrator.
That's good storytelling right there.
This would make an excellent movie. :) I highly recommend this one for fans of mysteries, horror, and psychological thrillers.
September 3, 2013
I tried to forgive this book its many faults. I can be a nit-picky reader at times. When Annie describes watching Detroit fade away as she flies out of DTW and I thought, "I've flown in and out of that airport dozens of times heading to or coming from the west and have never seen the city from the airplane," I try to forget that. And when Annie is surprised to read "The Yellow Wallpaper" in the feminist literature section of her lit survey as though it is not the starter short story for reading feminist literature, I tried to forget that too. And again when the story really heavy-hands it with the yellow wallpaper parallel. But...
The Ruining had a shaky start, but it did have an interesting middle. By chapter thirteen, I had figured out what turned out to be the big reveal, but was still interested in Libby, the mom that Annie nannies for. She obviously is trying to control Annie, but to what end? If she is making her go crazy, how exactly is that? I thought she must be drugging her in someway. After Annie is poisoned by the nutmeg in the banana bread, I think the story goes off the deep end (PUN INTENDED). Annie has moments of lucidity as she spirals toward the crazy house, but none of it makes sense or is even emotionally believable. We are told that she works long hours, has to skip class, doesn't get enough sleep, but also that Libby is great and is the only person who cares about Annie. None of this is actually shown in the story's action. And how is Libby controlling Annie's phone? That part is never explained.
I also found the love interest compelling through the first half of the book, but after that he seems to exist for a kind deus ex machina. He will save you Annie! He doesn't have to move after all! He's rich and you can live with him! He loves you! He will talk to the shrink and the shrink will suddenly become not-a-villain! And he can computer hack away all your plot problems!
"'You're forgetting that I'm an expert when it comes to computers,' Owen said. 'I can hack into almost any system.'"
The Ruining had a shaky start, but it did have an interesting middle. By chapter thirteen, I had figured out what turned out to be the big reveal, but was still interested in Libby, the mom that Annie nannies for. She obviously is trying to control Annie, but to what end? If she is making her go crazy, how exactly is that? I thought she must be drugging her in someway. After Annie is poisoned by the nutmeg in the banana bread, I think the story goes off the deep end (PUN INTENDED). Annie has moments of lucidity as she spirals toward the crazy house, but none of it makes sense or is even emotionally believable. We are told that she works long hours, has to skip class, doesn't get enough sleep, but also that Libby is great and is the only person who cares about Annie. None of this is actually shown in the story's action. And how is Libby controlling Annie's phone? That part is never explained.
I also found the love interest compelling through the first half of the book, but after that he seems to exist for a kind deus ex machina. He will save you Annie! He doesn't have to move after all! He's rich and you can live with him! He loves you! He will talk to the shrink and the shrink will suddenly become not-a-villain! And he can computer hack away all your plot problems!
"'You're forgetting that I'm an expert when it comes to computers,' Owen said. 'I can hack into almost any system.'"
June 6, 2013
I really liked this book. I have seen some mixed reviews of it (one of which led me to an awesome blog- David Reviews!), but I enjoyed it. I had problems stopping and just wanted to keep reading until I got to the end. I would read so many pages in one sitting.
Throughout the book, I was trying to figure out if Annie was being an unreliable narrator, or if Libby was really being manipulative and/or just plain crazy, thus making Annie doubt herself. It was a nice twisty tale, keeping me on my toes. I did have a suspicion about the reveal way before it happened, but there were still some parts of it I wasn't sure about until they actually came to light. It was a crazy ending and while it did seem to end a bit abruptly and too neatly tied up, I liked it.
The romance was a bit one-dimensional; the guy would kinda come and go throughout the novel, and we never really saw much of him. He just seemed too perfect, especially his promise in the end. But it's such a small aspect of the book that I don't mind it that much.
Anyway, this book is definitely worth a look. It's not an amazing book, but it really provided some great entertainment for a few days.
Throughout the book, I was trying to figure out if Annie was being an unreliable narrator, or if Libby was really being manipulative and/or just plain crazy, thus making Annie doubt herself. It was a nice twisty tale, keeping me on my toes. I did have a suspicion about the reveal way before it happened, but there were still some parts of it I wasn't sure about until they actually came to light. It was a crazy ending and while it did seem to end a bit abruptly and too neatly tied up, I liked it.
The romance was a bit one-dimensional; the guy would kinda come and go throughout the novel, and we never really saw much of him. He just seemed too perfect, especially his promise in the end. But it's such a small aspect of the book that I don't mind it that much.
Anyway, this book is definitely worth a look. It's not an amazing book, but it really provided some great entertainment for a few days.
April 13, 2015
Oh wow, I totally forgot I read this book! I really liked it, it was good!
August 2, 2019
I loved the ending and romance plot of this book. However, I clearly didn’t read the inside cover thoroughly. I thought I was getting a nice summer story about a nanny. It ended up making me think I was going mentally insane. Really graphic, vivid, messed up stuff in this book. I’m shook.
March 16, 2022
This was odd. Annie has a terrible homelife in Detroit but then grabs the opportunity of a lifetime: being a nanny in California for a picture perfect couple. They only need her 25 hours a week and will work around her class schedule at SFU. Things are great at first but the mom, Libby goes from wanting to be her best friend to controlling nutbar in a blink of an eye and then back again. We then spend the majority of the time wondering if Libby is crazy, Annie is crazy or they both are crazy. It was interesting at first but then went really out there and the ending just wrapped up a little too nicely.
April 24, 2014
Okay seriously, this book was some
From the summary, who'd expect this to be a jaw-clenching, spine-chilling thriller? I was totally expecting an average contemporary novel with a few secrets in between, but I got something more and deep.
