I’ve recently discovered Blake Crouch and his sci-fi, dystopian novels including Dark Matter and Recursion, so I went looking for more of his work and discovered Pines. The first book in the Wayward Pines Trilogy, this novel had me hooked the minute I started listening (Max Meyers does a good narrating it). I finished it in one day. I’ve since listened to the entire series twice, the second time with my daughter, Jessica, who also enjoyed it.

In Pines, the protagonist wakes near a river, in pain and not knowing where he is, how he got there, or even who he is. There’s no wallet in his pocket, ID, or phone. He discovers he’s Secret Service agent Ethan Burke and his mission was to travel to Wayward Pines, Idaho to track down two missing agents.

The hospital staff tell him he was in a car accident that killed the passenger in his car. The nurse and psychiatrist at the hospital don’t believe he’s a Secret Service agent, and try to convince him he’s delusional. Strangely, they’re never able to locate his briefcase or phone. When he uses a hospital phone and leaves messages for his wife and boss, no one returns his calls. He realizes he has no way of contacting anyone outside the idyllic town of Wayward Pines.

What I liked about the book

This is one of the most imaginative storylines I’ve ever read. I’m pretty good at determining where a story is heading and the eventual outcome. I’m annoyed when the author makes this obvious, and pleased when it is trickier, making it harder for me to anticipate the ending. But more often than not, I still figure it out. Never in a million years would I have guessed what was really going on in Pines.

When I listened to it a second time with Jessica, who’s also good at anticipating storylines, I challenged her to see if she knew where the story was headed. She came up with many scenarios, but none were close to the truth. Here’s my challenge; see if you can determine what Wayward Pines is all about. If you do, let me know!

I like the very strong Shirley Jackson (“The Lottery”) and Ira Levin (The Stepford Wives) vibes in this book.

As I listened, I assumed the novel unfolded in chronological order, then realized that wasn’t the case. It was like fitting a jigsaw puzzle together, solving things alongside Ethan, and then being blown away.

Ethan’s a strong character with flaws, making him believable. And the Idaho setting not only establishes the mood of the story, but gives clues as to what’s really going on.

What I didn’t like about Pines

Some of the violent passages in Pines are over the top. One scene in particular, very reminiscent of Jackson’s “The Lottery” (if you’re familiar with that short story, you’ll know exactly what I mean) was hard to listen to. I also thought the antagonists were too villainy and not three-dimensional enough. The chief antagonist seemed pulled straight from a James Bond novel.

I wanted more (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing)

I was glad there were three novels in the Wayward Pines trilogy. The trilogy is actually one strong storyline told over three books. I like that format and am writing the four-book Devil Particle series the same way. Then I discovered Netflix created the Wayward Pines TV series. I’ve watched several episodes, and while they follow the novels’ plots closely, the dialogue is cringe-worthy. I’m going to give it another try as Jessica hasn’t seen it yet.

And I’m hoping for another book in this series. The way Crouch ends the third book is satisfying but, I’ll just say, there’s more to explore.

How this has affected my writing

Blake Crouch’s imagination encourages me to stretch my imagination as well. I’ll finish the Devil Particle series (I hope to get the last two books, The Runner and The Renegade, released next year), cap off the Leo Townsend series with a third book, then attempt a mind-blowing Crouchesque story.

Pines gets 👍🏻  👍🏻 👍🏻  👍🏻 for an incredibly imaginative plot.