Thats where youre wrong. From the ramshackle houses to the disappearing children, theres something nefarious at foot but is it human or supernatural? This is indeed a great weekend read for sure :-). Join BookBrowse today to start discovering exceptional books! What do you think? Most reviews of The Last House on Needless Street mention that you cant talk about the plot without giving away its secrets. BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfictionbooks that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. This really does sound super creepy. What is the house haunted by, if not supernatural beings? How do the idea and perception of protest differ in 1965 to the present day? Looks like I have lots more to look forward to! To say she has mad skills is a massive underestimation here. 100-Word (or Less) Synopsis: All is not what it seems on Needless Street. My hold for this book just came in yesterday! And there are even more mysteries to solve: who exactly is the Chihuahua Lady and how is she involved in all this? And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. This is the twist that has largely propelled the novel to popularity, but I felt his childlike and duplicitous portrayal made it difficult to offer the forgiveness that Ward was going for. Hugs to @tordotcompub for the review copy . All reviews and site design by Thomas M. Wagner. Jan 2022, 352 pages WebSummaries Follow Ted, who lives with his daughter and his cat. As I delved deeper into the subconscious of these characters, I found myself horrified by what I found, which is what prompted me to consider abandoning it. Discuss what that means in the context of this story. I loved the tone of voice Ward created for her, its exactly the kind of aloof, narcissistic and skittish attitude youd expect from a cat if it could talk! Now she writes novels and short stories, and reviews for various publications. Now, youve given me a totally different perspective.it almost sounds like this novel is more one of those violent thrillers instead of a horror novel thats designed to be scary, but also makes you laugh nervously because its fun to be scared. But even though the journey can be harrowingseriously, this was a book shaped spoon that scooped out my emotions as if they were ice cream; little wonder that its been endorsed by Stephen King amongst others, or that its been selected as one of the titles for the second series of the BBC2 book programme Between the Coversthe story ultimately manages to end on a hopeful note: hope that after survival theres living. I mean wow, what a book! The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links.We earn commission on any purchases made. This is one of my favorite story devices and it works so well here. A compassionate, heartrending memoir of a mother's quest to accept her son's journey through psychosis. I'll probably re-read this come October or something. You think youve read this story before. Not to yuck anyones yum here, but I did not particularly love The Last House on Needless Street. Olivia is such an interesting character. This is a place to discuss horror literature. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I know Im not alone in judging a book by its cover, and based on this one, I thought a haunted house and black cat guaranteed a supernatural, Halloween-ish read. The other device the author uses is that she shows the same events from two different perspectives. In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward will undoubtedly be on my top 10 book list of 2021. Am I getting too big picture here? Ward dips back into the past at times and we learn more about Teds childhood, as well as the events at the lake the day Lulu disappeared. His only companion is a cat named Olivia, who has her own chapters in which she is the first-person viewpoint narrator, suggesting that Olivia is either a very special cat indeed or maybe not a cat at all. And yet Like I could handle the Ted/Lauren/Olivia twist because they would conceivably be so fucked up they are actually be narrating as honestly as they are able. It was a genuine surprise and just made me love this novel even more, even though I wanted more with the ending, still thought it was an excellent reading adventure. In the middle of this now, and Im enjoying myself! I read one other review of this book and put the audio version on hold. And then there is Mommy, Teds mother, a beautiful but slightly sinister figure, who we gather is no longer around but whose presence nevertheless looms over everything like the spider at the heart of a web. Faking evidence of a crime like that is a pretty dumb cheat for any mystery writer to pull. There were moments when I thought continuity mistakes had been made (I have a proof copy so it can happen) but trust me when I say that nothing in this book is a mistake. He knows this, because he buried them there himself. Frustrated with the lack of results from the police, she has zeroed in on Ted as the prime suspect. An ordinary house on an ordinary street becomes a pit of unimaginable darkness in this truly nerve-shattering psychological thriller from the author of Little Eve. LoL I understand and yeah, I can see what you mean as I also wanted more from the ending, but either way, her writing style and pacing were top-notch. Theres something weird going on in this book. Submitted by users as part of their reviews. An It all just struck me as so much unnecessary red herring. Ultimately, it was. That part was WAY too much. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. While theres satisfaction in seeing a bully get comeuppance, does it really need to be at the expense of one mentally ill person targeting another? Book Review; The Eighth Girl- Maxine Mei-FungChung, AnAverageLifes Top 10 Titles of 2021 An Average Life, Book Review; Road Of Bones- ChristopherGolden, Book Review; Devil In Ohio- DariaPolatin, Book Review; House Of Hunger- AlexisHenderson, Book Review; The Violence- Delilah SDawson, Book Review; A Sliver Of Darkness- C JTudor. Stephanie @ Bookfever recently postedCant-Wait Wednesday: A Small Hotel by Suanne Laqueur, I really thought the whole pull the rug out from under you was well done. WebCatriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street is a shocking and immersive read perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Haunting of Hill House. Recommended for spooky season, but reader beware! But its not what you think. From the ramshackle houses to the disappearing children, theres something nefarious at Another fabulous review, Tammy! Greg recently postedSunday Post 411, Wow, sounds great. As soon as you think you have it all figured out, there will be one more twist to keep you gripped. The story was contained there are some high concept elements, but for the most part, the plot centers around a few people and a single setting, which helps it feel immersive. Agree on the ending but I'd have trouble wrapping up that story too if I were the author. Think Ill pass I much prefer nasty ghosts to nasty people , I prefer nasty ghouls to nasty people any day! Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of St. Martin's Griffin. hah. Nicely put, I reallllyyyy disliked this novel. He found her after her mother and siblings all passed away one stormy night. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward is one of those rare novels I read that kept me on the edge of my seat from the moment I started. Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy. Stephen KingCatriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street is a shocking and immersive read perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Haunting of Hill House.The new face of literary dark fiction. Sarah Pinborough, New York Times He has only his cat Olivia for company, and he rarely leaves the house. Would you walk over to his house, all by yourself, knock on the front door, make friendly conversation? Excerpt| I just finished reading this and loved it!! Known to most as Little Girl with Popsicle, her sister Lulu disappeared and was never seen again. To avoid spoilers, Im only giving you the basic set up and will avoid talking about the plot too much. He doesnt work and it isnt clear what he does for money, though its mentioned that he has pawned off a lot of old family possessions. How does this influence the relationship they're able to create? Ask yourself: if you, as a young woman all alone, were convinced that a specific man was responsible for the abduction and murder of your sibling, would you move into the house next door to him? This is where the story begins to go wrong. I just finished it and felt like starting it all over again so I could read it with a more complete understanding of how it all fits together. The Last House on Needless Street, by Catriona Ward, is the best written book I wish Id never read. Olivia is in love with an outdoor cat that strolls by the window peephole, and she has an odd relationship with another cat named Night-time. Ward read English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford. Too much contrivance was required to make the story work. If you read it for its mood, for its sense of dread, if you enjoy being surprised and you dont care to think too closely about the choices the writer is making and why theyre making them, then yes, The Last House on Needless Street is a novel that can have a profound emotional impact. And yet they are all lies. Readalikes| His young daughter stays from time to time, but he keeps her hidden away too. Why or why not? Learn how your comment data is processed. There are so many questions raised throughout the novel that it borders on the confusing, yet thankfully not everything is tied up in a neat bow at the end either, and the tension between reality and make-believe lands firmly in the real side of things once the last page is turned. He goes out sometimes, usually when he loses time. Death. This was my first book of the year but I sadly set it aside because I could tell my brain wasnt in the right mindset for it, but I am so glad you reviewed this book so well and I am excited to pick it up when the mood is right! Paperback: These little bits of information eventually reveal what actually happenedor do they? However, none of the characters are quite what they appear. We earn commission on any purchases made. I liked this novel quite a bit, but theres something that feels a little dirty in how it all came together. Yet, she continued to find others to blame, and in her targeting of Ted, did horrendous things to make him suffer, all to atone for her sins. If a book needs every narrator to lie to the reader for the book to work, its possible that maybe the core concept is fundamentally flawed. Well I found it difficult to read because ultimately its about child abuse and neglect, and I found that difficult to stomach. So glad you finished it and enjoyed this as well! I have been meaning to get this book for ages. Growing up in the well-to-do town of Round Hill, North Carolina, Ellie Hockley was raised to be a proper Southern lady. That novel, Rawblood (distributed in the United States as The Girl from Rawblood), was published in 2015. It also made me cry, and I can't say that about too many horror novels. A stolen child. He does go out, though these excursions usually result in awkward and unpleasant encounters, to put it mildly. Teds infrequent trips to the bug doctor give us a little extra insight into his personality and a few ideas of important events. Shes there to make his life better, to make him smile when hes sad and calm him when hes stressed. For Ellie, her house is a reminder of her tragic loss and familial betrayal. But its not what you think. Ted is a middle-aged, jobless man who lives by himself in the house he grew up in as a child. 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