I finished One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware yesterday, and I still don’t think I’ve recovered. It’s a story told by Lyla, one of the participants of a new reality show filmed on a remote island in the Indian Ocean. The night after their first day of filming, a storm hits, and they wake to discover that two people have been killed and the boat is nowhere to be seen. Left alone with barely any natural resources, will they be found before they all perish?

The intensity of the survival story was truly through the roof. I’m still reeling from it.  That intensity held me riveted from beginning to end, and I still feel its impact the day after finishing it. The book left me questioning my own capacity for survival and the depths of human cruelty, and I believe it will have a similar effect on anyone who reads it.

The characters are so authentically developed, as are their reactions and interactions.  I could see all of the events coming together, and the feeling completely believable, which added significantly to the intensity.  Man’s inhumanity to man is a well-developed theme that plays out with significant messages.

The only thing I’m not sure how I feel about is the ending. It was somewhat of a surprise, but I’m not sure it was a good surprise. However, it does send a very powerful message about the consequences of our actions. I don’t want to say more, though, because this story will have more impact if you go in as blind as you can.