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Wayward Pines #3
The Last Town
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Horror (2014)The final book of the smash-hit Wayward Pines trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of Dark Matter, Recursion, and Upgrade
What’s inside was a nightmare. What’s outside is a thousand times worse.
Welcome to Wayward Pines, the last town.
Secret Service agent Ethan Burke arrived in Wayward Pines, Idaho, three weeks ago. In this town, people are told who to marry, where to live, where to work. No one is allowed to leave; even asking questions can get you killed.
But Ethan has discovered the astonishing secret of what lies beyond the electrified fence that surrounds Wayward Pines and protects it from the terrifying world beyond. And now that secret is about to come storming through the fence to wipe out this last, fragile remnant of humanity.
The Last Town at last pitches Ethan Burke and his fellow residents into all-out war against the forces outside the town’s gates – and in doing so delivers every bit the riotously horrific, breathlessly action-packed conclusion that the Wayward Pines trilogy deserves.
What’s inside was a nightmare. What’s outside is a thousand times worse.
Welcome to Wayward Pines, the last town.
Secret Service agent Ethan Burke arrived in Wayward Pines, Idaho, three weeks ago. In this town, people are told who to marry, where to live, where to work. No one is allowed to leave; even asking questions can get you killed.
But Ethan has discovered the astonishing secret of what lies beyond the electrified fence that surrounds Wayward Pines and protects it from the terrifying world beyond. And now that secret is about to come storming through the fence to wipe out this last, fragile remnant of humanity.
The Last Town at last pitches Ethan Burke and his fellow residents into all-out war against the forces outside the town’s gates – and in doing so delivers every bit the riotously horrific, breathlessly action-packed conclusion that the Wayward Pines trilogy deserves.
Kindle Edition
First published July 15, 2014
3522 people are currently reading
60077 people want to read
About the author
Blake Crouch
80 books59.7k followersBlake Crouch is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of the forthcoming novel, Dark Matter, for which he is writing the screenplay for Sony Pictures. His international-bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy was adapted into a television series for FOX, executive produced by M. Night Shyamalan, that was Summer 2015’s #1 show. With Chad Hodge, Crouch also created Good Behavior, the TNT television show starring Michelle Dockery based on his Letty Dobesh novellas. He has written more than a dozen novels that have been translated into over thirty languages and his short fiction has appeared in numerous publications including Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Crouch lives in Colorado with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,329 reviews
August 23, 2025
Oh COME ONNNN I need about 10 more books 😩
July 14, 2019
”What else could I have possibly done for you people? I gave you food. I gave you shelter. I gave you purpose. I protected you from the knowledge you couldn’t handle. From the harsh truth of the world that exists beyond the fence. And each of you had to do one thing.
One!
Goddamn!
Thing!”
He shrieked the words.
“Obey me.”
David Pilcher is suffering from a god complex. Not as difficult to understand as it has been for other figures throughout history, especially since humanity only exists at this point in time because he made it so.
The question is, was it meant to be saved?
The people are nestled in their Eden, a place called Wayward Pines. Pilcher has eliminated all the distractions that kept people from interacting face to face, such as the internet, iPads, iPhones, that allowed people to become mired in social media instead of having actual relationships with people. He was trying to recreate a 1950s sensibility.
The thing of it is, no matter what you do, it is impossible to make people happy. Humanity isn’t designed to allow itself to be contented, sooner or later someone is going to come along who wants free will and will do whatever it takes to get it.
That man is Ethan Burke.
He offers the apple, and they eat it. He rips the gossamer from around their eyes and lets them see and experience the full horror of what has happened to their world.
Mind blowing.
Pilcher is beyond furious, but then he has a good role model from the God depicted in the Bible. He throws the biggest tantrum since that other God flooded the Earth. He, too, can destroy what he created. If they disobey, then they must pay the price. He knows from experience that people can’t necessarily handle the truth.
”Your fatal flaw, Ethan, is that you’re under the mistaken impression that people are like you. That they have the courage, your fearlessness, your will. You and I are exceptions, cut from the same cloth. Even my people in the mountain struggle with the fear. But not you and me. We know the truth. We aren’t afraid to look it in the eye. Only difference being, I’m aware of this fact, and it’s something you’re going to learn slowly and painfully and at great cost of human life. But you’ll remember this conversation one day, Ethan. You’ll understand why I did the things I did.”
He shuts down the electric fence. He lets the aberrations in.
”None of them were larger than he was, but their muscle tone was extraordinary.
They looked---
Like humanity wrapped in the trappings of a monster.
Equipped with talons, instead of fingers, teeth designed for cutting and tearing, they brandished arms that seemed too long in proportion to the rest of their body. Longer even than their legs.
He said under his breath, like a prayer, ‘What the hell are you?’
Fear suddenly wore him like a glove.”
I must admit that season one of Wayward Pines was must see TV every week. The first season covers all three books. There are variations between the books and the show, but not really that many. Blake Crouch was heavily involved with the making of the TV series. Season Two is starting up in May of 2016 and will be based on new material not covered in the books. I was content for them to stop with just one season, but I have to admit I’m curious to see where they intend to go with the concept. The real tension and psychological discomfort was much higher in the first two books. This book is more of one long chase scene, still compelling, but all the rabbits have been pulled out of the hat in the earlier two books.
Burke becomes Moses, and the responsibility weighs heavily on him.
”There was no coming to terms with the fact that he was a member of a species on the verge of extinction.
It filled every moment with meaning.
It filled every moment with horror.”
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
One!
Goddamn!
Thing!”
He shrieked the words.
“Obey me.”
David Pilcher is suffering from a god complex. Not as difficult to understand as it has been for other figures throughout history, especially since humanity only exists at this point in time because he made it so.
The question is, was it meant to be saved?
The people are nestled in their Eden, a place called Wayward Pines. Pilcher has eliminated all the distractions that kept people from interacting face to face, such as the internet, iPads, iPhones, that allowed people to become mired in social media instead of having actual relationships with people. He was trying to recreate a 1950s sensibility.
The thing of it is, no matter what you do, it is impossible to make people happy. Humanity isn’t designed to allow itself to be contented, sooner or later someone is going to come along who wants free will and will do whatever it takes to get it.
That man is Ethan Burke.
He offers the apple, and they eat it. He rips the gossamer from around their eyes and lets them see and experience the full horror of what has happened to their world.
Mind blowing.
Pilcher is beyond furious, but then he has a good role model from the God depicted in the Bible. He throws the biggest tantrum since that other God flooded the Earth. He, too, can destroy what he created. If they disobey, then they must pay the price. He knows from experience that people can’t necessarily handle the truth.
”Your fatal flaw, Ethan, is that you’re under the mistaken impression that people are like you. That they have the courage, your fearlessness, your will. You and I are exceptions, cut from the same cloth. Even my people in the mountain struggle with the fear. But not you and me. We know the truth. We aren’t afraid to look it in the eye. Only difference being, I’m aware of this fact, and it’s something you’re going to learn slowly and painfully and at great cost of human life. But you’ll remember this conversation one day, Ethan. You’ll understand why I did the things I did.”
He shuts down the electric fence. He lets the aberrations in.
”None of them were larger than he was, but their muscle tone was extraordinary.
They looked---
Like humanity wrapped in the trappings of a monster.
Equipped with talons, instead of fingers, teeth designed for cutting and tearing, they brandished arms that seemed too long in proportion to the rest of their body. Longer even than their legs.
He said under his breath, like a prayer, ‘What the hell are you?’
Fear suddenly wore him like a glove.”
I must admit that season one of Wayward Pines was must see TV every week. The first season covers all three books. There are variations between the books and the show, but not really that many. Blake Crouch was heavily involved with the making of the TV series. Season Two is starting up in May of 2016 and will be based on new material not covered in the books. I was content for them to stop with just one season, but I have to admit I’m curious to see where they intend to go with the concept. The real tension and psychological discomfort was much higher in the first two books. This book is more of one long chase scene, still compelling, but all the rabbits have been pulled out of the hat in the earlier two books.
Burke becomes Moses, and the responsibility weighs heavily on him.
”There was no coming to terms with the fact that he was a member of a species on the verge of extinction.
It filled every moment with meaning.
It filled every moment with horror.”
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
April 18, 2025
3.5
Nie było to złe zakończenie, ale ten tom jest dużo słabszy niż poprzednie 🤷🏼♀️
Nie było to złe zakończenie, ale ten tom jest dużo słabszy niż poprzednie 🤷🏼♀️
September 13, 2015
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious." Albert Einstein said that. We should all savor this moment.
And that's exactly what this series is like. You don't want to go into them knowing much but after you read them you want to talk about them..but you can't. Don't spoil them for people. Let them experience the WTFery all on their own.
Nothing that could be explained or described, because you didn't just hear it.
You felt it's meaning.
And it's meaning was this: Hell is coming.
This series is not great literature, and it really does not try to be. It is very entertaining and well worth the time to read.
These books are inventive and new and don't follow the everyday tropes that so many books fall into. You'll be asking yourself questions and shaking your head as you try and figure out how this evil genius named Blake Crouch is twisting you this way.
I still haven't watched the show based on these books but as I was reading these I saw more of Ethan Burke's character in this guy...
Than I would have imagined could be portrayed by this one....
"Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to."
"Why?"
"Because they're the right things."
Crouch wraps up this trilogy very well but you still deep down want more. That's a good thing.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
ETA: Friend spotlight: I'm sick of the popularity contests here on GR that force people to "bump up" their reviews so that they get more likes. So I'm going to start spotlighting some of my friends reviews that should get attention.
For this book check out Dan 2.0's review. 2.0 is an ornery reader and when he gives a review 3 stars that means it's actually a good book. He reads books that I love and gives them one stars just to tick me off. I somewhat like him anyways. Go show him some love!
And that's exactly what this series is like. You don't want to go into them knowing much but after you read them you want to talk about them..but you can't. Don't spoil them for people. Let them experience the WTFery all on their own.
Nothing that could be explained or described, because you didn't just hear it.
You felt it's meaning.
