I decided to lump these all together, because though they are three books, I read them back to back, and it’s one continuous story. Though you can probably read the first one and be done, I wouldn’t recommend just reading book two or three.
The books, in order, are:
Pines (2012)
Wayward (2013)
The Last Town (2014)
This series was recommended to me by a coworker, and I didn’t really have high expectations, but when someone I know takes the time to recommend something they think I’ll like, I try to get around to it. One, because they were thinking about me when they saw/read something, and two, I don’t want to ignore other people’s ideas and suggestions.
So, anyway, didn’t have high expectations but I really enjoyed these books. It took about three weeks to get through all of them, maybe a bit longer, but that was more to do with everything else happening in my life rather than my lack of interest.
In the first book, Secret Service agent Ethan Burke wakes up in an unfamiliar hospital in Wayward Pines, Idaho with only the memory of a car accident. No one will tell him anything aside from this is his home now. When he goes searching for his ex-partner (and former lover), Kate Hewson, she’s older than she should be. A couple of weeks ago, she was a couple of years his junior. Now, she’s several years older than him. Things keep getting stranger as Ethan tries to uncover the truth of this strange, little town.
Books two and three deal with the fallout of Ethan’s discoveries, and I didn’t think after the first book, there would be enough story left for two whole more books, but I was really surprised to come to the epilogue of the third book when I really wanted more.
This series is kind of horror/thriller/suspense. I’m not usually into suspense (I get enough stress in my everyday life), but throw in a solid dose of weird and creepy, and I’m down. The plots move quickly, and even though some of the characters got on my nerves, three books really give them all a chance to develop into fully realized people who are 100% human.
Surprisingly, the thing that annoyed me most about the characters is the thing that impressed me most about the plot. I won’t say anything else, because I don’t want to spoil it for you. I’d definitely recommend at least reading the first one. It’ll give you a good feel for the others, and if you don’t want to continue, at least you’ll discover a few of Wayward Pines’ secrets.
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