Friday, February 5, 2016

Review: Pines

Title Pines (Wayward Pines #1)
By Blake Crouch
Genre Adult mystery/scifi
Pages 315
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
Secret Service Agent Ethan Burke is sent to Wayward Pines Idaho to investigate the disappearance of two colleagues but a terrible car accident gives him amnesia. Waking up with no ID, no money and not even able to remember his own name he wanders the sleepy streets of Wayward Pines. As his memories return he realizes things are not as they seem and the residents are hiding something from him. Will searching for his colleagues and trying to piece together the town's mystery land Ethan in danger?

First Sentence
He came to lying on his back with sunlight pouring down into his face and the murmur of running water close by.


  • Confession! I meant to read this book for my Adult Literature Month. I started it at the end of January thinking it would take awhile...Nope. I flew through it. I couldn't put it down and I ended up finishing it in two sittings...in January. I'm still counting it towards February though. 
  • So yeah, I couldn't put this one down. It was one of the books that sucks you in because you want to know what the hell is going on! 
  • It's been awhile since I read a mystery and I quite enjoyed myself. Before you completely write this one off because you don't like mystery you should know it has a hint of the scifi to it...I can't say more without ruining it, just don't write this one off without giving it a shot.
  • After inhaling this one I read the author's note and found that he wrote this book because once upon a time he used to watch a TV show called Twin Peaks. He adored it and then it got canceled. Isn't that the way it always goes? So, he wrote his own story that reminded him of that old, beloved TV show. I totally can relate to this! I loved the show The Pretender that used to be on NBC and then got moved to TNT. It was canceled without an ending and I was devastated. I still have an old manuscript lying around with a story I wrote that was inspired by it.  
  • Speaking of TV shows. This book was made into a TV series. Did notice the guy on the cover is Matt Dillon? Did you? The pilot episode was directed by M. Night Shyamalan. If that doesn't tell you how creepily great this book was, I don't know what will.  I'll be trying to find and watch this first season. 
  • Ugh! I just want to say so much about how many great things were in this book! It was so creepy and atmospheric and, and, and! Oh! Just read it! 
  • I did have a few issues with this one, of course. Mostly just that I wasn't enamored with any of the characters. Now, remember, I'm a plot girl but I do like to connect to at lease one character. 
  • I also wanted to know if this one was self published or what? I noticed a few typos. It was fine but something I thought about. 
  • Wow! This was a super rambling review. So, I'll just end on this: It takes a pretty intense, mysterious book to grip me and suck me and make me not want to put it down. This book did just that.
Should you read it?
I would totally recommend this one, but to be honest, I'd really only recommend it to certain people. If you love character driven stories with lots of romance and kissing this one might not be for you. But if you love mystery and excitement and having your mind blown than, yes. Read this book! 

19 comments:

  1. Even though I love romance and lots of kissing, I do love me a good mystery. :) I saw the commercials for the TV show when it was on. I wanted to watch it, but I never did. Maybe, I'll read the book. :)

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    1. Yeah, I actually thought about you and wondered if you'd like this one. I think you would. Not sure about Suey though. ;)

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  2. This one is so super popular and I've seen the promos for the TV show. It def looks like something I could get into. OMG The Pretender! I used to watch that all the time because it came on just before I left for work! I may or may not have a Buffy inspired MS lying around somewhere!

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    1. I totally missed the TV series. I'll definitely be looking now. Wasn't The Pretender great?

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  3. Twin Peaks was awesome- this book has been on my radar for a long time, and now I need to read it!

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  4. I couldn't put this one down either. It's just THAT engrossing. I haven't seen the t.v. series yet, but Matt Dillon -- yum! I also missed the Twin Peaks craze, but I think it's on Netflix, so maybe I'll have to check it out.

    Glad you enjoyed PINES!

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    1. Yeah, after reading this on I want to check out the TV series and Twin Peaks too.

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  5. Ooooh, I didn't know there was a book! I saw the advertisements for the series on TV and it looked very Twin Peak-ish (Twin Peaks was freaky fun) but my husband thought it looked too scary and made me change the channel. Must read. And, yeah, I noticed Matt Dillon. We ate at the same table as Matt Dillon in a Benihana's restaurant on our honeymoon, so I always notice Matt Dillon. I think he's gotten a lot better looking with age.

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    1. Wow! You always have such interesting experiences. I need to check out Twin Peaks now.

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  6. I want to read more mysteries this year and this book sounds fascinating. I'll have to check it out. Great review!

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  7. Wow! I watched Twin Peaks back in the day and yeah... creepy.

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    1. Then you might like this one. I wasn't sure if you would but I think you might.

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  8. This sounds like What Alice Forgot. You must be on an amnesia theme.

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    1. Ha ha! They were actually completely different.

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  9. I'm trying to expand my mystery field (I have like almost zero mystery reading experience), so this shall be near the top of my list!

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    1. This is a good one to start with because it has some scifi elements to it too.

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  10. So glad you enjoyed it! I had a really good time with the whole trilogy.

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