Book Review: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
November 2, 2020
I am on a little thriller kick right now, especially with it being autumn, and I think I am going to make this something I do every year. I have always been, at least since I have been able to decide for myself, someone who has read whatever I wanted to whenever I wanted to rather than taking things seasonally, and I am finding that there is a sweetness to doing things in their season.
This was a really quick read. I could not put this book down. It was fast paced and riveting. It follows this travel reporter that gets offered a trip of a lifetime – a trip that could really make her career – while her boss is on maternity leave. This feels like her big break and Lo is nervous about it. She is offered to be a passenger on a small cruise boats maiden voyage. The ship is small enough that it feels out of place calling it a cruise, but it’s elaborate floor plan and jaw-dropping decoration makes Lo feel like she is in over her head. She wants to make sure she does everything how her boss would have done it, but the night before she is to leave there is a break in at her apartment that leaves her so shaken that she considers not going on the cruise. Within the first twenty-four hours of being on the boat she starts awake to the sound of a scream and a splash in the dark waters below. No one seems to believe that she heard these things, and doesn’t take her seriously, but she still has the boldness to dig deeper and trust her gut.
While this was not the best writing, and there were some holes in the plot, the character development of Lo was interesting and she was highly relatable. She was smart and sweet and imperfect. The way that Ruth Ware wrote about her makes you feel like you could imagine being her and thinking through how you would react in Lo’s situation. Ware made Lo bold and strong, even when she was repeatedly not taken seriously, and she was willing to put herself in danger to make sure that this other woman was safe. I love that. I love that she didn’t write her in as a victim, but as someone who was trying to make sure that there was justice.
I recommend this book for a quick and riveting read; for something that is entertaining. If you are looking for something thought provoking or smooth and perfect I would maybe look elsewhere.