Here we have Annie, who is living in horrible conditions with her mom and stepfather, Dean, in Detroit. All she wants is to get out of there and never come back. When a spiking new job opportunity in sunny California pops up to be a babysitter for the Cohen family, she decides that she will take it, and go to college at the same time. When she meets the Cohens, she is absolutely in love with her new life and everything they have to offer. Soon enough, Libby, the woman/wife of the family, begins to act strangely and treats her differently than her than the usual, and Annie begins to question what's really going on and about the truth.
Anna Collomore hooked me in from the first page, honestly. I felt like I was in a realistic world, and Annie definitely made us be a large part of it. She told us her story, and we were the listeners. There must be some sort of story behind this because it's so deep, and intriguing.
It's very rare to read a book that never makes you bored once. And that's what The Ruining did to me. I was hooked in, and I inferred about what would happen next so many times, but I was always wrong. Anna Collomore creates the best plot twists, no joke.
If you react to books the same way as I do, then you will be thinking that you're losing your mind while reading this book. I was shaking, and I felt so many spine-chills and my heart felt like it was going to come out of my chest when I was reading this, especially towards the end, and when we found the truth and all. This never would be expected to be a thriller, but it definitely was, as well as a contemporary-mystery.
These characters were stupendous. I loved Annie- she went through so much and the best thing was that her voice was real. She was involved a tragic accident, and things didn't seem to get better for her when she expected a new and brighter life. That's what I love about this book- it's not perfect, and you won't expect everything to be all happy and smiles. It's reality, and how some people live today in the world. And the catch is, all throughout the book I never thought that she was crazy and that something was going on in her head, I just didn't know the truth.
Owen and Annie's relationship added something good and happy to this book. He never judged Annie, he believed her and went out to search for the truth. I love guys like that- and especially to read about ones like him. The romance was something extra, but it was good because the whole book didn't revolve around the romance, it wasn't all about that.
The ending to this was quick and spectacular. It all happened so fast and I never expected for what happened to happen. In fifty pages or so, the plot was drifting in a whole other level and we were in a whole other setting.
This is a unique read that will grip you and send shivers down your spine. Also take a note to self: make sure you have a lot of time to read this (2-3 hours all in one) because you will be hooked and you will NEED to find out what the truth is.
From the summary, who'd expect this to be a jaw-clenching, spine-chilling thriller? I was totally expecting an average contemporary novel with a few secrets in between, but I got something more and deep.
Here we have Annie, who is living in horrible conditions with her mom and stepfather, Dean, in Detroit. All she wants is to get out of there and never come back. When a spiking new job opportunity in sunny California pops up to be a babysitter for the Cohen family, she decides that she will take it, and go to college at the same time. When she meets the Cohens, she is absolutely in love with her new life and everything they have to offer. Soon enough, Libby, the woman/wife of the family, begins to act strangely and treats her differently than her than the usual, and Annie begins to question what's really going on and about the truth.
Anna Collomore hooked me in from the first page, honestly. I felt like I was in a realistic world, and Annie definitely made us be a large part of it. She told us her story, and we were the listeners. There must be some sort of story behind this because it's so deep, and intriguing.
It's very rare to read a book that never makes you bored once. And that's what The Ruining did to me. I was hooked in, and I inferred about what would happen next so many times, but I was always wrong. Anna Collomore creates the best plot twists, no joke.
If you react to books the same way as I do, then you will be thinking that you're losing your mind while reading this book. I was shaking, and I felt so many spine-chills and my heart felt like it was going to come out of my chest when I was reading this, especially towards the end, and when we found the truth and all. This never would be expected to be a thriller, but it definitely was, as well as a contemporary-mystery.
These characters were stupendous. I loved Annie- she went through so much and the best thing was that her voice was real. She was involved a tragic accident, and things didn't seem to get better for her when she expected a new and brighter life. That's what I love about this book- it's not perfect, and you won't expect everything to be all happy and smiles. It's reality, and how some people live today in the world. And the catch is, all throughout the book I never thought that she was crazy and that something was going on in her head, I just didn't know the truth.
Owen and Annie's relationship added something good and happy to this book. He never judged Annie, he believed her and went out to search for the truth. I love guys like that- and especially to read about ones like him. The romance was something extra, but it was good because the whole book didn't revolve around the romance, it wasn't all about that.
The ending to this was quick and spectacular. It all happened so fast and I never expected for what happened to happen. In fifty pages or so, the plot was drifting in a whole other level and we were in a whole other setting.
This is a unique read that will grip you and send shivers down your spine. Also take a note to self: make sure you have a lot of time to read this (2-3 hours all in one) because you will be hooked and you will NEED to find out what the truth is.
January 5, 2014
I wanted to love this book. I almost thought I did but every time I think about it, the way the story progressed, the way it ended it makes me want to forget I ever read this. Am I too harsh? Sorry. Oh god, I hate writing negative reviews.
It started out really gooood. I swear to God it was really good at first. But then it suddenly became boring and melodramatic. And the worst was the ending, I felt like it was rushed out just to have a ''good'' ending. The first half was good albeit kind of slow but it was necessary, necessary for us, the readers, to get settled in the story, to engulf the suspense, to get to know the characters but it was just too much after that half. It was boooooring, nothing happened, just the same repetitive things. That's why I felt the ending was rushed because everything started to worked out really great for the main character. Don't get me wrong, I am (well, not always) a fan of good and they live happily ever afters but I am not a big fan of not well thought out endings. Heck, I even like open endings better than endings that felt flat and was finished just-for-the-sake. You know what I mean?
I also hated Annie, the main character, all I wanted to do to her was smack her head for her to wake the fuck up. Her love and relationship with Libby was so creepy. I mean, your employer bullied you, wanted you to skip classes, and even forbade you from having friends, but she still liked her!
She was head over heels in-liked with her employer. If I was her, I would fucking quit. It was really obvious that her employer was a psychotic dumb bitch.
