Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Book Review- Ruined

On the plane flight to Denver, I finished reading Ruined by Paula Morris for TeensReadToo.

From Goodreads:

Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes to spend the year while her dad is traveling. She's staying in a creepy old house with her aunt. And at the snooty prep school, the filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she's invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he's got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to talk to Rebecca, and to show her the nooks and crannies of the city. There's just one catch: Lisette is a ghost.

A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle.

As Rebecca learns more from her ghost friend -- and as she slowly learns to trust Anton Grey -- she also uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair?

I think my favorite part of the story was reading all about New Orleans.  I loved reading some of the history of the city and of Mardi Gras.  I went there last spring so it was neat to read about things I have learned. 

This was a fun ghost story.  There were several big twists at the end.  Two of them were complete surprises and one I saw coming.  I really liked the characters of Rebecca and Aurelia.  I found them both believable and Aurelia seemed so cute. 

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 42
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 31
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 29

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free by Jen from TeensReadToo for an honest review.

2 comments:

  1. We at girlsinthestacks.com just read and reviews this book. We agree that the premise was alluring, but the ending was tragic. The sad part is it was cold and calculated on both sides and an alternative to the curse was never sought out. None of the characters were noble.

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  2. I read and reviewed this book as well. I loved the premise and enjoyed, as you did, learning more about New Orleans. The city itself is captivating but the story left me a bit cold. Two of my confusions were why a dad would be in the same city with his daughter but watching from a far?? (how about looking for a solution, dad) and who is the person depicted on the cover of the book? Glad you enjoyed Denver so much!

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