And it's meaning was this: Hell is coming.
This series is not great literature, and it really does not try to be. It is very entertaining and well worth the time to read.
These books are inventive and new and don't follow the everyday tropes that so many books fall into. You'll be asking yourself questions and shaking your head as you try and figure out how this evil genius named Blake Crouch is twisting you this way.
I still haven't watched the show based on these books but as I was reading these I saw more of Ethan Burke's character in this guy...
Than I would have imagined could be portrayed by this one....
"Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to."
"Why?"
"Because they're the right things."
Crouch wraps up this trilogy very well but you still deep down want more. That's a good thing.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
ETA: Friend spotlight: I'm sick of the popularity contests here on GR that force people to "bump up" their reviews so that they get more likes. So I'm going to start spotlighting some of my friends reviews that should get attention.
For this book check out Dan 2.0's review. 2.0 is an ornery reader and when he gives a review 3 stars that means it's actually a good book. He reads books that I love and gives them one stars just to tick me off. I somewhat like him anyways. Go show him some love!
December 8, 2017
I can't review this without making a parallel with the TV Show. This book took 2 months to arrive and I had to finish the show... Which is nowhere near as good as the books.
The ending was much better than expected! I do think 3 books was a bit of stretch but I would recommend the series anyway!
The ending was much better than expected! I do think 3 books was a bit of stretch but I would recommend the series anyway!
July 5, 2020
At the start of Pines, the first book in this trilogy by Blake Crouch, we meet Ethan Blake, FBI agent and our genial, tough cookie hero.
Ethan wakes up, painfully, after a road accident in the town of Wayward Pines, a wholesome, picture postcard cliche of small town America.
But ……… Everything is as far away from what it seems as is humanly possible!
The three books unravel a wonderfully unbelievable storyline that involves a big concept with a dose of horror, sci fi, futurist science and a crowd of characters that are written well enough for you to care about their fates.
Think Twin Peaks, but with some answers.
The final part of this imaginative yarn is action packed, violent and a lot of fun. All loose ends are tied up and the climax is satisfyingly tense.
I gave up trying to work out whether all motivations and actions were on the right side of the ethical line ……. its best to just go with the flow.
As I’ve said before, I’m a big fan of Blake Crouch. The Last Town is light, exciting and imaginative - in my eyes, the perfect read for the beach (if we’re lucky enough to see a beach any time soon!)
Ethan wakes up, painfully, after a road accident in the town of Wayward Pines, a wholesome, picture postcard cliche of small town America.
But ……… Everything is as far away from what it seems as is humanly possible!
The three books unravel a wonderfully unbelievable storyline that involves a big concept with a dose of horror, sci fi, futurist science and a crowd of characters that are written well enough for you to care about their fates.
Think Twin Peaks, but with some answers.
The final part of this imaginative yarn is action packed, violent and a lot of fun. All loose ends are tied up and the climax is satisfyingly tense.
I gave up trying to work out whether all motivations and actions were on the right side of the ethical line ……. its best to just go with the flow.
As I’ve said before, I’m a big fan of Blake Crouch. The Last Town is light, exciting and imaginative - in my eyes, the perfect read for the beach (if we’re lucky enough to see a beach any time soon!)
December 25, 2018
Well, I enjoyed the hell out of this trilogy!
WARNING: This review will contain spoilers of the first two books in the WAYWARD PINES trilogy - read PINES and WAYWARD first.
So, we find ourselves nearly two thousand years in the future, in the last town on earth. Book two ended with a cliffhanger - the electricity to the fence was cut and the gate opened, with a swarm of abbies fast approaching town.
You only know there will be carnage and you don't know if anybody will actually survive.
Well, the only way I can review book number three without giving anything away, is to say that all the issues will be resolved. Not necessarily the way you either want or expect it, or that you are even aware of all the issues ahead, but it will conclude.
And, in my opinion, the ending was absolutely perfect for this story.
Now, the one thing Crouch did not discuss in any of the books, is exactly what happened to the human race in the 2000 years to make them evolve into the abbies. Well, here's my theory:
Due to the stubborn denial of some world leaders of Global Warming (we are not allowed to confuse them with the facts), a deal will be made that will make one country in particular a great deal of money. However, it will also deplete some resources completely in only decades, which will mean that some things will disappear from this world.
As luck would have it (bad luck, that is), one of the first things that will go will be shampoo. And, due to the evolution of all species and the contamination of the earth, new species of insects will come forth. The most dangerous of these will be a new, lethal head-lice. The things that will make them so dangerous will be their ability to actually drain blood from the brain - in small amounts, but over a period of time the effects will be felt. Yes, people will become stupider than ever.
This, of course, will lead to the growing popularity of the television show KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS. In their 54th season, it will not be clear which of these women are actually still alive, and rumors will run wild that most of them have been replaced by wax dolls.
And then, toward the end of summer, one of the sisters (I can't disclose exactly which one, but I will give you a clue: Her name starts with a "K".) will be watching a YouTube video of the 8th comeback of Taylor Swift - who will, unrelated to this, be singing about her latest break-up with some 20 year old boy toy that hasn't even been born yet. During the video, a glitch in the system will make her sing backwards - and, surprisingly enough, it will sound a lot like Rihanna's music in the late 2010's - and the words will sound something like:
Eee-wahha-oooaaajjjj-trrrriiiiiiiighghghghgh-blod.
And, as with teenagers these days, those words will be remixed into a hit song, which will top the chart for six weeks - a record in the age of short attention spans.
This, in turn, will call up the demon Folligmentia, who will curse the earth and all humans who woke him from his evil slumber. The punishment on the human race will be the loss of all hair.
That will explain why people will get smarter, realize television is the root of all evil, throw all of them into the ocean, which will lead to the mother of all electrocutions, killing all forms of fish (which was never mentioned in any of the books, by the way, I'm not just making this shit up!) and knocking out any and all forms of electricity.
Then the people will have to learn to fend for themselves, it will be utter chaos, the nervous energy created by all living things will lead to an increased level of farting, which will completely destroy the ozone layer. The North and South Pole will heat up, the ice will melt and it will bring the next Ice Age - they actually got it right in the movie THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW.
And the rest, my friends, will be ancient history...or ancient future...?
Anyhoot - I hope you enjoy this series as much as I did!
WARNING: This review will contain spoilers of the first two books in the WAYWARD PINES trilogy - read PINES and WAYWARD first.
So, we find ourselves nearly two thousand years in the future, in the last town on earth. Book two ended with a cliffhanger - the electricity to the fence was cut and the gate opened, with a swarm of abbies fast approaching town.
You only know there will be carnage and you don't know if anybody will actually survive.
Well, the only way I can review book number three without giving anything away, is to say that all the issues will be resolved. Not necessarily the way you either want or expect it, or that you are even aware of all the issues ahead, but it will conclude.
And, in my opinion, the ending was absolutely perfect for this story.
Now, the one thing Crouch did not discuss in any of the books, is exactly what happened to the human race in the 2000 years to make them evolve into the abbies. Well, here's my theory:
Due to the stubborn denial of some world leaders of Global Warming (we are not allowed to confuse them with the facts), a deal will be made that will make one country in particular a great deal of money. However, it will also deplete some resources completely in only decades, which will mean that some things will disappear from this world.
As luck would have it (bad luck, that is), one of the first things that will go will be shampoo. And, due to the evolution of all species and the contamination of the earth, new species of insects will come forth. The most dangerous of these will be a new, lethal head-lice. The things that will make them so dangerous will be their ability to actually drain blood from the brain - in small amounts, but over a period of time the effects will be felt. Yes, people will become stupider than ever.
This, of course, will lead to the growing popularity of the television show KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS. In their 54th season, it will not be clear which of these women are actually still alive, and rumors will run wild that most of them have been replaced by wax dolls.
And then, toward the end of summer, one of the sisters (I can't disclose exactly which one, but I will give you a clue: Her name starts with a "K".) will be watching a YouTube video of the 8th comeback of Taylor Swift - who will, unrelated to this, be singing about her latest break-up with some 20 year old boy toy that hasn't even been born yet. During the video, a glitch in the system will make her sing backwards - and, surprisingly enough, it will sound a lot like Rihanna's music in the late 2010's - and the words will sound something like:
Eee-wahha-oooaaajjjj-trrrriiiiiiiighghghghgh-blod.
And, as with teenagers these days, those words will be remixed into a hit song, which will top the chart for six weeks - a record in the age of short attention spans.
This, in turn, will call up the demon Folligmentia, who will curse the earth and all humans who woke him from his evil slumber. The punishment on the human race will be the loss of all hair.
That will explain why people will get smarter, realize television is the root of all evil, throw all of them into the ocean, which will lead to the mother of all electrocutions, killing all forms of fish (which was never mentioned in any of the books, by the way, I'm not just making this shit up!) and knocking out any and all forms of electricity.
Then the people will have to learn to fend for themselves, it will be utter chaos, the nervous energy created by all living things will lead to an increased level of farting, which will completely destroy the ozone layer. The North and South Pole will heat up, the ice will melt and it will bring the next Ice Age - they actually got it right in the movie THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW.
And the rest, my friends, will be ancient history...or ancient future...?
Anyhoot - I hope you enjoy this series as much as I did!
January 8, 2025
The Last Town is the concluding book in Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines series.
I read the first two books last Fall, but for some reason, as often happens, I then failed to pick this one up. Sometimes when things are so good, you just don't want them to end.
Luckily for me, this is a very memorable story, so I had no problem picking this one up even though almost a year had passed. I hadn't forgotten a thing.
The truth of Wayward Pines, even the idea of it, is so horrifying that it is seared into my brain from now until forevermore.
After the reveals of the second book, which had huge repercussions for the entire town, things get much worse. Much, much worse.
Ethan Burke has ticked off Pilcher and that results in Pilcher cranking up for a temper tantrum of epic proportions. He's about to unleash a community-wide shitstorm, pretty much the equivalent of a 10-year old flipping over a game of Monopoly because they're losing.