I have no problem with Owen (Annie's love interest) because He's the fucking savior of the day! HOOOORAY. He fixed everything up, so there you go Annie and Owen you can kiss and live happily ever after.
Warning: Possible spoilers (not really)
And there are a lot of things that were not answered. Like, how Annie’s mom did not recognize her voice when she called her. How is that possible?? I mean, she's her mom after all, how the fuck did she not recognized her daughter's voice! SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME. And when Annie said she kept on calling Owen, but Owen said Annie never called him! I NEED TO KNOW WHHYYYYY. Was Annie really losing her shit? SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME. *sigh*
So much plot holes.
To sum it all up, this book didn't work for me AT ALL. Just plain, boring and ridiculous mystery book.
It started out really gooood. I swear to God it was really good at first. But then it suddenly became boring and melodramatic. And the worst was the ending, I felt like it was rushed out just to have a ''good'' ending. The first half was good albeit kind of slow but it was necessary, necessary for us, the readers, to get settled in the story, to engulf the suspense, to get to know the characters but it was just too much after that half. It was boooooring, nothing happened, just the same repetitive things. That's why I felt the ending was rushed because everything started to worked out really great for the main character. Don't get me wrong, I am (well, not always) a fan of good and they live happily ever afters but I am not a big fan of not well thought out endings. Heck, I even like open endings better than endings that felt flat and was finished just-for-the-sake. You know what I mean?
I also hated Annie, the main character, all I wanted to do to her was smack her head for her to wake the fuck up. Her love and relationship with Libby was so creepy. I mean, your employer bullied you, wanted you to skip classes, and even forbade you from having friends, but she still liked her!
She was head over heels in-liked with her employer. If I was her, I would fucking quit. It was really obvious that her employer was a psychotic dumb bitch.
I have no problem with Owen (Annie's love interest) because He's the fucking savior of the day! HOOOORAY. He fixed everything up, so there you go Annie and Owen you can kiss and live happily ever after.
Warning: Possible spoilers (not really)
And there are a lot of things that were not answered. Like, how Annie’s mom did not recognize her voice when she called her. How is that possible?? I mean, she's her mom after all, how the fuck did she not recognized her daughter's voice! SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME. And when Annie said she kept on calling Owen, but Owen said Annie never called him! I NEED TO KNOW WHHYYYYY. Was Annie really losing her shit? SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME. *sigh*
So much plot holes.
To sum it all up, this book didn't work for me AT ALL. Just plain, boring and ridiculous mystery book.
March 23, 2013
This is a bit of a struggle to review, because I wished it was better than it was. I also quickly read The Yellow Wallpaper to know the inspiration for this book and have a comparison, and unfortunately The Ruining falls short of the former's tense and (what I feel) would be a more accurate depiction of a woman's descent into madness.
This isn't to say that this was a horrible book. I just wish the writing was better, and the characters' (mostly Libby's) motivations less shaky. I didn't hate Annie's character at first. In fact, I thought that the author was telling a well-done cautionary tale of a woman that was a bit too naive, too trusting, too willing to isolate herself, and the dangers that could stem from such a situation. It was the descent into the "horror" and "madness" portion of the novel that I had a problem with. It just couldn't ring authentic for me. There were just moments that were supposed to be unnerving or hinting at unsettling, but seemed a bit too much of a calculation by the author, and times when Annie still seemed too randomly observant, analytic and aware for someone who's mind was fraying. I almost wished that the ending had switched to a third-person format to explain the mystery because I don't think that Annie should've been able to comprehend it at all.
So, a bit of a disappointment, because I really liked the idea of it.
This isn't to say that this was a horrible book. I just wish the writing was better, and the characters' (mostly Libby's) motivations less shaky. I didn't hate Annie's character at first. In fact, I thought that the author was telling a well-done cautionary tale of a woman that was a bit too naive, too trusting, too willing to isolate herself, and the dangers that could stem from such a situation. It was the descent into the "horror" and "madness" portion of the novel that I had a problem with. It just couldn't ring authentic for me. There were just moments that were supposed to be unnerving or hinting at unsettling, but seemed a bit too much of a calculation by the author, and times when Annie still seemed too randomly observant, analytic and aware for someone who's mind was fraying. I almost wished that the ending had switched to a third-person format to explain the mystery because I don't think that Annie should've been able to comprehend it at all.
So, a bit of a disappointment, because I really liked the idea of it.
May 11, 2013
It took me a few minutes to decide whether to give this 3 or 4 stars. I did like this book, I enjoyed the story and I couldn't put it down, but there's just something about it that seems a little.. off. I'm not sure what it is. I think it might be the fact that I couldn't sympathize with the protagonist. I enjoy books that make me feel the way the protagonist is feeling, and in this book I didn't. Maybe it's the writing style, or maybe it's the way things happened. The book dragged on a little at the beginning then when it got intense, it all happened too fast.
I'm not saying this book is bad, I gave it four stars after all didn't I? So, I have to admit, there were times when I wanted to PUNCH LIBBY IN THE FACE, and Annie too, because I felt like Annie was being a little too naive. What I'm saying is the writing style wasn't bad if it made me feel such strong feelings towards Libby. Libby made me feel so uneasy and irritated and anxious. The part about Annie's happiness depending on Libby's approval struck a nerve and I guess.. okay, I do understand why Annie was being so naive. If it was me, I probably would've done the same thing, defending her and all.
This all just brings me back to wondering what it was that was "off" about the book. I felt like I could relate in a way but at the same time it irritated me. It's confusing.
But all in all, it was fun to read.
I'm not saying this book is bad, I gave it four stars after all didn't I? So, I have to admit, there were times when I wanted to PUNCH LIBBY IN THE FACE, and Annie too, because I felt like Annie was being a little too naive. What I'm saying is the writing style wasn't bad if it made me feel such strong feelings towards Libby. Libby made me feel so uneasy and irritated and anxious. The part about Annie's happiness depending on Libby's approval struck a nerve and I guess.. okay, I do understand why Annie was being so naive. If it was me, I probably would've done the same thing, defending her and all.
