Review: I Will Ruin You: A Novel by Linwood Barclay

I Will Ruin You is the latest novel by Linwood Barclay that is once again a worthy addition to his bibliography that features fast-paced narrative, witty dialogues and plot twists. This novel will provide the tension and the intensity which is expected by the readers of the Barclay’s novels. The plot develops in the small town, where everyone has his price and the dark-sinned past is always close behind. The protagonist in the story is a confusing man with a hidden past and as soon as the story begins, the protagonist finds himself in a dangerous game of chase and escape that will leave readers breathless.

The way Barclay narrates his books has not changed; he continues to be captivating and rather descriptive to the extent of painting a picture of the environment and people. The small town setting is very well thought out where the audience feels the increasing sense of tension, or rather the feeling of being boxed in. Even the most insignificant characters have their own speaking style, which makes the world, in which the story is set, believable. Barclay is very good at creating suspense, and I Will Ruin You is no exception to that. Since the first chapter, the reader is caught in a whirl of suspense and mystery which is further established in subsequent chapters.

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The main character, who is rather ordinary yet complex and is one of the most outstanding characters created by Barclay. One cannot be sure whether internal conflict is as real as external ones, but they do represent the psychological and physical trip of the characters. When secrets of the characters from the past start emerging gradually, the reader finds himself or herself wondering who is trustworthy and what is actually true. A reader can easily be confused between what is right and wrong, good and evil due to Barclay’s skillful handling of the truth. This is one of the aspects of the novel’s plot that makes it rather dark and the characters seem less black and white.

I Will Ruin You is a fast-paced novel. Barclay leaves no stone unturned and each chapter is more thrilling than the other and is ushered in at break neck speed. The suspense rises gradually making the plot become more and more twisted with the unfolding of each secret. The plot is complex, and the author uses it to create suspense, so the reader is unable to predict the outcome. This is especially true at some point in the story where just when the audience or the reader of the story thinks he or she has figured it out, Barclay pulls another one out of the hat. This particular aspect of unpredictability is one of the novel’s greatest assets, which is why the reader cannot set the book aside.

It was not all good though as the fast pacing of the story also had some drawbacks. What is more, some readers may feel confused with a number of twists and turns throughout the book because they can easily lose themselves and fail to understand all the topics mentioned. Barclay brings in a lot of characters and storylines and while most of them are resolved, it is at times difficult to keep track of what is going on. The amount of information provided is a lot and this may be overwhelming for some readers who are used to simple prose. Nonetheless, for the reader who likes a well thought out, tangled plot, this novel will be a piece of cake.

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As much as Barclay has been successful in creating suspense, he has equally been successful in creating characters. The focus is laid on the main character’s evolution while the secondary characters are no less significant. Instead of being plot tools each of them has their unique personalities and motives and thus they seem like real people. The characters are complex with their interactions involving a lot of tension and distrust and people betraying one another as the story progresses. Barclay is also very good at maintaining the reader’s interest in these characters despite their actions that may be more foolish or, in some cases, entirely evil.

It is also interesting to note that the novel I Will Ruin You does address the question of revenge and justice. It tells us the extents to which people are willing to go to in an effort to correct what they feel is an injustice and the repercussions of such actions. While reading Barclay’s books, the reader gets the impression of the author’s desire to demonstrate the worst aspects of human nature, and it is for this reason that the ethical questions posed in this book are extremely valuable. In this case, the roles of the victim and the villain are interchanged making the reader really confused about what is really right or wrong.

Thus, setting is one of the main components of the novel as the small town can be considered as one of the characters of the story. The geographical location of the town enhances the feeling of alienation and suspicion that is so predominant in the novel. People are always interfering with one another’s affairs and people cannot keep secrets to themselves. This results to a pressure cooker effect where tensions are always high and ready to rise at any instant. Barclay does a good job with this aspect and the setting also adds to the tension and the mood of the novel as well.

One more thing that can be mentioned about the book I Will Ruin You is that it has good dialogue. Barclay, however, excels in realistic dialogue, which always conveys character and advances the story. Many of the developments of the conversations between characters are filled with hidden motives which make the plot more complex. The dialogue also helps to develop the characters so that the reader gets to know the kind of people they are and what they are likely to do. Any type of the conversation in this novel may be acute, but the dialogues are always brilliant.

And yet, even with all its merits, I Will Ruin You has its problems. A few readers might feel that the ending is a little contrived by virtue of having a neat bow put on it and all the issues brought to a neat conclusion. In relation to the main plot line, the resolution may appear to be a little lackluster after the excitement of the rollercoaster ride. Also, the main character has an intricate and detailed past while some of the other characters get less attention than is deserving. Some of them feel underdeveloped, which is quite a pity given the amount of potential, that their background suggested.

