The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward | 9781788166164,Buy new & second-hand (used) books online with Free UK Delivery at AwesomeBooks.com A young girl who isn't allowed outside, not after last time. I just finished TLHONS and it was okay. (Probably major spoilers) Just curious if there's any books, fantastical or realistic, dark and twisted or more "regular" novels containing a villainous psychologist, psychiatrist or therapist? When two beautiful college girls move across the street from Derek and Chad, sinister things begin to happen. In fact, Ward's most impressive feat here is that she keeps readers guessing from the first page to the last, even after revealing truths that change everything. This is the story of a serial killer. There isnt a page where the story lags. The mothers coldness should have been a big red flag. The same applies to the psyches of its characters. Thank you! ONLY 3 for my enjoyment level of the story. Revenge. A spoiler free 1st half of the thrilling, chilling and heart pounding "Last House on Needless Street" 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. What kind of overpowering greed leads someone to need to do it twice in one day?. The Last House on Needless Street is complex and multilayered, but more like a multiverse than an onion. The Last House on Needless Street is a very dark, atmospheric and disturbing tale about a boarded-up house at the end of Needless Street whose inhabitants include a man who drinks quite a bit, an angry teenage girl who is a recluse, and a cat that seems to have a religious side. This is the story of a serial killer. A stolen child. You just dont, Ward says. What Im trying to say here is I have no idea what Im trying to say. A space to share book reviews and other book related treats. I read some reviews after I finished the book that spoiled the main twist, so beware! Overall, not a win for me. In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. Number of pages: 400. However, upon finishing the book, I appreciate how the author didnt make Ted the villain of the story after all even if it seemed like it for a long time and that she showed how Teds life was improved with the right medication, professional help, and genuine friendship maybe even love. An unspeakable secret binds them . The mothers coldness should have been a big red flag. I figure I might as well share it with you! Then Dee moves in across the street. Death. A twenty-year mystery. Baby snake bites Lulu who falls and hits head against rock. But Ill talk about this a bit more in depth in the spoilers section after the review itself. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. I loved Ward's Rawblood a few years ago but The Last House on Needless Street is such a disappointment, just a cheap series of narrative cheats whose only purpose is to support the oldest and most cliched 'twist' ending in horror fictionwe are seriously supposed to believe that not only does the murder suspect have multiple personalities, but that the dominant one has a name coincidentally similar to the name of a girl who went missing years ago, who was killed by his mother, but not really, she was actually killed by her own sister, who has stalked the suspect and moved in next door, but has repressed memories so she doesn't remember killing her sister, and who gets written out of the narrative by dying of a snakebite, because her greatest fear is snakes, based on a childhood experience which is actually a false memory, and the suspect acts so weirdly throughout because his psychiatrist is mis-prescribing him outdated medication, and who vanishes without explanation once he's exposed, and all of the other child disappearances around the area are just coincidence. I thought this book was so cleverly written, with the hints towards DID masquerading as hints that Lauren was Lulu. It did not feel unpredictable to me. Wayward Magazine features veteran entertainment journalism staff covering new releases in horror and horror-adjacent fiction (mostly books). The cat chapters were a little kooky (who knew cats could be religious! 'I miss her terribly and after a year-and-a-half on my own felt the need to sell our house of 34 years and relocated to a retirement village near Romsey (in Hampshire),' he said. Despite the fact that thousands of people were at the lake that day, he walked up to each woman while they were with friends and introduced himself using his real name. She pushed down her own guilt and focused that guilt on trying to find her sister and the person who eventually took her away from the scene. 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. Lauren and Olivia the Cat also have their own points of view of what is happening on Needless Street. ), Its a very strange genre, horror. love my little shire life. Because in my opinion, this is not even close to a gothic thriller. 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 back to haunt them all. Kayla and Ellie both suffer the loss of the man they love. She is determined to figure out what happened and is ready to lay the blame on Ted. Catriona Wards latest novel, The Last House on Needless Street, is the sort of book that defies easy description and categorization. Also Turn of the Screw is a brilliant book . The Last House on the Street touches upon several national current events in each timeline, for example: LBJ passing the Voting Rights Act in the 1965 timeline and the presidency of Barack Obama in 2010. An Own Voices review of The Last House on Needless Street can be found on the channel The Chaotic Little Book Corner htt. It is pretty obvious that something isnt right in the house right off the bat. But that was one twist I didnt quite see coming the mother being the psychopath, I mean. by Catriona Ward. I did not want any other details. Timy reviews The Last House on Needless Street, Catriona Wards Horror novel, published by Viper. I had figured out what was happening and what had happened about half way through the story but this didnt spoil the story, in fact it made me somewhat more invested as I raced to see how it would all manifest. Each one walked away with him and was never seen again. It releases on September 28th! Catriona Ward adds to these greats with The Last House on Needless Street a tale of a man and his household that will make you question your morality and your senses. , I hope you enjoy it if you read it. And I won't even start with the talking cat. The book embraces many of the most familiar aspects of the horror genre, but it also counts on its readers to possess a shared understanding of its common tropes and signifiers, and uses those assumptions to subvert many of their preexisting expectations. As the review details, the "multiple personality"/"it was all in their head" reveal is a tired trope by now and a cop-out substitute for good story telling and plot development. But this is one of those books that you have to trust and take the plunge so you can ride a hell of a ride. When a woman named Dee moves into the abandoned house next door while on a quest to find her sister, who was kidnapped years ago, Ted's life begins to spiral into chaos. I think horror doesnt get enough credit as well for its redemptive qualities, Ward continues. In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. I didn't find it horrifying or terrifying, though it is thrilling to read. 