Reviews with content warning for Schizophrenia/Psychosis - The House in the Pines

I’m not entirely sure what to think of this book. The premise was good and ultimately the plot twist was good but there wasn’t much of a resolution and it just kind of… ended. I gave it 3.5 stars because it did keep me engaged but the ending was so abrupt and uneventful that I had to rewind it several times because I thought o was missing something. There was a lot I wish there was more of, I guess.

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snoopyfanclub's review against another edition

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dark hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

It was so enthralling but the end just fell flat. Like okay it was a sweet ending I guess but not satisfying at all.

I wanted Frank to be stabbed in the gut!!! She brought a knife TWICE in scenes with him and never used it. Like so unsatisfying and she kind of forgot Aubrey existed towards the end like no justice for her I guess. I thought the big reveal would be that was hypnotizing people and poisoning them with the stew she described like 50 times. Also not everyone’s able to be hypnotized yet Aubrey is immediately fully under his command when she was not as dreamy and impressionable as Maya!! Also it’s not a house it’s a cabin so the title isn’t even correct.

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amberacks12's review against another edition

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dark mysterious

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Not gonna lie, this book was anti climatic. There was a lot of build up and then just, poof, it’s done. I’m kind of left feeling underwhelmed and like the story is unresolved. I do feel like Ana Reyes has a lot of potential as a writer, but I don’t think this one really hit as hard as I was promised it would.
And maybe I feel unresolved because of my own skepticism when it comes to certain aspects of the resolution that I will not mention. But I don’t think enough attention was given to how everything is resolved, and more just ends up feeling hand wavy.
Plus, as a thriller, I didn’t ever feel that Maya was really in much danger, except from herself.
That being said, I really enjoyed the tone and writing style, I liked Maya as a character and as a narrator, and I felt like the character aspects of this story were well developed. Each character felt distinct, and I could sense Maya’s imperfections and possible unreliabilities. I also liked the dreamlike quality of the writing, with flashbacks happening interspersed between the present day narration. It added to the sense of unease I’m sure Maya felt.
So, overall, it was fine.

Enjoyment: 3
Educational Value: 3
Emotional Impact: 2

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ariana3's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I kinda liked this! A murder-mystery thriller that seemed kinda stupid but I was determined to finish it.

A girl's best friend was supposedly murdered right in front of her when they were teens, by her maybe boyfriend. It was always a mystery and she was plagued by it, with family and professionals calling her crazy. Turns out the maybe-boyfriend had used hypnosis to trick/manipulate her and found a way to use it to kill her friend and others. She obviously forgets the tactics (because he hypnotizes her to), but she eventually remembers. The "house in the pines" was never a real place like he said, just him putting the image (along with smells, feels, and tastes) into her brain to lull her into his hypnosis trap. She's justified in the end, so she can move on, though it doesn't have much closure in the way it deals with him (just that an arrest should be coming soon...)

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murtzzie's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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ashlynnnn's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

This is one of those books that’s so slow, but you still can’t put it down. This definitely isn’t for everyone. There isn’t much substance to the plot and the author focuses more on the psychological development of the characters than anything else. But if you’re in the mood for a pretty slow psychological thriller, this is for you.

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kwmcm25's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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erisouls's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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