Reviews with content warning for Murder - The House in the Pines

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes

49 reviews

javafenn's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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.

Content Warnings

snoopyfanclub's review against another edition

Go to review page

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.

Content Warnings

lnezzy16's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Content Warnings

elsez326's review against another edition

Go to review page

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Definitely a different story than any I've read before, didn't anticipate the direction it took. I listened to it on audio, but it was difficult at times to tell if we were in the past or the present. I am not exactly sure how the Guatamalan side quest and her father's story factored into the story, and would have loved more connection to that ( unless I just completely missed it 😭)

Content Warnings

erica_0000's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

aaabeegui's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

heremireadz's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

2.0

Content Warnings

amberacks12's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

Content Warnings

tamara_joy's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

Content Warnings

caitycatm's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

Content Warnings

More...