3.5 stars, actually.

Overall, this is far from a bad book; problem is, I never quite got "into" it nor felt much of a connection with any of the characters. More often than not, I was a little confused as to the current time period - chapters flip back and forth between main character Maya's past and present lives - and being a bit annoyed with her unending paranoia and rationalizing why she can't share her experiences with her boyfriend or mother. The ending was pretty much what I'd expected, although the details were rather intriguing.

When Maya was a senior in high school, she was expecting to head for college when she met Frank, with whom she instantly formed a relationship that made her want to stay put. Her bonds with her best friend, Aubrey, are loosening somewhat when Aubrey dies abruptly and in front of Frank. It's a trauma from which Maya has trouble escaping, although she manages to go on to college, with help from an addictive drug prescribed by her therapist. Now, she's living in Boston, has a boyfriend (with whom she hasn't been totally honest) and is trying to kick the drug habit.

In between, she keeps consulting an unfinished book written in Guatemala by a father she never knew; can it somehow help her deal with what she experienced with Frank, even though she has no idea what that really was? In the end, it's a tale of manipulation and head games that many readers will find very appealing. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

This book is so unique and I enjoyed it a lot. One thing that’s done really well is how the author folds in the mysticism so slowly until you are wrapped up in it. There aren’t any stand out points that make you shake your head, you’re just in it all of the sudden. Very well done, especially for a debut. I really liked Maya and her story, the background with her father and his book, and the friendship between Maya and Aubrey was spot on.
I only wish that we got a little more closure with the ending.

Thank you to Net Galley for a digital copy of this book and a chance to read it early in exchange for my honest review.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Dutton, and Ana Reyes for an ARC of this book!**

What if looks really COULD kill?

After many years mourning the death of her friend Aubrey during her high school years, Maya decides to return to her hometown in the Berkshires to find out. A YouTube video has surfaced of a young woman sitting across from a man named Frank...the SAME man who was with Aubrey the night she died. In the video, this new woman appears to drop dead while her gaze is firmly trained on Frank.

Maya feels this is more than a coincidence, and leaves her current beau in Boston to begin her own investigation into all the secrets Frank has been hiding. You see, Frank is also Maya's ex and she has plenty of questions of her own about the strange goings on of her past and the all-consuming pull Frank held over her so many years ago. While she is back home, Maya tries to keep her Klonopin addiction at bay, and discovers that her Guatemalan father's book (unfinished, due to his untimely death) may have some unique connections to her current situation. Can she put together the MANY pieces of this strange, interconnected puzzle before it's too late and Frank claims yet ANOTHER life? And why exactly can't she remember more about Frank's strange cabin in the woods?

It's funny, because while reading this book, I didn't feel at all that it was over the top or confusing, but trying to sum it all up in a synopsis just now...there is a LOT going on here. It SHOULD have been too much. And yet, for reasons I'm not sure I completely understand...I thoroughly enjoyed it! Reyes has a way of drawing you in from the very beginning, and I got some great atmosphere, a unique mystery, and easily accessible characters from the jump. Though I suppose the plot gets a bit intricate as it bounces from past to present and back again, it never felt that way. I was enthralled by Maya's experiences and so eager to learn more about her past.

Of course, if you are one of many readers who is OVER the pill-popping 'can we trust her' trope...you might want to avoid this. It only tends to annoy me on a case-by-case basis (and didn't here, although her habit was mentioned more than it needed to be) and I don't feel it detracted from the narrative too much, but if you are fed up with addicted protagonists, this won't be the book for you.

What Reyes does well and other writers in the genre sometimes fail to do, however, is present something that FELT very unique and fresh. I know there are other books that bear some resemblance to this one in some ways, but because there were so many elements in play, I didn't quite know what to expect and felt a decent level of surprise at the ending. Was it a PLAUSIBLE explanation? Maybe not, but I just sat back and went with it. After the journey I went on with Maya, I felt it was a solid end to her story, whether or not it FULLY made sense felt sort of irrelevant to me: it was interesting and unique, and THAT won the day.

If guilty pleasures could come in book form...side by side with Ben and Jerry's, trashy TV, and belting out show tunes in the shower, this one could hold its own...in the BEST possible way!

4 stars, rounded up from 3.5

this was really good!! i cant wait to see what this author has next in store because this was such an enjoyable read, i flew right through it in one sitting.