This all just brings me back to wondering what it was that was "off" about the book. I felt like I could relate in a way but at the same time it irritated me. It's confusing.
But all in all, it was fun to read.
March 1, 2013
I read this based on a twitter recommendation that this book showed the potential range for New Adult (NA) books. And this is true - unlike the other NA novels I have read, this is not simply a contemporary romance, but contains a heavy dose of gothic-like horror. Ultimately it fails not because of the subject matter but because of the characterization of Annie. Her admiration for Libby is never truly felt even though we're told of it many times. Without this connection, the transformations that take place don't seem credible.
The writing is plain-vanilla, first-person narrative. This is inherited from the YA genre, and seems to be the true underlying current of the NA novels I've read. It's very difficult to describe the writing style as I haven't read much YA or NA. Descriptions tend to be very simple, which I don't have a problem with. The inner dialogue tends to be very surface-oriented. The depth of emotion or feeling never varies. The moral values of the narrators seem to be universal as well. There just isn't the complexity of thought that I would prefer. I'm rarely surprised or learn anything interesting about people from these books. I know that's a lot to ask, but I find it hard to be entertained without such depth.
The writing is plain-vanilla, first-person narrative. This is inherited from the YA genre, and seems to be the true underlying current of the NA novels I've read. It's very difficult to describe the writing style as I haven't read much YA or NA. Descriptions tend to be very simple, which I don't have a problem with. The inner dialogue tends to be very surface-oriented. The depth of emotion or feeling never varies. The moral values of the narrators seem to be universal as well. There just isn't the complexity of thought that I would prefer. I'm rarely surprised or learn anything interesting about people from these books. I know that's a lot to ask, but I find it hard to be entertained without such depth.
February 11, 2013
I requested this ARC via Net-Galley because the premise sounded really creepy and interesting. At first, I enjoyed the story of a family that might not be what it seems, but as the story progressed, it became less and less believable that Annie, the novel's protagonist, didn't have a clue what was going on around her. It became a particularly frustrating read when Annie vacillated between her feelings on who she should trust--flipping 180 degrees between two characters at least three times within the span of a day. As the novel neared its conclusion, I realized that this flip flopping was intentional, and part of the author's depiction of a slide into madness, but I don't think enough groundwork was laid early in the novel for this type of reaction to be entirely believable. Instead, the character's wildly changing views kept pulling me out of the story. I think if more time had been spent with Annie in Detroit at the beginning of the book, her later actions would have seemed more understandable and warranted. Instead, it seemed like pieces of her past surfaced randomly throughout the story merely as convenient plot devices, rather than as aspects integral to Annie's character.
February 15, 2013
The Ruining by Anna Collomore : A review
*** Spoiler Alert
The Ruining is a psychological thriller with some mystery and romance thrown in. The main character Annie takes a job in San Francisco as a Nanny and find out that it’s not what it’s cracked up to be. She tries to go to school and thinks this is the best opportunity in the world but it ends up being disastrous. The woman who hires her is psychotic and manipulative. She is very controlling and drives Annie insane. Annie ends up locked in a mental institution. This was a great read. Annie was a strong character who just wanted to do what was right but she was young, naïve and able to be taken advantage of easily. This is a good example of how easily an abuser can take control and ruin someone’s life without them even realizing what’s going on because it happens so gradually that by the time they get an inkling of what’s happening it’s too late. I felt so sorry for the children in this story, being a mom, my heart hurt every time the little girl was left alone or hurting. All in all, a great read. 4 stars.
*** Spoiler Alert
The Ruining is a psychological thriller with some mystery and romance thrown in. The main character Annie takes a job in San Francisco as a Nanny and find out that it’s not what it’s cracked up to be. She tries to go to school and thinks this is the best opportunity in the world but it ends up being disastrous. The woman who hires her is psychotic and manipulative. She is very controlling and drives Annie insane. Annie ends up locked in a mental institution. This was a great read. Annie was a strong character who just wanted to do what was right but she was young, naïve and able to be taken advantage of easily. This is a good example of how easily an abuser can take control and ruin someone’s life without them even realizing what’s going on because it happens so gradually that by the time they get an inkling of what’s happening it’s too late. I felt so sorry for the children in this story, being a mom, my heart hurt every time the little girl was left alone or hurting. All in all, a great read. 4 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2013
Pre-read: I like this cover WAAAAY more than my ARC. I'm humbled I actually got this from the author and publisher and hope to read it soon.
Post-read: Review to come. This book took me literally months to read of picking it up and putting it down in spells, but nonetheless, I'm finished now. It was okay, but I did have issues with it. I expected a bit more than what it provided me, but I'll explain that in the full review. I'll give myself a day to decide whether I want to bump up the rating or not.
Post-read: Review to come. This book took me literally months to read of picking it up and putting it down in spells, but nonetheless, I'm finished now. It was okay, but I did have issues with it. I expected a bit more than what it provided me, but I'll explain that in the full review. I'll give myself a day to decide whether I want to bump up the rating or not.
February 5, 2013
For the first half of The Ruining, I was sure I had at least a 4-star review – possibly a 5-star review! – on my hands. Tension, suspense, fear, doubt, secrets – everything one hopes for from a great psychological thriller was present. But as I headed into the end of the second half, the plot escalated much too quickly for my liking, and I found myself being pulled out of the creepy atmosphere as I found more and more things to question.
