"The Last Town (Wayward Pines #3)", by Blake Crouch, 2014

"The Last Town (Wayward Pines #3)", by Blake Crouch, 2014

Although the weakest of the three books so far in the set, The Last Town still is both

exhilarating and frustrating. It is virtually impossible for readers to not become absorbed in the chaos that ensues as the "abbies" enter Wayward Pines. The graphic descriptions of death and the emotional ties to characters I have come to love keep me invested until the very end. 

The introduction of a new characters creates a sub-conflict that is nearly as powerful, and possibly even more gripping than the battle that ensues in Wayward Pines. As I witness the evolution of characters as they are faced with almost certain death, I will found myself wanting more. This is where Crouch falls short. Rather than further harnessing that evolution of character, nearly two-thirds of The Last Town focuses on fighting. Though the graphic portrayal of death is often thrilling, it eventually loses stamina. Eventually the potential for boredom while reading about yet another house that is invaded by the "abbies" becomes real. There's very little to imagine since the outcome is obvious. That being said, the other aspects of the novel far outweigh the hundred or so pages of fighting. 

When I reached the end of a novel and was so frustrated to find that there really is nothing on the next page; when I searched the Internet in hope that although this is a trilogy and although it is hailed as "the final installment" there indeed are plans for a 4th book; when I read the last page over and over again hoping to find something that was missed — the author knows he's accomplished his task. Well done Blake Crouch. Fortunately for those readers searching for more, FOX has brought Wayward Pines to television in a miniseries, which is currently airing/streaming.

★★★★☆ (4 out of 5 stars)

"Pines (Wayward Pines #1)", by Blake Crouch, 2012

Pines (Wayward Pines #1), by Blake Crouch, 2012

An excruciatingly frustrating start, but by halfway through, the book went from 0 to 60 and I burned through it all the way to the end. Starts off as a mystery novel that sharply turns into a thriller, and ends with a sci-fi surprise.

Pines saw Secret Service agent Ethan Burke waking up in Wayward Pines, a secluded town deep in the forests of Idaho, severely injured after an apparent car accident. Days of concussed, amnesia-driven investigation led Ethan to eventually discover that the entire town was surrounded by an electric fence and under constant electronic surveillance. Nobody comes into Wayward Pines, nobody leaves, and the townsfolk are willing to mob-kill anyone who tries. Is it a government experiment? An episode of The Twilight Zone? The afterlife? Pines concluded with a soul-shattering cliffhanger, as the secret of Wayward Pines was finally revealed to Ethan (a secret I will not divulge here).

My rating: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5 stars) - Wow. I loved it!