Hey all! I finished #thelasthouseonneedlessstreet by @catward66 while on vacation. I’m glad I finished the book, as I needed some encouragement from my fellow bookstapals after some brief animal neglect that was sitting poorly with me.
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This book was so cool! It surrounded topics of mental illness, trauma, and coping, particularly dissociative identity disorder (previously called “split personality” disorder). I won’t really add to that so as not to ruin the book, but I really appreciate the amount of research and awareness Ward provided the reader regarding this interesting but disabling condition.
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Otherwise, reading this book gave me a feeling of unease, confusion, and dread leading up to the climax, as it goes it felt more bleak and hopeless of an outcome lol. This was part horror, part psychological thriller, and I ate it up just needing to understand what was going on. The multiple POV’s helps put the full picture together so I enjoyed that, as I normally do. Also, lovely speculative prose throughout that helps the reader understand the introspection the characters experience.
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If you want a book to put you in the October/spooky mood, I’d highly recommend! Thanks so much @netgalley and @tornightfire for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Last House on Needless Street is out 9/28/21 !
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Rating: 4.5/5
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Catriona Ward takes an unsettling angle on horror in her upcoming book, The Last House on Needless Street. (Expected publication date is September 28, 2021.) Ted is a loner to the extreme. He’s got partial custody of his daughter Lauren and enjoys the company of his cat, Olivia. Sounds like a typical dysfunctional family book, until the cat starts to talk. Ted also spends time in the woods with his “gods.” And it certainly gets weirder from there.

Early on, we also learn that police once suspected Ted of abducting a young girl from a nearby lake. The girl’s sister attempts to solve the case since police detectives closed it years ago. Ward writes short chapters from these various characters’ points of view, although Ted gets the majority of the time.

Ward keeps the atmosphere creepy, whether it’s the woods, the house, the neighborhood, or the few external locales. In its own way, the house is a character as well. Ward imbues it with pictures and knick-knacks that might possibly have lives of their own. Plus, Ted put plywood over all the windows to keep nosy journalists out. Now, all these years later, it’s still there. This means that, like most good horror books, we never know what hides in the dark corners.

This is a tough book to review without spoilers. But I will say one thing—all of the characters are clearly damaged in their own ways. Still, the author plays most underlying explanations close to the vest, so be prepared for some upfront confusion.

My conclusions
It took me half the book to fully connect with the characters. I think this is mostly due to Ward’s tendency to leave readers in the dark. However, more details appear in the second half. And then, when I thought I understood everything, Ward threw a couple of strong curveballs.

On the whole, Needless Street demands trigger warnings. It’s indubitably dark. The crux of the story is disturbing and quite sad. Like a good Stephen King book, the monsters here aren’t supernatural creatures. They’re humans with terrible tendencies. Ward draws readers along while concealing which humans are the worst.

My favorite character is definitely Olivia the cat. Including her gives the book a unique layer, and honestly, saved it for me. Olivia adds some humor, her feline way with language, and oh yes, that crush on the beautiful neighborhood female tabby. The other characters aren’t as warm and fuzzy, but ultimately Ward explains why.

In the meantime, this is a strong entry in the genre from a relatively new author. I recommend it for horror lovers who don’t mind a slow burn.

Acknowledgments
Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire, and the author for a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for this honest review.

Short Review: Wow. Wow, Wow, Wow. Holy creeptastic mind trip!

Long Review: You know that feeling that you get on the on the back of your neck when you feel someone is watching you? When the hairs prickle on your arms and won't go down? That's this book.

Wow. Yeah, I know I already said that, but I just can't explain how freakin' awesome this book is without giving spoilers away. I'll just say nothing is what it seems. You just need to read it for yourself.

Oh but leave the lights on when you do. Pro tip.

A fantastic story that creeps into darker and more psychological paths as it goes. Told from several strong characters points of view, and I couldn't tell you who I enjoyed more. Reminiscent of Stephen King, Joe Hill, and the best horror built on great characters and delicious twists.

Ok. Wow! I did think I had it figured out, but there were still some surprises. And even more questions.
This book is tense. Really tense.The constant feeling of dread was palpable. I recommend reading it, as so many others have said, with as little knowledge of it as possible. Just prepare for a wild ride.
Well written, and I can't wait for what's next by thsi author.
Thank you to #netgalley for this #arc in exchange for an honest review

A child disappears during a lakeside day trip and the repercussions reverberate through several lives like the ripples radiating on the water's surface long after the stone has sunk to the bottom. Multiple perspectives will leave you guessing until the very last page. Great for fans of cerebral horror.

