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. A stolen child. Lynn . Its powerful, beautifully designed and comes with everything you need to engage your visitors and increase conversions. Stop-starter of all projects great and small. SYNOPSIS Dee has never been the same since her sister went missing on a family holiday. I have been meaning to get this book for ages. Book Review: The Last House on the Street. It is central to the appeal of a mystery, being led down blind alleys in the hope that youre a clever enough detective to piece together the puzzle. Honestly, I cant stop thinking about it since it forced me to reassess almost the whole book. The Last House on Needless Street follows awkward shut-in Ted and his loyal sidekick, Olivia the cat. Something horrible may or may not have happened in Teds past. He was once a suspect in a missing person case involving a little girl named Laura. It doesnt just get under your skin; it embeds itself there like your first blurry green/black tattoo you had a fifteen (just me?). While this helped explain many of the scenarios presented, I often struggle with plot points that hinge on mental illness because it often portrays the character as a victim or villain. Also yes, I tasted one and they are delicious, This book was simply exquisite. To her infinite credit, Catriona Ward has taken seriously her responsibility to do justice to a condition that is suffered by a great many deeply traumatized people and present it in a way that is compassionate and, despite the horrors that unfold in the story, hopeful. All rights reserved. Spam Free: Your email is never shared with anyone; opt out any time. I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Again with Ted blanking for unknown time periods and trying to garner advice from his doctor only by describing TV shows, we are piecing together truth from fiction. WebSummaries. Look for a review on the blog later this week! If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Whenever she misbehaves, Ted sends her away, leaving the reader with a lot of questions. Looks like I have lots more to look forward to! Synopsis This is the story of a serial killer. Do you believe this could have been true? This has all the staple elements I look for in a horror novel of creepiness, suspense, and well, things that will genuinely freak you out. When hes at home, he enjoys watching monster truck shows, looking after Olivia, and he eagerly anticipates visits from Lauren (whom Olivia hates), even though she tends to misbehave very badly before she goes away. Ted also mentions that sometimes he goes away, and hes not sure what happens when he does. Now stop reading this and go buy it, I promise you wont regret it. I pushed through because I suspected (based on the cover blurbs) that I was purposely being misled, and the twist of all twists eventually changed my mind, but I do feel as though this book should come with some sort of trigger warning because it delves quite deeply into child abuse and neglect. I'm so glad to see another fan of The Last House on Needless Street, though! Revenge. Bestsellers rank 30,480. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward will undoubtedly be on my top 10 book list of 2021. Change). The Last House on Needless Street is surrounded by buzz and gushing blurbs from big name authors, and in my opinion all of it is well deserved. 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. [3] Her next gothic thriller, The Last House on Needless Street, was published through Viper Books (an imprint of Serpent's Tail) in March 2021, and Tor Nightfire (Tor Books) in the US, in September 2021. Its like, give me a break! 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. Get in touch with me at thetattooedbook@yahoo.co.uk. The other device the author uses is that she shows the same events from two different perspectives. A Library Journal Editors' Pick! Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes! I get why people like it, but I'm certainly not in a rush to pick up any of the author's other work. He seems to be obsessed with his dead mother, who he refers to as Mommy. Even more unsettling is his relationship with his daughter, Lauren. And yet they are all lies. The main story takes place eleven years after a six-year old girl named Lulu went missing down by the lake. Im intrigued by your description of her as Bible-reading! It really made me a fan of Catriona Ward. I have been lied to in the best possible way and I enjoyed every single moment. I had no idea what would transpire at the end and when it did WOW! Book cover artwork is copyrighted by its respective artist and/or publisher. How did you feel after you learned of Brenda and Miss Pat's involvement in Winston's death? I just finished this book the other day - so fun to see someone else has read it so recently too! About a decade before the story opens, Ted was a person of interest in the disappearance of a four-year-old girl named Lulu, who was visiting the nearby lake with her parents and big sister Dee. A fantastic readathon running this year, check it out here:The 2021 SFF Badge Collection, Dramatic, curly-haired wannabe writer from a nowhere town in Somerset. This really does sound super creepy. To say she has mad skills is a massive underestimation here. All these things are true. In the middle of this now, and Im enjoying myself! 100-Word (or Less) Synopsis: All is not what it seems on Needless Street. I love when I can read a book and I truly not know the direction that it will take. Heart-pounding suspenseplus Im going to have to read it a second time to see how she crafted the plot, which is honestly Lying narrators aside, the scarf nonsense alone would have soured me on Wards story. Clearly this was not the case while it slowly dawned on me that the evil in this book is purely human. Not to yuck anyones yum here, but I did not particularly love The Last House on Needless Street. Known to most as Little Girl with Popsicle, her sister Lulu disappeared and was never seen again. Thats where youre wrong. 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. At the end, in chapter 52, Ellie admits that she and Reed may have ended up together in another lifetime. Genres & Themes| However, intrinsically, The Last House on Needless Street is a tale of survival. 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. I can hardly wait to read Catriona Wards next book! Search: All Rights Reserved. I found the sister story confusing and unnecessary and, like you, felt it was contrived having that whole set-up be a lie to begin with. WebDescription. Author Bio, First Published: Look, misdirection is fantastic. 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 Since then, an invisible bond has connected them. Will stay up far too late to finish a book and can and will talk about them until the cows come home. Hes not a complete shut-in. What does it represent in each timeline? Would you walk over to his house, all by yourself, knock on the front door, make friendly conversation? Excerpt| WebThe Last House on Needless Street. This is the story of a serial killer. The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links.We earn commission on any purchases made. And I also really wanna meet Olivia the cat. I wish I could wax lyrical about what twists I liked best and the clues I missed, but I have no intention of explaining the ending. WebListen to "Das letzte Haus in der Needless Street Thriller" by Catriona Ward available from Rakuten Kobo. Even her plot twists have plot twists. Second, its the intersection of grief, revenge and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is the story of a murderer. The cat is one of the narrators yes. 