This book fell short for me. I was confused majority of the book because of the random jumping around in the story. I also felt it was a slow paced at times.

Thank you for allowing me the privilege to read this ARC!

⭐️: 4/5

When Maya was a teenager, she watched her best friend Aubrey spontaneously drop dead while talking to the man Maya was dating at the time, the mysterious and compelling Frank. Years later, and suffering withdrawal from a medication she previously used to sleep, Maya comes across a video circulating online, where another woman drops dead in the same way as Aubrey, also in the presence of Frank. Knowing that Frank is somehow at fault but unable to prove it, Maya travels back to her hometown, hoping to unearth memories of her past to explain how Frank got away with both murders.

The House in the Pines managed to captivate my mind within the first 10% of the book! The whole time I was reading, the plot kept me guessing, and it had just enough surprises and action scattered throughout the book that I never got bored reading it. I love thrillers that have flashbacks into the past of the protagonist, which this one included. However, I do wish that these flashbacks were denoted in some way in the chapter headings, in order to make the reading experience more streamlined. Sometimes it took a second to orient myself as to where we were in the book, timeframe-wise, and then I had to go back and re-read the several sentences I had just read with that knowledge in mind. Although I do tend to find the common thriller trope of “unreliable, female narrator who nobody believes because she may be suffering from some sort of mental breakdown or other, and feels like she’s all alone in the world and nobody can help her” tedious and overdone, for the most part it worked in this book, and my feelings of annoyance were not as strong as they have been in other books with similarly aggrieved FMCs. While I wish that the ending would have been tied up with fewer loose ends (I really prefer closure when it comes to thrillers like this), I enjoyed this read overall and recommend it to thriller fans who love an unreliable narrator.

Thank you to @netgalley and @duttonbooks for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I'm not sure what I was expecting with this book, but I was certainly pleasantly surprised. I sort of figured out what happened relatively early on, but watching Maya unravel the mystery was fascinating. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire read.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.


Maya has PTSD. It’s no wonder. She watched her best friend drop dead on the porch while her so-called boyfriend was with her. Maya is sure that Frank had something to do with Aubrey’s death, but she has no way to prove it. Then another video surfaces of another young woman dying in the presence of Frank. Maya can’t believe it’s a coincidence.

Dan, Maya’s boyfriend and live-in partner, thinks Maya is making too much of it. Maya’s shrink, Dr. Barry, also thought Maya was just suffering from traumatic thoughts. Maya’s mom is no better, as she believes Dr. Barry. Maya just thinks there are too many parallels between Aubrey’s death and the death of this other woman Cristina. And Maya is determined to prove that she’s not crazy.

What a frightening novel. It’s clear from the beginning that Frank is creepy and has some sort of power over these women. Finding the how is the challenging part. Ana Reyes builds a story by interspersing chapters of current Maya with former Maya, the Maya before Aubrey’s death. We learn simultaneously what current Maya is experiencing, but also how Maya ended up where she is today. Everything that leads her to this current state of phobia.

I really enjoyed how this novel unfolded. It’s so clearly written through Maya’s eyes that something is amiss. Very deftly played by Reyes, I caught on early what might have been the ‘how’ for Frank, but that didn’t spoil the story. It was more interesting to me why Maya couldn’t figure out the ‘how.’ Plus, I just didn’t expect the last few chapters to play out the way they did, which made it kind of surprising at the end.

Recommended!

Have you ever fallen for the wrong guy? Most of us have, but hopefully it didn't end as badly for you as it does for the main character in this psychological thriller.

Maya is only a teenager when she falls for Frank. He is mysterious, which is at first sexy to Maya, until she realizes she seems to lose her sense of time when she hangs around him. Maya's fears are confirmed about Frank when her best friend suddenly dies, out of nowhere, in his presence. This book starts years later when Maya sees a video of Frank on the internet and another woman with him mysteriously dies. Battling drug withdrawal, and desperate to find out what happened, Maya returns to her home town in search of the truth.

This book is told in present day, and from the past, when Maya was a teen. While a slow burn, there is something captivating about the story, which kept me hooked. Even though Maya is a very flawed character, you can't help but relate to her at points, and root for her to figure out what truly happened to her friend.