This installment was non-stop action from the very start. It's dropping you off directly where the action left off. There's no time to pause.
It's bleak. Not going to lie. For the majority of the book, I felt pretty helpless with regards to my favorite characters. How the heck are they going to get out of this?
It seemed the end was near. I mean I could feel it, watching the percentage run down on my kindle. It was coming. What was it going to be?
Overall, I am satisfied with this ending. I wouldn't have guessed the ending and I can't argue with it. This was a tough one. The world was what it was. There were no easy answers.
I think Crouch did an exceptional job over the course of these three books building out this world and providing characters that the Reader could care about. I loved many of these characters and it was sometimes tough to read about the things they went through.
I would definitely recommend this series. Even though it is a bit of an older series, it's absolutely worth picking up!!
I read the first two books last Fall, but for some reason, as often happens, I then failed to pick this one up. Sometimes when things are so good, you just don't want them to end.
Luckily for me, this is a very memorable story, so I had no problem picking this one up even though almost a year had passed. I hadn't forgotten a thing.
The truth of Wayward Pines, even the idea of it, is so horrifying that it is seared into my brain from now until forevermore.
After the reveals of the second book, which had huge repercussions for the entire town, things get much worse. Much, much worse.
Ethan Burke has ticked off Pilcher and that results in Pilcher cranking up for a temper tantrum of epic proportions. He's about to unleash a community-wide shitstorm, pretty much the equivalent of a 10-year old flipping over a game of Monopoly because they're losing.
This installment was non-stop action from the very start. It's dropping you off directly where the action left off. There's no time to pause.
It's bleak. Not going to lie. For the majority of the book, I felt pretty helpless with regards to my favorite characters. How the heck are they going to get out of this?
It seemed the end was near. I mean I could feel it, watching the percentage run down on my kindle. It was coming. What was it going to be?
Overall, I am satisfied with this ending. I wouldn't have guessed the ending and I can't argue with it. This was a tough one. The world was what it was. There were no easy answers.
I think Crouch did an exceptional job over the course of these three books building out this world and providing characters that the Reader could care about. I loved many of these characters and it was sometimes tough to read about the things they went through.
I would definitely recommend this series. Even though it is a bit of an older series, it's absolutely worth picking up!!
March 31, 2015
When Ethan Burke reveals the truth about Wayward Pines, the ensuing chaos is nothing compared to the hell unleashed when David Pilcher throws open the gates...
I got this from Netgalley.
The Wayward Pines trilogy draws to a close with The Last Town. How does it stack up?
Well, while the books all feature the same characters and share the same setting, they aren't really the same type of books. Pines is a paranoid tale of a man trying to unravel the truth. Wayward is a tale of a man struggling with that truth. And The Last Town is more survival horror than anything else.
The pace is pretty frantic with aberrations swarming the town. Throw in the monkey wrench that is Hassler and it's off to the races. Lots of people die and Wayward Pines is left with an uncertain future.
As with the previous book, much of my dislike of this book has to do with Pines setting the bar way too high. It's a pretty suspenseful tale but doesn't stack up to it's progenitor very well, mostly because, again, Pines set the bar too high.
The Last Town, while not my favorite of the series, wrapped up the tale of Wayward Pines in a very satisfactory way. Three out of five stars.
I got this from Netgalley.
The Wayward Pines trilogy draws to a close with The Last Town. How does it stack up?
Well, while the books all feature the same characters and share the same setting, they aren't really the same type of books. Pines is a paranoid tale of a man trying to unravel the truth. Wayward is a tale of a man struggling with that truth. And The Last Town is more survival horror than anything else.
The pace is pretty frantic with aberrations swarming the town. Throw in the monkey wrench that is Hassler and it's off to the races. Lots of people die and Wayward Pines is left with an uncertain future.
As with the previous book, much of my dislike of this book has to do with Pines setting the bar way too high. It's a pretty suspenseful tale but doesn't stack up to it's progenitor very well, mostly because, again, Pines set the bar too high.
The Last Town, while not my favorite of the series, wrapped up the tale of Wayward Pines in a very satisfactory way. Three out of five stars.
October 23, 2019
3.33 stars. (Yeah, I’m a little torn about this one.) Full review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Blake Crouch wraps up the WAYWARD PINES trilogy here in The Last Town. If you haven’t read the prior two books, Pines and Wayward, be warned that here there be spoilers, as well as monsters and a bloodbath.
David Pilcher was a visionary man, convinced that the town of Wayward Pines, Idaho would be a new Eden, a place where people could start over again. The sign outside of town even proclaims “WELCOME TO WAYWARD PINES — WHERE PARADISE IS HOME”! Though Pilcher was right in many ways, life there was far more difficult and dangerous than he foresaw. Between that and Pilcher’s mania for control, Wayward Pines has been more of a prison for its inhabitants, with terrible secrets that Pilcher and his crew are determined to keep from the townspeople, though it’s for their own good, he assures the new sheriff, Ethan Burke.
Pilcher’s mania for control and blind obedience have turned him from a visionary to a would-be god. When Ethan rebelled and broke the huge secret to the entire town at the end of Wayward, Pilcher flew into a rage and remotely opened the gates of the high, electrified fence that surrounds the town. Now the intelligent, deadly creatures — called aberrations or “abbies” — that live outside of the town have invaded en masse, slaughtering as many people as they can.
Do you remember those nightmares you used to have when you were a kid, where monsters were chasing you and you couldn’t get away (probably frozen in fear) and they just kept coming and coming? The Last Town is kind of like that. The prior books in the WAYWARD PINES series had a distinct element of horror along with the mystery and science fiction, but The Last Town ratchets up the horror element several notches. Most of the book is a series of nightmarish scenes, with hideous abbies chasing — and eating — the people living in Wayward Pines. The aftermath is interesting, but you have to wade through copious amounts of gore to get there. And it’s not just the abbies spreading death and destruction; Pilcher may be a megalomaniac with a God complex, but the balance of power is still with him and his loyal followers.
The Last Town ends with another twist. Conceptually I thought the final twist was a great idea, but it required a little too much suspension of disbelief (specifically, relating to the timeline and available technology) to really work for me. Rather like this whole WAYWARD PINES series, in fact. It’s an imaginative wild ride with some fascinating twists and turns, but several of the details and key plot points don’t make much sense on closer examination.
Blake Crouch wraps up the WAYWARD PINES trilogy here in The Last Town. If you haven’t read the prior two books, Pines and Wayward, be warned that here there be spoilers, as well as monsters and a bloodbath.
David Pilcher was a visionary man, convinced that the town of Wayward Pines, Idaho would be a new Eden, a place where people could start over again. The sign outside of town even proclaims “WELCOME TO WAYWARD PINES — WHERE PARADISE IS HOME”! Though Pilcher was right in many ways, life there was far more difficult and dangerous than he foresaw. Between that and Pilcher’s mania for control, Wayward Pines has been more of a prison for its inhabitants, with terrible secrets that Pilcher and his crew are determined to keep from the townspeople, though it’s for their own good, he assures the new sheriff, Ethan Burke.
Pilcher’s mania for control and blind obedience have turned him from a visionary to a would-be god. When Ethan rebelled and broke the huge secret to the entire town at the end of Wayward, Pilcher flew into a rage and remotely opened the gates of the high, electrified fence that surrounds the town. Now the intelligent, deadly creatures — called aberrations or “abbies” — that live outside of the town have invaded en masse, slaughtering as many people as they can.
Do you remember those nightmares you used to have when you were a kid, where monsters were chasing you and you couldn’t get away (probably frozen in fear) and they just kept coming and coming? The Last Town is kind of like that. The prior books in the WAYWARD PINES series had a distinct element of horror along with the mystery and science fiction, but The Last Town ratchets up the horror element several notches. Most of the book is a series of nightmarish scenes, with hideous abbies chasing — and eating — the people living in Wayward Pines. The aftermath is interesting, but you have to wade through copious amounts of gore to get there. And it’s not just the abbies spreading death and destruction; Pilcher may be a megalomaniac with a God complex, but the balance of power is still with him and his loyal followers.
The Last Town ends with another twist. Conceptually I thought the final twist was a great idea, but it required a little too much suspension of disbelief (specifically, relating to the timeline and available technology) to really work for me. Rather like this whole WAYWARD PINES series, in fact. It’s an imaginative wild ride with some fascinating twists and turns, but several of the details and key plot points don’t make much sense on closer examination.
May 22, 2017
Το ανθρώπινο είδος δίνει άνιση μάχη για την επιβίωση και η εξαφάνιση ειναι κάτι αναμενομενο και αναπόφευκτο.
Παρόλα αυτά η φύση και κυρίως η ανθρώπινη θέληση για διαιώνιση αποφασίζει τελικά την τελευταία στιγμή να παραιτηθεί από αυτή τη μάχη προσωρινά...
Η επιδίωξη της ανθρωπότητας περνάει πια σε αλλά επίπεδα που άπτονται στην αυτοσυνείδηση και την συναισθηματική νοημοσύνη.
Αυτή η τριλογία ειναι μια εξαιρετική προσπάθεια κατανόησης των ψυχικών αντοχών σε αντίξοες συνθήκες και μια δοκιμαστική εικόνα των διαπροσωπικών σχέσεων σε ολα τα επίπεδα όταν δεν υπάρχουν επιλογές και λύσεις.
Θα μπορούσα να πω πως ο συγγραφέας μεταφέρει με τροπο απόλυτα σαφή και τεκμηριωμένο μια νέα τάξη πραγμάτων που αφορά τα ατομικά δικαιώματα τις οικογενειακές δομές και ανατρέπει ολα αυτά που θεωρούνται κεκτημένα και δεδομένα μπροστά στο αναπόδραστο που παραδόξως δεν ειναι ο θάνατος αλλά η αθανασία !!
Εφικτό ή όχι το ταξίδι αρχίζει και εδώ ο προορισμός ειναι πρωταγωνιστής.
Καλή ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς ασπασμούς.
