Maya only has hazy memories from the time she dated Frank. One thing she knows for sure though is that one moment her best friend, Aubrey was alive, and the next, while talking to Frank, Aubrey was dead. Maya doesn’t know how, but she knows Frank somehow killed Aubrey. Seven years later, Maya’s suspicions return when another woman drops dead next to Frank. This twisty mystery will draw readers in with the authors writing style. Maya often notes that she loses time when she’s with Frank; the author also plays with time as the timeline jumps between past and present. The readers learn what really happened between Maya and Frank as Maya begins to remember it in the present. Mystery readers will want to read this one, but they may be a bit disappointed when they realize the story may not be as sinister as it may seem.

Thriller featuring an aura of creepiness that had me turning the pages. Psychological drama cleverly written to keep readers engaged.

I wanted to like this one, but the main character almost made this a no-go for me. If we're playing the pain olympics...woe-is-me maya would for sure win. Things also dragged on way too much for my liking, and any spark the plot had fizzled out.

This story will have you gripping your chair trying to figure out how Frank killed these women. Or did he?

This is a convoluted story but intriguing enough to keep you reading.

I loved this story! It grabbed me from the first few chapters. It was interesting to see how Maya is trying to figure out what happened to her long ago when her best friend died, after seeing another girl die being close to the same man, Frank Bellamy. It was a roller coaster of a ride...I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me an e-copy of this book, in return for an honest review.

I think this had a lot of potential but it felt disjointed and moved way too slow for me. I found the Guatemalan culture to be interesting.

Maya was a high school senior when her BFF dropped dead in front of her and a man they had been spending time with that summer. Year later Maya is living in Boston and has a serious boyfriend and fighting her addiction along with trying to figure out why she has gaps in memories and lost time. But one day she sees a video of another young women dying in front of the same man she had spent the summer with in high school. Maya decides to go back home and find out what really happened. While she is home she tries to find the missing fragments of her life and also discovers things of her fathers. Eventually it all leads back to the man who started it all and the cabin he has. Through self discovery and lots of investigating she truly discovers the truth. Will she survive?

This was a psychological thriller to all levels and at times even made me question what I was reading. It completely threw me off at times and made it where I thought one thing but another was true. I did not want to put it down and read through the entire book in 4 hours. There was switching of time periods but I think that helped keep the story flowing. You very quickly realize that Maya is a flawed character and really doesn't understand herself very well. There were brief moments of the where the story went another direction and that confused me. But I will say it was easy to catch up and get the full understanding. I would recommend.

While the influencer box was awesome, I didn't love the book. Yet another woman MC handling her trauma in a bad way as she looks to overcome it. There was details of Guatemalan culture that I found interesting.

This book was...different. When reading books with different topics, you think you know what you're getting into, but you never really do. This was one of those books.

Maya is a woman that is still trying to figure out how her friend form high school passed away right in front of her eyes and though it happened years ago, the memories are still hazy. When another young girl passes away and this time it's caught on camera, there is only one thing that links her friends death to this one, Frank. Years before, Maya met Frank at the library and spent her entire summer with him, until she started loosing gaps of time in her days and her friends mysterious death. Maya returns home to finally fill the gaps in and figure out how Frank is doing it and maybe fill in the gaps.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes in exchange for my honest review.

This novel by Ana Reyes was a quick and interesting read. There were twists that occured that kept you wondering where the book was going next. There are moments that were slower to read, but it built up the story to a strong finish.

The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes is a unique thriller that I really enjoyed. The pacing may have been a little slow-moving at times but overall it was enjoyable. I think it would make a great movie actually. This is Ana Reyes’ debut novel and I can’t wait to hear what she comes up with next!

WOW totally understand why this book would be selected as a Reese’s book club section! Twisty and turny from beginning to end with a protagonist you really want to root for.

Thank you Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for the e-ARC of the book.

Maya has secret medicine addiction that is getting worse. During one of her sleepless nights she stumbles upon a youtube video of a girl dropping dead in font of a guy in a diner in her hometown. Not only she witnessed something similar seven year ago but she knows the guy from the video - her ex boyfriend Frank. Maya rushes back in her hometown to finally solve Frank’s mystery which has been killing innocent girls.

This was an captivating book that occasionally gave me chills. Some parts of the books really pulled me in and I just needed to read one more page… and one more.

What an interesting read!
This story does so much with regards to diving deep into its main character's psyche.
The story hooks you right from the start and it's paced so well, with traveling between our main character's past and present, that you can't help but keep reading.
You spend so much of the story wondering if the main character is in a bout of psychosis, making you want to keep reading to find out what is actually going on!
There aren't fast car chases, suspicious disappearances, the main character isn't running out of time, but the story feels dire none the less.
If you're interested in a subtle, yet compelling read, this book is for you!

📖 Book Review 📖

🎧📱”The House In The Pines” by Ana Reyes

⭐️⭐️💫
publication January 3, 2023

Unique, captivating and a quick-read- a while ago I gave up on this book but when the audio was available from the library I gave it another shot.

Our memory can put aside the truth to help us survive, and this novel showcased that. Maya as the main character is unreliable and scattered- an insomniac, going through Klonopin withdrawal, and drinking. After years mourning the death of her friend Aubrey during high school, Maya decides to return to her hometown, after seeing a YouTube video of a young woman dying while sitting across a diner table from someone who was pretty monumental in Maya’s past. Frank was
a fast, whirlwind “love” from high school. He was older, a bit odd, and intriguing. Maya bounces between past and present trying to make hazy memories into some answers.

Ever DNF on a book and pick it up later?


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Not sure this one completely worked for me, but it was certainly an intriguing premise. It's propulsive enough and curious enough to keep the pages turning. Will definitely look out for author's next book.

The House in the Pines ~ Ana Reyes

Maya will never forget her best friend Aubrey who died in front of Frank, the man she was dating one summer. Seven years have past, and Maya is moving on with her life - or at least trying to - but when she views a viral video of a girl dying in front of none other than Frank she is brought right back to her memories of Maya.

“In The House in the Pines, Ana Reyes delves into a complex female friendship and the fragile nature of memory to weave together a smart, eerie, and completely addictive story of psychological suspense. Reyes is a debut author to watch.”

I thought this was very predictable and not that mysterious. There’s not a lot to say about it besides it was disappointing.

I mostly enjoyed The House in the Pines, but I did not love it. I felt the ending was a bit flat. However, I did like most of the characters and enjoyed the writing. I look forward to more books by this Latinx writer.

I found this book to be confusing and not that interesting. The different timelines took away my enjoyment of the story. I think it would have been better told from one timeline.