Pines: Wayward Pines, Book 1

Pines is about a U.S. Secret Service agent, Ethan Burke, who wakes up in a hospital after a car accident in a place called Whispering Pines. He's having a hard time remembering details of his life, things like his home phone number and his wife's name. Of course it doesn't help that no one seems to be able to find his wallet or his phone and he has no money. Don't worry this is not a Bourne Identity trip but altogether much more riveting, a superb mystery thriller with a touch of sci-fi to end. From the beginning everything is filled with mystery and you get the feeling that something is wrong, very wrong and when he eventually remembers he's investigating the disappearance of two fellow Secret Service agents he goes to the town sheriff for assistance. To say the sheriff is less than helpful would be an understatement and throughout you can sense that something is not quite right, even with the townsfolk. Everyone seems all too pleasant in a quirky kind of way. Also he can't seem to get in touch with anyone from the world outside Whispering Pines, not his wife or his boss. His investigation never really gets off the ground, he is not getting answers to the questions he is asking and before he knows it, he is running for his life. Ethan feels such despair that he just wants out of Whispering Pines, the one thing he can't seem to do. A relatively short read but completely enthralling, its compelling reading as Ethan's world disintegrates around him and the end reveal is done exceptionally well. The story is suspenseful, riveting and a gripping page turner, highly recommended. I am a first time reader of Mr. Crouch's and I am really impressed by his writing. I will certainly be reading more from this author. The book had me desperately trying to recall what film it reminded me of but I could not think of anything specific, probably because its that fast paced it reads like watching a movie. Also this is to turned into a TV series, Fox has ordered 10 to 12 episodes and hopes to debut the pilot in 2014 directed by M. Night Shyamalan, if done right this book is perfect for TV.

Colour me surprised, but this was a frightfully enjoyable book. Full of mystery, intrigue and suspense, I finished this in just over 3 days, and would've finished sooner if I didn't have to work! *minor spoiler here* A very unique premise and I had absolutely no idea about what would arrive at the end of the book, so when it happened, I was flat out amazed. An incredible twist, but one I can see would probably upset and alienate a few people, as it's so left-of-centre. *spoilers over* There were some genuinely creepy moments (those children at school - brrrrr), and some great action set pieces. I'm very happy I picked this one up, and I look forward to more from this author in future.

In the afterword, Blake Crouch (is that a real name?) discusses how Twin Peaks influenced him in writing this tale. The legacy is pretty clear but that does not detract from the pace and excitement of the book. The first half especially has a non-stop chase across a secluded town with shades of Wicker Man when it appears that the protagonist is the only one seeing that there is something strange going on. Secret Service agent Ethan Burke is in a carv crash on the outskirts of Wayward Pines township when a truck accident kils his partner and puts him in hospital. His ID and wallet are missing and the local Sheriff clearly knows about this sort of troublemaker. Cue chases and drugging in a mysterious hospital with no patients and the charge nurse who seems more at home in a dojo. This all keeps the reader interested. Eventually Burke makes discoveries - no spoilers here - and the book seems to drift a bit. Some questions I would ask: Don't Secret Service Agents have some backup plans for when they are captured by bad guys? It seems to me that they would at least have a list of phone numbers memorised rather than just one for the office where a 'new secretary' is unable to pass a message to the boss. Also it seems likely that there might be a call centre number and identification method that would allow an agent to verify themselves and get help. The plot has holes I could drive a truck through, but the book is tightly written and I would recommend it as a decent beach read.

I was glued from start to finish although I've got to say that I wished for a different ending. That doesn't mean to say the ending isn't good, it's just that I guess I don't like endings. I don't like people giving me the answer. I like to think I know the answer myself. An example is the TV series LOST which was fantastic until the end and we got the answer and it wasn't the answer I wanted and was a huge let down. Back to the book....quite surreal, slightly creepy, tense, fast paced, puzzling. Everything I like in a book! Here's the thing, I know this story. I'm sure I've seen it on TV either as a movie or a TV series. Thing is my research tells me that it is only just being made into a TV show, due out next year, and there's no mention of it being made into a film, so where I know this story from is a mystery. No I'm not confusing it with Twin Peaks. All that aside, I loved it and well I could quite happily live in Wayward Pines myself. So good I have the sequel waiting for me on my Kindle PaperWhite.