The Ruining’s buildup to Annie’s mental breakdown started off fantastically. With secrets about her past still haunting her dreams, Annie moves from Detroit to San Francisco in order to be a nanny for a young, wealthy couple – Libby and Walker Cohen. Shortly after arriving, certain twitches in Libby’s mannerisms had Annie slightly on edge, worried that she was constantly disappointing Libby. But with each odd behaviour displayed by Libby, she had a warm smile and some reassuring words to convince Annie that she was merely imagining things. For the longest time though, I was convinced that Libby was hiding a darker, more sinister side of herself and that Annie was right to trust her instincts that were trying to warn her about Libby’s odd behaviour. It seemed like Annie was completely unable to function without doing something that angered Libby, and Libby’s anger always seemed largely out of proportion with Annie’s minor indiscretions.
But as time went on, and Annie’s thoughts toward Libby became slightly strange and obsessive, I couldn’t help but begin to question all of Annie’s experiences; maybe she over-exaggerated how angry Libby was, or maybe she mistook Libby’s concerned facial expression for one of annoyance. Annie coveted everything about Libby’s life, and at times, she was downright stalkerish about it.
Considering how well Collomore had built up Annie’s mental instability, I was really looking forward to an exciting and explosive ending! Unfortunately, The Ruining’s amazing buildup is completely thrown away by how quickly Annie was able to cross over from mental stability into mental instability. It seemed like we had reached the breaking point, where Annie needed to admit to herself that either a) Libby was playing one sick mind game with her, or b) she actually was having some kind of psychotic episode. But instead of getting to see Annie reaching the breaking point, Libby tells her she has become a danger to herself and to the children and locks her in her bedroom for a couple days. Annie accepts that Libby is right and is then shipped off to a mental institution. The last few chapters of The Ruining fly by in a cloud of drugs, confusion over how quickly Annie has adapted to the daily routine of hospital life, and concern that she believes Libby is doing what’s best for her.
But the worst part is how neatly everything is tied up, behind the scenes. While at the hospital, Owen visits Annie and promises to dig up information on the Cohens, and to get her out of the hospital. He returns some time later, with the explosive truth about Libby and Walker (which wasn’t so explosive, considering Walker had laid out half of it for Annie in an attempt to “clear his guilty conscience”), the truth is brought to light and Annie and Owen walk off into the sunset together, ready to live their happily ever after. We don’t get to see Owen digging up this information, we don’t get to see Libby’s reaction to his uncovering of the truth, and we don’t get to see Annie breathe a sigh of relief that her nightmare is over. Everything is handled “off-camera” as they say, and I was disappointed by how lacklustre it all felt.
For all of The Ruining’s great buildup, to say I was disappointed by the ending was an understatement. I will say that the somewhat open-ended ending, with Annie’s exhaustion and Owen’s slightly controlling behaviour hinting that her fight with mental illness (and possible psychopaths) might be just beginning, was kind of interesting. I could also just be reading in to things too much.
The Ruining’s buildup to Annie’s mental breakdown started off fantastically. With secrets about her past still haunting her dreams, Annie moves from Detroit to San Francisco in order to be a nanny for a young, wealthy couple – Libby and Walker Cohen. Shortly after arriving, certain twitches in Libby’s mannerisms had Annie slightly on edge, worried that she was constantly disappointing Libby. But with each odd behaviour displayed by Libby, she had a warm smile and some reassuring words to convince Annie that she was merely imagining things. For the longest time though, I was convinced that Libby was hiding a darker, more sinister side of herself and that Annie was right to trust her instincts that were trying to warn her about Libby’s odd behaviour. It seemed like Annie was completely unable to function without doing something that angered Libby, and Libby’s anger always seemed largely out of proportion with Annie’s minor indiscretions.
But as time went on, and Annie’s thoughts toward Libby became slightly strange and obsessive, I couldn’t help but begin to question all of Annie’s experiences; maybe she over-exaggerated how angry Libby was, or maybe she mistook Libby’s concerned facial expression for one of annoyance. Annie coveted everything about Libby’s life, and at times, she was downright stalkerish about it.
I crept closer to her bed until I was standing right above her sleeping form. I could see everything: the curve of her lashes, the rise and fall of her chest. The curly quality of her hair, let loose from its normal bun and falling into unkempt waves around her shoulders. I felt a kind of reverence overcome me as I did it. I imagined myself there, in her bed – not with her, not like that – but me there instead of her. For a second I saw my own sleeping form in that bed. I saw myself as Libby. With her life. Her husband. Her children.With her thoughts about Libby’s perfect life, Libby’s perfect looks, and Libby’s perfect husband at the forefront of most of her thoughts, I had no idea what to think! Who was I supposed to believe? Annie who had begun to hear Libby refer to her as “Nanny” or Libby, who swore that “Nanny” and “Annie” were so close in sound that Annie must have heard her wrong? Annie who had no memory of raiding the kitchen in the middle of the night and is blaming Libby for the big mess, or Libby who never eats anything and is blaming Annie? Annie who accuses Libby of torturing her with the yellow wallpaper, or Libby who argues that Annie is reading in to things too much? Deliciously, my confusion wasn’t alleviated as The Ruining progressed and Annie fell deeper into mental instability (or Libby became more ruthless in her attempts to drive Annie insane).
I stared at Libby. I wasn’t sure what compelled me to do it. But I stared at her in the darkness for a very long time before I went back to my bed.
It was like there were two Nannies. Nanny and Annie? Or Nanny and Nanny? I’d started calling myself Nanny, I realized. How wonderful. Libby would be thrilled that I’d come around. There was no Annie, not really. She’d disappeared the day she agreed to be Nanny. Now Nanny was all she was. All I was. Now I was the Nanny who thought things and the Nanny who said things out loud. The Nanny who did things and the Nanny who forgot all about it the next day. The Nanny Libby loved and the one she loathed and locked up like a pet that had misbehaved.Scenes like this truly freaked me out – especially when coupled with young Zoe’s creepy humming of a classic nursery rhyme. I could see the scene unfold in my head and it had me ready to topple over the edge with Annie!
