The Ruins: 
 Four friends go backpacking in Mexico for vacation and meet tourists who tell them about some ruins nearby. Lusting for more adventure than the typical tourist attractions, the two couples decide to accompany a recently met friend to find his missing brother who was an archeologist at the jungle ruins already and hasn't been seen or heard from in days. Things quickly go South when the friends are trapped at the ruins by the natives who live in a nearby town. Why won't the natives let them leave? They'll soon find out the dark, nasty truth about the ruins. 
 What I liked: 
 At almost every turn I read conflicting reviews about The Ruins. It seems that the general consensus is you either love it or hate it. Me? I thought it was one of the best horror novels I've read. I saw the movie which I thought was pretty bad. The book is so much better. It's bigger, badder, bloodier, and downright merciless. What these kids go through is absolutely brutal and unforgiving. You will feel bad for them, and what, at first, seemed like a stereotypical bunch of annoying college kids turns into a group you really start to root for. That's what I liked so much about The Ruins. It takes genre conventions and flip-flops them. I ended up really liking the characters and feeling absolutely terrible for them. I won't give away any specifics but gore-hounds will love this. It's sick and nasty horror that will literally get under you skin, guaranteed. 
 What I didn't like: 
 I found it to be somewhat anticlimactic. The book ends just as something very interesting is happening and it practically begs for a sequel, which sadly I fear will never see the light of day. Scott Smith has a few trades and writing books doesn't seem to be at the top of his list. A shame, really. 
 What I really didn't like: 
 Every time I walk into a garden I remember this book and know true botanical fear.