Παρόλα αυτά η φύση και κυρίως η ανθρώπινη θέληση για διαιώνιση αποφασίζει τελικά την τελευταία στιγμή να παραιτηθεί από αυτή τη μάχη προσωρινά...
Η επιδίωξη της ανθρωπότητας περνάει πια σε αλλά επίπεδα που άπτονται στην αυτοσυνείδηση και την συναισθηματική νοημοσύνη.
Αυτή η τριλογία ειναι μια εξαιρετική προσπάθεια κατανόησης των ψυχικών αντοχών σε αντίξοες συνθήκες και μια δοκιμαστική εικόνα των διαπροσωπικών σχέσεων σε ολα τα επίπεδα όταν δεν υπάρχουν επιλογές και λύσεις.
Θα μπορούσα να πω πως ο συγγραφέας μεταφέρει με τροπο απόλυτα σαφή και τεκμηριωμένο μια νέα τάξη πραγμάτων που αφορά τα ατομικά δικαιώματα τις οικογενειακές δομές και ανατρέπει ολα αυτά που θεωρούνται κεκτημένα και δεδομένα μπροστά στο αναπόδραστο που παραδόξως δεν ειναι ο θάνατος αλλά η αθανασία !!
Εφικτό ή όχι το ταξίδι αρχίζει και εδώ ο προορισμός ειναι πρωταγωνιστής.
Καλή ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς ασπασμούς.
October 23, 2016
Just finished the last book of the series!!! God!!!! This can't be the end! I loved this series so much! There must be more of it!! We must learn what happens next!
I liked everything about the last book of the Pines series. First of all the way of narration which wad very different than the other two books. Againn there is the third person narration, but it is given through the viewpoints of many different people. Also there are some allusions to the past which helps us understand some things better. Next, we go to the action. Full of it from beginning to end! This action enhanced my feelings while reading! As for the characters I find that theŗe is a developement and a deeper understanding of their actions which makes a perfect novel.
Finally, I should mention the messages the author wants to convey! The future of humamity, the hope, the affect our behaviour has on others and ultimately if the free will is something that divides or unites us! These and many more.
I just wanted more for the ending... Again questions were anwered, and others were raised. But this is how Mr. Crouch makes us thinking about this great series the whole time. Maybe we are the ones that will figure out the ending. Weather this will be a happy one or not. WELL DONE MR. CROUCH!!!!!
I liked everything about the last book of the Pines series. First of all the way of narration which wad very different than the other two books. Againn there is the third person narration, but it is given through the viewpoints of many different people. Also there are some allusions to the past which helps us understand some things better. Next, we go to the action. Full of it from beginning to end! This action enhanced my feelings while reading! As for the characters I find that theŗe is a developement and a deeper understanding of their actions which makes a perfect novel.
Finally, I should mention the messages the author wants to convey! The future of humamity, the hope, the affect our behaviour has on others and ultimately if the free will is something that divides or unites us! These and many more.
I just wanted more for the ending... Again questions were anwered, and others were raised. But this is how Mr. Crouch makes us thinking about this great series the whole time. Maybe we are the ones that will figure out the ending. Weather this will be a happy one or not. WELL DONE MR. CROUCH!!!!!
November 17, 2016
You've got to be shitting me? No Fucking Way. It cannot end like that. Goddammit. No. This trilogy had better turn into a quadrillogy or something. It just can't end the way it did. Not for the sake of my sanity, anyway. From the very first chapter it's kept me captivated, right up to the very end. Then I make the mistake of reading the last nine words of the epilogue on the following page. Bad idea.
Okay...rant over. I think.
This has been an amazing journey from the very start - and I'm going to miss reading about the characters that I've come to like (or dislike). After what Pilcher did at the end of book 2; it's a real case of survival and Ethan has more than just his conscience eating away at him like caustic acid: It's not just a fight for survival against the Abbies - there are also other reasons why they could end up extinct.
I really enjoyed reading this trilogy (better be quadrillogy), and I hope the author decides to continue the story - as the ending was totally phenomenal. Actually, what the survivors did was ingenious - but those last nine words are going to haunt me.......
Okay...rant over. I think.
This has been an amazing journey from the very start - and I'm going to miss reading about the characters that I've come to like (or dislike). After what Pilcher did at the end of book 2; it's a real case of survival and Ethan has more than just his conscience eating away at him like caustic acid: It's not just a fight for survival against the Abbies - there are also other reasons why they could end up extinct.
I really enjoyed reading this trilogy (better be quadrillogy), and I hope the author decides to continue the story - as the ending was totally phenomenal. Actually, what the survivors did was ingenious - but those last nine words are going to haunt me.......
August 27, 2014
Damn you, Mr. Crouch! You sucked me in with “Pines”, kept me intrigued with “Wayward”, and then slapped me in the face with “The Last Town”
Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t hate the book. I actually thought it was okay. And on its own it probably deserves a 3-star rating. The reason it gets a 2, however, is because of its potential. This book should have been awesome. It should have been a kick-ass finale to the Wayward Pines trilogy, but it wasn’t. Mr. Crouch could have ended the saga with a bang and instead ended it with a whimper, and it’s a damn shame.
Let’s go back to “Pines”. I loved it. It was a fast-paced, entertaining, violent mystery with a few awesome scenes (the fetes and introduction to the abbies come to mind) and an explosive ending that I never saw coming. I thought it was a great book that didn’t need a sequel.
And then “Wayward” came out…
And I loved it. It advanced the story, let us see Ethan struggle with concealing the truth, introduced us to Adam Hassler (a man actually surviving outside of the fence? WHAT?!), and hinted at a second love triangle (between Adam, Ethan and Teresa, in addition to the one between Ethan, Teresa, and Kate) then, again, blew me away with a killer cliffhanger ending that forced me to read part 3. It was as if Mr. Crouch literally grabbed me by the throat and said, “You’re going to buy book 3!” and I gladly said, “Yes, Sir!”
Then “The Last Town” came out, and it underwhelmed.
The problems with this book are numerous, and I suspect they all stem from a single source. It’s clear to me Mr. Crouch was given a deadline that he simply could not meet without sacrificing the integrity of his novel, and sacrifice it he did. Just look at its length compared to books 1 and 2.
“Pines”: 309 pages
“Wayward”: 322 pages
“The Last Town”: 285 pages
It’s the runt of the litter, and by a full 24 pages! This is part 3, Blake (I’m calling you Blake from now on. Screw Mr. Crouch!). This is the finale. Everything that happened in books 1 and 2 has been building to this. This book should have been the longest of the three. Not the shortest. And certainly not the shortest by 24 pages. To be totally honest, this book should have had at least another 50 pages in it. There were two books worth of loose ends to tie up, Crouch (I’m sticking with just Crouch. Screw Blake!), and instead of actually tying them up, you gave us a rushed, half-assed ending that once read by your editor should have gotten you a quick slap in the face. Let’s dive in shall we?
Hassler:
In “Wayward”, we’re told Adam Hassler is still alive. My thought process upon learning this: “Ethan’s boss? No way! And he’s been living outside of the fence? And he’s in love with Ethan’s wife? Why is he outside of town? How has he been able to survive out there? Why is he headed back to the town now? What did he find out there?”
The addition of Hassler to the story was brilliant. Knowing he was coming back to town for book 3 made me practically salivate over his eventual confrontation with Ethan and I was dying to know the answers to the above questions. And what were those answers? Let’s see:
Why is he outside of town? Not sure. He was on a mission of some kind. What mission? I have no idea. It’s not made clear. Pilcher implies there was no mission and that he just wanted to get rid of Hassler. If that’s the case, why not just kill him? But there had to be an actual mission, right? Otherwise, why the hell would Hassler go outside in the first place? Wasn’t he the happiest he had ever been while living in Wayward Pines with Theresa and Ben? What could Pilcher have possibly told him to make him willingly leave Wayward Pines on a suicide mission outside? Did Pilcher force him to leave? If he did, again, why not just kill Hassler instead? And why did Hassler come back anyway? Was it because he found nothing? What made him decide he finally found nothing? And why did he wait so long to decide that? Dude, you had a beautiful woman and child waiting for you in Wayward Pines. Why would you stay away for three years? Couldn’t you have been gone for a few months instead? How long does it take to find nothing?
Horrible character exchanges:
Then there are the many potentially emotional points that Crouch just glosses over. Like when Alan finds out Pilcher murdered his daughter and is so enraged that he threatens to kill Pilcher. He and Ethan have this exchange.
Alan: AHHHHHH! I’m gonna kill Pilcher!
Ethan: No, I am.
Alan: Okay.
There is no way this exchange goes down this way from what we know about Alan. He should have been ready to rip Pilcher apart with his bare hands. He and Ethan should have practically come to blows over who gets to kill Pilcher. But they don’t because…I have no idea, and I don’t think Crouch does either.
This happens again when everyone is hiding in the cave and Ethan tells Ben he is going to the arc.
Ethan: I have to go Ben.
Ben: (crying) But Dad, I don’t want you to go!
Ethan: But I’m going to.
Ben: Okay.
Come on, Crouch! Give the kid a little more time to come to terms with his father’s suicide mission. Or don’t let him come to terms with it at all and force Ethan to leave with his son mad at him. Just make your characters act like real people, damn it!
Characters acting like morons
Here a few things that just didn’t add up:
When Ethan’s group makes it to the cave, it’s revealed some people are missing family members who were in other groups. In a crisis, why the hell would you separate from your family? Everyone was together at the fete, then Ethan revealed the truth, Pilcher opened the gate, and everyone stood around and talked about the truth. Sure, some people went home (with their families) but most stayed. So when the hell did so many families get separated? Why would they do that? Why would you not go into the same group and head for the tunnels together?
Even when characters make the right decision, they do it for the wrong reason. Like when Ethan, Kate, and two other characters whose names I can’t remember head to the arc. They decide to avoid the tunnels and stay above ground. Ethan’s reasoning for this is so that if they are spotted, they can run. So you plan to outrun the four-legged abbies who are clearly faster than you? Wrong. You stay out of the tunnels because the abbies already found the tunnels and could still be down their feeding on the other groups.