I actually really like this book, I could feel myself thinking as I was reading it "oh yeah that's already happened". It was good to read the book as with all books it goes into a lot more detail than the TV series/movies. In places it was quite creepy and you have a sense of something being very very off with some of the characters. The only thing I can find to fault this book (without giving to much away) is that there is a part of the books where Ethan is up in the mountains, I did find this went on a little to long in the book. I get it was pivotal to the story and certain things happen whilst he is there but after a little while I did start wondering if this bit was going to finish soon. The ending shocked me as well I must be honest, I was not expecting it, which is always a good thing as it made me excited to read the next book.

I read all 3 books in the trilogy in one week and I really enjoyed them. They were all such page turners, especially book 3 ‘The Last Town’, which I consumed in 2 days flat. I have to say though that having finished book 1 ‘Pines’, I made the mistake of trying to watch the TV series, ‘Wayward Pines’. It began in much the same way, but then disappointingly the book and the TV series began to part company in ways that I found extremely irritating and I had to stop watching it. The story begins with Ethan Burke, a Secret Service agent, who wakes up on the banks of a river in the small town of Wayward Pines. He cannot remember who he is or why he is there and he seems to be quite badly injured. He makes his way into town, where despite passing quite a few people, only one asks if he needs an ambulance. He eventually collapses and is taken to the hospital where he seems to be the only patient there. The mysterious Nurse Pam strings him along with regard to his wallet, phone and ID, telling him that she’ll locate these belongings when she never actually does. Ethan remembers that he was sent to Wayward Pines to look for 2 missing colleagues, also Secret Service agents. Frustrated, he leaves the hospital to find one of the missing agents dead, while the other appears much aged and is living in town with a new husband. Ethan finds that no matter how hard he tries, he cannot leave Wayward Pines and desperation sets in. Problematic residents of the town are dealt with harshly and Ethan has now fallen into this category. While trying to escape, he discovers that the town is in a valley surrounded by a large electrified fence and cliffs. He stumbles across a life form called an aberration (‘abbie’). These are unknown to him, yet they are highly intelligent predators that roam outside the fence protecting the town and Ethan begins to re-evaluate his position and he seriously starts to wonder what on earth is going on. The trilogy is well worth a read, but I should warn you that all does not become truly clear until the end of book 3. Don’t read this review any further as it contains spoilers. However, if you have read the trilogy already, I have some questions which are bugging me, if anyone would care to answer them. With the aberrations roaming free, how do the first people emerging from suspension re-build the town, since time will have done its inevitable damage? Surely the electric fence has to go up first as perimeter protection. Who risks their life to go out and do that while the others cower in the mountain cavern complex? I get that the food has been stored in vast quantities, but where does the power come from to run the town, the fence, the mountain and the suspension units? Is it solar power? In a town with more than 6 months of snow? Perhaps I’m just being dense but any comments are very welcome…

