Book Review: Wayward by Blake Crouch (Wayward Pines #2)

I read Wayward during an eight-hour flight, wedged into a cramped airplane seat, and this book almost made the flight better. Almost. (The seat fought hard.)

Wayward is book two of the Wayward Pines trilogy, which makes the premise unspoilable — if you haven’t read book one, start with my review of Pines and come back. What I can tell you: the mystery of book one widens instead of deflating, and the town keeps smiling.

What I Loved About Wayward by Blake Crouch

Middle books are where trilogies go to stall. The mystery’s been opened, the finale isn’t allowed to happen yet, and a lot of authors just vamp for 300 pages. Wayward doesn’t vamp. It’s a great follow-up that keeps book one’s slick action-thriller pace while turning up the sci-fi underneath, and if you love action thrillers with sci-fi elements, this series is your exact blood type.

Also, I can highly recommend the specific experience of reading it at 38,000 feet. A story about a town you can’t leave lands differently when you, too, cannot leave your row.

What I Didn’t Love About Wayward

Just one honest series note, no spoilers: for me this is the trilogy’s sweet spot, along with Pines. The finale has great worldbuilding but an ending I found less satisfying than the ride deserved — so savor this stretch of the story. It’s the good part.

Final Thoughts on Wayward

A great follow-up that dodges every middle-book trap, best consumed somewhere you can’t escape from. And if you finish the trilogy hungry for more Crouch, Recursion is next on the syllabus.

My final score: 5 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Do I recommend this book? 👍 Yes!

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