Considering how well Collomore had built up Annie’s mental instability, I was really looking forward to an exciting and explosive ending! Unfortunately, The Ruining’s amazing buildup is completely thrown away by how quickly Annie was able to cross over from mental stability into mental instability. It seemed like we had reached the breaking point, where Annie needed to admit to herself that either a) Libby was playing one sick mind game with her, or b) she actually was having some kind of psychotic episode. But instead of getting to see Annie reaching the breaking point, Libby tells her she has become a danger to herself and to the children and locks her in her bedroom for a couple days. Annie accepts that Libby is right and is then shipped off to a mental institution. The last few chapters of The Ruining fly by in a cloud of drugs, confusion over how quickly Annie has adapted to the daily routine of hospital life, and concern that she believes Libby is doing what’s best for her.
But the worst part is how neatly everything is tied up, behind the scenes. While at the hospital, Owen visits Annie and promises to dig up information on the Cohens, and to get her out of the hospital. He returns some time later, with the explosive truth about Libby and Walker (which wasn’t so explosive, considering Walker had laid out half of it for Annie in an attempt to “clear his guilty conscience”), the truth is brought to light and Annie and Owen walk off into the sunset together, ready to live their happily ever after. We don’t get to see Owen digging up this information, we don’t get to see Libby’s reaction to his uncovering of the truth, and we don’t get to see Annie breathe a sigh of relief that her nightmare is over. Everything is handled “off-camera” as they say, and I was disappointed by how lacklustre it all felt.
For all of The Ruining’s great buildup, to say I was disappointed by the ending was an understatement. I will say that the somewhat open-ended ending, with Annie’s exhaustion and Owen’s slightly controlling behaviour hinting that her fight with mental illness (and possible psychopaths) might be just beginning, was kind of interesting. I could also just be reading in to things too much.
November 5, 2017
"Lo que más me gusta es su sonrisa. Despertarme junto a él es como un milagro. Sentirme segura es como un regalo, algo que no merezco, pero que tengo mucha suerte de tener."
May 30, 2023
Quick read, quick page turner, kind of predictable towards the end but majority of book has you guessing what’s coming next.
February 20, 2025
It started out so strong! I couldn’t put it down and read it in an evening, but the ending was very lackluster and disappointing.
February 27, 2016
Full review HERE
★★★★ 4 Stars
"That night, I slept restlessly, and the yellow wallpaper entered my dreams, blending my waking and sleeping states into some kind of suspended, nightmarish haze."
This book has been on my shelf for like three years. I love the cover, and the premise sounded amazing. Little known fact about me - I was a nanny for a wealthy family (not like the book level wealthy, but much much richer than my family) and ever since I've been drawn to novels involving nannies. "Nanny moves to a new place to live with a new family" is such a great backdrop for so many different plots.
What I Liked: This book seems to be very roughly based on the short story The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (about 6,000 words, you can read it for free and I really recommend it!). I had heard of the story before but never read it until after this book.
I loved how fast paced and exciting this book was to read. I tore through it in a couple of days, and was completely immersed in Annie's world on Belvedere Island. The author did a fantastic job of building suspense - I was completely, deeply engrossed from beginning to end.
It's very hard to discuss this book without giving everything away - but I will say, Libby fascinated me. Annie is the main character, but in my opinion, Libby steals the show. She's terrifying and beautiful and a mystery unto herself. I seriously just wanted to know what was up with her. Just that alone was enough to carry the story despite other shortcomings.
I loved the themes of insanity and unreliable narrator. This is the kind of book I want to discuss over a coffee - you're left with a lot of questions, but not in a bad way. Like one scene involving a smelly dark bedroom that gave me total chills.
What I Didn't Like: The ending. Oh my goodness. I hate to say it, but the ending felt like how a thirteen year old would tie up a short story. It was going so great. And then it was one of those situations where you're near the end and you're like "how can they wrap this up in ten pages". I almost would have preferred a cliffhanger. Or an ambiguous ending. I felt let down by it. I guessed one of the twists early on (and I'm a TERRIBLE person for guessing twists) but the second twist felt kind of out left field.
The romance was just 'ok'. It felt very instalove, but I see why Owen was a necessary character for the story so it didn't bother me very much.
Final Thoughts: This book starts at 5 stars and ends at 2 stars. So I struggled to rate it. I went between 3, 3.5, and 4 stars multiple times. Ultimately, though, I am not a highbrow literary critic. I enjoyed the heck out of this book. I loved reading it. I fell into the world the author created. So four stars it is - give it a chance, especially if The Yellow Wallpaper intrigues you!
*** This book was purchased by me, and as always, all thoughts are 100% my own. ***
Love,
★★★★ 4 Stars
"That night, I slept restlessly, and the yellow wallpaper entered my dreams, blending my waking and sleeping states into some kind of suspended, nightmarish haze."
This book has been on my shelf for like three years. I love the cover, and the premise sounded amazing. Little known fact about me - I was a nanny for a wealthy family (not like the book level wealthy, but much much richer than my family) and ever since I've been drawn to novels involving nannies. "Nanny moves to a new place to live with a new family" is such a great backdrop for so many different plots.
What I Liked: This book seems to be very roughly based on the short story The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (about 6,000 words, you can read it for free and I really recommend it!). I had heard of the story before but never read it until after this book.
I loved how fast paced and exciting this book was to read. I tore through it in a couple of days, and was completely immersed in Annie's world on Belvedere Island. The author did a fantastic job of building suspense - I was completely, deeply engrossed from beginning to end.
It's very hard to discuss this book without giving everything away - but I will say, Libby fascinated me. Annie is the main character, but in my opinion, Libby steals the show. She's terrifying and beautiful and a mystery unto herself. I seriously just wanted to know what was up with her. Just that alone was enough to carry the story despite other shortcomings.
