Ruth Ware’s novel, in a dark, dark wood, brings some realistic human fears to life – fear of the dark, fear of exposure, facing demons from the past, and committing heinous acts without memory of them. Ware has found the correct balance of making the reader care about her characters, a fast moving and addictive plot, and feeling as though all of this could happen to me.
Nora thought she had left the turmoil of childhood behind her when she moved to London, but finds herself attending a bachelorette weekend for a childhood friend that she lost touch with ten years later. Why was she even invited? Throughout the weekend, Nora learns painful truths and has to confront her past while isolated in the woods with only the weekend participants. The glass house they stay in acts as the metaphor that there is no where to hide and all secrets are eventually revealed.
This novel does not need a supernatural element since it deals with the inherently disturbing psyche of people. It turns out that love and attraction, betrayal and lies, tequila and a Ouija board, memory loss and murder are all you need for a thriller that you cannot stop reading – especially on a dark and stormy night with the shades closed!
I know I’ll think again about going away for a bachelorette party…