Also, did Crouch really force Hassler and Kate to be together in the end? Ugh.
In conclusion, this book was bad. Though mildly entertaining, it was sloppily written and poorly edited. I really wish Crouch had more time to work on this one. It could have been great.
Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t hate the book. I actually thought it was okay. And on its own it probably deserves a 3-star rating. The reason it gets a 2, however, is because of its potential. This book should have been awesome. It should have been a kick-ass finale to the Wayward Pines trilogy, but it wasn’t. Mr. Crouch could have ended the saga with a bang and instead ended it with a whimper, and it’s a damn shame.
Let’s go back to “Pines”. I loved it. It was a fast-paced, entertaining, violent mystery with a few awesome scenes (the fetes and introduction to the abbies come to mind) and an explosive ending that I never saw coming. I thought it was a great book that didn’t need a sequel.
And then “Wayward” came out…
And I loved it. It advanced the story, let us see Ethan struggle with concealing the truth, introduced us to Adam Hassler (a man actually surviving outside of the fence? WHAT?!), and hinted at a second love triangle (between Adam, Ethan and Teresa, in addition to the one between Ethan, Teresa, and Kate) then, again, blew me away with a killer cliffhanger ending that forced me to read part 3. It was as if Mr. Crouch literally grabbed me by the throat and said, “You’re going to buy book 3!” and I gladly said, “Yes, Sir!”
Then “The Last Town” came out, and it underwhelmed.
The problems with this book are numerous, and I suspect they all stem from a single source. It’s clear to me Mr. Crouch was given a deadline that he simply could not meet without sacrificing the integrity of his novel, and sacrifice it he did. Just look at its length compared to books 1 and 2.
“Pines”: 309 pages
“Wayward”: 322 pages
“The Last Town”: 285 pages
It’s the runt of the litter, and by a full 24 pages! This is part 3, Blake (I’m calling you Blake from now on. Screw Mr. Crouch!). This is the finale. Everything that happened in books 1 and 2 has been building to this. This book should have been the longest of the three. Not the shortest. And certainly not the shortest by 24 pages. To be totally honest, this book should have had at least another 50 pages in it. There were two books worth of loose ends to tie up, Crouch (I’m sticking with just Crouch. Screw Blake!), and instead of actually tying them up, you gave us a rushed, half-assed ending that once read by your editor should have gotten you a quick slap in the face. Let’s dive in shall we?
Hassler:
In “Wayward”, we’re told Adam Hassler is still alive. My thought process upon learning this: “Ethan’s boss? No way! And he’s been living outside of the fence? And he’s in love with Ethan’s wife? Why is he outside of town? How has he been able to survive out there? Why is he headed back to the town now? What did he find out there?”
The addition of Hassler to the story was brilliant. Knowing he was coming back to town for book 3 made me practically salivate over his eventual confrontation with Ethan and I was dying to know the answers to the above questions. And what were those answers? Let’s see:
Why is he outside of town? Not sure. He was on a mission of some kind. What mission? I have no idea. It’s not made clear. Pilcher implies there was no mission and that he just wanted to get rid of Hassler. If that’s the case, why not just kill him? But there had to be an actual mission, right? Otherwise, why the hell would Hassler go outside in the first place? Wasn’t he the happiest he had ever been while living in Wayward Pines with Theresa and Ben? What could Pilcher have possibly told him to make him willingly leave Wayward Pines on a suicide mission outside? Did Pilcher force him to leave? If he did, again, why not just kill Hassler instead? And why did Hassler come back anyway? Was it because he found nothing? What made him decide he finally found nothing? And why did he wait so long to decide that? Dude, you had a beautiful woman and child waiting for you in Wayward Pines. Why would you stay away for three years? Couldn’t you have been gone for a few months instead? How long does it take to find nothing?
Horrible character exchanges:
Then there are the many potentially emotional points that Crouch just glosses over. Like when Alan finds out Pilcher murdered his daughter and is so enraged that he threatens to kill Pilcher. He and Ethan have this exchange.
Alan: AHHHHHH! I’m gonna kill Pilcher!
Ethan: No, I am.
Alan: Okay.
There is no way this exchange goes down this way from what we know about Alan. He should have been ready to rip Pilcher apart with his bare hands. He and Ethan should have practically come to blows over who gets to kill Pilcher. But they don’t because…I have no idea, and I don’t think Crouch does either.
This happens again when everyone is hiding in the cave and Ethan tells Ben he is going to the arc.
Ethan: I have to go Ben.
Ben: (crying) But Dad, I don’t want you to go!
Ethan: But I’m going to.
Ben: Okay.
Come on, Crouch! Give the kid a little more time to come to terms with his father’s suicide mission. Or don’t let him come to terms with it at all and force Ethan to leave with his son mad at him. Just make your characters act like real people, damn it!
Characters acting like morons
Here a few things that just didn’t add up:
When Ethan’s group makes it to the cave, it’s revealed some people are missing family members who were in other groups. In a crisis, why the hell would you separate from your family? Everyone was together at the fete, then Ethan revealed the truth, Pilcher opened the gate, and everyone stood around and talked about the truth. Sure, some people went home (with their families) but most stayed. So when the hell did so many families get separated? Why would they do that? Why would you not go into the same group and head for the tunnels together?
Even when characters make the right decision, they do it for the wrong reason. Like when Ethan, Kate, and two other characters whose names I can’t remember head to the arc. They decide to avoid the tunnels and stay above ground. Ethan’s reasoning for this is so that if they are spotted, they can run. So you plan to outrun the four-legged abbies who are clearly faster than you? Wrong. You stay out of the tunnels because the abbies already found the tunnels and could still be down their feeding on the other groups.
Also, did Crouch really force Hassler and Kate to be together in the end? Ugh.
In conclusion, this book was bad. Though mildly entertaining, it was sloppily written and poorly edited. I really wish Crouch had more time to work on this one. It could have been great.
June 17, 2020
"Two thousand years in the future, and the world has gone to hell." Wayward Pines isn't protected, the abbies are coming in to take the town. Will Ethan and his friends make it? What about evil mastermind David Pilcher? Is there any living in the contaminated world outside possible? The third part of the trilogy again is quite impressive and comes with a lot of action. For my liking a bit too much hide, seek, kill and time jumps but nevertheless a very intriguing book. Starting with vol. 1 you want to know how this strange tale ends. Definitely worth reading.
May 20, 2015
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“Hell is coming to you . . .”
The Wayward Pines series has been brought to you by . . .
If you haven’t yet started these books, DO NOT READ THE SYNOPSIS FOR THIS ONE. All of the fun is in the not knowing and I think it’s stupid that just because it’s Book #3 the publishers/blurbists/whoever makes these choices decide to spoil their own shit.
That being said, I ain’t gonna spoil nada. Here’s what I’ll tell you about The Last Town. This is the “action” book. You know what I mean, right? You’ve made it through the backstory – some questions have been answered – some more questions have come up. Now it’s time to poop or get off the pot and take a stand.
That means there is a lot of fighting . . . .
Okay, maybe that’s just the way I picture it. It’s probably something more like this . . .
or this . . .
There were also times when fighting wasn’t an option. Those moments require mass use of the patented Tom Cruise Run . . . .
Guaranteed to get everyone out of almost every sticky situation . . .
Well, nearly everyone . . .
Then STUFF happened. Some of which made me go . . .
Leading to the ending. That f-ing ending . . . .
You’re either going to love or hate the ending.
I’m giving this one 3.5 Stars (but rounding up) for that ending. All in all, though? This was the first series I’ve actually been interested in reading nearly back-to-back-to-back in forever. It kept me turning pages at a frantic pace, kept me on my toes, and kept me guessing up to the very end. Highly recommend.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
“Hell is coming to you . . .”
The Wayward Pines series has been brought to you by . . .
If you haven’t yet started these books, DO NOT READ THE SYNOPSIS FOR THIS ONE. All of the fun is in the not knowing and I think it’s stupid that just because it’s Book #3 the publishers/blurbists/whoever makes these choices decide to spoil their own shit.
That being said, I ain’t gonna spoil nada. Here’s what I’ll tell you about The Last Town. This is the “action” book. You know what I mean, right? You’ve made it through the backstory – some questions have been answered – some more questions have come up. Now it’s time to poop or get off the pot and take a stand.
That means there is a lot of fighting . . . .
Okay, maybe that’s just the way I picture it. It’s probably something more like this . . .
or this . . .
There were also times when fighting wasn’t an option. Those moments require mass use of the patented Tom Cruise Run . . . .
Guaranteed to get everyone out of almost every sticky situation . . .
Well, nearly everyone . . .
Then STUFF happened. Some of which made me go . . .
Leading to the ending. That f-ing ending . . . .
You’re either going to love or hate the ending.
I’m giving this one 3.5 Stars (but rounding up) for that ending. All in all, though? This was the first series I’ve actually been interested in reading nearly back-to-back-to-back in forever. It kept me turning pages at a frantic pace, kept me on my toes, and kept me guessing up to the very end. Highly recommend.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
February 15, 2021
► How many series made you want to read each book back to back? How often are you willing to accept the flaws as they are and still treasure the story you read? In my reading experience, it's a rarity.
WARNING : I won't spoil the series for you, but DO NOT read the blurb of this third book, otherwise you'd find unsolicited information. You don't want to do that, trust me.
① When you read a book, you need a ending that :
A.
B.
C. I don't know, I don't care this is crazy!!! Love it love it LOVE IT!
[embracing the madness]
② Do you need to understand all the characters' intention?
A.
B. I don't understand the question : you mean that they must act coherently at any time? Why?
C.
③ As for the pacing, you expect:
A. a fast-paced, action-packed page-turner where pausing to breathe is - really - overrated
B.
④ You love your main characters :
A.
B.
C. Realistic characters as in : neither fully bad nor good but complex
⑤ Among these possible sources of annoyance, which one is a lesser evil in your opinion?
A.
B. to wander clueless and accept to suspend your disbelief sometimes
C.
⑥ What would you say about your favorite characters?
A.