I loved the themes of insanity and unreliable narrator. This is the kind of book I want to discuss over a coffee - you're left with a lot of questions, but not in a bad way. Like one scene involving a smelly dark bedroom that gave me total chills.
What I Didn't Like: The ending. Oh my goodness. I hate to say it, but the ending felt like how a thirteen year old would tie up a short story. It was going so great. And then it was one of those situations where you're near the end and you're like "how can they wrap this up in ten pages". I almost would have preferred a cliffhanger. Or an ambiguous ending. I felt let down by it. I guessed one of the twists early on (and I'm a TERRIBLE person for guessing twists) but the second twist felt kind of out left field.
The romance was just 'ok'. It felt very instalove, but I see why Owen was a necessary character for the story so it didn't bother me very much.
Final Thoughts: This book starts at 5 stars and ends at 2 stars. So I struggled to rate it. I went between 3, 3.5, and 4 stars multiple times. Ultimately, though, I am not a highbrow literary critic. I enjoyed the heck out of this book. I loved reading it. I fell into the world the author created. So four stars it is - give it a chance, especially if The Yellow Wallpaper intrigues you!
*** This book was purchased by me, and as always, all thoughts are 100% my own. ***
Content Warnings: 18+. Swearing, talk of sex, talk of self harm, talk of mental breakdowns and insanity, etcetera.
Love,
April 28, 2016
Overall I liked this book. The story starts off with Annie who is trying to get the hell of of Dodge -well Detroit anyways- and her horrible life there. The chance at being the nanny to a rich family is the break she needs. As a poos sucker tossed into a rich man's world, she is immediately blinded by all that glitters. For a nice word or two, she forges an immediate connection with the lady of the household. Things begin to happen that toss her new found peace upside down.
The author does a wonderful job incorporating Annie's fears and desires into a fascinating story. While the plot is fairly obvious -any good reader will spot the bad guy right away- it works that way. We, as the readers, know what is happening but are able to watch as lies and trickery escalate to flat out mental torture and how that dissolves Annie's stability. This novel is well written, especially considering it is a debut novel. The words flow from page to page, allowing us to really feel what Annie feels.
Overall, I liked Annie. I could understand where she is coming from. She lost her younger sibling and blames herself for not being the mother her mother should have been. Add to that a crappy home life and you have one interesting heroine. Looking at beginning Annie and ending Annie, it is not too hard to see how she spirals from one to the other. Owen was an interesting little rich boy, and yet, not a rich boy. He was fascinating with so much potential, but his relationship with Annie is one of the things I didn't like much. I liked it in concept, but I think it was a little too instant and -not a spoiler but may be close for some- that bit at the very end -the last few pages- shocked me. Not because of what happened, or rather what was alluded, came rather suddenly after the major stuff that happened towards the end of the novel. It just bothered me in a way that I cannot explain without major spoils so I will refrain.
I really liked the Cohens dynamics. Watching Libby and Walker's relationship was fascinating. It made things interesting to see how they react with things happen in the book to how the characters fair by the end. He had very much a 'lalala not my problem' attitude towards the situation with Annie and you can see how he developed it by watching how he interacts with his wife.
Psychology has always fascinated me. The same with watching how people can twist others with a few placed words or gestures and get what they want. So the combination of the two things made for a great story. That said, I would have loved for more action stuff with Annie back in Detroit. Another scene or two and I think it would have made her transformation and relationships make more sense. They are believable as they are, but it almost felt like something was missing. Some small detail to justify her insta bonds of steel connections to her new 'family.' The other things I did not entirely like was they end. There was no confrontation. It almost felt like third parties handled things. Without that epic clash, it is hard to buy that our heroine completed her journey and emerged victorious.
Those small issues aside, I liked this book and would read another novel by this author.
The author does a wonderful job incorporating Annie's fears and desires into a fascinating story. While the plot is fairly obvious -any good reader will spot the bad guy right away- it works that way. We, as the readers, know what is happening but are able to watch as lies and trickery escalate to flat out mental torture and how that dissolves Annie's stability. This novel is well written, especially considering it is a debut novel. The words flow from page to page, allowing us to really feel what Annie feels.
Overall, I liked Annie. I could understand where she is coming from. She lost her younger sibling and blames herself for not being the mother her mother should have been. Add to that a crappy home life and you have one interesting heroine. Looking at beginning Annie and ending Annie, it is not too hard to see how she spirals from one to the other. Owen was an interesting little rich boy, and yet, not a rich boy. He was fascinating with so much potential, but his relationship with Annie is one of the things I didn't like much. I liked it in concept, but I think it was a little too instant and -not a spoiler but may be close for some- that bit at the very end -the last few pages- shocked me. Not because of what happened, or rather what was alluded, came rather suddenly after the major stuff that happened towards the end of the novel. It just bothered me in a way that I cannot explain without major spoils so I will refrain.
I really liked the Cohens dynamics. Watching Libby and Walker's relationship was fascinating. It made things interesting to see how they react with things happen in the book to how the characters fair by the end. He had very much a 'lalala not my problem' attitude towards the situation with Annie and you can see how he developed it by watching how he interacts with his wife.
Psychology has always fascinated me. The same with watching how people can twist others with a few placed words or gestures and get what they want. So the combination of the two things made for a great story. That said, I would have loved for more action stuff with Annie back in Detroit. Another scene or two and I think it would have made her transformation and relationships make more sense. They are believable as they are, but it almost felt like something was missing. Some small detail to justify her insta bonds of steel connections to her new 'family.' The other things I did not entirely like was they end. There was no confrontation. It almost felt like third parties handled things. Without that epic clash, it is hard to buy that our heroine completed her journey and emerged victorious.
Those small issues aside, I liked this book and would read another novel by this author.
