Pines (Wayward Pines)

10 reviews for Pines (Wayward Pines)

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   DailyNeeds – July 1, 2023

   I have hardly read any such Sci Fi thriller like this one after the immortal works of Michael Crichton. Finished the book in just 2 working days can you believe it

2. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Devendra K. – September 1, 2023

   Intriguing read.

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   DHIRAJ SHARMA – November 21, 2020

   I was intrigued right from the word go and I would go on record on stating that I have never read such a thriller novel in my life.From Page-1 you know something is vastly amiss, midway you start wondering whether the protagonist is imagining it all, is it all real or is it some isolated community a la. The Village of Manoj Night Shyamalan.There were brief interludes to protagonist’s torture in the Gulf War which I felt did not contribute anything to the storyline. I learnt that this has not been covered in the TV version of the story. Wish could watch the Fox TV show too (believed to be better than the book) but it’s not available in India.Mismatch in time lines in the character’s lives does lead one to conclude that some delusional reality is in existence but before you end up pulling all the hair from your head the author pulls the rug right from under your feet.As other reviewers have commented the writing though highly engrossing isn’t exactly top notch and the climax is on your face type without much of a buildup to the actual reality prevailing at Wayward Pines.Nevertheless, I am not complaining, as I mentioned earlier this is the best thriller novel I have read till date and I am definitely going to read the next two installments of Wayward Pines series by Blake Crouch.

4. 

   Rated 3 out of 5

   The Reader – December 28, 2017

   Decided to read this novel after reading ‘Dark Matter’ by the same author. This is an OK-ish story.. gripping first half..slow in the middle.. lame climax.

5. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Kunal – September 5, 2020

   Thyroid imbalance plays with your mind, and every time it happens with me i lose my sense of enjoyment in reading, instead i just mindlessly keep browsing through Youtube and Netflix without actually watching anything. Finally after having some consultations with doctor and getting used to the new adjusted dose of thyroid supplement i started getting back to my normal self and felt like picking a book. Wayward pines series was on my radar after reading Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter and Recursion, which i have to say are amongst the top 10 books I have read. This book brought back my love for reading in absolutely the right way. Gripping enough to keep me going, but not so out of the world that i would feel it is difficult to match by any other book.Coming to the review of the book itself, i felt it certainly caught me by surprise, the plot that is described on the back cover is not one of my favourite genre, but because it is by Blake Crouch i still picked it. Towards the end it is starting to come closer to my favourite genre, which is pleasant. Blake Crouch has an ability to create the scenes very vividly making the story run like a movie in the mind.

6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   swetha mary ann c – September 9, 2018

   “You think man can destroy the planet? What intoxicating vanity. Earth has survived everything in its time. It will certainly survive us. To the earth… a million years is nothing. This planet lives and breathes on a much vaster scale. We can’t imagine its slow and powerful rhythms, and we haven’t got the humility to try. We’ve been residents here for the blink of an eye. If we’re gone tomorrow, the earth will not miss us. Michael Crichton”I started the book as a passtume in the library because i did not find a physical book.. as I read on… the genre of the book unknown to me , it took me to a world which i literally equated to something like the Supernatural tv series.. as it came to the finale i realised it was a beautifully crafted science fiction and i loved every bit of the book.. The journey of Ethan Burkes to Wayward Pines , where he comes as an investigator on the disappearance of two Secret Service agents.. and finds himself in the heart of a Fringe reality…

7. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Bhanuj Saharan – October 30, 2018

   I purchased this book as it was available at a steep discount. The book was brand new but a little yellowish from the top edges, but since it was at a steep discount, I didn’t mind.I’ll keep the book review short. Blake crouch gives a new meaning to page turners. The story is fast paced and it is a breezy read throughout. The novel is inspired by tv show Twin Peaks, so if you are a fan of twin peaks, lost or Harlan Coben novels, then this is the right choice for you.The novel starts with an eerie mystery about this town wayward Pines but by the end it turns sci fi. So I would categorize it under the following genre: mystery sci-fi thriller.I would definitely recommend this novel for anyone who loves a good page turning thriller.

8. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Swapna – May 20, 2021

   If ur looking for something to read and never heard of this author, then look no further. One of the best he is. His vocabulary, and writing style is easy to read and this is one of the best works of his.

9. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   lynguy1 – October 26, 2023

   Imaginative, But Uncomfortable at TimesPines 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.

10. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    xenosach – March 20, 2014

    Wayward Pines Trilogy by Blake Crouch: Brilliant!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.