Reviews with content warning for Suicide - The Last Housewife

I went into this long after having put it on my TBR and all I could remember was that the genre was "thriller." That being said, I think that is absolutely not the way to read this considering the subject matter and the various content warnings that should come with the book. It deals with cults, abuse and death. Our main character Shay finds out that her college friend Laurel has died while listening to a podcast created by one of her childhood friends, Jamie. I was excited to find out there was a podcast element to the book, though I'm afraid the transcripts made the book feel a bit choppy instead of flowing easily from one scene to the next. Now, I did listen to this on audio, so that may have played a part in this disjointed feeling, but overall it was still an enjoyable read.

I loved the set up and mystery and that was a very solid set-up, and it was only later in the book where some elements seemed to annoy me. The themes were really dark and heavy, but it actually didn't read that dark the way some parts were written. It was just the way that she and Jamie felt like they had to do it all and solve the mystery around Laurel's death that seemed a bit amateurish. It leant more towards the popcorn-thriller side of things in the end I feel.

My main gripe is really with the main character. Of course considering her past in college she was affected deeply by the death of her friend. However, it seemed odd how much she kept claiming to know who "Laurel was" when they'd only known each other during college and not kept in touch. Shay didn't know her before college (turns out Laurel had been quite depressed) and didn't keep in touch for the past seven years. So whenever Shay claims that certain actions "don't sound like Laurel," it really bothered me because while yes, it may not sound like the girl you knew for about two years, the last two years of college and after were an incredibly different time. Shay acts like she's the only one that knows Laurel and it just irked me the wrong way.

Now, at the end of the day the book is really a 3.5/5 for me because I still felt like the beginning half of the book was really strong. The second half just felt less serious than the beginning and Shay's actions to me played more like that of a lost girl still in college and not that of someone about 30. Also her marriage really didn't even need to play a part in the book at all. It was a small subplot that really only served to add tension to the romance with Jamie, but we barely get to know anything at all about her marriage so the impact of her choosing to leave her husband in the end felt like something I could have told you on page two. Despite all the little things that annoyed me, the writing was really well done and the plot was pretty decent so I was still entertained and want to check out more from this author in the future.

Content Warnings

elouise1029's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

All I have to say is, this book was seriously f***ed up

Content Warnings

kkulhannie's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense

5.0

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

Content Warnings

chemistryreads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was absolutely addicting and I finished it in a single work day. It was that good. I’m not normally a thriller person, but this one seemed intriguing so I gave it a try. The narrator is so incredibly perfect with different accents and perfect inflections that set the mood of the story. This book moves quickly and it is so easy to be swept up into the plot. Two best friends murdered and both look like suicides? Trying to help the case to only get turned away by the police and having to turn to an old friend instead? The layers of the case get peeled back and more intense with every turn. I was continually surprised by the plot and still am mulling over the open ending. An ending I’m okay with, but I also wanted it more closed and happy - which I know isn’t normal for a thriller! There were aspects of the book I didn’t love - the manipulation was very quick, the initiation was even quicker and bizarrely permanent, Cal, and the multiple escapes. Overall, still an excellent plot and really addicting read. 4⭐️, 4⚠️

Content Warnings