Congrats to Ana Reyes for a wonderful debut. Thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book to be slow at times and its pace had my head spinning because I couldn’t keep up with what was happening. Definitely some plot holes needed to be filled but overall I enjoyed it. For a debut novel, it was done well. Will I read more from this author, you bet I will. It was good, but not my favorite yet.

Seven years after the sudden death of her best friend, Maya is struggling to hold her life together. Weaning off Klonopin, a highly-addictive anxiety medication, the hurt of loosing Aubrey won't retreat in Maya's mind. After seeing a video of another girl dying in front of the man Maya holds responsible for Aubrey's death, Maya is left scared and determined to find answer. Maya rushes home to make sure he doesn't get away this time.

This book was a slow-burn and only picked up in the last half. I think the idea for the book is fascinating, but it took way too long to get there. Also, I understand that Maya's father is a major part of her character, but I found myself skipping over parts of her parents back-story simply to get to the current murder. Plus, given the connection between Frank and his father, I feel like it was a plot hole that no one made a connection. Or thought it was weird. Or questioned anything. But Frank said nothing happened, so nothing did? *SPOILER* His dad was outed from his job for all the weird crap but noooo, Frank doesn't know anything.*SPOILER*

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this ARC. I was really looking forward to this book, but it fell flat for me. I think this would make a great audiobook, because it felt confusing at times. Random jumps and back pedals in the story and plot holes that didn’t make sense.

Thank you to Dutton Publishing for letting me read an advanced copy of THE HOUSE IN THE PINES. This book releases January 3.

This is a slow burn and a heck of a debut novel. The book deals with addiction, mystery and a mind blowing turn of events. It’s one that is hard to review without spoiling it so I won’t say too much. I read this one pretty fast and it definitely kept me engaged. I’d recommend it and I can’t wait to talk to someone about it!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The House in the Pines.

I'm always excited to read a debut novel because I hope to be wowed or surprised by the premise.

The House in the Pines missed the mark for me, but there were parts I liked.

I really enjoyed the exposition on Maya's Guatemalan heritage and her background; using hypnosis as a means of control, which made me think of Get Out (which used the literary device way better), but the narrative fell flat for a number of reasons.

Maya is not a compelling heroine; self medicating, unable to sleep and still struggling with the loss of her BFF, Aubrey, from seven years ago.

Her relationship with her boyfriend seems contrived, as if the author just wanted to add another character in her social circle, minus her mother.

When she sees a video featuring a familiar man from her past, she embarks on a dangerous journey to discover what really happened to her BFF. And to her that summer she can't ever forget.

The writing isn't bad, but not smooth; quite disjointed especially when the narrative flashes back. There is no easy transition between past and present.

There were some scenes of uneasiness, but not suspenseful, nor did I ever feel scared or terrified. I was hoping the narrative would elicit stronger emotions.

Also, the transition between Maya's state of consciousness and when she emerges from hypnosis is clunky and confusing to read.

Frank as a villain is poorly developed and one-dimensional; we barely know anything about him and his villainous father other than the info dump readers are given at the end of the book.

Why does he do what he does?
Why does his father?
Why did Frank target Aubrey and Maya?

Also, the fact Aubrey was interested in magnetism and magic is too coincidental not to mention. I mean, what are the odds she finds the topic interesting and Frank is a Svengali wannabe?

I'm still not sold on how Maya figured out a connection to how her dad's manuscript was connected to Frank, and what he was doing.

The ending was unsatisfying.

I don't mind ambiguity but Frank is barely a character in the narrative, only appearing in flashbacks and briefly at the end of the novel.

His escape feels like a cop out; not because he's a mastermind or too smart to be found.

It feels like the author was unsure on how to wrap everything up.

A House in the Pines had a good premise, but lackluster characters and choppy writing made this just an okay read for me.

a few pacing issues but overall a really fun, quick, engaging thriller with a really cool twist - recommend for fans of things like Behind Her Eyes or History of Wild Places

Creepy. That's the word I would use to describe this book. I flew through this book trying to figure out what was happening. Run to read this one!

When Maya, A half Guatemalan girl, meets Frank at the end of her senior year she becomes infatuated. Frank is older and seems to have the same interest as Maya. However, the unthinkable happens when her long time best friend Aubrey drops dead in front of Frank without explanation. Seven years later, Maya is secretly addicted to drugs and has been using alcohol as a means to cope with the trauma of losing her friend. She comes across a viral video of a young girl mysteriously, for no apparent reason,dropping dead in front of a familiar man,Frank. She returns to her hometown and its painful memories to try to finally get answers.