B.
C. They fuck up. They make mistakes. They doubt. They fear. They live.
Now, a subsidiary question :
► After reading this book, you thought that something was useless and annoying. What was it?
A. the love-triangle
B. the love-triangle
C. the love-triangle
(Don't worry though, it doesn't last long at all and makes sense)
Ps. Many reviews explained perfectly why this series is filled with plot holes and inaccuracies and I can't say that they're wrong. However, I enjoyed every moment and I would still recommend these books in a heartbeat.
Actual rating for this book : 3.5 stars
Rating for the series as a whole : 4 stars
June 7, 2024
”I wish we lived in a world where actions were measured by the intentions behind them. But the truth is, they’re measured by their consequences.”
after how the last book ended i was curious to see how the town would recover and i did get the answers i was looking for. i’d say this book is the most action packed and there’s a lot of carnage. but over the course of books 2 and 3 i lost interest in Ethan and his family specifically cause they became very unlikable with their relationship drama. so while i did enjoy seeing how everything wrapped up i can’t say i cared about the characters directly. the decision to make this a series felt unnecessary cause i don’t think the plot itself warranted being stretched out like it was.
after how the last book ended i was curious to see how the town would recover and i did get the answers i was looking for. i’d say this book is the most action packed and there’s a lot of carnage. but over the course of books 2 and 3 i lost interest in Ethan and his family specifically cause they became very unlikable with their relationship drama. so while i did enjoy seeing how everything wrapped up i can’t say i cared about the characters directly. the decision to make this a series felt unnecessary cause i don’t think the plot itself warranted being stretched out like it was.
April 18, 2014
A year ago, I'd never heard of Blake Crouch.
Now, he's one of my favorite authors. His pace and economy of words make for a style that really hits home with me. The action scenes in his books are amplified by his short, staccato sentences and paragraphs, keeping you glued to the pages (or your Kindle). There's no fluff, no fat, that needs trimmed. It's a style that I wish more authors had.
I hold The Wayward Pines Series up with Wool and other mind-blowing sagas of the past few years. Ethan Burke is a flawed, but powerful character that keeps you rooting for him, despite the mistakes he's made in the past. There's no quit in the man, no matter the situation he finds himself in.
I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of this and I plowed through it in two days. This final book was worth the wait. The action kicks off right away and doesn't let up. The pace is brutal and makes it hard to step away for inconsequential things like food or sleep.
If I have one complaint, it's that Crouch doesn't release books often enough. He's clearly a fast writer, but I read his stuff so rapidly that it feels like I'm always waiting forever for his next work. Blake, if you're going to hook me on your stuff, then I need the fixes to come faster!
Now, he's one of my favorite authors. His pace and economy of words make for a style that really hits home with me. The action scenes in his books are amplified by his short, staccato sentences and paragraphs, keeping you glued to the pages (or your Kindle). There's no fluff, no fat, that needs trimmed. It's a style that I wish more authors had.
I hold The Wayward Pines Series up with Wool and other mind-blowing sagas of the past few years. Ethan Burke is a flawed, but powerful character that keeps you rooting for him, despite the mistakes he's made in the past. There's no quit in the man, no matter the situation he finds himself in.
I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of this and I plowed through it in two days. This final book was worth the wait. The action kicks off right away and doesn't let up. The pace is brutal and makes it hard to step away for inconsequential things like food or sleep.
If I have one complaint, it's that Crouch doesn't release books often enough. He's clearly a fast writer, but I read his stuff so rapidly that it feels like I'm always waiting forever for his next work. Blake, if you're going to hook me on your stuff, then I need the fixes to come faster!
September 12, 2025
Хареса ми много и тази трета, последна част от историята за обитателите на странното градче в Айдахо, Уейуърд Пайнс.
Крауч се е справил добре с героите, екшънът е на ниво и макар да не бях съвсем изненадан от избрания финал, мога да кажа, че съм доволен от развръзката на трилогията.
Лесно се чете английския текст, не срещнах затруднения.
P.S. Може би ще погледна пак тв сериала. 😉
Крауч се е справил добре с героите, екшънът е на ниво и макар да не бях съвсем изненадан от избрания финал, мога да кажа, че съм доволен от развръзката на трилогията.
Лесно се чете английския текст, не срещнах затруднения.
P.S. Може би ще погледна пак тв сериала. 😉
January 7, 2015
Wayward Pines, you have stolen my sanity and I want more!!!!
How is it that I finished this trilogy and STILL want more of this craziness? How is it that this book scares the shit out of me, but yet, I want to live in Wayward Pines. I was not expecting to get what I did from these books. Now, book two was slower that one and three, but worth the time. It answered a lot of questions, but book 3...HOLY FUCKING SHIT! Its like I boarded a roller coaster of horror and it didn't stop till the end of the track. DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING with these books! And I'm so glad I read these before the series starts. (I looked up the trailer, its just as creepy as the book, but it does give away the book...SO DON'T WATCH TILL YOU FINISH READING BOOK ONE!!!!)
I want more of detective Ethan Burke!!!
P.S. If you have KindleUnlimited the entire series and audiobooks are free!
How is it that I finished this trilogy and STILL want more of this craziness? How is it that this book scares the shit out of me, but yet, I want to live in Wayward Pines. I was not expecting to get what I did from these books. Now, book two was slower that one and three, but worth the time. It answered a lot of questions, but book 3...HOLY FUCKING SHIT! Its like I boarded a roller coaster of horror and it didn't stop till the end of the track. DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING with these books! And I'm so glad I read these before the series starts. (I looked up the trailer, its just as creepy as the book, but it does give away the book...SO DON'T WATCH TILL YOU FINISH READING BOOK ONE!!!!)
I want more of detective Ethan Burke!!!
P.S. If you have KindleUnlimited the entire series and audiobooks are free!
June 7, 2020
The following review is sponsored by
N.E.R.D. – Time for Some Action
Book 3, or when all hell breaks loose! Strap in because the ride’s about to get bumpy and we got a few things to discuss. I’d also advise you to fuel up because it’s nonstop action from here on out—shit, my fingers flew through those pages so fast they nearly caught fire! And there’s no discernible letup, hardly even time to catch your breath, until you’re past the halfway point.
Woah, that was total madness, but I think you may’ve overdone it. I can already see that adrenaline dump coming, so let’s slow things down a bit. *Insert love triangle* Oh hell no, don’t even go there! You’re way too far into the story for that nonsense. Whew, you dodged a bullet there, my man, so you can relax now. Deep breaths . . . in through the nose out through the mouth. Time to regroup and formulate a plan of attack.
Speaking of which, how the hell can “you know who,” just kick back and allow this to happen? He must be out of his damn mind - full-on batshit crazy. What does he have some sort of God complex? Things don’t go his way, and instead of sucking it up like an adult, he throws a ginormous temper tantrum. Is that what happened?
You know what truly baffles me is the guy had clearly gone off the deep end a good long while ago, yet it takes a disaster of epic proportions to finally clue the rest of y’all into the fact? So, let me get this straight, even though you’re working with a limited amount of “resources” the fêtes were a perfectly reasonable solution, rather than simply laying out the facts for everyone? The trust is too terrifying, freedom is too dangerous? Come on, man, don't kid a kidder.
You know, maybe it’s time to pull together and work as a team. Take responsibility for your life, master your destiny, determine your fate. Good luck, man. Oh, and thanks for the ride. It was a blast, but I guess this is the end of the road. Or is it?
-----------------------------------------------
Okay, before I put a bow on this series there’s one last thing to mention. Back on my review of Pines I left a rather nasty remark about how stupid Fox was for condensing this trilogy into a ten episode miniseries. But after wrapping things up, I can now see the logic of that decision—considering the entire tale occurs over a brief three week period, with no discernible gaps in the storyline from one book to the next. In fact, you could even posit that the trilogy was a single book cleverly broken down into three parts. So, I apologize for that nasty comment, Fox, my bad. Although, I’m still pissed you didn’t pick up that Locke and Key pilot, so . . .
Pines (Book One): ★★★☆☆½
Wayward (Book Two): ★★★☆☆½
The Last Town (Book Three): ★★★☆☆
N.E.R.D. – Time for Some Action
Book 3, or when all hell breaks loose! Strap in because the ride’s about to get bumpy and we got a few things to discuss. I’d also advise you to fuel up because it’s nonstop action from here on out—shit, my fingers flew through those pages so fast they nearly caught fire! And there’s no discernible letup, hardly even time to catch your breath, until you’re past the halfway point.
Woah, that was total madness, but I think you may’ve overdone it. I can already see that adrenaline dump coming, so let’s slow things down a bit. *Insert love triangle* Oh hell no, don’t even go there! You’re way too far into the story for that nonsense. Whew, you dodged a bullet there, my man, so you can relax now. Deep breaths . . . in through the nose out through the mouth. Time to regroup and formulate a plan of attack.
Speaking of which, how the hell can “you know who,” just kick back and allow this to happen? He must be out of his damn mind - full-on batshit crazy. What does he have some sort of God complex? Things don’t go his way, and instead of sucking it up like an adult, he throws a ginormous temper tantrum. Is that what happened?
You know what truly baffles me is the guy had clearly gone off the deep end a good long while ago, yet it takes a disaster of epic proportions to finally clue the rest of y’all into the fact? So, let me get this straight, even though you’re working with a limited amount of “resources” the fêtes were a perfectly reasonable solution, rather than simply laying out the facts for everyone? The trust is too terrifying, freedom is too dangerous? Come on, man, don't kid a kidder.
You know, maybe it’s time to pull together and work as a team. Take responsibility for your life, master your destiny, determine your fate. Good luck, man. Oh, and thanks for the ride. It was a blast, but I guess this is the end of the road. Or is it?
-----------------------------------------------
Okay, before I put a bow on this series there’s one last thing to mention. Back on my review of Pines I left a rather nasty remark about how stupid Fox was for condensing this trilogy into a ten episode miniseries. But after wrapping things up, I can now see the logic of that decision—considering the entire tale occurs over a brief three week period, with no discernible gaps in the storyline from one book to the next. In fact, you could even posit that the trilogy was a single book cleverly broken down into three parts. So, I apologize for that nasty comment, Fox, my bad. Although, I’m still pissed you didn’t pick up that Locke and Key pilot, so . . .
