Ruthless
by Carolyn Lee Adams (Goodreads Author)
A spine-tingling debut about the ultimate game of cat-and-mouse in reverse as a teen struggles to retain hope—and her sanity—while on the run from a cunning and determined killer.
Ruth Carver has always competed like her life depends on it. Ambitious. Tough. Maybe even mean. It’s no wonder people call her Ruthless.
When she wakes up with a concussion in the bed of a moving pickup truck, she realizes she has been entered into a contest she can’t afford to lose.
At a remote, rotting cabin deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ruth’s blindfold comes off and she comes face-to-face with her captor. A man who believes his mission is to punish bad girls like Ruth. A man who has done this six times before.
The other girls were never heard from again, but Ruth won’t go down easy. She escapes into the wilderness, but her hunter is close at her heels. That’s when the real battle begins. That’s when Ruth must decides just how far she’ll go in order to survive.
Back home, they called her Ruthless. They had no idea just how right they were. (less)
I really wanted Ruthless to work. I mean, it’s so exciting and terrifying and THRILLING in the description, but WHY OH WHY? The author completely ruins it and sounds like she barely manages to finish the story. It's just not "spine-tingling." It has a perfect premise but poor execution. It's a book I'd read only once and only because it has such an interesting premise.Ruth Carver has always competed like her life depends on it. Ambitious. Tough. Maybe even mean. It’s no wonder people call her Ruthless.
When she wakes up with a concussion in the bed of a moving pickup truck, she realizes she has been entered into a contest she can’t afford to lose.
At a remote, rotting cabin deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ruth’s blindfold comes off and she comes face-to-face with her captor. A man who believes his mission is to punish bad girls like Ruth. A man who has done this six times before.
The other girls were never heard from again, but Ruth won’t go down easy. She escapes into the wilderness, but her hunter is close at her heels. That’s when the real battle begins. That’s when Ruth must decides just how far she’ll go in order to survive.
Back home, they called her Ruthless. They had no idea just how right they were. (less)
Let’s talk about Ruth, the MC. She’s a horse trainer who is all about winning; riding students call her Ruthless behind her back, and she runs the farm pretty much on her own. She has a family that really isn’t a family, and a friend who may be her boyfriend if she lets him. Her red hair attracts the unwanted attention of a stalker/serial killer, who abducts her from her family range. She escapes from his clutches, and he chases her. She abducts him and he escapes. Repeat. Throw in some ridiculous people who won’t help a naked girl asking them to call 911 and who says a serial killer is out to get her. What do they do? Kick her out of the house and warn her off with a rifle. Just. No.
Really, that’s all to it. Through flashbacks we get to know the serial killer, Jerry T. Balls, who has a history of abuse forced upon him by redheaded girls and women, which causes his hatred of redheads. Before Ruth, he actually wants to stay clean of his “vice” and has been dating a woman for several months. Then BAM, he’s fired from his job on the range because Ruth doesn’t like him and her stupid father tells Jerry T. Balls exactly that, “my daughter doesn’t feel comfortable around you.” Why would a parent casually toss that fact to a relative stranger who may or may not be a recovering serial killer (if that’s even a thing). He quickly escalates and eventually whacks Ruth on the head and totes her away. Ruth is not the first kidnapped girl, as there are six girls before her, all murdered and buried in a shady little cabin.
There are a lot of this book that I don’t get. Is the South a complete wilderness that stretches for miles without human civilization? Maybe? Because if that’s the case, this plot would work. It would show how strong and brave Ruth is. Let’s rant about the couple who wouldn’t help Ruth, because it’s just so unbelievable. If I open the door to a naked, wounded girl shivering and asking me to call the police, I would. Even if she’s on meth or raving mad, I wouldn’t close the door on her, because that’s simply not a human thing to do. And if I find her rifling through my garbage cans and eating thrown-away food, I’d give her SOMETHING to eat. That’s the main problem I find with this book. And the fact it doesn’t really have a climax.
On the whole, I like the idea of a kidnapped girl fighting her way home and defying a psychopath monster, but the book could be better with a more defined plot-line. Sometimes I hate how Ruth randomly looks up and talk to the moon, but I find myself liking her and rooting for her to claw her way home. During her journey she discovers more about herself and reexamines her Ruthlessness. So, even though the plot is a bit flat, if you like a bit of a thrill and a kick-ass heroine, Ruthless is the book for ya.
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