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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
🔥 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙏𝙤 𝘽𝙪𝙧𝙣 🔥
By Will Dean
HER HUSBAND CALLS HER JANE
THAT IS NOT HER NAME
Blurb
She lives in a small farm cottage, surrounded by vast, open fields. Everywhere she looks, there is space. But she is trapped. No one knows how she got to the UK: no one knows she is there. Visitors rarely come to the farm; if they do, she is never seen.
Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn't like what he sees, she is punished.
For a long time, escape seemed impossible. But now, something has changed. She has a reason to live and a reason to fight. Now, she is watching him, and waiting . . .
Review
This is a great thriller. The story is very simple but powerful. It reminded me of Room by Emma Doneghue.
Imagine being captive in an open prison. Freedom is only a few miles away across flat fields of green but you are restricted by strict routine, cameras watching constantly and a physical injury that limits your movement, living in a remote area, your only chance of escape is to speak to a person who stumbles across your property but will you be brave enough to speak?
This story is shocking and terrifying, and some of the chapters made me want to jump in the pages and drag Jane away from all the torture.
✉️ Thriller
🧢 Great characters
🩴 Suspense
🐖 Believable premise
📺 Shocking
⚠️ Abusive relationship emotionally/physically/sexually
This was a #bookstagrammademedoit purchase and I'm so glad I did.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me! 🤓
By Will Dean
HER HUSBAND CALLS HER JANE
THAT IS NOT HER NAME
Blurb
She lives in a small farm cottage, surrounded by vast, open fields. Everywhere she looks, there is space. But she is trapped. No one knows how she got to the UK: no one knows she is there. Visitors rarely come to the farm; if they do, she is never seen.
Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn't like what he sees, she is punished.
For a long time, escape seemed impossible. But now, something has changed. She has a reason to live and a reason to fight. Now, she is watching him, and waiting . . .
Review
This is a great thriller. The story is very simple but powerful. It reminded me of Room by Emma Doneghue.
Imagine being captive in an open prison. Freedom is only a few miles away across flat fields of green but you are restricted by strict routine, cameras watching constantly and a physical injury that limits your movement, living in a remote area, your only chance of escape is to speak to a person who stumbles across your property but will you be brave enough to speak?
This story is shocking and terrifying, and some of the chapters made me want to jump in the pages and drag Jane away from all the torture.
✉️ Thriller
🧢 Great characters
🩴 Suspense
🐖 Believable premise
📺 Shocking
⚠️ Abusive relationship emotionally/physically/sexually
This was a #bookstagrammademedoit purchase and I'm so glad I did.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me! 🤓
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Kidnapping
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
This was so dark and disturbing yet I couldn't put it down. Rounded up from 4.5 stars
dark
tense
fast-paced
I have to write a review here because I cannot believe how many five star reviews this book has received. The storytelling is stilted and repetitive.
Some people have said that it was hard to connect with the characters, I agree and I feel that is because the author is writing what *he* thinks women feel about being pregnant/a new mother. His grasp on this aspect of the story I feel is poor and therefore unrealistic.
There are many examples of it throughout the book but the one that annoyed me the most was at the end of the story when the women flee across some open fields to a barn. During that crossing, which could only have been an hour, maybe two, where the main character is fleeing from a 7 year captivity, she insists on two occasions that they stop and bottle feed the child twice?!!! The child is at the least several weeks possibly months old at this stage, even if she is cold and unwell what she doesn’t not require is two stops for a bottle which wastes time and could very well cost both women their lives!!!
The book is in the main very slow to get going, very little happens for 95% of the book the end it’s all wrapped up neatly in a couple chapters.
Some people have said that it was hard to connect with the characters, I agree and I feel that is because the author is writing what *he* thinks women feel about being pregnant/a new mother. His grasp on this aspect of the story I feel is poor and therefore unrealistic.
There are many examples of it throughout the book but the one that annoyed me the most was at the end of the story when the women flee across some open fields to a barn. During that crossing, which could only have been an hour, maybe two, where the main character is fleeing from a 7 year captivity, she insists on two occasions that they stop and bottle feed the child twice?!!! The child is at the least several weeks possibly months old at this stage, even if she is cold and unwell what she doesn’t not require is two stops for a bottle which wastes time and could very well cost both women their lives!!!
The book is in the main very slow to get going, very little happens for 95% of the book the end it’s all wrapped up neatly in a couple chapters.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
‘I live in an open prison surrounded by wall-less fields and fence-less fens. It’s the vastness of these flatlands that keeps me prisoner here. I am contained; incarcerated in the most open landscape of them all.’
I’m always a little weary going in when a book is short, they can sometimes leave me a little underwhelmed - this was not one. At just 257 pages, you’d be amazed at how much this one packed a punch!
The writing was incredible, the descriptions built up such a stressful and claustrophobic atmosphere. Along with some really vivid, and at times disgusting (her poor foot/ankle 🤢), descriptions - it was exciting and tense read.
Characters were amazingly written, strong female leads which I love. Thanh Dao (not Jane) was a really interesting character who you couldn’t help but root for. Lenn is a dirty pig, nasty arse pervert - we need say no more about him!
The plot was fast paced and kept you hooked throughout, with an interesting plot twist at the end that I definitely didn't see coming
Wholeheartedly recommend for a short, sharp thriller!
I’m always a little weary going in when a book is short, they can sometimes leave me a little underwhelmed - this was not one. At just 257 pages, you’d be amazed at how much this one packed a punch!
The writing was incredible, the descriptions built up such a stressful and claustrophobic atmosphere. Along with some really vivid, and at times disgusting (her poor foot/ankle 🤢), descriptions - it was exciting and tense read.
Characters were amazingly written, strong female leads which I love. Thanh Dao (not Jane) was a really interesting character who you couldn’t help but root for. Lenn is a dirty pig, nasty arse pervert - we need say no more about him!
The plot was fast paced and kept you hooked throughout, with an interesting plot twist at the end that I definitely didn't see coming
Wholeheartedly recommend for a short, sharp thriller!
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This certainly packs a punch in its just over 200 pages, it has everything….if there is as trigger warning you are affected by then its probably been written about within these pages!! So go steady.
That being said this is a rollercoaster ride of domestic terror. It is so intensely gripping and terrifying you will feel your blood pressure rising as you speed through the short chapters.
This is a story of survival like no other, ‘Jane’ as he calls her, came to the UK for a better life and what a shame that unfortunately in her most vivid nightmares she would not have expected what she ended up with, with Lenn her ‘husband’. There are no words for him!!
The thing that stood out to me the most is Jane’s mental strength and her will to ‘keep going’, she is an unbelievable character.
This book is all about the story, so immerse yourself in it, let it take you on the ride that is intended. It is utterly sublime writing.
Turn away now if you’re looking for a light and fluffy story to escape reality with because believe me, this is SO not it.
If you’ve been following my blog, then Will Dean’s name should look familiar to you as I’ve raved about his Tuva Moodyson series quite a bit in the last few years. The Last Thing To Burn marks his first stand-alone thriller and holy Swedish meatballs, what a thriller it is! With its 250 something pages, this story may be a tad on the short side but it packs punch after punch I will not be forgetting any time soon.
I don’t want to say too much about the plot, beyond what’s up there in the book description. Suffice to say not-Jane came to England expecting an entirely different life than the one she ended up with. When the reader is first introduced to her character, she has four possessions left. Four things her not-husband can still take away from her as punishment. Four things that help her hang on to her true self. But things are about to change.
This massively disturbing topic often makes for some seriously uncomfortable reading. As it should! The line between fiction and reality becomes extremely blurry at times because it takes no effort at all to realise these things are happening in the world right now. While reading, there was this constant voice in the back of my head reminding me that there are people like not-Jane who are desperately looking for a way out, which added a whole other layer of realism and believability that I’m not entirely sure I was prepared for.
There is a sense of hopelessness that drips from the pages and also of desolation. Not only concerning not-Jane’s dire situation but the entire place around her, from the mould on the walls to the empty fields and the vast landscape. Will Dean’s vivid descriptions really brought the setting alive, giving it that extra dimension. It is remarkably easy to get lost in not-Jane’s desperation, of not seeing a way out, of desperately trying to find something to hold on to, a reason to fight another day, to survive another day.Throughout, the tension builds up which pushed me to keep on reading late into the night as I just had to know how things would end.
The Last Thing To Burn is an absolute corker of a book, in my most humble opinion of course. A heartbreaking, dark, chilling, harrowing and sometimes brutal story of survival, of determination but also of hope that will get under your skin and stay there for quite a while. But also an incredibly thought-provoking story that made me count my blessings and be immensely grateful for the life I have.
There’s a reason Will Dean’s name is on my list of go-to authors and with The Last Thing To Burn he shows he can tackle anything. I highly recommend this one! Why yes, I am aware it’s only January but guess which book you’ll be seeing again on my “books of the year” list at the end of 2021.
If you’ve been following my blog, then Will Dean’s name should look familiar to you as I’ve raved about his Tuva Moodyson series quite a bit in the last few years. The Last Thing To Burn marks his first stand-alone thriller and holy Swedish meatballs, what a thriller it is! With its 250 something pages, this story may be a tad on the short side but it packs punch after punch I will not be forgetting any time soon.
I don’t want to say too much about the plot, beyond what’s up there in the book description. Suffice to say not-Jane came to England expecting an entirely different life than the one she ended up with. When the reader is first introduced to her character, she has four possessions left. Four things her not-husband can still take away from her as punishment. Four things that help her hang on to her true self. But things are about to change.
This massively disturbing topic often makes for some seriously uncomfortable reading. As it should! The line between fiction and reality becomes extremely blurry at times because it takes no effort at all to realise these things are happening in the world right now. While reading, there was this constant voice in the back of my head reminding me that there are people like not-Jane who are desperately looking for a way out, which added a whole other layer of realism and believability that I’m not entirely sure I was prepared for.
There is a sense of hopelessness that drips from the pages and also of desolation. Not only concerning not-Jane’s dire situation but the entire place around her, from the mould on the walls to the empty fields and the vast landscape. Will Dean’s vivid descriptions really brought the setting alive, giving it that extra dimension. It is remarkably easy to get lost in not-Jane’s desperation, of not seeing a way out, of desperately trying to find something to hold on to, a reason to fight another day, to survive another day.Throughout, the tension builds up which pushed me to keep on reading late into the night as I just had to know how things would end.
The Last Thing To Burn is an absolute corker of a book, in my most humble opinion of course. A heartbreaking, dark, chilling, harrowing and sometimes brutal story of survival, of determination but also of hope that will get under your skin and stay there for quite a while. But also an incredibly thought-provoking story that made me count my blessings and be immensely grateful for the life I have.
There’s a reason Will Dean’s name is on my list of go-to authors and with The Last Thing To Burn he shows he can tackle anything. I highly recommend this one! Why yes, I am aware it’s only January but guess which book you’ll be seeing again on my “books of the year” list at the end of 2021.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes