Pines

I am pretty sure you all are going to be talking about Wayward Pines pretty soon. July 2014. Fox TV debut of Manoj Night Shyamalan. Did that pique your interest? So hang on while I let you in on the blockbuster phenomenon that is actually a thriller/horror series called Wayward Pines by Blake Crouch.If there is a word that captures the whole Wayward Pines trilogy, that in my dictionary would be Electrifying. Slick action thriller rolled in tight with horror, science-fiction and dystopian elements, this whole series kicks ass like no other.I haven’t been itching to finish a series like this for a long time. Miriam Black by Chuck Wendig came close – a real balls-to-the-wall visceral experience. But this reading has been a much more wholesome and fulfilling experience. A fire that burns through and consumes you. A little s***-kicker of a thriller with plot twists and action galore. Blake Crouch really knows how to keep you dangling by the barest of the thread, crouched on the balls of your feet, ready to explode into action with every dark blind corner you take on this ride. It’s a confusing ride, pretty much like our main protagonist Secret Service Agent Ethan Burkes who’s barely hanging on for the ride – as jumpy as ever, suspicious and untrusting of every leaf that flutters, back from a bout of short term amnesia, battered and bruised beyond belief and an emotional train wreck. Almost two-thirds through the first book, this is pretty much how you will feel. Lost and bumbling like a wet rat caught in a sandstorm. And the storm blows like crazy before you find your feet.This kind of thrill ride without any destination might turn off a lot of readers but for me, I loved the journey and I trust the driver blindly. God only knows why, but the Fantasy Book Critic review of both books was the stamp of approval enough for me to take this plunge.As I said before, electrifying.So a brief about the story from the first book and I will try and keep this free of spoilers as much as possible. Secret Service Agent Ethan Burkes arrives in the idyllic town of Wayward Pines in Idaho – surrounded by tall pine tree forests and insurmountable mountains on all sides to investigate the mysterious disappearance of two agents who had landed here two weeks before – he is involved in a horrific accident that leaves him with partial memory loss. But when he recovers, his interactions with the town residents, in particular the sheriff, makes him realize there is something wrong with the whole town itself. He also finds out that he is not able to reach his wife and kids in Boise or his handler within the agency. Dead bodies turning up, mysterious bar-tenders who disappear, a psychiatrist and a nurse who seem hell bent on harming him than curing and a whole town of kooks who love nothing more than shooting the breeze during day time and take part in blood fetes at night. It gets murky and weirder by the page. And things take a decidedly uglier turn when he attempts to escape the town. Book One, Pines is dedicated to him discovering the horrifying truth behind this idyllic town.Blake Crouch writes a crackerjack of a novel that is so well paced throughout that I found myself distancing myself from my normal life just so I could read that extra chapter. I haven’t stayed up late night to finish a book like this. The plot twists are simply spectacular and they hit you out of nowhere. Especially the big reveal at the end of book one left me agape and thinking for days after.Naturally I couldn’t resist the second book – again up on promo prices of $2 on Kindle and I went click-click. I was curious to see where Blake would take Ethan after that ending. And naturally my anticipations were sky high. Book two took my expectations and blew them away. While book one was a super-fast paced thriller purely from Ethan’s perspective – delirious, lost and heart jackhammering from all that fear and adrenaline as he stumbled from one plot twist to the next – book two widens the gamut of characters and we get a much rounder view of the larger plot at play here. It gets even much more cagey – a larger game of survival. With clear genre-bending elements that expand the world setting that Blake builds up, book two hits the ball out of the park. It’s very difficult to actually write anything about the plot without spoiling it for the readers unfamiliar with Blake’s first book on Wayward Pines. So I would let you as a reader – immerse and soak yourself up – in this entirely mind-blowing spectacular thrill ride.It’s a blistering read and a thoroughly satisfying thriller that should strike the right chords with a reader. With a climax that ups the ante and the stakes like crazy, I cannot wait for the last installment in the series now. Plus with Manoj Night Shyamalan going to make his TV debut with this being televised on FOX debuting in July this year, the interest levels are going to be stratospheric. Hit the moon and back. Take the plunge and you won’t be disappointed! This one's a 5-star through and through.

