Review | The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean

On an isolated farm, Jane lives with her husband, Len, and spends her days attending to his needs. But her name is not Jane. And he is not her husband. She must find a way to survive her torment, and maybe, fight for her freedom.

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. 

The Last Thing To Burn is not for the faint-hearted! It’s an unflinching look at the physical and psychological abuse of a woman kept captive by a monster. It looks at the devastating cost of human trafficking and the effects of Stockholm syndrome. The stark farmhouse setting, the detached narration, the vile antagonist, and suspenseful storyline kept my interest even when the bleak subject matter gets too much. Yet it’s also about the sheer determination of a protagonist who refuses to give up. Even amidst her trauma, she finds the strength to keep going. I wanted her to escape really badly! The book also highlights the power of a mother’s love and the strength of sisterhood.

While this book is full of tension, the storyline is a little contrived at times. There were moments when I felt the characters only behave in a certain way to further the plot. There’s also a twist that comes out of nowhere and doesn’t really fit with previously established situation. But these doesn’t detract my overall enjoyment of the book. I appreciate the book’s portrayal of survival and hope in a world that sorely needs them.

The Last Thing To Burn is a brutal exploration of one woman’s survival and I feel it’s worth to note the content warnings before you decide to read it.

CW: kidnapping, rape, domestic violence, psychological abuse, starvation, infant sickness, drug addiction

I received a digital copy from the publisher and Netgalley for review purposes.

About the author: Will Dean

Photo by Maurice Sahl