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ryanallen7's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
pondojames's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jocie_roller's review against another edition
1.0
DNF - 70%
Action is a genre I prefer to consume through the screen, not the page. Apparently, this was adapted for a Hulu show. I doubt I'll watch it.
This was recommended to me as an easy, engaging read, and I can see why. It's peak suspense from page one and has the ominous mystery vibes that make media like Stranger Things, Lost, and The Twilight Zone so popular and iconic.
But, the fact that the genre is so popular also means it's pretty easy to be derivative, which this book definitely is.
This book isn't that badly written, technically speaking. The plot alone is probably worth two stars. What really made me put this book down for good was it's patronizing and overly sexual depiction of women characters, blatant use of xenophobic and Islamophobic tropes, and an obnoxious, sarcastic, smug, vigilante protagonist who made me violently roll my eyes about once a chapter. If you're someone who wants your toxic masculinity validated, you'll probably enjoy this book.
P.S. reading this as an audiobook made it extra cringey.
Action is a genre I prefer to consume through the screen, not the page. Apparently, this was adapted for a Hulu show. I doubt I'll watch it.
This was recommended to me as an easy, engaging read, and I can see why. It's peak suspense from page one and has the ominous mystery vibes that make media like Stranger Things, Lost, and The Twilight Zone so popular and iconic.
But, the fact that the genre is so popular also means it's pretty easy to be derivative, which this book definitely is.
This book isn't that badly written, technically speaking. The plot alone is probably worth two stars. What really made me put this book down for good was it's patronizing and overly sexual depiction of women characters, blatant use of xenophobic and Islamophobic tropes, and an obnoxious, sarcastic, smug, vigilante protagonist who made me violently roll my eyes about once a chapter. If you're someone who wants your toxic masculinity validated, you'll probably enjoy this book.
P.S. reading this as an audiobook made it extra cringey.
faithsbookreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
cerysrogers's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kbn4's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Very fun read, plot wise could not put it down. Only a 3 star bc I felt the characters could have been more dimensional. Very M. Night Shyamalan vibes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
henrickl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
3.5
It was hard for me to get into at the beginning. But halfway through I started to get intrigued and needed to know how the secrets played out. The story felt slow in parts and rushed in others. The concept of the story kept me drawn in.
taralurae's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
nicolashoyle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
4.6
ihateprozac's review against another edition
5.0
**Second read 13 July 2023**
This remains everything I could want in an unsettling-weird-town book! The Fringe meets Twin Peaks combo of my dreaaaams.
Bumping this up from 4.5 to 5 stars because even knowing the big secret, I still enjoyed the hell out of every minute here. The tension is just *chef kiss*
** First read 28 December 2019**
4.5 stars. This is *exactly* the type of suffocatingly perfect and quietly menacing small town crack that I want to read about!!!
Pines is a combination of all the best and creepiest bits of Twin Peaks, Fringe, and The Wicker King with a dash of The Truman Show.
It was tense, mysterious, and above all, unsettling. There’s a strong current of fear underpinning this story and I felt like I was trapped in some sort of murderous circus funhouse! Nothing goes right for our protagonist Ethan, and it’s equal parts frustrating and terrifying watching his search for the truth.
And when we did find the truth, I was pleasantly surprised! I had a few theories going but none were close to the actual truth of Wayward Pines. It’s also interesting how the reveal immediately transforms the tone (and to an extent) the genre of this novel.
This was such a fucking fun ride from start to finish. I switched on the audiobook while struggling with a migraine (unknowingly a perfect choice given Ethan’s persistent migraine through Act 1!!) and I devoured it in one night.
This could easily be a standalone as I felt the story was neatly wrapped up in one novel, but I look forward to seeing where it goes from here!
This remains everything I could want in an unsettling-weird-town book! The Fringe meets Twin Peaks combo of my dreaaaams.
Bumping this up from 4.5 to 5 stars because even knowing the big secret, I still enjoyed the hell out of every minute here. The tension is just *chef kiss*
** First read 28 December 2019**
4.5 stars. This is *exactly* the type of suffocatingly perfect and quietly menacing small town crack that I want to read about!!!
Pines is a combination of all the best and creepiest bits of Twin Peaks, Fringe, and The Wicker King with a dash of The Truman Show.
It was tense, mysterious, and above all, unsettling. There’s a strong current of fear underpinning this story and I felt like I was trapped in some sort of murderous circus funhouse! Nothing goes right for our protagonist Ethan, and it’s equal parts frustrating and terrifying watching his search for the truth.
And when we did find the truth, I was pleasantly surprised! I had a few theories going but none were close to the actual truth of Wayward Pines. It’s also interesting how the reveal immediately transforms the tone (and to an extent) the genre of this novel.
This was such a fucking fun ride from start to finish. I switched on the audiobook while struggling with a migraine (unknowingly a perfect choice given Ethan’s persistent migraine through Act 1!!) and I devoured it in one night.
This could easily be a standalone as I felt the story was neatly wrapped up in one novel, but I look forward to seeing where it goes from here!