Great book but I think Crouch just tries too hard and ends up over-egging his own pudding. Let me explain. This is the third Blake Crouch book I've read and the previous two, Dark Matter and Recursion, I had some major issues with, and I think I've finally realised what my problem with them is. I think he simply adds too much, he tries too hard. Just because you like sugar in your coffee you don't dump ten spoonfuls of it in there because it'll destroy it, you add just enough to make it just right. Someone needs to confiscate Mr Crouch's spoon! My criticisms come from a place of frustration because I love these books, especially this one. Pines is probably my favourite to date, but there's always a section or two in his books where I end up pulling out my hair, or I would if I had any, and screaming 'Why did you do that!' and Pines is just the same. Which is really unfortunate because this book could have made my all-time favourites list. The beginning of the book is a complete mind-bender, a full-on psychological trip. And I was loving it. Not knowing what the hell is going on, and the tension of having to discover at the same pace as the protagonist is fantastic, and Crouch does it brilliantly in this book. But then things degenerate a little into a bit of a trope, but that's ok, I can live with that, until we get to THAT scene. Where the town's entire population, for some unfathomably ridiculous reason in Halloween dress, go on a murder frenzy. NO NO NO! It doesn't work, it makes no sense and it just doesn't fit at all. Why!? I'm trying to be as vague as possible here in case you haven't read the book. But this just cheapens the writing and utterly destroys all the beautiful work Crouch put in prior to this. Then there's the rock-face climb, tense, dramatic and gripping...until the pack of creepy alien-looking creatures turn up out of the blue. NO NO NO! It's not needed! It's cheap titillation which kills the real tension the main character is going through. And the fact that they are dispatched so easily and quickly is just comical. Ok, after all that please let me apologise, I don't usually go off on one like that, but this book could have been so damn good! I've still given it four stars, even though it really, really, should have been a solid five-star book. And yes, I have the second and third books, Wayward and The Last Town, and I will be reading them. I'm actually intrigued to see how a strong and driven man like Ethan manages to handle working under a morally bankrupt man like Pilcher, and the murder frenzying townsfolk of course...if I must.

Having not read for a while through being a busy mum and student, I asked for a novel to read for christmas. This is what I got and it turned out to be the best of my presents! What an amazing story. The synopsis explains all you need to know at the start. It's an exciting thriller and mystery. The pace of the story is excellent, it never fills or drops the pace which I love. The characters are very well rounded and I loved the ending! I didn't see it coming but I love when authors tie up the ending well. A fantastic read for anyone who loves thrillers and an exciting plot which moves quickly.

Una lettura bellissima, scorrevole, che travolge e vuoi sempre di più. Non vedo l'ora di finire questo libro e prendermi il secondo!

A thrilling book, can't wait to read the next one. I wouldn't have guessed it was like a dystopian story.

I picked up Pines after someone recommended it as being relevant to my own work. After looking into the concept (and having a little of it spoiled) I knew it was going to be right up my alley. The novel follows Secret Service agent Ethan Burke on an investigation into Wayward Pines, a tiny, isolated town deep in the mountains of Idaho. On arrival, he’s in a terrible car accident, in which his partner dies. From there, things spiral out of control. The idyllic town is far from what it seems, and soon agent Burke is fighting for his life while attempting to unravel an unbelievable mystery. I can’t say any more without serious spoilers. I enjoyed this book though it wasn’t without its flaws. The story is excellent, and the world Crouch has created is thrilling. I’m definitely going to continue the series, so that should confirm the flaws are relatively minor. I didn’t really like Ethan Burke as a person. Honestly, it wouldn’t have bothered me too much if he died. This wasn’t entirely his fault *redacted due to spoilers*, but the fact remains. I will be interested to see how he develops in the next book. The other niggling issue I had was some of the prose. Most of it is fine, but when emphasizing something Crouch has a habit of using sentences that are oddly formed, and it brought me out of the flow every time. The other aspect that bothered me was some of the descriptions, which veered into unusually (unnecessarily) technical / specific. None of the descriptions were inaccurate, they just didn’t feel like they fit the rest of the prose (or the character’s POV). These are relatively minor gripes, and subjective. I still enjoyed the book and will keep reading the series.

Mistério e ficção científica, absolutamente perfeita combinação!

Not the most original story, it is enjoyable and quite gripping. A bit sifi, a bit weird, a bit horror, it's fast let's you power through it in satisfying time. There are, of course, those few instances where it touches on the believability barrier, but otherwise I thought it was a great diversion from weightier reads. Thank you Mr Crouch for entertaining me. On to the next volume.