
"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.