I seldom submit what I think about a book, but in this case I decided to make an exception. I've been looking forward for Smith's second book for years, and I was thrilled at the idea of reading The Ruins. I've just finished it and I don't really know what to make of it. He can definetely be a very good writer and I think that he's done a great job describing human relationships and characters. But the main plot is definetely way too thin. This superintelligent vine is a bit too much even for a Stephen King compulsive reader. What lacks compared to other good horror stories is the "ordinary" component, the plausibility of what we are reading. I could have accepted the eating vine, but the talking one?
In the end, I don't know if I'm going to read an hypotetical third novel. Might be even more disappointing.

Where has the JP that I enjoyed so much gone? I've been so disappointed from the last couple of books (even the Weasel was so unrealistic, not to mention "When the wind blows"!!!) that I made up my mind to give up reading any future book by JP. I really thought that Alex Cross was cool and smart, even though still human. Now we have to cope with a sort of a super-hero with a perfect ever-happy family, whose feelings seem so unrealistic and unnatural. Even the plot wasn't that original (the namecode for the bank robbers is something already seen) and it leaves you without any explanation of the real motives of Mastermind. Finally, I don't want to be forced to buy the next book to find out the meaning of this one. I want to buy a new book because I enjoyed reading the previous one. It looks like a bad marketing technique!!!!