Pines, Blake Crouch, 2012
(MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)
My favorite quote: “Nature doesn’t see things through the prism of good or bad. It rewards efficiency. That’s the beautiful simplicity of evolution. It matches design to environment.”
Most interesting characters: Ethan Burke, a secret service agent
Opening scene: A man wakes up in a strange town with no idea of who or where he is
The gist: Ethan Burke, a secret service agent, is sent to Wayward Pines, Idaho, to locate two agents who went missing there a month ago. But shortly after arriving, he’s met with a violent accident that leaves him in the hospital, where he comes to with no ID and none of his personal effects. Worse, no one in Wayward Pines believes he is who he says he is — and that’s just the beginning of the strange events he’s about to experience
Greatest strengths: The pacing. Blake Crouch understands the power of language and importance of pace. There are no unnecessary side-trips in Pines — Blake Crouch sticks to the point and makes sure the reader is fully invested at all times
Standout achievements: Few books have ever piqued my interest and intrigued me the way Pines did. I had no idea what I was looking at for a long time, but I absolutely couldn’t stop reading. For this, I credit Pines’ fascinating plot and Blake Crouch’s whip-quick prose in equal measure
Fun Facts: In the afterword of Pines, Blake Crouch cites Twin Peaks as the inspiration for this book. As a young fan of the show, he was “massively unsatisfied” that Twin Peaks was prematurely canceled and tried writing the third season for himself so he could continue to enjoy it. That didn’t work, but the mystery and small town creepiness stuck with him — and Pines was his attempt to create something that made him feel the way Twin Peaks made him feel when he was twelve
Other media: Pines is the first in Blake Crouch’s Wayward Pines trilogy, and these books are the basis of the 2015 television series, Wayward Pines, produced by M. Night Shyamalan, and starring Matt Dillon, Carla Gugino, and Juliette Lewis
Additional thoughts: In the afterword of Pines, Blake Crouch says, “They say all art — whether books, music, or visual — is a reaction to other art, and I believe that to be true.” I believe it to be true too, and while I’ve never written anything in quite the same vein as Pines, it did inspire me, in a way. I read Pines while I was writing my novel, Dream Reaper, and I remember being struck by Blake Crouch’s unconventional quirkiness. His unapologetic nonconformity gave me permission, in a way, to go a little “out there” with my own book. I don’t think Dream Reaper would be quite the same story if I hadn’t been so smitten by Blake Crouch’s creative aplomb
Hit or Miss: Hit (and I love everything else Blake Crouch has written, too)
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
Alistair Cross 