I am new to this author - I've only read one other book of his before this one, which was "Run", and I really enjoyed that one as well. But this one I liked a bit more, actually, when I originally anticipated it to be the other way around.I tend to give vague reviews on purpose just because as a writer myself I tend to get carried away sometimes and before I know it I'm spilling the beans, but just to give a little background on this book - A secret service agent suffers a near fatal car accident en route trying to locate two missing agents that disappeared in the little haven of Wayward Pines and he wakes up with a serious case of amnesia. Well, it turns out to be something far serious than that...From that moment onward the lead character, Ethan Burke, is in the thick of it. Nothing around him is what it seems - not the townspeople nor the town itself. Adding to the mix, he can't find his ID or other possessions proving he is who he says he is and nobody seems to want to help himcontact his family or superiors on the outside.The discoveries this man makes while trying to find a way out of this "paradise" would make any person insane. I won't give anything away, but this Ethan Burke is not one to take anything lying down and he was determined to get to the bottom of Wayward Pines if it killed him - and it nearly does when all is said in done.In the end there is a twist I doubt any person could see coming. As I've said, this is my second book from this author and one thing I notice about Mr. Crouch is that he loves twists. So do any other avid fan of thrillers. This book was very psychological. So much so that when the cat was finally out of the bag, it had me thinking about the fate of humanity.For a while I only read Mr. Stephen King exclusively before finally branching out to Mr. Dean Koontz (who's been around just as long), but I was looking for someone fresh and I am elated with Mr. Blake Crouch (come on, you know someone with a cool name like "Blake" has to be kick-ass.) I like how from first paragraph, the lead character was up shit's creek. You knew that from the first paragraph and onward. There were scenarios posed in this book I just wasn't sure how even a fictional character could get out of it. But Mr. Crouch not only got Ethan out of some very intense scenarios, he did so in surprisingly believable ways. It wasn't just someone trying to look for an opening so they would make sense.And his descriptions of suffering...really, you are just in agony with the character. Both in this book and his other one, Run, he describes the character's suffering with such clarity that it made me glad to be sitting in my recliner in my warm home reading this as supposed to the people I was reading about.I just purchased Thicker Than Blood, the complete Andrew Z. Thomas trilogy and I was hooked on the first book in the series just from the sample of it I read at the end Pines.Mr. Crouch is a very phenomenal writer and I do believe he is my new favorite author. My only small beef might be with his comfort of using broken sentences. He did it frequently in Run as well and I guess that is just his writing style. Either way, I don't feel it takes away from the thrilling content of his novels, but it is a bit of a nuisance.

If you like the shows, Twin Peaks and From, you'll love this book. (Remain calm. Thats not a spoiler, its totally different. I'm not a monster). This book is a very easy, "quick weekend" read and action *packed*. By the end, mentally you feel like the main character and you 100% will have to sit back and go, "Woah...Wild adventure.." The author did great with jumping back and forth to various points of time in the story line. The transitions did not feel rushed or just shoved in for dramatic effect. The flow was smooth. I will be getting the rest of the trilogy. Worth the read. On a final note: I enjoyed how this author doesn't just be wordy to be wordy or to sound more sophisticated. He knows how to do it right, the balance is perfect and the mental imagery is there without unnecessary explanations. Well done.

"The man checked the pockets of his slacks, and then of his single-breasted coat.No wallet. No money clip. No ID. No keys. No phone.Just a small Swiss Army knife in one of the inner pockets.*******By the time he's reached the other side of the park, he was more alert and more confused, and the pulsing in his cervical spine wasn't painless any longer.He knew six things:The name of the current President.What his mother's face looked like, though he couldn't recall her name or even the sound of her voice.That he could play the piano.And fly a helicopter.That he was thirty-seven years old.And that he needed to get to a hospital."The above is directly quoted from the novel.As the man begins to explore his surroundings, the strangely passive and bored people who are strolling about the streets and parks and restaurants ignore him after cautious glances. He finally checks out a phone directory, and he discovers he is in Wayward Pines, Idaho.The people he stops do not care about him. In fact, they seem a little hostile. The little town of 500 residents reminds him of 1950's America, but its remarkable quaint charm, with tall mountains all around enclosing the small municipality, is slightly ominous. He needs food and medical attention for his bloody wounds, yet everyone ignores him.He passes out. When he recovers consciousness, he is in a hospital bed in which he suddenly remembers is where he had been. However, things are still extremely peculiar. The hospital is empty of patients, nurses and doctors, except for the nurse attending him. In fact, there is no activity at all, anywhere. He wants his phone, wallet, ID. The nurse explains she thinks the Sheriff has his stuff.Slowly, Ethan Burke begins to recall certain things: he was in a car accident. He is married with a child. He came from the Seattle office of the United States Secret Service. He is an agent, and he came to Wayward Pines to search for two missing agents who disappeared, and he was in the car with another agent, Stallings. No one knows anything about Stallings.Obviously, his next step is getting to a phone. When the nurse remains unhelpful, he sneaks out of the hospital to seek out the Sheriff. Soon, he will have his money, a phone, and answers.Except, he can't find the Sheriff in his office. The people he does meet are not actually working . They are only going though the motions. And no one wants to help him at all. He knows he is in trouble, serious trouble. He is hungry, thirsty, cold and when he finally finds a phone, no one he calls picks up.What is going on?I could not put the book down! It is intense, exciting, fast-paced. There is a lot of nasty violence, action and mystery. Frankly, I could not understand how Burke was still moving and conscious after the terrible and horrific struggles he undergoes to get answers from the strange people of Wayward Pines.I think this is a fun macho dystopia. Be prepared for an amazing conclusion!

