Ruin Road

Title: Ruin Road by Lamar Giles
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Genre: Horror, Young Adult, Fantasy, Thriller
Themes: Racism, Fear and survival, Generational trauma
Culture: Black

When They See Us…..

One of the best horror stories I have read in a long time, Ruin Road by Lamar Giles tackles fear, revenge, and racism where the horror story is not what it seems. Cade Webster lives between worlds - a standout football star at the right school but lives in the wrong neighborhood. Everywhere but home, people are afraid of him for one reason or another. Afraid he's too big, too fast, too ambitious, too Black. Then one fateful night, to avoid a dangerous encounter with the police, he ducks into a pawn shop. An impulse purchase and misspoken desire change everything when Cade tells the shopkeeper he wishes people would stop acting so scared around him, and the wish is granted...

I quickly read Ruin Road with ease; every moment was a page turner and filled me with dread as I followed Cade in his senior year of high school and his life. With a fast-paced plot, I had no trouble keeping up with the storylines and characters. Giles seamlessly transitions from one scene to another and compels you to keep reading until you don’t want to put the book down. It is one of the best writing styles I have seen, I only know of one other author (Nikki May) who also has an amazing writing style. The ending of Ruin Road left me full of emotions, I was confounded and torn. It’s bittersweet but it is the perfect ending. It’s a plot twist I was not expecting but I couldn’t see it ending any other way.

Giles pours LIFE into his characters on every page – none of these characters are surface level with each getting their time to shine throughout the novel. I found them all relatable from Cade trying to navigate attending a prestigious high school where there are few who look like him to Book who never seems to make the right decision – a morally gray character at his finest! Each character learns how to find their voice (literally) and how to survive the difficulties they encounter from day to day. Despite their flaws which play into their stories, they evoked empathy and compassion from me as I read the story.

Although, Ruin Road has all the hallmarks of a horror novel – curses, talisman, revenge, and death there is yet another horror story just below surface. A horror story that for many is an everyday occurrence; a recurring nightmare that never seems to end. The perception of black people, specifically black men, by others is a horror as old as time. The deeply rooted fear and angst that births racism due to perceived danger is all too common for black men; men who are simply trying to live their lives to the fullest. This is the TRUE horror story within this novel that ultimately becomes the premise and beginning of Cade’s plight and ultimately uproots his whole life. Giles thoughtfully and intentionally interweaves racism in a subtle but bold way through microaggressions, off color comments, and more into the plot of Ruin Road putting new meaning to ‘a cursed life’. He gives a deep dive into what its like to be a black man in America, a black man from ‘the other side of the tracks’ (as they say) and the difficulties of navigating everyday life, of wanting more for yourself and those around you. As tough as this horror story is to read, Giles brings empathy and compassion into the story through Cade and the pivotal moments he encounters in his life. Giles gives an open and honest look at the black community and its people, from their struggles to the barbershop – a safe haven and of course a place of gossip.

As a black mother raising a son, this book hit close to home for me. It’s been a long time since I have felt this passionate about a book, and I read a lot of books. There is so much more that can be discussed with this book, so many deeper conversations that need to be had with our family and friends about the themes explored in Ruin Road. I challenge you to read this book with an open heart and open mind, especially if you love horror books that explore and blend nightmares with reality. Ruin Road by Lamar Giles is a must read!