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This one had potential. A Vietnamese immigrant whose family were made such promises of work for their daughters, send them in over to the UK to earn lots a money. I was hoping to rave about “The Last Thing To Burn”.... which started promising when - at the very- beginning- a powerful excerpt included before chapter one by author Kim Thuy, Ru.
The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean | Goodreads The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean | Goodreads
Overall, this is a terrifying and disturbing book that will definitely stay with me for a long time. For a long time, escape seemed impossible. But now, something has changed. She has a reason to live and a reason to fight. Now, she is watching him, and waiting ... I read the whole damn book. After I got started, I literally could not put it down. This is, by far, one of the most compelling novels I've ever read. It's such a difficult and dark tale, but unlike The Four Winds which I opted to give a low rating for its never-ending bleakness, in The Last Thing to Burn, I could feel the hope in every single word the main character uttered; in every thought she had; in all her actions. This book felt nothing like The Four Winds. Thank you Nia, good we have convinced you to give it a read. It is a fab book so I hope you enjoy it too,Jane is the narrator, and man, can she tell a story. Okay, I’m going to call her Jane in this review, though I feel awful about it—so sorry, Thanh Dao! It’s just that that’s the name I know her by. I hate to “listen to” Lenn and call her Jane; I feel like I’m betraying Thanh Dao by using the name her tormentor gave her! Now the fact that I’m freaking out by calling her Jane in a review shows you how much this book got under my skin. OMG, I think these people are real! Despite the horrific subject and my horror at the injustices being committed, this was riveting and suspenseful reading. Dean's writing is lean and powerful, conveying the claustrophobic atmosphere of the small house so well. Lenn is a truly monstrous and brutal, with an unhealthy fixation on his dead mother, while Jane's character is so strong and resilient despite everything she has been through. Unlike many novels featuring a captive woman, this one felt chillingly plausible, particularly given the isolated location of the farm in the English fenland and the circumstances that bring 'Jane' to the to it. The tension builds superbly through the novel to a very intense ending with a few surprises and a small moment of triumph for Jane that resonates with the title of the novel. This is a book I won't forget in a hurry. 4.5★ Dean spends quite a bit of time describing Thanh’s ankle injury, returning to it again and again. I’m not very visual but I gather her toes are no longer pointed in the direction they should and Dean’s descriptions of her injuries are quite visceral. It means she’s in extreme pain, but also unable to make it far on foot. Thanh has been ‘with’ Lenn for nine years and would have given up (taken her own life) years earlier but her sister Kim-Ly is also in the UK and Lenn’s threatened to have her deported (or worse) if ‘Jane’ tries to leave (one way or another). He’s also been slowly burning things precious to her over the years when she displeases him.
The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean – Book Review The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean – Book Review
The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean will be published in Australia by Hachette in late January, but available elsewhere from 6 January 2021. Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn’t like what he sees, she is punished. My heart was thumping from beginning to end. You could feel “Jane’s” fear, loathing and frustration. Her courage and will to survive showed in every step she took. The author did an amazing job to bring the characters to life.
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I won’t go into too much of what happens but let’s just say two things occur that make Thanh Dao realise she needs a plan to get away from Lenn, one that will work this time. The main character is held against her will for over 7 years, and although the topic is a hard one to read, it is a book so well written and captivating. I could not put it down, as I just wanted to know what was to become of her.
The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean | Goodreads
A wildly inventive spin on the supernatural thriller, about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets. This harrowing tale had an aura of authenticity, as one that made the reader feel as if they too, were in the isolated farmhouse with Jane. The author's depiction of Lenn, the enslaver, was absolutely frightening. He was a man who was so influenced by his now dead mother that he found it easy to travel the road to cruelty and punishment. However, as so many subjugators do, he would sometimes show a spot of kindness and Jane would be grateful and subdued. Thank You to NetGalley, Author Will Dean, and Simon & Schuster Canada for my advanced copy to read and review So yes, then we’re definitely in thriller territory here. The Last Thing to Burn is as dramatic and suspenseful as they come. But I still can’t shake the overall feeling that what I just read is literary fiction. A woman being held captive is willing to risk everything to save herself, her unborn child, and her captor’s latest victim in this claustrophobic thriller in the tradition of Misery and Room.
For a long time, escape seemed impossible. But now, something has changed. She has a reason to live and a reason to fight. Now, she is watching him, and waiting … A pulse-pounding psychological thriller about a serial killer narrated by those closest to him: His 13-year-old daughter, his girlfriend—and the one victim he has spared The human spirit is an amazing thing; full of wonder and respect. And what people are capable of, whether fighting for life, or abusing others, is no less than heart-stomping. It’s a 2021 favorite for me. And truthfully, I didn’t care if Thanh (Jane), was strong or resilient... or if the novel ended with justice....
The Last Thing to Burn: Longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger The Last Thing to Burn: Longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger
My ankle is ruined. The nerves and bones and tendons and muscles are as one damaged bundle; sharp flints and old meat. Fire. I feel nothing else. The pain is something I live with every day of my life, but not like this. This is wretched. My mouth is open. A silent cry. A hopeless and unending scream”. My sincere thanks to Will Dean and Atria Books for providing my gifted copy for review via NetGalley. The Last Thing to Burn is now available. Courts Deceased had three times drink driving limit of alcohol and ‘moderate’ amount of cocaine in system, court hears 16:10 She is held captive by a hog farmer, who considers her his wife, bought and paid for. Her life is dehumanized, she is beaten, tortured and maimed. Yet her so-called life goes on.Jane is not her real name but the name Lenn has given her. Her real name is Thanh Dao, she came to the UK with her sister and the promise of a good job but instead is sold to Lenn. A claustrophobic feeling is created here with the isolated wooded farm Jane is imprisoned in. Lenn is creepy, disturbing, and unsettling with the way he uses psychological coercion in a haunting way and physical abuse to control Thanh Dao. Lenn uses threats against her sister and the possessions that keep her connected to who she is. When Thanh displeases Lenn or breaks the rules, he burns one of her possessions. She loses a piece of who she is and struggles with being replaced as Jane, his wife, and the image of his mother.
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