Pines (Book One): ★★★☆☆½
Wayward (Book Two): ★★★☆☆½
The Last Town (Book Three): ★★★☆☆
February 10, 2022
⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
"There was no coming to terms with the fact that he was a member of a species on the verge of extinction. It filled every moment with meaning. It filled every moment with horror."
Initial Thoughts
One of my missions for 2022 was rattling off Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines trilogy. Well mission accomplished and do you know what? I had a blast. Damn, let the cat out the bag early there. I'll never make a thriller writer!
First off, this is the last book of a trilogy. There's almost certainly going to be spoilers in this one for the first two books. So if you haven't read either of those don't be a clown, stop reading and go grab a copy of those two. Maybe check out my reviews for both while you're at it!
The series itself is a highly creative, wild ride with some insane twists and turns. The last book, Wayward, finished with a real cliff-hanger. Mr C is good at those.
The only question left to answer is a simple one: will humanity survive?
The Story
We get started, as expected, with the main POV character Ethan Burke. He's just filled the entire town in on the resident evil geniuses little secret and shit is getting real. In retaliation, David Pilcher has went full god-mode, wanting full-scale retribution. It's great we only get those sort of characters in fiction!
"He had treasured their lives. The project meant nothing without people. But still - fuck them. Let the abbies have them all."
The town gates are open, the electric fence is off and the aberrations that circle the picturesque town (Abbys to their friends) are in and ripping it's inhabitants to shreds.
Aberrations, mutated descendants of humanity, roam and kill.
The majority of this story focuses on the swift demise of the inhabitants of Wayward Pines at the hands of the abbys. There's nowhere to hide as they soon discover. With the human race down to from eight billion to a mere 400 people, there aren’t that many people left to spare!
The Writing
Let's get this straight, Crouch is never going to be nominated for a Pulitzer prize. With Wayward pines you're not getting a literary experience. What you are getting is intense, high octane action that reads very much like a movie. The writing style is straight forward and very easy to read. It’s snappy and kept me engaged as my brain was ticking, attempting to work out the next plot twist.
"What it comes down to for me is I'd rather us make bad decisions as a group, than to live in the absence of freedom."
The action starts from the very first page, and Crouch is not one for taking his foot off the gas. So if you're in the mood for fast paced thrills get on board and buckle up.
The overall tone of the novel is a lot darker, nasty and violent than the previous two. Whereas the first novel was a mind-bending mystery and the second a detective style thriller, The Last Town is a full blown horror in the survival movie mode. I absolutely loved how Crouch mashed up the genres to provide a very original thriller. A prototype for the future?
The Characters
Crouch gives us something a little different in Last Town as he shifts the focus away from Ethan and gives an insight into the thoughts of several of the other inhabitants. It's refreshing and adds an element of excitement but it does mean the book lacks in the characterisation department.
Some of the best chapters are when we get to go inside the head of David Pilcher. Some of the flashbacks give us an insight into how current events transpired and it was fascinating stuff.
Final Thoughts
The Last Town ends with another twist would you believe that I certainly didn't see coming and really enjoyed. Is it setting things up for a sequel? Its definitely left the door open. I would still read more about these people and this most weird of dystopian worlds.
The three books as a package were pure entertainment and the narrative that flowed through each was rivetting. It's almost impossible to not become completely immersed in the future Crouch has created.
"So we all embark wondering what lies over the horizon, what's around the next bend. And isn't that, in the end, what drives us on?"
Is it the best written piece of fiction? No. But it is relentlessly fast paced and exciting. On its own Last Town is a very enjoyable experience. But as a trilogy it is up there as a must read sci-fi thriller. Crouch has really grown on me, and I’m now looking to read more by him. How about you?
"There was no coming to terms with the fact that he was a member of a species on the verge of extinction. It filled every moment with meaning. It filled every moment with horror."
Initial Thoughts
One of my missions for 2022 was rattling off Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines trilogy. Well mission accomplished and do you know what? I had a blast. Damn, let the cat out the bag early there. I'll never make a thriller writer!
First off, this is the last book of a trilogy. There's almost certainly going to be spoilers in this one for the first two books. So if you haven't read either of those don't be a clown, stop reading and go grab a copy of those two. Maybe check out my reviews for both while you're at it!
The series itself is a highly creative, wild ride with some insane twists and turns. The last book, Wayward, finished with a real cliff-hanger. Mr C is good at those.
The only question left to answer is a simple one: will humanity survive?
The Story
We get started, as expected, with the main POV character Ethan Burke. He's just filled the entire town in on the resident evil geniuses little secret and shit is getting real. In retaliation, David Pilcher has went full god-mode, wanting full-scale retribution. It's great we only get those sort of characters in fiction!
"He had treasured their lives. The project meant nothing without people. But still - fuck them. Let the abbies have them all."
The town gates are open, the electric fence is off and the aberrations that circle the picturesque town (Abbys to their friends) are in and ripping it's inhabitants to shreds.
Aberrations, mutated descendants of humanity, roam and kill.
The majority of this story focuses on the swift demise of the inhabitants of Wayward Pines at the hands of the abbys. There's nowhere to hide as they soon discover. With the human race down to from eight billion to a mere 400 people, there aren’t that many people left to spare!
The Writing
Let's get this straight, Crouch is never going to be nominated for a Pulitzer prize. With Wayward pines you're not getting a literary experience. What you are getting is intense, high octane action that reads very much like a movie. The writing style is straight forward and very easy to read. It’s snappy and kept me engaged as my brain was ticking, attempting to work out the next plot twist.
"What it comes down to for me is I'd rather us make bad decisions as a group, than to live in the absence of freedom."
The action starts from the very first page, and Crouch is not one for taking his foot off the gas. So if you're in the mood for fast paced thrills get on board and buckle up.
The overall tone of the novel is a lot darker, nasty and violent than the previous two. Whereas the first novel was a mind-bending mystery and the second a detective style thriller, The Last Town is a full blown horror in the survival movie mode. I absolutely loved how Crouch mashed up the genres to provide a very original thriller. A prototype for the future?
The Characters
Crouch gives us something a little different in Last Town as he shifts the focus away from Ethan and gives an insight into the thoughts of several of the other inhabitants. It's refreshing and adds an element of excitement but it does mean the book lacks in the characterisation department.
Some of the best chapters are when we get to go inside the head of David Pilcher. Some of the flashbacks give us an insight into how current events transpired and it was fascinating stuff.
Final Thoughts
The Last Town ends with another twist would you believe that I certainly didn't see coming and really enjoyed. Is it setting things up for a sequel? Its definitely left the door open. I would still read more about these people and this most weird of dystopian worlds.
The three books as a package were pure entertainment and the narrative that flowed through each was rivetting. It's almost impossible to not become completely immersed in the future Crouch has created.
"So we all embark wondering what lies over the horizon, what's around the next bend. And isn't that, in the end, what drives us on?"
Is it the best written piece of fiction? No. But it is relentlessly fast paced and exciting. On its own Last Town is a very enjoyable experience. But as a trilogy it is up there as a must read sci-fi thriller. Crouch has really grown on me, and I’m now looking to read more by him. How about you?
June 9, 2015
I wish we lived in a world where actions were measured by the intentions behind them. But the truth is, they’re measured by their consequences.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,.... NO! This can't possibly end here. There has to be a book four. THERE HAS TO BE A BOOK 4, RIGHT?!
Well, according to Mr. Crouch, this will stay a trilogy. But the man can change his mind, right? RIGHT?!
This series, this freaking series, is one of the best things I've ever read, and I'm sure it will stay my favorite for a really long time. I mean I've read these books in a week, so that's saying something. And I'm so sad that it's actually over. What the hell will I do with my life now?!
This book was just as good as the first two. It had a lot of action, amazing character development, a lot of answers, and perfect unexpected ending for a series like this. I feel like if it ended in any other way, I would be deeply disappointed.
Now that I've finish the whole series, I can finally start the TV show. I have really high expectation for the show, and I really hope I won't be disappointed.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,.... NO! This can't possibly end here. There has to be a book four. THERE HAS TO BE A BOOK 4, RIGHT?!
Well, according to Mr. Crouch, this will stay a trilogy. But the man can change his mind, right? RIGHT?!
This series, this freaking series, is one of the best things I've ever read, and I'm sure it will stay my favorite for a really long time. I mean I've read these books in a week, so that's saying something. And I'm so sad that it's actually over. What the hell will I do with my life now?!
This book was just as good as the first two. It had a lot of action, amazing character development, a lot of answers, and perfect unexpected ending for a series like this. I feel like if it ended in any other way, I would be deeply disappointed.
Now that I've finish the whole series, I can finally start the TV show. I have really high expectation for the show, and I really hope I won't be disappointed.
March 31, 2015
I don't think I've ever finished a trilogy and been so upset that it wasn't a tetralogy.
Blake Crouch has kept me hooked through this entire series, with some great characters and non-stop action. I easily plowed through all 3 books in a few days.
The Last Town is a good ending to a terrific series. I say only good because I was a little upset with how many threads were left hanging. A few loose ends are fine but the sheer number that were left unresolved made me a little frustrated.
I would still highly recommend this series however, and I'll check out the TV show. Maybe it will resolve some things the book didn't.
Blake Crouch has kept me hooked through this entire series, with some great characters and non-stop action. I easily plowed through all 3 books in a few days.
The Last Town is a good ending to a terrific series. I say only good because I was a little upset with how many threads were left hanging. A few loose ends are fine but the sheer number that were left unresolved made me a little frustrated.
I would still highly recommend this series however, and I'll check out the TV show. Maybe it will resolve some things the book didn't.
December 2, 2023
What a wild ride this series turned out to be!!
The Last Town is the last book in the Wayward Pines trilogy and is full of action, gore, and surprise twists. In fact, the last two books in this series are a fantastic mix of thriller and horror.
