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This spoiler-free book review of The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes dives into everything you need to know about this mystery psychological thriller, including favorite quotes from The House in the Pines, frequently asked questions, a brief synopsis of The House in the Pines, book club discussion questions, similar books, and more.
Content warnings: Insomnia and sleep deprivation; drug and alcohol substance use disorder; murder mentioned; attempted murder; psychosis; postpartum trauma; death and grief
The House in the Pines Book Review / Summary
An instant New York Times bestseller!
In this captivating, eerie psychological thriller, Maya is haunted by gaps in her memories surrounding the death of her high school best friend nearly seven years ago. After watching a viral video of a young woman suddenly dying mysteriously in a diner, she’s desperate to put the pieces together.
But coping with her secret addiction and Klonopin withdrawal makes it difficult to trust her own mind. Even so, she dives headfirst into the trauma she tried to push away for so long, and she finally faces Frank—the strange boy with the cabin deep in the woods . . . and the only one who knows the truth.
Throughout her search to uncover her own memories and the death of her friend, Aubrey, Maya learns more than she ever thought possible—and a half-finished book written by her deceased father she’s never met helps her piece everything together.
As Maya explores Frank’s cabin in the woods, she peels back her own memories and heritage—and nothing is quite what she thought. What was once idyllic slowly becomes dangerous and sinister.
The House in the Pines is about what it means to be truly homesick—that desire to wander back, not just to a home but a place of belonging. It’s about retracing the wounds of your past and trusting the truth will crack open something inside you, like a dam breaking. But what will be left? And will it be enough to make everything right?
My Thoughts on The House in the Pines
This was a fun debut thriller with an intriguing premise. I’m always a sucker for an unreliable narrator, and Ana Reyes does such a good job with Maya’s point of view.
As an author, Reyes struggled with Klonopin withdrawal, and that part of the book felt incredibly real and intimate. Reyes is also half Guatemalan, like Maya, who knows what it’s like to be abruptly cut off from her heritage.
I really enjoyed the deeper messages in this book, especially the poignant theme of women and believability, memory and manipulation, the unbreakable bonds of family and friendship, et cetera.
The idea of confronting your past—especially when it’s a past you can’t clearly see or remember—is an interesting catalyst for a story. I also loved the dark fairy tale vibes throughout the book.
Inherited Trauma
At first, the story felt disjointed, and I wasn’t really sure what Maya’s father’s book had to do with the story at all. In an interview, Ana Reyes speaks to the importance of Maya’s father’s half-finished book and how it points to the dangers surrounding her.
“For me this was a metaphor for inherited trauma,” she says. “Like so many people with roots in colonized places, the violence of the past has a way of showing up in the present in unexpected and highly personal ways. This is true for Maya in a very literal sense. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born.”
I mean, what a metaphor! What an important layer of Maya’s story! I will say, I seem to have the unpopular opinion that the ending twist was a fun, unexpected one. A lot of other readers were disappointed by it.
Suspending Belief and Author Intrusion
I have to admit, I don’t really mind suspending belief now and again for the sake of entertainment—but I thought it worked. I do understand this book is not everyone’s cup of tea, and I found many problems with it.
Sometimes the prose felt a little sloppy and info dump-y, almost like the story had too much author intrusion. The author inserted herself into the story a lot, telling readers something rather than showing, especially when it had to do with Maya’s family history. This is a pet peeve of mine—it intrudes on the narrative and jolts the reader out of the story.
But overall, I enjoyed this debut thriller, and I really hope it gets turned into a movie . . . looking at you, Reese!
Favorite Quotes from The House in the Pines
An ancient poplar loomed at the entrance to the abandoned road, its rounded mass of huddled gray limbs reminding her of a brain. She passed beneath its lobes, twigs branching like arteries overhead as she entered the forest.
—Ana Reyes, The House in the Pines
Deep in these woods, there is a house that’s easy to miss. Most people, in fact, would take one look and insist it’s not there. And they wouldn’t be wrong, not completely. What they would see are a house’s remains, a crumbling foundation crawling with weeds. A house long since abandoned. But look closely at the ground here, at this concrete scarred by sun and ice. This is where the fireplace goes. If you look deeply enough, a spark will ignite. And if you blow on it, that spark will bloom into a blaze, a warm light in this cold dark forest.
—Ana Reyes, The House in the Pines
Maya yearns for that time in her own life, not out of some need to escape reality—reality is fine—but simply because she was born that way. Born to yearn, as some people are, for more magical times. This is her fourth acid trip, so she knows about the sadness of coming down, the sense of God having vacated the garden.
—Ana Reyes, The House in the Pines
Frequently Asked Questions about The House in the Pines
What is The House in the Pines book about?
The House in the Pines is about a girl named Maya whose high school best friend, Aubrey, died mysteriously seven years ago.
Her friend’s death haunts her, and after stumbling across a viral video of another young woman who mysteriously dies in a diner, Maya is on a mission to figure out the truth about Frank—her high school crush and the same boy who happened to be present during both girls’ mysterious deaths.
Is The House in the Pines a ghost story?
The House in the Pines is a psychological thriller, and that’s really all you need to know about the genre. I don’t want to give anything away!
Where is The House in the Pines set?
The House in the Pines is set in Pittsfield, the same place where Ana Reyes wrote her first story at eleven years old about a strange house in the woods.
Is there another book after The House in the Pines?
No. The House in the Pines is a stand-alone psychological thriller.
Is The House in the Pines based on a true story?
No, The House in the Pines is not based on a true story. But Maya, the main character, shares several things in common with the author, Ana Reyes. Both Ana and Maya have struggled with Klonopin withdrawal, and both are half Guatemalan.
When Ana Reyes was living alone in a new city, she experienced many of the emotions Maya felt deeply, including homesickness and feeling cut off from any place she’d call home.
Book Club Discussion Questions for The House in the Pines
- Ice breaker question: If you designed your own cabin in the woods, what would it look like?
- Maya struggles with truth telling in her relationships in the beginning of the novel—for various reasons. What do you think is her driving motivation to keep some things hidden?
- Maya is an unreliable narrator because of the disorientation and instability she experiences through the Klonopin withdrawal and lack of sleep. What else made her unreliable to you as the reader? Did you trust her perspective? If so, when did she become reliable to you?
- How did the theme of inherited trauma throughout the novel affect your reading experience?
- The House in the Pines follows two timelines. How is the current Maya similar to past Maya? How are they different?
- Maya is drawn to Frank’s cabin and has to explore the truth behind it, even when she feels unsafe. What drew you in to Frank’s cabin? Did anything about his cabin surprise you?
- How did you feel about Maya and Aubrey’s friendship?
- How do you think Maya connects with her cultural heritage throughout the novel?
Similar Books to The House in the Pines
These books are similar to The House in the Pines:
- When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain
- All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham
- Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger
- What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
Buy the Book
If you’re sensitive to stories about addiction, particularly drug and alcohol substance use disorders, I wouldn’t recommend The House in the Pines. I would recommend it for readers who enjoy a creepy, atmospheric thriller with a likeable, unreliable main character. I’m excited to see what Ana Reyes writes next!
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