After reading “Dark Matter” a few months ago and enjoying it, I decided I wanted to try one of Blake Crouch’s earlier books. Like many books I read, I picked up “Pines” on a whim, without knowing anything about the story. The only thing I knew was that this book, published in 2012, is the first in the Wayward Pines trilogy.

The story follows Secret Service agent Ethan Burke, who wakes up in a hospital in the small, picturesque Idaho town of Wayward Pines after a car accident. He’s there on a mission to find two missing federal agents, but his investigation is complicated by his amnesia and the unnerving, almost too-perfect nature of the town.

As you might expect, as Ethan tries to piece together what happened and find his colleagues, he discovers that Wayward Pines is not what it seems. The residents are eerily friendly, there are strict rules he can’t comprehend, and every attempt he makes to contact the outside world is met with a dead end.

The starting point of the plot, although intriguing, is perhaps not the most original: the ‘perfect town with a sinister secret’ is a well-known trope, and there are many books out there that start with the main character waking up in a strange place with amnesia. However, the book is written in a relentless, fast-paced style that makes it hard to put down. Moreover, I felt “Pines” works well as a standalone novel because it provides a satisfying resolution to its central mystery. This said, it certainly made me curious to read the second installment.

So, all in all, I recommend reading it and I give it an 8 out of 10.

– S –