This book was great! I had no idea how it would end and I couldn't wait to figure it out! It kept me interested and I couldn't stop reading. And the end?! Really didn't see it coming.
Something that I wasn't really expecting but really loved about this book was that it incorporated some Guatemalan culture. The main character's father, who she never met,is Guatemalan and you get to see some of the country through Maya's eyes and through her fathers in a way. Her Guatemalan heritage also plays an important role in her unhealthy relationship with Frank.

Overall, if you like a book that keeps your wheels turning trying to figure out its ending, and keeps you hooked, I would pick this one up!

I was super shocked yet so excited when I seen this title sitting in my self.

The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes is an enthralling story that kept me guessing till the amazing ending.

The House in the Pines draws you into its world within the first chapter, and it doesn't let you go until you've turned the final page. Ana Reyes talented storytelling and brilliant writing make the aspects of the novel appear in surprising ways.
The detail and lay out of the novel continuously keeps that suspense going.
Maya instantly drew me in with he characterization. Which had me hooked and not wanting to put this book down.
I was pleasantly surprised and I look forward to reading more of this author's work in the future!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Penguin Group & Dutton,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

I love that I love that this wasn’t a whodunnit but a howdunnit. The way it unfolded made it impossible to set it down and I was guessing the whole way through but still didn’t see the twists until they were on us. I read this book while I was camping alone in the forest so I’ll say it definitely had me spooked

What happens when your mind is fractured, and you stop believing in what fractured you in the first place? The slow unraveling of everything that feels real and true in your life.

For Ana Reyes's debut novel 'The House in The Pines' - we're gifted a psychological thriller that's equal parts chilling and introspective. Playing on our programmed desires for discipline and self-control, but also our desperate needs for answers as humans, we watch Mya's story unfold.

A Short Preview:
When Mya witnesses the mysterious death of her friend Aubrey as she collapsed out of the blue years before - she must soldier on and somewhat piece herself together. While battling an addiction to prescribed medications and alcoholism that have allowed her to limp along - she meets Dan who immediately makes her feel safe and allows her to start thinking past addiction and trying to forge.

When Mya is surprised by a video of Frank, her sort of young love, and another woman who's mysteriously died - Mya's carefully constructed network of rationalizations and mental health started to fall apart. Journeying home to her mother's house, she finds hidden clues in a manuscript left behind by her Guatemalan father, and she starts to realize there is so much more to the situation than her potentially crumbling mental health.

My thoughts:
- When reading a psychological thriller, it always strikes me that none of us knows how far we'd go to decipher what's real and what's imaginary while our worlds are falling apart. Mya isn't the first person to battle the judgment of potentially being mentally ill (like other family members), and she won't be the last!
- We also get a sense of how we'd react if we were forced to face the systemic dismantling of a decent life and move into healthier zones or delve back into our obsessions. If you have any secret obsessions or convictions - how do you temper them?
- One thing I really loved about this story is that it was much less about the actual 'action' of who caused who's death - and more about what it took to get the main character to understand that there actually WAS a fault for the deaths and not just a 'Sudden Unexplained Death'.

Favorite Quote:
'...the intimacy of being with someone who loves the same stories.' - Something about this line was just so beautiful. Almost like a shared dreamscape that you can both escape to - lovely thought, really.

Notes:
- Psychological Manipulation
- Young women / older men
- Single POV
- Alternating timelines
- TWs: Mental illness, drug addiction

The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes (Book Review)

As you progress through The House in the Pines, you will notice that it burns slowly. The reader is left in the dark for most of the book until the big reveal. I would like to commend Ala Reyes for addressing the sensitive issue of addiction in such an honest manner. This book gives an insight into the life of an addict on a day-to-day basis.

Synopsis:
The death of Maya's best friend leaves a bittersweet mark on her memory. Now an adult who has spent her life trying to forget, she sets out to find answers. It's almost impossible to believe what she discovers deep in the woods in her desperate search for the truth.

The House in the Pines is atmospheric and creepy. Maya tries to put the pieces of her disorganized life in order. Will she finally find the truth?

The House in the Pines is available on January 3rd.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton (Dutton) for sharing this intriguing book with me. Your kindness is appreciated.