January 31, 2013
It never ceases to amaze me the amount of power the act of persuasion and manipulation has over some people. Sure there might be easier targets than others but still it doesn’t stop fascinating me. This book was pure manipulation in its highest form, it was crazy with a capitol C and I loved every minute of it. Psychological in all the right ways.
We meet Annie who has just moved out of her home in Detroit to California to be a nanny to a family she met online. That alone is enough to be shady in itself, but she wanted to get out the family looked like a very happy all American family. She was excited to finally go there and get away from her family and all the bad memories she had there. She arrived there and everything seemed to be going great, she was taking care of Zoe mostly as Libby would take care of baby Jackson. Walker, the husband was there but not really, you know the type a businessman that doesn’t want to get in the middle of anything.
As Annie was taking care of Zoe she knocked over some boxes and saw some papers she probably shouldn’t have seen, this of course angered Libby and now begins the strong manipulation. Libby would make Annie feel like she was her best friend, even like a sister. She would make suggestions to her and if she didn’t follow it she would get angry and that caused Annie to want to please her even more. Annie is obviously not a very strong person if she was manipulated so easily but still it was an interesting thing to watch, she’s quite dependant on other people.
From the very beginning of the book you knew something was off with Libby, and even if you already knew what it was it was the unfolding of the whole situation that made this book exciting. To watch the layers fall from here and there and the crazy manipulating sociopath would emerge. But Annie the ever gullible and easily manipulated still to the very end seemed to want to be in Libby’s good graces, that was annoying but again she is weak. Throughout the book she forms a relationship with her neighbor, Owen. I think it’s a healthy relationship but I also think that maybe Annie needs to learn how to be strong and independent.
Overall the book was good, again seeing something unfold that you already know is going to happen is fun because you don’t know exactly how it will happen. I really loved that Libby would call Annie Nanny and say no I’m calling you Annie, now Nanny what are you doing. Too funny! And Annie started believing her name was Nanny. What great manipulation. Check the book out if you get a chance!
We meet Annie who has just moved out of her home in Detroit to California to be a nanny to a family she met online. That alone is enough to be shady in itself, but she wanted to get out the family looked like a very happy all American family. She was excited to finally go there and get away from her family and all the bad memories she had there. She arrived there and everything seemed to be going great, she was taking care of Zoe mostly as Libby would take care of baby Jackson. Walker, the husband was there but not really, you know the type a businessman that doesn’t want to get in the middle of anything.
As Annie was taking care of Zoe she knocked over some boxes and saw some papers she probably shouldn’t have seen, this of course angered Libby and now begins the strong manipulation. Libby would make Annie feel like she was her best friend, even like a sister. She would make suggestions to her and if she didn’t follow it she would get angry and that caused Annie to want to please her even more. Annie is obviously not a very strong person if she was manipulated so easily but still it was an interesting thing to watch, she’s quite dependant on other people.
From the very beginning of the book you knew something was off with Libby, and even if you already knew what it was it was the unfolding of the whole situation that made this book exciting. To watch the layers fall from here and there and the crazy manipulating sociopath would emerge. But Annie the ever gullible and easily manipulated still to the very end seemed to want to be in Libby’s good graces, that was annoying but again she is weak. Throughout the book she forms a relationship with her neighbor, Owen. I think it’s a healthy relationship but I also think that maybe Annie needs to learn how to be strong and independent.
Overall the book was good, again seeing something unfold that you already know is going to happen is fun because you don’t know exactly how it will happen. I really loved that Libby would call Annie Nanny and say no I’m calling you Annie, now Nanny what are you doing. Too funny! And Annie started believing her name was Nanny. What great manipulation. Check the book out if you get a chance!
February 24, 2013
I LOVED this book. It sucked me in from the beginning and didn't let go until the very end.
The book followed Annie, a young girl with a troubled past looking for a fresh start in life. She finds this by becoming an au pair for Libby and Walker Cohen in an upscale neighbourhood in San Francisco. By taking this on, it will allow her to live with them while attending college in exchange for watching their 2 children Zoe and Jackson part-time. But it's the old saying....if it seems to good to be true, then it probably is.
With frequent references and parallels to "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the book takes us on a disturbing journey as Libby appears to slowly drive Annie mad. At times I wanted to scream, punch a hole in the wall....how can this happen? Why can't she see what's going on? This Libby woman is crazy!
Is it "Annie" or "Nanny" or both? The mind games are infuriating....but in SUCH a good way. I felt like I was heading to the asylum right along with Annie. Or Nanny. Gah!!!
And just when you thought the entire book was full of maddness, there is a mystery woven through it all waiting to be unraveled.
The only issue I had with this book was the rather rushed ending. I felt a little more time could have made the conclusion even better. I wanted revenge.
A wonderful debut from Anna Collomore that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good book that questions what is in fact real, and what is not.
The book followed Annie, a young girl with a troubled past looking for a fresh start in life. She finds this by becoming an au pair for Libby and Walker Cohen in an upscale neighbourhood in San Francisco. By taking this on, it will allow her to live with them while attending college in exchange for watching their 2 children Zoe and Jackson part-time. But it's the old saying....if it seems to good to be true, then it probably is.
With frequent references and parallels to "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the book takes us on a disturbing journey as Libby appears to slowly drive Annie mad. At times I wanted to scream, punch a hole in the wall....how can this happen? Why can't she see what's going on? This Libby woman is crazy!
Is it "Annie" or "Nanny" or both? The mind games are infuriating....but in SUCH a good way. I felt like I was heading to the asylum right along with Annie. Or Nanny. Gah!!!
And just when you thought the entire book was full of maddness, there is a mystery woven through it all waiting to be unraveled.
The only issue I had with this book was the rather rushed ending. I felt a little more time could have made the conclusion even better. I wanted revenge.
A wonderful debut from Anna Collomore that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good book that questions what is in fact real, and what is not.
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