Pines

Update: 15/10/2015

If you'd like to read this review on my blog.

Rating: 4.25/5 stars.

How would you feel if you woke up, lonely, with no ID or cellphone and no recollection of your life, not knowing where you are? This is what happens to Ethan Burke, at the beginning of Pines, and things just get more and more confusing and intense from there. What is this place, Wayward Pines? And why is Ethan there?

My God, this was one of the most intense reads ever. And I think one of the only books that I didn't by any means know what was going to happen or what the twist was. I'm still not completely sure what the twist is!

First of all, it was intense. Very fast paced and super intriguing. I don't recollect reading anything boring or not action packed. It was a crazy ride from beginning to end.

The characters, well, they were incredibly weird. Because no one knows anything, and everyone is very, very suspicious. And you don't even know what you're supposed to be suspicious of. But at the same time, you kind of know who is good and who is bad. But it's like everyone is potentially good or bad.

The story itself was full of plot twists. You first think it might be something, and then it's something more deep, and then it's even more complicated than that and it just finally ends up being completely different.

I do have to say, a very strong issue I had with the story was how unrealistic it could seem at times. I mean, the MC Ethan, he's the fucking Terminator. I swear, he literally could have fallen from a plane and still would walk all the way through the story. I mean, maybe the author could have toned it down a little with all the things he did, because man was it kind of ridiculous.

Also, I think it's a very big risk to do something as extravagant for the story. Like, I'm still not completely convinced by it. But maybe the second book will get me around? I've been told it's very good, as well.

Really, this book is completely worth the risk. You won't loose your time at it, and maybe the rest of the series offers a good time as well. Recommend this to everyone, but be aware that it's kind of scary at times.

Initial Reaction

What the fuck did I just read. This book was definitely not what I was expecting. Damn, what?

Ik had het eerste seizoen van de tv-serie Wayward Pines gezien en ik wou weten hoe het afliep, en dus dacht ik: ik lees de boeken, het zijn er maar drie, dan weet ik het meteen.

Er werd mij veel duidelijk bij het nawoord van de auteur: de Wayward Pines-trilogie is geschreven als een soort hommage / vervolg / geïnspireerd door Twin Peaks. Dat legt de sfeer uit, met dat verschil dat Twin Peaks een mythologie (Black Lodge, White Lodge, the owls are not what they seem, ...), en dat dit Twin Peaks is met een wetenschappelijke uitleg voor al het vreemd gedrag van mensen.

Ethan Burke van de Secret Service komt terecht in het afgelegen dorpje Wayward Pines in Idaho, waar niemand spreekt over het verleden, en waar je niet uit kan raken. Alle wegen leiden terug naar de stad, en bij nader onderzoek blijkt er een enorm hekken rond de stad te staan. Het wordt alsmaar mysterieuzer en viezer, tot Ethan het geheim van de stad ontdekt. En dan moet hij zijn rol spelen om Wayward Pines te houden zoals het is.

In zeer grote lijnen loopt de tv-reeks samen met het boek (well, duh), maar er zijn toch behoorlijk belangrijke verschillen. In de volgorde van wat er gebeurt, in de backstory van Ethan (waar op tv alleen maar naar gehint kan worden in onduidelijke flashbacks, maar die in het boek veel explicieter aanwezig is), in de leeftijd van bepaalde sleutelpersonages.

Wat maakte dat het boek aangenamer las dan ik gedacht had: ik had gevreesd dat het een saai zou worden, dat ik me door boek één zou moeten worstelen om dan pas in latere boeken verder te gaan dan het eerste seizoen, maar neen dus. Leutig. Onderhoudend.

Solid story. Way better that the TV series. Will continue.

it was a mix of timetraveling, unanswered questions, fragmenred and tense narrative. On the good side, creativeand gripping. On the bad side, a tad too farfetched some times. some things can only be done by Stephen King.

I like a story that goes in directions that are impossible to anticipate. You'll never see this one coming. Can't wait to see how book #2 can build on this ending.

Loved the concept/twist/secret. But the writing was average pot boiler at best. Good summer vacation reading.

I would never have picked this book up if not for trailers for the tv show. I found it to be pretty meh. The writing is very simple, not a hard word to be found. Short, choppy direct sentences. The characters are wooden the plot the only thing worth hanging in there for. I honestly pushed myself to finish it just to figure out how Crouch was going to end it. And, okay, pretty decent ending. I kind of wish the “ending” was the beginning of the book and that it went from there.
So, some stuff really annoyed me, including the pattern of Ethan being at his physical limit AND THEN pushing on for six more chapters. I wish I had liked Ethan, but he comes off as unfeeling and uncaring. He wants out of Wayward Pines in order to expose it, not because he misses his family. I wish I had understood Pope more. Beverly too. They felt like characters from B movies who were called in to interact with Ethan. What were their stories? Who knows.

“Pines” is a well written, fast paced, entertaining read that gripped me from page one.
Wayward Pines is a quaint all-American town, where the people are friendly and the living is easy. All is not as it seems however, as Special Agent Ethan Burke soon finds out.