This book was highly recommended to me by SO many people, that as soon as I saw it at Chapters I knew I had to have it. Not only was it an instant “New York Times Bestseller”, but Reese Witherspoon’s production company picked it up as well, to turn it into a movie. I always trust Reese’s choices, given she had a huge part in making “Gone Girl” into a movie, and she’s suggested several other books online (all of which I have LOVED). This book was EVERYTHING everyone said it would be. Absolutely terrifying, impossible to put down, and just one of the best thrillers I’ve read in years. So so so good. If you guys like psychological thrillers & you are looking for a good Summer Read.. this one is it!

The story is very complex, but also quite terrifying in how ordinary the setting is. It had this feeling of “this could easily happen to anyone”, which was horrifying. The story centers around the main character Nora, who is invited to a Bachelorette Party weekend away, with some old friends she hasn’t seen in years. They lost touch, and it’s hinted at right away that there is some bad blood between her and the Bride, that stems from long ago. Then basically a BUNCH of chilling and seriously disturbing things start to go down. They are secluded in this creepy glass house in the woods, and they start to realize that ….. *drum-roll* they AREN’T ALONE IN THE WOODS. I won’t spoil anything more, but just trust me, it’s amazing. It’s told from two different time jumps, Nora now in the hospital trying to figure out what happened, and then jumping back to tell the story of what really happened. The hazy “what happened last night” that the main character has to piece together, is very reminiscent of the vibe of the incredible book “The Girl on the Train” (which this book was compared to in many reviews). I love that confusing, thrilling “lets piece together the mystery bit-by-bit” vibe.. I just loved this whole thing. I felt like a detective/therapist.

I will attach the book jacket Plot Summary (at the bottom of the post) as well if anyone is interested, xo Carly.

“Sometimes the only thing to fear is yourself. What should be a cozy and fun filled weekend deep in the English countryside takes a sinister turn in Ruth Ware’s suspenseful, compulsive, and darkly twisted debut psychological thriller.”

“Lenora (known to some as Lee, to others as Nora) is a reclusive writer, unwilling to leave her nest of an apartment unless it’s absolutely necessary. But when a friend she hasn’t spoken to in years unexpectedly invites her to a weekend away in an eerie glass house, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. As the first night falls, revelations unfold among friends old and new, and an unnerving memory shatters Nora’s reserve. But before she makes the decision to leave, a haunting realization creeps in: the party is not alone in the woods”

“Forty eight hours later, Nora wakes up in a hospital bed, with the knowledge that someone is dead. Wondering not “what happened?”, but “what have I done?”. Nora tries to piece together the events of the past weekend. Working to uncover secrets, reveal motives, and find answers, Nora must revisit parts of herself that she would much rather leave buried where they belong: in the past”.

“In the vein in Paula Hawkin’s riveting national sensation “The Girl on the Train” and Gillian Flynn’s modern classic “Gone Girl”, this gripping thriller from UK novelist Ruth Ware will have readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.”

(Plot Summary Above: From the book jacket, of Ruth Ware’s “In a Dark, Dark Wood” book. Published by Simon & Schuster.)