About This Book
"The Ruining" follows 18-year-old Annie Phillips, who seeks a fresh start as a nanny for a seemingly perfect family on Belvedere Island, hoping to escape the lingering guilt from her younger sister's death. However, her new employer, Libby Cohen, quickly reveals a deeply controlling and manipulative nature, drawing Annie into a terrifying psychological struggle. This chapter book, best suited for mature middle schoolers and early high schoolers (ages 12-16), explores themes of grief, vulnerability, and the insidious nature of psychological abuse. Parents should be aware of the intense emotional content and the portrayal of a character with psychopathic tendencies.
Still feeling guilty over the death of her little sister leaves eighteen-year-old Annie vulnerable when she takes a nanny job in beautiful Marin County, California, and meets her very controlling employer.
Character Death
mental_health_themes
peril_danger
bullying
Discussion Prompts
1
How does Annie's guilt over her sister's death make her vulnerable to Libby's manipulation?
2
What are some signs that Libby is a controlling or dangerous person?
3
How does Annie try to cope with her situation, and what would you have done differently?
4
The book deals with psychological manipulation. What does that mean, and why is it so hard to recognize and fight against?
5
How do the beautiful setting of Marin County and the 'picture-perfect' Cohen family contrast with the dark events unfolding?
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