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. The Last House on Needless Street is published on 18 March (Profile, 12.99). And a house cat who loves napping and reading the Bible. An unspeakable secret binds them together, and when a new neighbor moves in next door, what is buried out among the birch trees behind their house will come back to haunt them all. Wow. That synopsis is short and covers just the basics. I wasnt surprised, in hindsight, but still. Fuck this book and every author who blurbed it. Things are slowly getting out of his control when Dee appears in the house next to his, bent on finding her lost sister who went missing some ten years earlier from the lake. Then the chapter titled `Dee` follows and is the most beautifully structured and emotional piece of writing I`ve read in awhile. I gave a single nod. The Last House on the Street: Directed by Adam Berardi. Weight: 340 g. Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 34 mm. And a house cat who loves napping and reading the Bible. What's worse, she adds the further cliche of repressed memories/unreliable narrator to the protagonist in order to further obfuscate the narrative. Only, she has other motives for moving there. His mother knew what he was at an early age after finding him killing an animal, and her words in that moment never left him: "For a long time, I have feared that this was in you. I did not like the last 20-30% at all when the big "reveals" happen. Whilst I had my suspicions fairly early on about what was going on, I still enjoyed every second of it. The Last House on Needless Street moves away from the historical to the contemporary gothic, but deserves just as much praise and attention. Horror fiction can scare readers, make them anxious, or upset their stomachs, but the most powerful narratives in the genre manage to create an unshakable sense of unease, and that's exactly what this novel does. But that plotlines closure felt a bitforced? Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse. It feels like a complete short story unto itself, and rightly so because it is integral to all that follows. Five-star audio production, and five-star book. I think everything I read for the rest of this year will pale in comparison. Somehow I had this book spoiled for me and I still decided to read it and still didnt figure out the actual twist til the big reveal and enjoyed the ride. Called last Monday to make an appointment for an oil change for 2 cars, were told the cars should be ready in 1,5 hours. Change). Publishing Info: Tor Nightfire, September 2021. Honestly I don't get angry about figuring out what's going on in a story because to me that means the writing is good and has enough clues that someone who's paying attention could reasonably figure it out. Its pretty heartbreaking. The Last House on Needless Street is another critical darling that employs what is arguably the most tired trope in horror, all while telling a pseudo-empathetic story that portrays a demonized community as. 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. "The Wizard of Oz" (Victor Fleming, 1939) As iconic musicals go, "The Wizard of Oz" nearly takes the cake. For Ward, part of writing Needless Street necessarily involved processing heartbreaking and often quite upsetting things. As I mentioned in my review, I suspected from the first chapter that multiple personality issues will come into play in some way, including Lauren and Olivia. I was concerned when I realized this wasn't pure thriller from the get-go. The police officer suspected Dee. . Books received from a third party sponsor have no impact on the honesty of my reviews. Topics. Once I figure that out, I started to get uncomfortable and grew uneasy. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This all seems rather straightforward, aside from maybe getting the perspective of Olivia the . The creepy dilapidation of the outside world mirrors their mental state. I don`t even want to try and review it, because I won`t do it justice. Avoid the spoilers, skip the back cover copy, and place yourself directly into Catriona Ward's chilling hands. (LogOut/ In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. Delivery charges may apply. There are also a lot of clues and hints sprinkled throughout which makes it a bit too easy to guess the twists. I listened to this book and I'm glad that I was forced to stay with the pacing of the novel. Dee leaves Lulu there to die but Ted's mum finds her first (she thinks Lulu is a boy because of the short hair) and subjects her to abuse, then buries the body at neighbours house. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward is one of those books that is difficult to describe without giving away spoilers. The Last House on Needless Street: 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. Time is iffy and everyone is erratic. It was extremely obvious as well. 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. Death. Not very successfully. 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. In her delirium, we find out that her memory about that day at the beach had been unreliable. He's unemployed, drinks a lot, and suffers from a few undiagnosed mental health problems. This is the story of a murderer. We then find out that Lauren is another alter of Teds, created when he was just a child, and that he gave all the pain of his mothers abuse to Lauren so that he didnt have to endure it. Your email address will not be published. I loved Rawblood. Your perceptions change every instant and quite often no two people remember the same event the same way. THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET blew me away. Welcome! 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 know thats tough to do as you want to read everyones reviews and see if the plot is a good fit. Im not sure I make any sense, so lets move on. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward ~ARCReview~, Fin for short Fingolfin, the High King of the Noldor and was able to wound Morgorth seven times in battle, You may be a world class procrastinator when you have a million other things that must get done but youre like nah, I am gonna organize my books that I dont have bookshelves for yet. 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. Its an echo [in this story] because its such a landmark in my landscape of fear.. This is a story the reader . That was more chilling to think about than a fictional character, and Im honestly not sure what kind of person this makes me. long-awaited, Stephen King seal of approval-bearing, and impossible to review without spoilers -- Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal I read this in 1.5 nail-biting days. He also disappears for days at a time and finds himself saying things like "I did some damage when I was out" or realizes he's thinking of the "wrong memory.". Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. out of By Catriona Ward. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.