This was the worst book I have ever downloaded. It had such promise - got off to a great start. I kept on listening to the very end, hoping that something might happen. No such luck! Don't waste your time.

I purchased this audio book based primarily on the fact that Stephen King recommended it. Until now I have been happy to listen to almost any book while driving, but I'm now at approximately the half-way point and don't think I can keep on listening all the way to the end of this one. I find it particularly annoying that whereas the men portrayed in the book are courageous, inventive and intelligent; the women always think and act like three-year-old children.

This book was about 8 hours too long. The author seemed to be stretching out every detail beyond capacity to attempt to make the book more memorable or iconic than it could ever hope to be. The conflict between characters was consistently forced and unrealistic and often started with a phrase such as: "He/she knew he/she shouldn't be reacting this way, but...." meaning it didn't even make sense to the author but happened anyway in a failed attempt to raise tension. In addition, as soon as the horror aspects finally kicked in, the author felt compelled to make details of normal activities as disgusting and crude as possible...."the semen squirted/sprayed....his shit came out like squeezing toothpaste from a tube...." seriously??? There's a time and a place for gross detail and bodily functions that are unrelated to plot is not one of them. It was all downhill from there. The author apparently also decided that saying "Shh" to someone was the ONLY way comfort them in any situation from relationship trouble, to facing their mortality with starvation....to being in mind and soul-splitting agony from a terrible injury. One star was generous. This was in the top 10 of the worst books I've heard on audible so far. Patrick Wilson narrated well, though. That's something.

The Ruins has been compared to Preston and Child's The Relic but I don't know why. This was one BORING story. The "build up" just went on entirly too long. Like a good scary read with monsters, mystery and a good plot?- skip The Ruins and run to The Relic or any of the books by Douglas Preston and Lincol Child.

I don't understand, this was such a highly regarded novel and it did so well. It's boring, the characters are flat, the plot never develops...and it just trudges along. The builds up the entire book towards only on resolution and then mindless moves the characters on that path. The only surprising thing in this was book was just how unbelievably predictable it was.

I spent 14 hours just rooting for the characters to die so I could finish off this book and move on to something else.

There goes 14 hours of my life I will never get back!
I don't usually write reviews but felt I should warn others not to waste their money especially since "This is Audible" radio show has been touting this book again because it was released in paperback.

Book and narrator were equally boring!

Unbelievable repeating; creepy, but unexciting. Characters uninteresting.

awful, boring, depressing, waste of time

I spend much time in my car for work listening to audio books, well over 100 books so far. This is my choice for one of the worst books I have ever listened to. Tedious is an understatement. You know exactly how it is going to turn out and it takes forever to get there. It will make your drive seem longer rather than shorter.

This would make a great three disc set. Unfortunately it's 14 discs long. My second worst audio book purchase.