The characters, pacing and overall plot for this series is great.
In the beginning, Blake Crouch pulls you into the plot with questions, tension, and an overall mystery of not knowing what is going on or who to trust.
He keeps this formula going throughout the first two books and then when The Last Town happens, he goes full throttle with action, gore and surviving.
After finishing last night, I’m not sure what to think about the ending.
I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either. It’s a decent ending and I was still satisfied.
I think this is a hard series to end because there’s not an easy way to get our characters out of this type of situation.
I can see Crouch coming back to this plot if he wants to and maybe that’s why he wrote the ending this way?!
I’m being very vague in this review especially if you haven’t read the first book, Pines.
In fact, the less you know about the series, the more fun and rewarding it will be to read it.
It’s a whirlwind of intense action, suspense, and plot twists, and I had a blast reading it!!
The Last Town is the last book in the Wayward Pines trilogy and is full of action, gore, and surprise twists. In fact, the last two books in this series are a fantastic mix of thriller and horror.
The characters, pacing and overall plot for this series is great.
In the beginning, Blake Crouch pulls you into the plot with questions, tension, and an overall mystery of not knowing what is going on or who to trust.
He keeps this formula going throughout the first two books and then when The Last Town happens, he goes full throttle with action, gore and surviving.
After finishing last night, I’m not sure what to think about the ending.
I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either. It’s a decent ending and I was still satisfied.
I think this is a hard series to end because there’s not an easy way to get our characters out of this type of situation.
I can see Crouch coming back to this plot if he wants to and maybe that’s why he wrote the ending this way?!
I’m being very vague in this review especially if you haven’t read the first book, Pines.
In fact, the less you know about the series, the more fun and rewarding it will be to read it.
It’s a whirlwind of intense action, suspense, and plot twists, and I had a blast reading it!!
June 22, 2023
It took 3 out of 3 books in the trilogy, but I finally got to a Wayward Pines book I sort of liked.
The final entry in the series is a very different book than the first two, both in structure and storytelling. It presents two timelines: the present, where residents of the town of Wayward Pines are navigating an urgent survival scenario, and the past, presenting how this situation came to be. Where the previous books only followed the POVs of main character Ethan Burke, his wife Theresa, and villains David Pilcher and Pam, all somewhat myopic in their individual goals, explorations, and feelings, The Last Town opens the POVs up to anyone and everyone (side characters, characters just introduced - whoever), and follows their unique ways of handling the threat.
Some readers might not like this change to 3rd person omniscient from limited, especially as these characters' perspectives aren't relevant at all to Ethan's story. Perhaps for this reason, I enjoyed them greatly.
They finally gave the town of Wayward Pines the texture I felt was promised by comparisons to Twin Peaks, Gravity Falls, Welcome to Night Vale, and the work of Stephen King. I never got around to liking Ethan Burke as a character, nor any of the people in his life. Opening the world up to those existing outside of him - a white, cishet edgelord with violent tendencies who cheats on his wife - was a breath of fresh air.
Non-white characters suddenly existed! Queer characters suddenly existed! Happy, single people more interested in solitaire than banging suddenly existed! Characters able to communicate, collaborate, and enact plans suddenly existed!
It was like going from black-and-white Kansas to technicolor Oz, and I realized how deprived the previous two books had made me. It was like Blake Crouch had hobbled himself with a reliance on old-fashioned "manly man solves problem" storytelling, inhibiting the potential of his sci-fi series.
It's just a shame he broke out of it this late. Wayward Pines could've been something incredible.
The final entry in the series is a very different book than the first two, both in structure and storytelling. It presents two timelines: the present, where residents of the town of Wayward Pines are navigating an urgent survival scenario, and the past, presenting how this situation came to be. Where the previous books only followed the POVs of main character Ethan Burke, his wife Theresa, and villains David Pilcher and Pam, all somewhat myopic in their individual goals, explorations, and feelings, The Last Town opens the POVs up to anyone and everyone (side characters, characters just introduced - whoever), and follows their unique ways of handling the threat.
Some readers might not like this change to 3rd person omniscient from limited, especially as these characters' perspectives aren't relevant at all to Ethan's story. Perhaps for this reason, I enjoyed them greatly.
They finally gave the town of Wayward Pines the texture I felt was promised by comparisons to Twin Peaks, Gravity Falls, Welcome to Night Vale, and the work of Stephen King. I never got around to liking Ethan Burke as a character, nor any of the people in his life. Opening the world up to those existing outside of him - a white, cishet edgelord with violent tendencies who cheats on his wife - was a breath of fresh air.
Non-white characters suddenly existed! Queer characters suddenly existed! Happy, single people more interested in solitaire than banging suddenly existed! Characters able to communicate, collaborate, and enact plans suddenly existed!
It was like going from black-and-white Kansas to technicolor Oz, and I realized how deprived the previous two books had made me. It was like Blake Crouch had hobbled himself with a reliance on old-fashioned "manly man solves problem" storytelling, inhibiting the potential of his sci-fi series.
It's just a shame he broke out of it this late. Wayward Pines could've been something incredible.
May 20, 2021
So, after the rug had been pulled out from under the whole town at the end of the previous novel and all the chickens come home to roost in the pen of the Last Town, we get a pretty delightful bloodbath with survival horror everywhere to be seen.
Oh, Pilcher. What have you done?
As entertainment, this series is highly entertaining. The third book gives us all the kind of payoff we were led to expect from a good horror novel. Of course, this is still an SF, too, and I'll go one step further and mention that all three of these books really ought to be considered a single long SF/Horror novel.
So, wait, why did I give this only four stars when I gave the other two five? Because I got annoyed with the characters and perhaps I hoped for another perfect twist for the end sequence, one that would have wowed me. We had great expectations and twists before, the last one was merely just a solid landing. Not bad, but not as brilliant as I had hoped. And yes, I did hope.
I'm a big fan of Blake Crouch in general.
Still, I did have a great time with these, overall.
Oh, Pilcher. What have you done?
As entertainment, this series is highly entertaining. The third book gives us all the kind of payoff we were led to expect from a good horror novel. Of course, this is still an SF, too, and I'll go one step further and mention that all three of these books really ought to be considered a single long SF/Horror novel.
So, wait, why did I give this only four stars when I gave the other two five? Because I got annoyed with the characters and perhaps I hoped for another perfect twist for the end sequence, one that would have wowed me. We had great expectations and twists before, the last one was merely just a solid landing. Not bad, but not as brilliant as I had hoped. And yes, I did hope.
I'm a big fan of Blake Crouch in general.
Still, I did have a great time with these, overall.
March 1, 2025
RATING BREAKDOWN
Characters: 4⭐️
Setting: 5⭐️
Plot: 5⭐️
Themes: 4⭐️
Emotional Impact: 3⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 4⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 4.25⭐️
Mr. Crouch absolutely delivered on this one. The thematic strength of the conclusion is satisfying, the character arcs close the way they should, and the story feels complete, which is a feat given the genre and plot! I was locked in from the first to last page, and the most emotionally invested out of all three books, as it should be. Crouch earned his pages (impressive given that this is a thriller, and yet it kept me invested past the major plot twist). The character growth and moral quandaries were fascinating to explore. The major turn-off for this last book is some intense gore. Readers should be aware that this one is bloody brutal and violent and we're flirting with the horror line a bit. Super solid conclusion that makes me excited to recommend the full series to the right reader! Techno-thriller, sci-fi, dystopian, and action/adventure readers will love this trilogy.
Characters: 4⭐️
Setting: 5⭐️
Plot: 5⭐️
Themes: 4⭐️
Emotional Impact: 3⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 4⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 4.25⭐️
Mr. Crouch absolutely delivered on this one. The thematic strength of the conclusion is satisfying, the character arcs close the way they should, and the story feels complete, which is a feat given the genre and plot! I was locked in from the first to last page, and the most emotionally invested out of all three books, as it should be. Crouch earned his pages (impressive given that this is a thriller, and yet it kept me invested past the major plot twist). The character growth and moral quandaries were fascinating to explore. The major turn-off for this last book is some intense gore. Readers should be aware that this one is bloody brutal and violent and we're flirting with the horror line a bit. Super solid conclusion that makes me excited to recommend the full series to the right reader! Techno-thriller, sci-fi, dystopian, and action/adventure readers will love this trilogy.
March 28, 2020
The third book in the series, and I wanted to get to it as quickly as possible after reading the second book. This is another page turner, and ends with a great twist.
It is tough to write reviews of this series without spoilers. Ethan Burke is now the Sherriff of Wayward Pines. It is clearly no ordinary town and he wants the residents to know the truth of the town itself, their relationships and the dangers outside. David Pilcher, who has conceptualized the town and literally runs it is not happy and is determined to get back to his ways of running the town even if it means putting the residents at grave risk.
Ethan has turned the town upside down after taking over as Sheriff, but isn’t sure if he has been reckless. He also has relationship issues to deal with between himself, his wife Theresa, son Ben, his ex-boss Adam & ex-partner at work Kate. More than anything, it is not clear if the town & residents can survive.
The pace is great, but there is a lot of violence, probably inevitable for the storyline. I liked the way the book ended with an intelligent twist.
My rating: 4.25 / 5.
It is tough to write reviews of this series without spoilers. Ethan Burke is now the Sherriff of Wayward Pines. It is clearly no ordinary town and he wants the residents to know the truth of the town itself, their relationships and the dangers outside. David Pilcher, who has conceptualized the town and literally runs it is not happy and is determined to get back to his ways of running the town even if it means putting the residents at grave risk.
Ethan has turned the town upside down after taking over as Sheriff, but isn’t sure if he has been reckless. He also has relationship issues to deal with between himself, his wife Theresa, son Ben, his ex-boss Adam & ex-partner at work Kate. More than anything, it is not clear if the town & residents can survive.
The pace is great, but there is a lot of violence, probably inevitable for the storyline. I liked the way the book ended with an intelligent twist.
My rating: 4.25 / 5.
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