A review by maggers94
The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This was intense and very, very dark. The trigger warnings at the beginning are definitely warranted. At times it horrified me and others filled me with rage on Shay’s behalf. I read reviews that called it unrealistic, but what makes it so terrifying at times is knowing Don’s “philosophy” on the relationship between man and woman is all too real in the minds of vocal minority today. It feels like the Sarah Lawrence cult meets NXIVM meets the evangelicals. It’s fast-paced and difficult to put down. I predicted some of the twists, but that didn’t detract from the story. I still wanted to understand the why. I also loved the shift between the podcast transcripts and Shay’s narrative much more than I expected, but the Scheherazade openers to each part are what really had me captivated. I think I read over part two’s opener three or four times. Overall, I loved the writing, and the story was thrilling, but also thought provoking. I’d highly recommend it.