Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead

29 reviews

kkulhannie's review against another edition

challenging dark tense

5.0

without a doubt the most fucked-up book i have ever read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

hfred28's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Gaslighting

hollyamber's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.25

Plotline: After the suspicious death of her 2 college friends, Shay returns to the place where she died, and where they experienced a collective trauma that may be linked to her death in an effort to uncover the truth.

This was super interesting, but verrrrry heavy! Many trigger warnings needed for this one. I was hooked though - I loved the story being told partially through interview recordings and recollections of past events. A really good twist too. I'd have loved to have heard more of the back story of the "bad guy" in this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

kalmeida's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Suicide, and Murder

jessicar86's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder

decie's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

I hate books with relentless graphic details that are only there for shock value. and this book was really, really fucked up and loud about it, and sticking with it felt like a trust fall. I don't know if it needed the level of intensity it had to accomplish what it did, but I honestly feel like everything came together in the end and nothing was included solely to be shocking.

also - I don't think this is meant to be taken literally, and my rating would be significantly lower if had read it as a straight up culty murder mystery novel. but as an allegory/dramatization of existing power structures and corruption??? oh my god. yes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Drug use

spicysuzy23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

lerothenberg's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

elderwoodreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was a really unique read for me and I really enjoyed it! I highly recommend reading the TWs before embarking because the content definitely shocked me having only read the description. Winstead did a great job of building tension and tying together all the different parts of the story. My biggest complaint is

the trope of "I can't hurt the bad guys" from the MC after Nicole's death in the woods but then somehow she's just fine axing the Don in the head? I personally camt stand the "I won't stoop to their level/can't hurt them" trope but especially paired with the ending it was odd. I would have liked the ending much better if the scene in the woods went differently.

 

Also, I've started to get annoyed with the trend of unique inserts between chapters but I really loved the podcast interview inserts. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Self harm, and Alcohol

Minor: Incest and Trafficking

annagerman's review

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Ok so this was fun (for me at least 😅😅).
I set out to find me a deliciously dark read, and boy did this deliver! 
It was a super fast-paced and well-structured psychological thriller. I finished this in three seatings (and would have finished it quicker if real life didn't interfere 🙄).

Bear in mind that this is in no way a realistic representation of rape, cults, secretive organizations or investigative journalism 😅😅 you will have to spend your disbelief quite a lot to buy into it.
Also I had some issues with the characters, mainly the MC - we are told many things of her past and upbringing that sometimes don't fully line with her behavior. And also unfortunetly and kinda sadly - Don lacked any charisma whatsoever 😅 But they were mostly minor issues that I could easily put aside

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Rape and Toxic friendship

Minor: Death of parent