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jhscolloquium's review against another edition
4.0
Dana Diaz is an aspiring stand‑up comedian. Even in 2018, the age of #MeToo, stand-up is still a man's world. One night after a performance, she meets Amanda Dorn, who claims to be a computer programmer. The two discuss the challenges they have faced in professions dominated by men. Dana confides her recent experience of being harassed and assaulted in L.A., an event so traumatizing that, in combination with her overall disillusionment with Los Angeles, she returned to Austin.
Amanda devises a plan for the two of them to get revenge on each other's assailants, Dana agrees, But pulled deeper and deeper into Dana's increasingly controlling scheme, Dana soon discovers that revenge is not so sweet, after all. Soon she is wrapped up in a complicated series of betrayals and outright paranoia. She trusts no one, even herself, and begins questioning things that she has for years accepted as true. Including one fateful night when she was staying overnight at the home of her best friend, Jason, and subjected to a sexual assault by his older brother who is now imprisoned for an entirely different crime.
In this unique and inventive novel, Dana discovers the high price of vengeance, as well as her own truth. Last Woman Standing is a thought-provoking and chilling psychological thriller exploring contemporary themes. Can a woman overcome an "old boys' network" to succeed in a highly competitive environment? More importantly, can she do so on merit alone without machinations, manipulations, or dirty tricks designed to eliminate competitors? And what if it turns out that the person we thought we knew best is someone we never really knew at all? Does that mean that we have to spend the rest of our lives unable to trust again? If not, how can we learn to be vulnerable and have close, intimate relationships again?
The character of Dana is endearing because of her relatable struggles, but also deeply flawed as evidenced by the choices she makes. She permits herself to be drawn into a web of violence and retribution without appreciating the danger she is in. Danger which originated from some evident, as well as some surprising sources. Her journey is one of examining her own moral compass and finding her inner strength not just to survive, but to thrive and succeed. Author Amy Gentry manages to make situations that are patently outrageous believable, in no small measure as a result of her nuanced characters including, in addition to Dana, Amanda and Jason. Gentry reveals Dana's discovery of the truth at expertly-timed intervals, keeping the action moving and readers invested in the outcome.
Who will be the last woman standing? The journey to that answer is a thoroughly enjoyable and moving story that continues resonating with readers long after its conclusion.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
Amanda devises a plan for the two of them to get revenge on each other's assailants, Dana agrees, But pulled deeper and deeper into Dana's increasingly controlling scheme, Dana soon discovers that revenge is not so sweet, after all. Soon she is wrapped up in a complicated series of betrayals and outright paranoia. She trusts no one, even herself, and begins questioning things that she has for years accepted as true. Including one fateful night when she was staying overnight at the home of her best friend, Jason, and subjected to a sexual assault by his older brother who is now imprisoned for an entirely different crime.
In this unique and inventive novel, Dana discovers the high price of vengeance, as well as her own truth. Last Woman Standing is a thought-provoking and chilling psychological thriller exploring contemporary themes. Can a woman overcome an "old boys' network" to succeed in a highly competitive environment? More importantly, can she do so on merit alone without machinations, manipulations, or dirty tricks designed to eliminate competitors? And what if it turns out that the person we thought we knew best is someone we never really knew at all? Does that mean that we have to spend the rest of our lives unable to trust again? If not, how can we learn to be vulnerable and have close, intimate relationships again?
The character of Dana is endearing because of her relatable struggles, but also deeply flawed as evidenced by the choices she makes. She permits herself to be drawn into a web of violence and retribution without appreciating the danger she is in. Danger which originated from some evident, as well as some surprising sources. Her journey is one of examining her own moral compass and finding her inner strength not just to survive, but to thrive and succeed. Author Amy Gentry manages to make situations that are patently outrageous believable, in no small measure as a result of her nuanced characters including, in addition to Dana, Amanda and Jason. Gentry reveals Dana's discovery of the truth at expertly-timed intervals, keeping the action moving and readers invested in the outcome.
Who will be the last woman standing? The journey to that answer is a thoroughly enjoyable and moving story that continues resonating with readers long after its conclusion.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
ccopeland28's review against another edition
1.0
This was difficult to get into and enjoy since every single character is such a horrible human being (save for Dana's mom, but she is only in about 5% of the book). I couldn't relate to the characters nor feel bad for them because they were all so hateful and awful. Good concept, poor execution.f
madisonkb's review against another edition
1.0
This book is so bad, I can’t can’t count the number of times I had to close the book and grimace for a moment after a particularly cringe line. I usually finish a book in a couple of days, but thanks to my irrational cannot DNF rule, I wasted 3 weeks torturing myself through this. The overall message behind I do really love, but it was hidden behind weird plot lines, horrible jokes, and bad writing.
sar_19's review against another edition
3.0
Ok twisty thriller. None of the characters were likable and the Hollywood Comedy scene not very interesting to me.
winniedbear's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
carls2112's review against another edition
4.0
I didn’t love the writing style and at times it was just too I believe it Overton giving it a solid 4 stars as the build up of suspense is good and I raced through the book.
bookishlybrief's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
molacher's review against another edition
4.0
*** Advance copy provided by NetGalley***
A bit of "Strangers on a Train" mixed in with the #MeToo movement but a lot more tech savvy. It is going to be really hard to review this without giving up any spoilers but I will do my best! I think this was written in a way that kept you questioning which perspective was the "right" one and how far we would go if pushed. The topic of #MeToo was incredibly timely and engaging. I think all women can recognize some of the conversations and retorts that men have when these topics come up. I think that results in a lot of rage so I found Dana's actions realistic. The one thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the "Betty" character. It felt like an excuse to use that character to perform some of the actions as if Dana could distance herself from it. It is probably all a matter of self justification. It could just be that the type of comedy that Betty performs makes me uncomfortable (and yes, I know that is the point, I just don't find it funny).
I haven't read any of Amy Gentry's other books but I look forward to them now!
A bit of "Strangers on a Train" mixed in with the #MeToo movement but a lot more tech savvy. It is going to be really hard to review this without giving up any spoilers but I will do my best! I think this was written in a way that kept you questioning which perspective was the "right" one and how far we would go if pushed. The topic of #MeToo was incredibly timely and engaging. I think all women can recognize some of the conversations and retorts that men have when these topics come up. I think that results in a lot of rage so I found Dana's actions realistic. The one thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the "Betty" character. It felt like an excuse to use that character to perform some of the actions as if Dana could distance herself from it. It is probably all a matter of self justification. It could just be that the type of comedy that Betty performs makes me uncomfortable (and yes, I know that is the point, I just don't find it funny).
I haven't read any of Amy Gentry's other books but I look forward to them now!
smd's review against another edition
4.0
In the year of time's up and me too, Gentry is pulling no punches and I love it.
A quick read and interesting premise.
Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A quick read and interesting premise.
Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.