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pascalibrary's review against another edition
4.0
4/5. Wayward is a worthy sequel to Pines, though its focus is completely different. Not flawless, but still great.
After Pines, I was really wondering how the sequels would manage to keep the tension and engage my interest. Pines resolved the mystery, so surely there would be nothing left to explore. I was so wrong (at least with this book. The third one...). There are a couple mysteries here and there, but the main point of this book is the human drama.
The main plot of this book basically takes the form of a massive philosophical debate. On one hand, you have Pilcher and the group within the mountain. They represent the Hobbesian, law and order, 'you can't be free if you aren't safe' group. On the other hand, you have Kate's group who want genuine freedom and authenticity. It's interesting because both sides have convincingly good points and they are completely justified in thinking what they think.
Pilcher saved all of these people, and initially he told everyone what was what, he tried the freedom and authenticity way, but the subjects all killed themselves. So, he thinks that by giving them this false version of reality and keeping them under strict control, he's saving everyone. Ironically, in his way of preserving the human species, he's actually destroying the very things that make them human. He's depriving them of experience, of real-ness. He's confining them to a superficial life of bland conformity.
Kate's group, and eventually Ethan, represent the Existentialist, rebellious type. They recognize that a life of safety without humanity is absolutely not worth living, and that they can have it both ways. True to the existentialist tradition, they do this in spite of the common sense of the 'they', the townsfolk who buy into the lie that they have been told. They don't question anything and are comfortable with their superficial and ambiguous life.
What I don't like is how parts of this book ruin aspects of the first one. Things happened in Pines that, with hindsight, absolutely shouldn't have and only serve to build up tension. It worked in Pines, but Wayward adds things that re-contextualize everything. It adds plot holes rather than clears any up.
The mysteries that Wayward features don't even make sense when explained. They are interesting and first, and could have led to incredible revelations, but they don't. They lead to exactly what you expect. It seems like Blake Crouch was scared of getting rid of the mystery aspect, and threw some half-baked stupidity in to satisfy the fans. Unfortunately, these were the weakest parts of the book and only drag the other fantastic parts down.
Wayward is a great sequel but it is mostly completely different from Pines. It (generally) rids itself of the mysteries and the tension instead comes from the human drama, which I found to be incredible. It has a few plot holes, though, and retroactively adds some to the first one. It's still absolutely worth reading if you liked the first book.
After Pines, I was really wondering how the sequels would manage to keep the tension and engage my interest. Pines resolved the mystery, so surely there would be nothing left to explore. I was so wrong (at least with this book. The third one...). There are a couple mysteries here and there, but the main point of this book is the human drama.
The main plot of this book basically takes the form of a massive philosophical debate. On one hand, you have Pilcher and the group within the mountain. They represent the Hobbesian, law and order, 'you can't be free if you aren't safe' group. On the other hand, you have Kate's group who want genuine freedom and authenticity. It's interesting because both sides have convincingly good points and they are completely justified in thinking what they think.
Pilcher saved all of these people, and initially he told everyone what was what, he tried the freedom and authenticity way, but the subjects all killed themselves. So, he thinks that by giving them this false version of reality and keeping them under strict control, he's saving everyone. Ironically, in his way of preserving the human species, he's actually destroying the very things that make them human. He's depriving them of experience, of real-ness. He's confining them to a superficial life of bland conformity.
Kate's group, and eventually Ethan, represent the Existentialist, rebellious type. They recognize that a life of safety without humanity is absolutely not worth living, and that they can have it both ways. True to the existentialist tradition, they do this in spite of the common sense of the 'they', the townsfolk who buy into the lie that they have been told. They don't question anything and are comfortable with their superficial and ambiguous life.
What I don't like is how parts of this book ruin aspects of the first one. Things happened in Pines that, with hindsight, absolutely shouldn't have and only serve to build up tension. It worked in Pines, but Wayward adds things that re-contextualize everything. It adds plot holes rather than clears any up.
The mysteries that Wayward features don't even make sense when explained. They are interesting and first, and could have led to incredible revelations, but they don't. They lead to exactly what you expect. It seems like Blake Crouch was scared of getting rid of the mystery aspect, and threw some half-baked stupidity in to satisfy the fans. Unfortunately, these were the weakest parts of the book and only drag the other fantastic parts down.
Wayward is a great sequel but it is mostly completely different from Pines. It (generally) rids itself of the mysteries and the tension instead comes from the human drama, which I found to be incredible. It has a few plot holes, though, and retroactively adds some to the first one. It's still absolutely worth reading if you liked the first book.
eblackwell89's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
foxykitty's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
codexastoria's review against another edition
4.0
Un second tome qui a clairement relevé mon intérêt pour cette série. Je pense qu'il faut vraiment enchaîner le tome 1 et 2 pour prendre l'oeuvre dans son ensemble et moins ressentir les défauts du 1er tome.
Ici, on assiste à plus d'action et des révélations se préparent en coulisses. Les personnages gagnent en épaisseur et on a un aperçu sur leur psychologie, leur ressenti sur cette ville et ses mensonges. Mention spéciale à Theresa qui prend plus d'ampleur et Ethan qui par contre a renforcé mon antipathie pour lui...
Je trouve toujours un peu dommage qu'on ait pas plus de réflexions autour de l'effet de masse, le poids de la manipulation, la violence que cela peut entraîner.
L'écriture est par contre toujours aussi addictive, et il ne m'a fallu que quelques heures pour découvrir ce 2nd tome.
Evidemment la fin est tellement bien tournée qu'on a qu'une envie c'est de se retrouver de nouveau à Wayward Pines pour percer ses derniers secrets. J'avoue que j'ai bien du mal à imaginer comment toute cette histoire va se terminer mais j'ai vraiment hâte de découvrir ce que l'auteur a imaginé pour clôturer sa saga.
Ici, on assiste à plus d'action et des révélations se préparent en coulisses. Les personnages gagnent en épaisseur et on a un aperçu sur leur psychologie, leur ressenti sur cette ville et ses mensonges. Mention spéciale à Theresa qui prend plus d'ampleur et Ethan qui par contre a renforcé mon antipathie pour lui...
Je trouve toujours un peu dommage qu'on ait pas plus de réflexions autour de l'effet de masse, le poids de la manipulation, la violence que cela peut entraîner.
L'écriture est par contre toujours aussi addictive, et il ne m'a fallu que quelques heures pour découvrir ce 2nd tome.
Evidemment la fin est tellement bien tournée qu'on a qu'une envie c'est de se retrouver de nouveau à Wayward Pines pour percer ses derniers secrets. J'avoue que j'ai bien du mal à imaginer comment toute cette histoire va se terminer mais j'ai vraiment hâte de découvrir ce que l'auteur a imaginé pour clôturer sa saga.