The House in the Pines

I so wanted to love this book but forgetting the disjointed writing and the veering towards literary thriller but just not hitting the mark, and I was already losing interest when the ridiculous misinformation about hypnosis rendering people at ones mercy when all the doctor was using was creative visualisation and basic relaxation techniques - which psychologists and researchers don't actually use but stress management consultants like I trained as do - was inserted into the end.The struggles of the rather boring protagonist could have been better utilised, perhaps by having her drug withdrawal as a potential reason for her possible hallucinations and a lot more suspense and tension would have been added.I didn't like the writing style either. It was clunky and unstructured, and read awkwardly. The writer fell into the telling not showing system too, which irritated me. You can still show the reader their imaginary environment and trust them to work out the gaps between description without over-explaining everything, even in third person point of view.Overall, it was a massive disappointment.

What an amazing book. I was gripped from start to finish. Twists and turns. Parts that made me think. Just a truly hypnotic read!

I was excited to read as it was Reese’s Book Pick but although written well this choice was slow and dull. The plot just seemed to continue and nothing riveting happened. I kept hoping it would pick up but it didn’t.

This was one of the best thrillers I’ve read in years. Reyes has conjured up a story dripping with atmosphere and the allure of a classic bad romance. A must-read for fans of Gillian Flynn, Sarah Pinborough, and Jennifer Egan.

Edge-of-your-seat riveting! If you want a captivating, psychological thriller, this book is for you!