Scan barcode
efiwritesbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Last thing to Burn is the heartbreaking tale of a woman's struggle to retain her personhood in the face of modern slavery. When her daughter is born, her resolve changes to desperation.
It's a phenomenal story, well-told, with interesting characters and easily-accessible language.
Highly recommend.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Confinement, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Misogyny
tanyarosereads_88's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Trafficking and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Drug use, Rape, and Kidnapping
soobooksalot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Despite that, The Last Thing To Burn is unlike anything I've read.
This is my first foray into Will Dean's writing and I'm most impressed.
From the description we can discern there's a captivity situation. Beside that I went in quite blind, so the background and resolution was yet to be experienced.
Jane is under the rule of "husband" Lenn in a small, remote farm cottage. He records her every move and watches the tapes back daily. He makes Jane wear his dead mother's clothes and burns her personal items to keep her in line.
Her name is not Jane.
I won't say any more, other than this is a tense, heartbreaking and suspenseful read that deserves attention.
Recommended!
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexual assault
amyspag's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, and Violence
slevlin86's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Trafficking, Kidnapping, Rape, Violence, Addiction, Blood, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
travelseatsreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
When I started this book I honestly rolled my eyes and thought, not this again. I've read and listened to a lot of books with very similar themes in recent months and was fearful of being bored by essentially the same story. Well, after the first few pages not alone did I forget about being bored, I also forgot to breathe.
From the first few words, I was immediately consumed by Jane's fear, desperation and hunger. The tension within this book is immediate, it throws you straight into the action and somehow that tension continues to build right until those final scenes.
Dean portrays the warped relationship between Jane and Lenn (her captor) so delicately and so forcefully all at once. He shows just how much control Lenn has and exerts over her while simultaneously conveying an element of care given to her.
As the story develops Jane is faced with many almost impossible decisions. Dean gracefully negotiates these moral dilemmas and really makes you question, what would you do in these scenarios? It's not always as simple as right or wrong.
Dean's style is suitably claustrophobic, chilling and unrelenting. He has created a world so vivid and menacing. Once you read those first few lines he instantaneously picks you up, plunges you head first into that world and does not let you come up for air until the very last page.
Already one of my top reads for 2021.
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit