Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean

8 reviews

shadymist's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Bullying, Addiction, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Death of parent

elysianbud's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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? No

3.5

Incredibly sad and upsetting novel. Thankfully ends on a high note, but the main character goes through much trauma.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Deportation, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Torture, Slavery, Trafficking, Confinement, Drug use, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Sexual violence

readdrinkandbehappy's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Rape, Confinement, and Pregnancy

hollyfitton1's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Violence, Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation, Gore, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Rape, Sexual violence, Grief, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child death and Child abuse

nialiversuch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Blood, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Pregnancy, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Ableism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Body horror, Mental illness, Murder, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Deportation, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Vomit, and Death of parent

slevlin86's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

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

ladyr's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A brilliant but emotional read. I couldn’t put it down and read it it one sitting. I felt like I was holding my breath the whole time. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Trafficking, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse

travelseatsreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• 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

Brutal, raw, dark and absolutely engrossing.

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.
 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit