Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Will Dean’s ‘The Last Thing to Burn’ is told from the point of view of ‘Jane’, a Vietnamese woman held captive by an abusive man in his little cottage on acres of British farmland. It’s an incredibly claustrophobic and unbearably tense story of degradation, abuse and slavery.
As you read, you follow ‘Jane’s’ daily routine of cooking and cleaning for her captor, Lenn, who seems deluded into thinking that he’s caring for her. As his cameras record ‘Jane’s’ every move, he watches the tapes back for any small mishap that will allow him to burn another of her few belongings. But ‘Jane’ is determined to survive, not just for herself but for her family back home in Vietnam and her baby sister who works at a nail salon paying off the debt being smuggled into the UK cost them. But Lenn has secrets, and when someone gets a little too close for comfort things begin to spiral out of control.
‘The Last Thing to Burn’ is a harrowing read which will have you feeling as though you’re trapped alongside ‘Jane’ as she fights for her life. Author Will Dean has done a great job of creating a hostile atmosphere that will have you hooked from the start.
[ I’d like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review! ]
As you read, you follow ‘Jane’s’ daily routine of cooking and cleaning for her captor, Lenn, who seems deluded into thinking that he’s caring for her. As his cameras record ‘Jane’s’ every move, he watches the tapes back for any small mishap that will allow him to burn another of her few belongings. But ‘Jane’ is determined to survive, not just for herself but for her family back home in Vietnam and her baby sister who works at a nail salon paying off the debt being smuggled into the UK cost them. But Lenn has secrets, and when someone gets a little too close for comfort things begin to spiral out of control.
‘The Last Thing to Burn’ is a harrowing read which will have you feeling as though you’re trapped alongside ‘Jane’ as she fights for her life. Author Will Dean has done a great job of creating a hostile atmosphere that will have you hooked from the start.
[ I’d like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review! ]
If you break this book down to basics it is the daily routine of a woman who does very little except chores and goes nowhere. So how on earth the author managed to turn something that should be technically monotonous and boring into a read that instantly captivated me and had me precariously balancing on the edge of my sofa the entire read I have no idea.
The man is a genius, he also writes exceptionally well from a woman’s point of view. Which is no mean feat as we are notoriously complicated creatures. He had me furious one minute, shuddering with repulsion the next and there were some physical scenes that affected quite a few of us.
For me though what really hit home was the quiet strength of Jane who is not Jane. How she carries on through constant pain in a life that is cruel and demanding. How she is stripped from her possessions one by one and the coercive control that Lenny uses in trying to remove her identity and make her Jane like the ones that came before her.
I’m not a reviewer that gives away spoilers and there is so much more I could say but I won’t ruin the twists in the little piggies tail. I will just add though that I would like to read a book on Lenny as many of my questions were left unanswered.
The man is a genius, he also writes exceptionally well from a woman’s point of view. Which is no mean feat as we are notoriously complicated creatures. He had me furious one minute, shuddering with repulsion the next and there were some physical scenes that affected quite a few of us.
For me though what really hit home was the quiet strength of Jane who is not Jane. How she carries on through constant pain in a life that is cruel and demanding. How she is stripped from her possessions one by one and the coercive control that Lenny uses in trying to remove her identity and make her Jane like the ones that came before her.
I’m not a reviewer that gives away spoilers and there is so much more I could say but I won’t ruin the twists in the little piggies tail. I will just add though that I would like to read a book on Lenny as many of my questions were left unanswered.
A heartbreaking read. A woman is called Jane by the man she lives with but she tells us that she is not called Jane. This man is her captor, her prisoner. He's trafficked her. And he won't let her escape. If she tries, he burns one of her possessions. She tells us that she had 13 but now has only four.
It's an insightful read particularly as it's written in the first person and 'Jane' explains what's going on, how she feels, what this new start in England was supposed to be like and how she, like countless others, have been tricked.
The desolate farmland - all of which her captor ultimately owns as well - makes this a bleak novel where you can actually see there is no chance of escape.
Poor woman. I wanted to hug her and go rescue her.
It's an insightful read particularly as it's written in the first person and 'Jane' explains what's going on, how she feels, what this new start in England was supposed to be like and how she, like countless others, have been tricked.
The desolate farmland - all of which her captor ultimately owns as well - makes this a bleak novel where you can actually see there is no chance of escape.
Poor woman. I wanted to hug her and go rescue her.
This book was great! I am usually disappointed by the endings, but this ending was fantastic, I was so anxious at one point I actually had a knot in my stomach. Loved it!
If you want to absolutely ruin your whole day, read this book. This story was so haunting, disgusting, dreadful, and just flat out sad. The worst part is, it’s something that probably has actually happened. The things that happened make Misery seem like a children’s book. The Last Thing To Burn certainly did not hold back on the potential terror that exists in the world. I could not put this book down while I was being tormented page by page. I have a hard time even talking about it because it was really just so raw and gruesome.
This is not an easy read.
I also didn’t find it easy to read quickly, and needed time away as a break from the sheer BRUTAL nature of this one.
CW/TW GALORE - abuse: physical, mental and sexual; captivity and manipulation
But like the much referenced Of Mice And Men, there is hope. Not much, but it is there.
I also didn’t find it easy to read quickly, and needed time away as a break from the sheer BRUTAL nature of this one.
CW/TW GALORE - abuse: physical, mental and sexual; captivity and manipulation
But like the much referenced Of Mice And Men, there is hope. Not much, but it is there.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
WHAT A WILD RIDE!!
This book was recently recommended to me by a friend and I'd not heard anything about it until she mentioned it. I'm not sure how I missed this novel last year, but I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to read it! [b:The Last Thing to Burn|54303965|The Last Thing to Burn|Will Dean|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616939470l/54303965._SY75_.jpg|84296125] is completely immersive and I had trouble putting it down. The last quarter of the novel moves especially quickly and is action-packed; be prepared to ignore all responsibilities!
This book was recently recommended to me by a friend and I'd not heard anything about it until she mentioned it. I'm not sure how I missed this novel last year, but I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to read it! [b:The Last Thing to Burn|54303965|The Last Thing to Burn|Will Dean|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616939470l/54303965._SY75_.jpg|84296125] is completely immersive and I had trouble putting it down. The last quarter of the novel moves especially quickly and is action-packed; be prepared to ignore all responsibilities!
Dark and disturbing. Quick read and tough to put down!
“Jane”, not her real name, lives in a cottage with her “husband” Lenn. She and her sister came to the UK from Vietnam; to the promise of a new life; but she’s ended up captive on a farm on the Fens. Now she’s discovered she’s pregnant and she is determined to do everything she can to keep herself and her unborn baby safe and to escape and find her sister. Gripping, tense and disturbing - an absolutely fantastic read.
Thanks to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Will Dean for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Will Dean for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.