The Ruinous Sweep by Tim Wynne-Jones - OPTIONAL

The Ruinous Sweep by Tim Wynne-Jones, 385 pages.  Candlewick, 2018.  $19.  

Language: R (20+ swears, 10 ‘f’); Mature Content: R (sex, drugs, death); Violence: R 

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULT – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Donovan is in the Ruinous Sweep, trapped between life and death, in some nightmare scape. Donovan tries to work out the last night of his life with help from the living and the dead. Once he almost has it solved, he is able to offer clues to his girlfriend via his coma ramblings, to his girlfriend who then takes on the case to solve his father’s murder and his soon to be death in the living world.

Ruinous Sweep is a line from Dante’s Inferno. Wynne-Jones’ writing is very dense and full of ten dollar ACT words, symbolism, and allusions to Dante and other classical works. Although beautiful and well constructed, it is hard to wade through and the average high schooler isn’t going to care enough to make the effort. Perhaps AP students or super fans of Dante or classical literature. Also, the pay off isn’t that great, just like all classic heroes on a journey, they find what they need and the story ends tied up in a happy bow. 

Dina W. - ELA teacher