The words are hidden, escaping my grasp. Maybe the right ones have never been spoken. No matter which words I string together, they will pale in comparison to what I am actually trying to portray. There is one thing I do know for a solid fact. Either you will gladly allow this book to consume you, clearing the cobwebs from your darkest corners…or it will eat you alive with no remorse for the carnage it leaves behind.
***I am not giving my own synopsis for this book. I went into it having only read the synopsis from the cover and in no way do I want to add to or take away from what the author has decided to provide us with. The ONLY thing I will give extra is the trigger warning excerpt from the front of the book. For this read in particular, I think the trigger warnings are especially important because of their prominence throughout the plot. Although exceptionally written, I would hate for anyone reading this book to be brought back to a place they’ve tried so hard to escape.
sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs:
While in college in New York, Shay Evans and her best friends met a captivating man who seduced them with a web of lies about the way the world works, bringing them under his thrall. By senior year, Shay and her friend Laurel were the only ones who managed to escape. Now, eight years later, Shay’s built a new life in a tiny Texas suburb. But when she hears the horrifying news of Laurel’s death – delivered, of all ways, by her favorite true-crime podcast crusader – she begins to suspect that the past she thought she buried is still very much alive, and the predators more dangerous than ever.
Recruiting the help of the podcast host, Shay goes back to the place she vowed never to return in search of answers. As she follows the threads of her friend’s life, she’s pulled into a dark, seductive world, where wealth and privilege shield brutal philosophies that feel all too familiar. When Shay’s obsession with uncovering the truth becomes so consuming that she can no longer separate her desire for justice from darker desires newly reawakened, she must confront the depths of her own complicity and conditioning, But in a world built for men to rule it – both inside the cult and outside of it – is justice even possible, and if so, how far will Shay go to get it?
TRIGGER WARNINGS: (Taken directly from the front pages of the book) Suicide, rape, physical violence, sexual violence, trauma, self-harm, misogyny, gender essentialism, drug use.
ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs:
OK, OK…I know there are a lot of trigger warnings and one might think, ”why are you showering praises on a book with so many tough topics?” The answer is BECAUSE there are so many tough topics. In the acknowledgements, Ashley sums it up perfectly:
”It’s a strange position to be in to want to respect people’s desire not to confront something while burning with the need to talk about it, make art about it, be heard.”
– Ashley Winstead, The Last Housewife, pg. 383
By addressing these topics, she is also confronting subject matter we all can relate to: the desire for acceptance and to what lengths we will go to fit in. Not only that but the concept of power. Who has it, who DESERVES it, and how to use it. When confronted with the truly dark stuff, it becomes a little easier to process and discuss these subordinate taboo themes.
THE SETTING: If you’ve read In My Dreams I Hold A Knife, you already know Ashley Winstead is a master of creating a unique and moody setting! The overall feeling is, for lack of a better word, expensive. Large mansions built from stone and marble, gothic hotels with VIP access, men and women in tailored suits and cocktail dresses. The college Shay and her friends attend isn’t front and center when it comes to the overall setting but even it is flanked with angular buildings and centuries-old houses.
THE CHARACTERS: If nothing else, this book is an in-depth character study of our MC, Shay Evans. Even though there is only one timeline, we find out a lot about Shay’s past through her interviews for the podcast. She is acutely self-aware. Pinpointing particular instances throughout her childhood, Shay is easily able to explain why she subconsciously made essential decisions as an adult. Because of this awareness, she knows her limits. Weighing her options at each step of the investigation, she identifies her weaknesses easily even if there is a possibility she will ultimately fall victim to the demons of her past.
Shay is disparately relatable. On every page the ever-present mirror, disguised as swirls of ink in the form of words and phrases, reflects an unfiltered version of ourselves. Truth serum in the form of fiction. Maybe you are the part of Shay who is tenacious, willing to walk through any fire in defense of those you love. You could be the part of Shay who constantly seeks validation while simultaneously yearning to blend into the background. No matter what the mirror shows, each part is essential to the success of the whole.
THE WRITING: Ashley proves yet again that she was born to write fiction. Tackling dark subject matter in a way that people will be desperate to read it is a gift bestowed on a select few. Thankfully, Ashley has a voice that will accept nothing less than being heard.
I was altogether captivated – pleasantly chilled by every word. Reading the book is an experience in itself. It left me feeling so many emotions but most of all…alive. I can’t even go into the twists and turns of the storyline because it was so much more than that. I don’t feel Ashley set out to shock us throughout or surprise us with an unexpected ending. The entire book is unexpected and raw and will stick with me indefinitely.
WRAP-UP: I am unsure if I adequately explained to you how this book made me feel. I hope I did and encourage you to read and experience it for yourself! When you read it, go in blind and don’t rely on anyone else’s opinions to sway your own. Including mine.
Shay says ”That’s why stories are so powerful. If you’re listening, you’re part of it.” I implore you to make time to listen to this one.
RATING:
ɢᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴏᴘʏ ʜᴇʀᴇ: