Catriona 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. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. When new neighbors move in next door, the legacy of the house will finally be revealed - along with the secrets buried among the trees on this dark, dead-end . Its safe to say that she has achieved that goal. I cant believe this is all one narrator! I got a free e-copy through NetGalley about a week ago. Once I figure that out, I started to get uncomfortable and grew uneasy. The Last House on Needless Street is more accurately comparable to 2016's surprise hit I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Ian Reid. An unspeakable secret binds them together, but when a new neighbor moves in next door, what is buried out among the birch trees may come . I just finished TLHONS and it was okay. I was going to wait until September to buy this when the US version is released, but all the hype is making me want to just buy the UK version so I can read it ASAP. In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. The perspectives switch between Ted, the sister of the abducted child, and that of Teds cat. Im not sure I make any sense, so lets move on. I loved Olivia! Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Lulu had followed Dee while she hit on Trevor, and while Dee and Trevor were fooling around, Lulu slipped on some rocks and hit her head and died. It would be a bad book if I wasn't afraid of it, says author Cat Ward about The Last House on Needless Street, this season's must-read horror novel. I hope its [really] about survival and hope as much as it is about suffering. This absolutely horrifies me because what kind of world do we live in where someone can walk up to a woman in a group of friends, introduce himself by his name, and take her away and kill her in broad daylight? she continues. The Last of Us 2 Leaked Plot Confirmed by Naughty Dog, Dune: Part Two Should Expand the Role of Zendayas Chani, Street Fighter V: Champion Edition Review, Shazam! Your email address will not be published. Dee is driven by her obsession and seems to be somewhat in control, but then that image crumbles; she's afraid of going to sleep because the "red birds will come flying into her head." He nails the different voices so well, that you feel compelled to go and make sure that its really only one person narrating. The therapist doesn't play a huge role in The Last House on Needless Street, but he certainly didn't help things! Her next gothic thriller, The Last House on Needless Street, will be published March 2021 by Viper (Serpents Tail). I didn't find it horrifying or terrifying, though it is thrilling to read. The description is vague on purpose, and the best thing to do is just dive in without any information. At this point, we still think that Lauren is Lulu. While Im talking about spoilers, one of the most chilling things about this book was how the mother treated Ted. It's the tragic and often heart-wrenching story of a man living with a profound mental illness, and how this illness forces him to navigate his life. (LogOut/ Catriona 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. And a house cat who loves napping and reading the Bible. What kind of parent says they dont love their child? Seeking redemption and revenge is one thing, but inflicting self-judgment on innocent people is a whole another one. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise You think youve read this story before. The Last House on Needless Street is complex and multilayered, but more like a multiverse than an onion. I did not like the last 20-30% at all when the big "reveals" happen. I enjoyed the switching POVs initially, as I was just trying to piece things together, before anything had been confirmed. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. (Company No. A teenage girl who isn't allowed outside, not after last time. There . Recent threadmarks Harry Leferts Omake: Harry gives Regina a hand ijnfleetadmiral Omake: Lucius' reacts to Draco's girlfriends still_guns Omake: Ellswood P1. The second time I tried, you came out of my mind'" but the experience is unlike anything else out there, and that makes it a must-read for those who like the kind of labyrinthine narratives that pull the rug out from under you, sending you tumbling into a dark, dark room. I dont know. Big, fat. Unsurprisingly, Dee's family disintegrated, and her father is now dead. Pretty clear, right? Right, lets get to the spoilery bits. Teds alters integrate, he gets therapy from a real therapist, and starts to become a part of society again. And I think I have whiplash from all the twists! More than biting into a nice apple and finding a worm, this book is like unexpectedly stepping on the worm barefoot, only to find out the worm isn't a worm and I mean that in the best way possible. A man who drinks alone in front of his TV, trying to ignore the gaps in his memory. Only, she has other motives for moving there. Inside the triple locked door Ted keeps his cat Olivia and his daughter Lauren safe from the outside world. One particular line in chapter 1 made me guess the first twist, and from then on, the rest was easy to figure out. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. There arent actually twists to this story, just an occasional fact left for the reader every once in a while. I think horror doesnt get enough credit as well for its redemptive qualities, Ward continues. His mother apparently used to experiment on him surgically, which caused his scars and is what her tapes were about.Teds therapist was also abusing him and making his condition worse. 1,051 reviews 2,628 followers. An Own Voices review of The Last House on Needless Street can be found on the channel The Chaotic Little Book Corner htt. Could you all raise your hand if the first thought after finishing this book was something like: Conflicted by this one. To me, that unreliability is incredibly lifelike, but I think its unnerving to people. Okay, Im making quick connection: not only to add to your list, please read it! Its futile to resist it. Sure, she had a responsibility in the fate of her sister dragging her along, then leaving her alone to play by the river, then running away once she thought she was dead and the snakes were coming but Im not convinced she was a bad person up to that point or that she deserved punishment. Like, holy shit, talk about psychopaths At first when they were in the forest and his mother revealed her fathers history and told Ted she never loved him I thought her coldness for her son was, if not natural, kinda understandable. The Plot (from Goodreads): Three missing girls. Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley. All of this means there is a closed, almost claustrophobic feel so the reader feels as closed up as Teds house with its boarded windows and triple lock. Transgender journalist and musician from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Sounds like some people just expect too much from books these days. Revenge. The last twist was that Teds mother was the one who took Lulus body for more of her medical experiments. Just in time for October's spooky reading season. The New York TimesCatriona 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.In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three.A teenage girl who isn't allowed outside, not after last time.A man who . This is so well written! The clues were definitely therethe bike riding, shopping for the leggings, hints about how Lauren couldnt go outside. I just loved the ride. Revenge. Ward is a talented storyteller, and she shows that here. A twenty-year mystery. Once I found out about Olivia though, I did start to think that Lauren was an alter as well. . But Ill talk about this a bit more in depth in the spoilers section after the review itself. Descriptions of his love of nature reveal his complex character: he takes joy in feeding birds, and the nearby forest is a source of comfort to him; at times he feels he is 'in its . Ted lives in his childhood home with his daughter Lauren and his cat, Olivia. Then as the story progressed, I started thinking of DID until it got confirmed that DID indeed got the drivers seat in the story. You dont get to know everything about everyone. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Revenge. I kept reading because of the amazing reviews. This is something that has made its way into my psychology and my imagination, Ward says. Book Description: Catriona 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.. Im not sure where it sits, Ward admits with a laugh during a lengthy conversation with Den of Geek. Part horror story, part mystery thriller, and part tragedy, the book subverts a lot of expectations about what a genre story should be and do, unpacking a complex emotional narrative in the midst of a menacing tale of fear, uncertainty, and constantly escalating dread. "Good," she said. Thanks for the great review! Thank you, Catriona Ward, NetGalley, and Viper books for the opportunity to read this book. Firstly, this review is really hard to write in a spoiler free way but I am going to be extremely careful because you do need to go into it with no spoilers. It sounds trite but this is story-telling at it's finest. This was a book about DID. GENRE: Thriller. A space to share book reviews and other book related treats. Or watch movies for that matter. There are some deliberate reverberations that I set up with Ted in the beginning, Ward explains.Hes called Ted, and he lives in Washington state, near a lake where there had been a disappearance. It sounds trite but this is story-telling at its finest. Were afraid of Ted, because context clues say we should be, because our own knowledge of the world has shown us its often right to be suspicious of loner men who live in shabby, boarded up houses at the end of the lane. It started off with a strong atmosphere and intriguing set up. She lives in London and Devon. The main character experiences severe childhood trauma and the story we get is the effect of that trauma. But that plotlines closure felt a bitforced? And yet they are all liesYou think you know whats inside the last house on Needless Street. The Chihuahua lady and the mom seemed to be close, and the mom told her later on that she would be going out of town as a way to lead false tracks away from her if the police came snooping because of what happened at the hospital . A woman who may be able to crack this cold case. But then, its a bit of a grey area and it all really depends on your POV how you see her. And while Im in the minority who didnt fall in love with Wards prose, story, or characters, I can see why others did. Her desperation drove her to the edge of sanity, and I guess thats what she paid for in the end. "I love the kitty more," I said. But it is home for three: Ted, the town drunk; Dee, a teenage waif; and Olivia, a precocious cat. My Godreally? And Ive been thinking a lot. Under the Readers Radar celebrating the quiet novel, Sunday Sum-Up #7: Reviews, Discussions and Bookstagram - Bibliosini, Derby Book Festival 27 May to 5 June 2021 From First Page to Last, Follow From First Page to Last on WordPress.com. Catriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street, which opens 11 years after a little girl vanishes on a family trip to a lake, comes emblazoned with glowing - and much . I couldnt put it down. All commissions go toward supporting this blog. The police officer suspected Dee. 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. It feels like a complete short story unto itself, and rightly so because it is integral to all that follows. A teenage girl who isn't allowed outside, not after last time. Margaret M - Hiatus - I will respond when I can. With Gabby D Barbosa, Jeremy Behie, Dylan Garcia, Tristan Koclanis. Looking back from the end of the book, Im amazed at how well-executed this story was. Perhaps the difference in myself and the disgruntled is that I usually figure out the twist or the plot or the aha moment in everything I watch or read, so having my suspicions confirmed in this case didnt bother me at all. Catriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street arrived in 2021 riding a wave of pre-release hype the likes of which I don't think I've seen since Justin Cronin released The Passage ten years ago. It is only outside the last house on Needless Street that Ted finds occasional respite. Bee houses, bat houses, and bird feeders are set up. Ted is an odd sort of a fellow. Way back in April (it's almost October!) All I know is that Stephen King had an endorsement quote on the cover, it was a horror book, and may or may not contain a serial killer story. Change). 3 of which have their POV chapters: Ted, Olivia, and Dee. Time is iffy and everyone is erratic. Despite my general like of the grimdark/dark fantasy subgenre, horror is a genre I rarely read in. But of course, nothing as it seems and as the truths come to the surface, we are forced to face our prejudices and first impressions. I can`t remember the last time I had my emotions so completely and cleverly manipulated. He doesnt have friends and he cant quite get free of his mothers influence over him even though shes been long gone. Several important facts are clear from the start: Dee's sister was kidnapped as a child while on vacation and Dee is obsessed with finding her, Ted is a loner haunted by his mother's ghost and living in a dilapidated house, and Dee thinks Ted kidnapped her sister. In a place that echoes with lost boys, 11 years ago, the haunted Dee lost her little 6 year old sister, Lulu, the Popsicle Girl, disappearing, never to be seen again. Ted lives alone in his childhood home with his cat, Olivia. In fact, it wasnt even scary. I never heard from her again although I do think of her every once in a while. Yes, go ahead and read the afterward about how the author explains, but again, in my opinion, it still didnt work. Book spoilers aheadif you havent yet read. Please only click on the spoiler tag if you already read the book or have no intention of reading it. Needless to say, more tears were shed that day while the three Orimura siblings cried their eyes out when they sat together.