Book Review: The Ruining by Anna Collomore

The Ruining
by Anna Collomore
Release Date: February 7th, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Library
Hardcover, 313 pages
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Goodreads Summary: 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.

Cindy's Review:
At First Glance/The Cover:
Okay. That half underwater thing grabbed me. I'm a person who does not like to read mental books and suicidal things. And all those scary, crazy house stuff. But it just grabbed at me. Although this book doesn't portray a mental illness information in it, mental  illness wasn't actually the big thing. If you get what I mean. Mental illness didn't cause what had happened.

The Characters/Summary:
Annie - Annie's mother is an alcoholic addict. Her step-father, is a controlling jerk. And Annie thinks she killed her little sister. When she sees an advertisement in town for a nanny in California, Annie grabs at a chance to leave. Everything. The small town. Her broken family. There was nothing much she still wants or need in her town.

Libby - Libby was nice. Supporting. Helpful. Gorgeous. Just what you expect from a perfect, young mother. But towards the fourth chapter of the book, I suspect Libby of having mood swings. She gets all mad for simple reasons. I don't even know. I want to love Libby, but there was just a nagging feeling. Even without reading the blurb. LOL. Then, Libby became two-faced. It was that she became two different persons.

Walker - Let's see. He's what you get from a somewhat perfect man. He has everything. A big house. The perfect family. A boy and a girl. And the perfect wife. The perfect job. The perfect money. Everything around him shines perfect. The perfect temper. He allowed Annie to have a rest even when she's supposed to be working. And sometimes he could be strict, but he's nice. But in real life, it's more of an illusion. Nothing can be THAT perfect. Of course, Walker doesn't realize it till it's too late. Or is it?

Zoe - I think Zoe actually took a part in this. Zoe was the reason Annie became a nanny in the first place. Because Libby needed help taking care of Zoe. Zoe is like a super duper cutie. That little girl likes Annie a lot. And sadly, unloved by her mother. Her mother as in Libby. Libby. Libby. Ugh. Now that I finished the book, I just wanna kill her! She's just so goddamn evil. Ohmergerd. I feel sad for poor Zoe. ;( <       That was a spoiler. Highlight to see, but skip if you haven't read the book.  

Towards the middle of the book, I got all confused. I had no idea what's going to happen next. And I had to debate two things that was actually happening. It's either Annie really does have a mental illness Reasons to support this: She called her mom's number and her mom answered and said she had no daughter. Or maybe that really happen. And she got crazy over a yellow room in a book or something.... or Libby is a controlling witch It doesn't mean she's a witch. It just means she's actually the evil person in the book. Because nothing seemed wrong with Annie when was with Owen. 

Oh. That reminds me. I forgot the boy. OMG. 

Owen - So Owen is like the only thing in Annie's new life that seems like she's not having mental issues. He's the only reality. Or the only dream. In this case. But Owen helped Annie a lot throughout the book, especially the end. Owen was the one. The one who pulled Annie back towards sanity. And see what really was insanity. 

Okay. I tried to sound cool. But I end up sounding stupid and all confusing...

Final Thoughts:
This book definitely messed with my head. I got all confused. I was frustrated. But not that frustrated that I threw the book across the room and cry. LOL. I actually done that once. Not across the room. Just on the table. Because it was on my Nook. And I didn't want it to break. 

When I get frustrated, I try to imagine out a better scene. Like most often, it involves a boy. And the girl. Doing something else. And forgetting everything else. Yeah. LOL. But in this book, I was too anxious to see what was going to happen in the end. Because like I said, that book messed with my head so bad, my brain was probably spinning trying find the reality of the book. 

Of course, I got the satisfactory ending. And finding reality. It's cruel, but at least it's not consecutive nightmares.

The Rating: (1-10): 8.4~

Happy Reading~