I like when a book doesn't play by the rules. Mystery novels are fine, but no matter how surprising the twists are, they're going to catch the bad guy by the end of it. When I first encountered What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez, I was expecting the the exciting roller coaster ups and downs of a thriller. Instead, Jimenez presents something more quiet and calm, with flashes of noise and terror breaking through and fading away, like a nighttime thunderstorm. It is not a genre fiction story at all.
Ruthy Ramirez, age 13, disappeared in 1996. Twelve years later, her family has disintegrated from the grief. Her father has passed away, leaving her older sister, Jessica, to care for their sickly mother. Shortly after the youngest sister, Nina, returns home from college, the two make a shocking discovery. On a trashy reality show, the sisters see a woman who looks just like a grown-up Ruthy. For the first time in decades, the two have a reason to hope.
The real twist of this book may not be anything that happens in it, but instead what kind of story it turns out to be. I found this to be deeply satisfying. As Jimenez's narrative unfolds, we see the intricacies of the Ramirez family's relationship laid bare. We see how victims of crimes become the objects of spectacle (not unlike reality TV stars). Jimenez wisely invested everything in creating an emotionally taut and thematically dense narrative about a single family coping with tragedy. In fact, it pays off so well that I believe further elaboration would qualify as more of a spoiler than explaining the actual plot of the book.
Whatever Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is something that is better experienced and discussed than described. Jimenez is able to create a subtle, subdued portrait of a family with a lot on its mind. So, if you are in the mood for something a little heavy, but not too long, Whatever Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is right for you.
|
