The House in the Pines: Reese's Book Club: A Novel
An instant New York Times bestseller! "This is an absolute, can't-put-it-down thriller. . . . It's truly a wild ride that had me flying through chapter after chapter--which I think is the perfect way to kick off your year of reading."--Reese Witherspoon (Reese's Book Club Pick January 2023)
Armed with only hazy memories, a woman who long ago witnessed her friend's sudden, mysterious death, and has since spent her life trying to forget, sets out to track down answers. What she uncovers, deep in the woods, is hardly to be believed. . . . Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they'd been spending time with all summer. Seven years later, Maya lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret addiction that has allowed her to cope with what happened years ago, the gaps in her memories, and the lost time that she can't account for. But her past comes rushing back when she comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over and dies in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her Berkshires hometown to relive that fateful summer--the influence Frank once had on her and the obsessive jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey. At her mother's house, she excavates fragments of her past and notices hidden messages in her deceased Guatemalan father's book that didn't stand out to her earlier. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born, but time keeps running out, and soon, all roads are leading back to Frank's cabin. . . . Utterly unique and captivating, The House in the Pines keeps you guessing about whether we can ever fully confront the past and return home.
Armed with only hazy memories, a woman who long ago witnessed her friend's sudden, mysterious death, and has since spent her life trying to forget, sets out to track down answers. What she uncovers, deep in the woods, is hardly to be believed. . . . Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they'd been spending time with all summer. Seven years later, Maya lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret addiction that has allowed her to cope with what happened years ago, the gaps in her memories, and the lost time that she can't account for. But her past comes rushing back when she comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over and dies in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her Berkshires hometown to relive that fateful summer--the influence Frank once had on her and the obsessive jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey. At her mother's house, she excavates fragments of her past and notices hidden messages in her deceased Guatemalan father's book that didn't stand out to her earlier. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born, but time keeps running out, and soon, all roads are leading back to Frank's cabin. . . . Utterly unique and captivating, The House in the Pines keeps you guessing about whether we can ever fully confront the past and return home.
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Community Reviews
Loved this book from the beginning and would have rated it a 10 but the ending was a total disappointment and fell to an eight. I feel like there was a really interesting and different premise but either the author didn’t know where to go with it or someone told her to cut it short to get to a certain number of pages but something happened at the end that just missed the mark. I would still recommend this book because I always say when it is something I can’t put my finger on it could just be a personal issue and not the book itself.
The plot was quite unique and I mostly enjoyed it. I’m not sure how/why Mya’s father is tied in…his part is interesting but it didn’t add anything to the overall story. Two main questions: did Frank do it and exactly how did these women die?! Very thought provoking and Mya’s personal demons and family MH history def adds to the mystery. But the ending was VERY anticlimactic and dare I say it, boring. Book #86 in 2023
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