The House in the Pines

By Ana Reyes and Ana Reyes

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593186710
• ISBN13: 9780593186718
• Release Date: January 2023
• Publisher: Dutton
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.03 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.7" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

well written but silly

Reyes should have put as much care into her research as she did her writing. The premise (which was obvious from the git-go) is impossible. To avoid spoilers, I'll use the word "mulch." People can't be "mulched" against their will. Period. Scientific fact. Look it up. If everyone could be "mulched" any time, any place, society as we know it would not exist. To sum up "The House in the Pines": unusually good writing, dumb story. This is the second time I've taken a recommendation from Reese Witherspoon's Book Club ... and the second time I've been burned with a stylish but senseless read.