Pines is the first book in Blake Crouch’s Wayward Pines trilogy. The author gives readers creative world-building and a struggling main character. Secret Service agent Ethan Burke had just arrived in Wayward Pines to locate two missing federal agents. He and a fellow agent are immediately involved in a severe vehicle accident. Ethan comes to in a hospital without his identification, cell phone, wallet, and briefcase. As the days pass, he’s unable to get satisfactory answers to his questions. Additionally, he’s unable to contact his wife Theresa or his boss. No one seems to believe he’s who he says he is.Ethan Burke comes across as confused and full of self-doubt, but also as someone who feels he’s somewhat entitled to special treatment due to being a federal agent. As the story progresses, we see Ethan become homesick as well as feel hopeless and terrified. However, his determination finally shines through. Ethan isn’t as a likeable a main character as many would prefer, but readers will likely feel for him as the scenes unfold.This story combines science fiction with suspense and horror. As a reader, I often felt as confused as Ethan was. However, the book kept me engaged and turning the pages. With twists and turns, the story has a deeply involved plot, and a fascinating setting as well as a unique premise. The descriptive narrative transported me to Idaho with Ethan and the people in Wayward Pines. The finale where readers and Ethan learn what is really going on is creative.Overall, this novel was somewhat uncomfortable at times, entertaining, and imaginative. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next in the series.I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was October 18, 2022.

Sometimes it can be hard to be a writer that flounders around at the lower end of the literary spectrum such as myself. I like to think I create fairly decent thrillers, chillers and tales of mystery and suspense (such as my latest, a hard-boiled detective novel called "Deklan Falls: One Against Many"). I have dreams, like many, of writing nothing but books and novels and not spending days behind a desk in an office. I always feel like I am close to that big breakthrough. Then, of course, along comes someone like Blake Crouch and I have to wonder just what the hell I am doing.I read Blake's novel RUN just about a year or so ago. I downloaded it to my Kindle. I was hooked immediately. I was literally on the edge of my seat for the entire novel and since I finished reading it, I have recommended it to so many people that I am quite sure most Kindle fans must think Blake is paying me to do so (he isn't). It is, quite simply, one of the finest thrillers I have read in years.So, it was with great anticipation that I awaited the release of his new novel PINES. It came out this week and was downloaded to my Kindle Tuesday morning. I just finished it.Dammit...he's done it again. Blake Crouch, I mean.This is a novel that doesn't just hit the ground running, it slams into the ground, making it shake violently, and then pummels the hell out of it from the very first page. It sprints along at a break-neck pace that leaves the reader breathless, always feeling just a little bit behind the story, looking to catch up with each turn of the page or flick of the page button on the Kindle. And when the story finishes, you, dear reader, will be breathless, exhausted, panting as if you had just run a marathon, but wishing there was more.The novel seems to start off as a standard mystery. Secret Service Agent Ethan Burke awakens near a river just outside of the small town of Wayward Pines - a tiny hamlet surrounded by towering cliffs and mountains on all sides. Burke has memories of being in a terrible accident where a Mack truck T-boned his vehicle. He had been sent to Wayward Pines to investigate the disappearance of two other agents. His memory is faulty. He can barely remember his own name and his head hurts.He ends up in the hospital, but something is wrong there. As he begins to try and start his investigation into the missing agents, the seemingly idyllic town turns openly hostile towards him. Paranoia sets in for Burke, then outright fear, and the reader goes right along with him.Crouch explored some of these themes in RUN - where the entire world seems to turn against other members of society. Creepy things begin to happen. Burke is hopelessly outnumbered, but what is going on in this strange town? Why do people seem to remember the dates all wrong? Why can't he make an outgoing phone call? Why does everything about Wayward Pines seem wrong and are the electrified fences that also encircle the town meant to keep people in, or keep something out?Each page reveals a new twist. It is nearly impossible to out-guess this brilliantly crafted story - so just go along with it. It is truly a roller coaster ride with so many twists and turns that you might end up with mental whiplash.Crouch crafts characters that are fully formed, all-too real in your imagination. So, with each twist and turn your own heart races for them. You find yourself fully vested in their welfare, which makes the pulse-pounding action and suspense even more nail-biting and intense. This is a book that not only will keep you on the edge of your seat, but up very late into the night.Crouch is a major talent. I cannot wait to see what he comes up with next. He is also a major force in indie publishing, having decided to release RUN last year via Amazon's Kindle platform when other publishers turned it down. As such, I admire him for his writing skills and for his willingness to take chances and strike out on his own.PINES will grip you from the first paragraph and will not release you until the end. That is the most you can ever hope for in a thriller. It is, without a doubt, one of the best books of the year and one of the best thrillers in years.I just wish Crouch wasn't setting the bar so high. Those of us jumping for the bottom rung of the ladder have a lot to live up to.Dammit.

I saw the TV show first but wanted to read the book and it did not disappoint. I liked the book but I do think not knowing the ending would have made the story extra special. I like the writing style which kept me interested. It was just a very different, VERY interesting tale.

I enjoyed the book. It took me a long time to actually figure out what was going on. It was fairly satisfying. There were a few parts that I thought were a little unwieldy and unrealistic. Ethan probably could not have made it through all of these mishaps without being severely injured or killed and the stamina to do some of the things he did probably would’ve taken Superman to actually accomplish. The tenor of the story is good though, and the action is fast paced. Anyone liking a bit of science fiction mixed with a little bit of western noir will be happy. I like all of Crouch’s books . This is a good one. You’ll probably enjoy just like I did.

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.