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It is also important to draw attention to the structure of the novel. Barclay uses complex structure, which is based on the usage of the flash backs during the main events. It is helpful to get more of the characters’ background and motives, but sometimes the back and forth is a little confusing. Though somehow abrupt, the changes from past to the present are managed well enough, somewhat losing the narrative for a few scenes. Still, the non-linear structure does not hinder the suspense of the narrative, as the reader is gradually given pieces of information that gradually reveal the whole picture.

The other asset of the novel is the Barclay’s prose. The author’s style of writing is simple and concise and where necessary complicated but not to the point of making the readers overwhelmed by details that might hinder their imagination. He could well be a master at this; painting the picture of a heated argument in an ill-lit narrow street or the calm before the storm in a brightly lit park in the middle of the day. The descriptive passages are integrated into the narrative and the dialogue and the action without jarring the reader. Barclay employs plain language in his writing but he writes in a scholarly manner which will appeal to a diverse audience.

Another theme, which is also evident in the novel, is the theme of identity and as it is seen the main character has a problem with accepting his past life. This internal struggle is matched with the external ones that they experience, and that makes it for the novel to have a theme of duality. Barclay does not ram this theme down the reader’s throat as it were but lets it evolve progressively throughout the book. This layer of complexity only enhances the protagonist’s character making his story all the more interesting to follow.

I Will Ruin You is also great composition in terms of its portrayal of technology and its role in our existence. It also includes themes such as technological exploitation of people and the absence of privacy in the world where technology dominates people’s lives. The themes are integrated into the plot of Barclay’s novel smoothly without the sensation of the author trying to jam social issues down the readers’ throat. Technology is incorporated into the novel and its application appears to be very relevant in the present time and adds another dimension to the tension.

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The other feature that I liked in I Will Ruin You is action scenes. As with all of Barclay’s books, there are some good action scenes and some of them are quite tense and fast paced keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. It makes the scenes very intense, and the danger very palpable, which is why these are some of the most effective scenes in the book. Barclay provides sufficient motion in the novel and at the same time includes periods of reflection in the story to make the reader interested all through.

It also needs to be pointed out that the novel is about power relations between individuals and groups. Thus Barclay provides an insight into how power is exercised and how it is misused at the individual and organisational level. There is always a struggle for dominance in the novel in terms of the power dynamics in the several areas of life such as in relationships, employment, or society. This theme is especially important in the contemporary society as questions of power and domination dominate the discussions of social and political nature. The explored theme by Barclay contributes to the novel another level of meaning, so it is not only the thriller.

However, as mentioned earlier, I Will Ruin You does have a fair share of the black comedy in it. Barclay has a great sense of humor and there are few gory scenes which bring some lightness into the series though it is a thriller. These moments are well-incorporated and do not look forced at all, which is a good thing because it gives a bit of relief in an otherwise high-stakes narrative. The jokes also have a function of making the characters appear more realistic, and therefore familiar.

In conclusion, allow me to state that I Will Ruin You is a novel that will grab the reader’s attention and does not let it go until the very end. The author, Barclay, has done a good job in the way he has developed the plot, his characterization and the dialogue used. I do not think that it is possible to say that the novel has many significant weaknesses, especially, if to take into consideration the problem of pacing and the secondary characters’ development into account. In this sense, the issues of revenge and justice, identity and power are revealed and developed in a manner which makes the novel a profound and stimulating as well as an enjoyable one.

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Pros:

• Exciting and fast moving storyline with many incidents and surprises.
• The protagonist is well defined and the internal conflict is explained in an interesting manner.
• The realistic and sharp language used in the book enables the author to develop the characters further and the plot to advance.
• Relevance of elements of the play like revenge, justice, the issue of identity, power struggle, among others.
• Details that bring out the setting and create the feel of the scene.
• A good combination of staking the action, building the suspense, and strengthening the inner life of the character.
• Irony which can be defined as the employment of humor in the narrative.

Cons:

• Some of the drawbacks are that the story’s events are too fast-paced and full of twists and turns to the extent that some of the readers may find it hard to keep up with the flow of the story.
• It is also noteworthy that some of the secondaries are somewhat sketchy.
• Some might find the conclusion being a little too predictable and too happy.

• However, it must be said that non-linear approach to storytelling can get confusing at some points.
• The resolution might look rather simplistic after the viewer has been exposed to all the dramatic action in the main plot.

In conclusion, I Will Ruin You is a compelling psychological thriller that does not disappoint and is likely to give its readers both suspense and food for thought while enthralling them. Regardless of whether you are a reader familiar with Linwood Barclay’s books or you are going to read his books for the first time, this novel will create a lasting impression.

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