The Angry Reviewer Strikes Again

Now, I wouldn't expect much from Scott Smith's The Ruins, but for Tannenhaus to give the book to Michiko Kakautani to review is just cruel. Maybe she means to be nice, but she pulls no punches:

The problem is these Wicked Plants — who can speak German as well as English,
and who can mimic cellphone ring tones as well as human voices — are so
ludicrous that they undercut all of the suspense Mr. Smith has managed to create
in the well-turned opening sections of the novel. For that matter, they turn
what might have been a gripping summer beach read into a silly, bloody farce.

"A silly bloody farce." Ouch.

I heard an interview with Smith, and I wouldn't be surprised if this sends him over the edge. He doesn't seem to have much self-esteem anyway. Hopefully he'll know enough to see Michiko's byline and skip the review entirely.