Book Review of “The House in the Pines” by Ana Reyes

Ana Reyes might have only just arrived on the scene a few years ago, but I can confidently say she’s already carved out her place as one of the most haunting psychological thriller writers I’ve read in recent memory. Her debut novel, The House in the Pines, made waves all over the U.S. when it first came out and not without reason. It’s the kind of novel that gets under your skin quietly, and then lingers like a shadow in the back of your mind.

There are certain thrillers I’ve read where I say to myself, “That’s enough. Never again.” Not because the book was bad, but because it hit something too deep. The House in the Pines was one of those books for me when I first read it and yet, like someone drawn back to a place they swore they’d never return to, I’ve read it again since. And I can confirm: it still chills me to the core.

I’m actually working on a list of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read, and if that’s already out by the time you’re reading this, then congratulations you’ve got more nightmares coming your way. If not, you’ll just have to wait.

In the novel, we meet Maya, a young woman struggling with addiction, grief, and the haunting memory of a death she witnessed as a teen the sudden, unexplained collapse of her best friend Aubrey. Years later, another girl dies in the same way, and everything Maya tried to bury starts to claw its way back to the surface.

Don’t be fooled this isn’t your standard mystery thriller. There’s a constant, pressing sense of unease throughout this book. Ana Reyes doesn’t throw horror in your face; she lets it simmer beneath everything. In Maya’s world, nothing feels safe. The town feels hollowed out. The memories feel wrong. And the man she once loved, Frank an older, charismatic figure with a controlling presence feels like he’s still watching her, even when he’s nowhere near.

The title of the book is no accident. The house in the pines is more than just a location it’s a presence, a character in its own right. And when Maya returns there, the memories she uncovers feel so dreamlike and yet so real that it makes you question your own mind just reading them. There is one particular scene that left me sitting completely still after reading it, like my brain needed a second to catch up with what my eyes just saw. That’s when I knew: this wasn’t just a thriller. This was something else.

Another thing Reyes does terrifyingly well is blur the line between memory and reality. Maya doesn’t always trust her own mind and neither do we. It creates a type of tension that doesn’t let up, page after page. You keep asking yourself: “What really happened in the woods that day?” and “Who is Frank, really?” The truth, when it comes, doesn’t scream. It whispers. But it cuts deeper than you expect.

If you ask me what The House in the Pines reminds me of, I wouldn’t say it’s like any one book. It’s more like a feeling the kind you get when you think someone is standing behind you, but you know the room is empty. That’s the energy this book brings. And it doesn’t let go, not even when the story is over.

And yes, this is classic Ana Reyes: quiet horror, creeping dread, psychological suspense and emotional depth. In fact, it reminded me in tone of some of the older horror authors like Shirley Jackson or even Daphne du Maurier. But this one is wholly modern, rooted in trauma, memory, and power.

There’s also a disturbing little moment tied to a notebook just a plain notebook Maya finds while digging through her mother’s things that reveals something about her past she never expected. I won’t spoil what’s in it, but it was one of those turns in the story where I actually had to pause and just… sit with it. Reyes writes with such careful tension that you don’t notice how much she’s built up until you feel it snap.

I’m not going to say much more about the plot because, like all the best thrillers, it’s best experienced knowing as little as possible. But if this isn’t one of the best psychological suspense novels in recent years, I don’t know what is.

And to be honest with you, there’s a reason The House in the Pines stayed on bestseller lists, became a BookTok favorite, and caught the attention of horror and thriller fans across the country. It’s not just that it’s well-written (though it absolutely is). It’s because it captures something real that fear we all have of losing control, of forgetting what we know, of trusting someone who isn’t what they seem.

I mean, The House in the Pines was Ana Reyes’ first novel. First. Can you imagine what’s coming next?

I’d love to say I’ll never read it again, just to spare myself the nightmares but let’s be honest. I probably will.