Welcome to Wayward Pines, population 461. Nestled amidst picture-perfect mountains, the idyllic town is a modern-day Eden…except for the electrified fence and razor wire, snipers scoping everything 24/7, and the relentless surveillance tracking each word and gesture.

None of the residents know how they got here. They are told where to work, how to live, and who to marry. Some believe they are dead. Others think they’re trapped in an unfathomable experiment. Everyone secretly dreams of leaving, but those who dare face a terrifying surprise.

Ethan Burke has seen the world beyond. He’s sheriff, and one of the few who knows the truth—Wayward Pines isn’t just a town. And what lies on the other side of the fence is a nightmare beyond anyone’s imagining.

As I continue this trilogy, I had to say, I am really in awe of Crouch’s ability to create a great book. The pacing of the story does tend to lag at times and I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest fan of what is happening to Ethan and Theresa. But overall, this is a solid book and a very good read.

I made the mistake of looking at some of the other reviews for this book and I saw questions about why Ethan is made Sheriff and how he has come to accept this position. While I can understand how this may seem illogical for some, let’s think about it for a moment. Ethan has such a rough integration into the Wayward Pines population, that within days of him coming to, they are ready to kill him. There was no putting him back under. They were just going to cut the cord. With less than a thousand humans (as we know them today) alive in this world, that’s a huge decision to make. But in the first book, it’s clear that Ethan is one of those individuals who can actually handle the news of what the world has become and process it. His being promoted to Sheriff was not a reward, it’s a leash. It’s clear they don’t trust him and within good reason. He may have accepted the truth about the world, but he doesn’t approve or agree with how things are being ran. This makes him a huge liability. And they have this saying, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” This is exactly what Pilcher and Ethan are doing with one another. So actually, it’s highly logical to put such a huge spotlight on Ethan. If he screws up, he becomes a huge example of what will happen to those who do not follow the rules. And from his point of view, knowledge is power and he’s learning anything and everything he can, about the town and the operations within the mountain.

So now that that is covered, let’s move on.

I watched the series last fall and I really enjoyed it. So it’s amazing to see how much from the books made it into the show and all the little things that didn’t. It’s probably one of the only times I’ve had a hard time comparing the two because they are so similar and yet so different. But what I can tell you is much like the first book, what you think you know or have guessed, is not what is really going on. The corruption in this town has nothing to do with the groups of people sneaking out at night and everything to do with the people running the show from the mountain. It’s funny, but even knowing what I knew from the show, I didn’t expect some of the twists that came out in this book. I’m definitely recommending this as a must read. It’s not the best written book I’ve ever read. But it’s entertaining and for that reason, I hope you will take a chance to check it out.

Rating

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Pick up your copy on Amazon: Wayward by Blake Crouch