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. You think you know whats inside the last house on Needless Street. Well I found it difficult to read because ultimately its about child abuse and neglect, and I found that difficult to stomach. Experience is not what happens to you; it's what you do with what happens to you. The novel alternates between Ellie's perspective in 1965 and Kayla's perspective in 2010. The silly level of reader manipulation in this moment was immediately topped 3-4 chapters later when it turns out the scarf Ted supposedly took from a victim was actually something she dropped and he tried in vain to return to her. The story revolves around a handful of characters: Ted Bannerman is a single man who lives in a creepy, boarded up house on Needless Street. Death. If good intentions made for great novels, Id be only too happy to join the chorus of praise. The house itself, although not haunted like I first expected, also acts as another character, releasing shuddering movements at particular times that only the cat can recognize. Its definitely not for everyone because it may steer some readers into painful childhood memories that may be best left unexamined, but its an excellent example of the power of red herrings when directing attention to all the wrong places. So, sure enough, we learn that Dee has shall we say some sordid history of her own. And some of the big surprises arent all that surprising. Sadly I am not a fan of this kind of book, horror is not for me, amd psychological horror is definitely not for me, but your review was captivating! These little bits of information eventually reveal what actually happenedor do they? Why does the bug manTeds therapistseem so sinister? Readalikes| WebDescription This is the story of a murderer. This isnt a spoiler. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. Murder. Olivia is Teds cat. BOOM! This is one of the books Ive most been looking forward to and your fabulous review has me even more excited! Reviews| Aleksandar Hemon's characters are romantics. I dont normally read horror but this is pretty irresistible, especially getting Olivias POV. Agree on the ending but I'd have trouble wrapping up that story too if I were the author. Hi, I'm Cara and welcome to my bookish world. When a woman named Dee moves into the abandoned house next door while on her quest to find her sister, who was kidnapped years ago, Ted's life begins to spiral into chaos. Synopsis An Indie Next Pick! Being able to read the same situations play out from the perspective of other characters and even cats (yes, cats!) Too much contrivance was required to make the story work. How does it influence the plot? Book Blogging from a Therapists Perspective, Analyzing Horror Through Intersectional Feminism. I love surprises like this if theyre handled well:-), Wow, Tammy. Then there is Dee, who is also shrouded in mystery. Although gothic and dark throughout, theres a surprisingly positive thread that emerges. be able to figure things out. Just $45 for 12 months or as they happened was a truly immersive experience. He goes out sometimes, usually when he loses time. A missing child. This is indeed a great weekend read for sure :-). And yet some of them ar Read more Community Reviews Summary of 7,367 reviews Moods dark 95% mysterious 81% What does it mean for the future of both characters? Im probably like you in that I would also start to think about how such things really do occur/are occurring in the world and that makes this type of book one Im far less likely to want to read. A testament of how the human spirit can shine, even in the most darkest of places and eventually emerge from that darkness to carry on, to live! 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. A thick, quiet woodland where you could hide anything. Dee has never been the same since her sister went missing on a family holiday. But remember, everything in this book is setup for a shocking twist. And for any reader who still might be slow on the uptake, later on in the book Ward actually has her characters straight up tell us, Gosh, were just like those Russian nesting dolls!. 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. You'll have to update us on if Sundial is as good! Its a very unique book and one Ill remember for many years to come. I spent the rest of the story waiting for what seemed to be obvious to be revealed. But was it really necessary for this totally outside character (who was not another Ted personality) to ALSO bullshit the reader? Recommended for spooky season, but reader beware! Posted July 22, 2021 by Tammy in 5 stars, Reviews / 33 Comments, Ive gotta say Im SUPER intrigued by this book after reading your review. I have been lied to in the best possible way and I enjoyed every single moment. The years passed and so did her parents, but she never gave up the hunt to find the person that took her sister. Could it have been better? I loved this, it was so unusual and I couldnt put it down. He knows this, because he buried them there himself. Learn how your comment data is processed. This adds to the atmosphere of desperation and the knife edge feeling that something explosive could occur at any moment. 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. I couldnt put it down! Even when the detective in charge of the case started to give up, Dee kept hunting. Title At times, you find yourself feeling genuinely sorry for Ted, a man who is obviously a threat to the women around him. I was interested before but after reading your review I WANT this book. How do you imagine Ellie felt? If The Last House succeeds at anything, its in Wards deep empathy for her subject. The Last House on Needless Street follows Ted, who lives with his daughter Lauren and his cat Olivia in an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. When you tell someone about a book youre reading you dont It sounds so good!!!! Im relieved I kept going because being pushed to the brink is clearly what the author intended with her plot development. Once you realize misdirection is the entire goal here, its no longer misdirection, its just a book believing that its smarter than its readers. He has a black cat named Olivia who isnt allowed outside the house, and a daughter named Lauren. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Debjani Ghosh recently postedThe Invitation by Vi Keeland Review, Thanks Debjani, I hope you get the chance to read it, and Ill be curious to hear your thoughts:-), I loved this book and agree with your review. Ted and Olivia live mostly in the dark because hes boarded up the windows with plywood. Thats where youre wrong. 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