This is a riveting, standout and utterly unforgettable read that grabs you by the throat and never lets go until the final pages, a tale of terror, trauma, mental health issues, survival and hope. I have absolutely no doubt that this is going to be a book that will do amazingly well, a wonderful must read.

Oh my! This story is something else! I spent the first half of the book worrying I wasn’t going to be able go any further because of possible triggers and the second half hanging onto every word.

Very much worth sticking it out through the rough spots. Nothing is as it seems and could very nearly drive you mad.

This story is not for the feint of heart but is for the strongest of readers.

This was very interesting but I’m not sure I would classify it as horror but perhaps psychological drama. I had a hard time with it in the beginning and was more than half way through before I felt engaged with the characters and confident in the story line. By the end it had smoothed out and many things became clearer but I wasn’t thrilled with this. Thank you #netgalley and the publisher for this ebook of #thelasthouseonneedlessstreet to read and review

I'm not usually a big horror fan, and I struggled with this book at first. It started off in a disjointed, hard to follow manner, but as the story went on and the pieces dropped into place, the horror of the book became more and more apparent. There's not a bunch of supernatural (no ghosts, really, or monsters or the like) here - it's just all-to-human activities building into a story that will chill you. The book goes from (in my experience at least) confusing to horrifying to being at least slightly redemptive at the end. For a horror story, it has a reasonably happy ending, I thought! It's a great story and is well laid out, with twisty little bits of misdirection that make it an interesting read for anyone who likes horror and most who enjoy psychological thrillers or books like that.

The Last House on Needless Street
by Catroina Ward
Published Sept. 28 2021

This is the story of a serial killer. A stolen child. Revenge. Death. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street.

All these things are true. And yet they are all lies...

You think you know what's inside the last house on Needless Street. You think you've read this story before. That's where you're wrong.
I loved this book! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read it and share my opinions.
5 star

So when the King of Suspense, Stephen King, highly recommends (and raves) about a novel, you buy it, correct? Yes! Yes! Yes!

The Last House On Needless Street has all key components of a blockbuster novel. This book is made for the big screen!

This is the first time I have read a book by Catriona Ward but I can promise you, it will not be my last.

I had been looking for a haunting novel to kick off the month of September, when I stumbled upon The Last House on Needless Street. I had seen many people raving and excitedly sharing their anticipation for this novel and right then, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy!

A missing girl? A mentally ill man? and wait for it...... A cat that reads the bible!!!!

If you are anything like me, this might have made you think of either Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but I promise you this is not a YA type of book.

I absolutely loved and adored every bit of this book and I know this is one I will continue to reread every year around the Fall/Spooky season .

Gothic horror is having a moment in the sun right now, much to my delight. There have been some gorgeous modern takes on the genre from many excellent writers, but this one just took my breath away. It’s dazzling and dark and achingly beautiful- everything my goth heart longs for.
Ted Bannerman is a strange recluse living in a dilapidated house that is haunted by alcoholism and fractured memories. Though those may not be the only things Ted has been keeping secret. Dee is a woman on a mission to find out who kidnapped her little sister more than a decade ago- eventually deciding that Ted Bannerman is the one who took her, and in the process ripped Dee’s life into nothing but loss and obsession. These two sad, broken lives erupt when Dee moves next door, hoping to find proof.
This story is a twisting nest of ghosts and gut-wrenching revelations. The writing is sparse and poetic, with an ethereal quality that fits the gothic nature of the book perfectly. I am already tracking down Ward’s other novels with glee.

When I read the blurb about the book, I thought I was getting into a spooky horror story which is completely up my alley (think haunted house). While it was both of those things, I did not realize it dealt with kidnapped children and serial killers which is not my thing. So just a disclaimer for others like me but no spoilers of course. I guessed a small bit of the twist but certainly not even close to all of it! It was pretty slow for me for at least half the book though knowing the twist I look at it differently. The ending was definitely refreshing and completely different! I don’t know that it was one of the best of this genre that I’ve read but it was definitely different and that is hard to do!

Wow! What did I just read!? I'm still reeling over this book. First off, huge round of applause to Catriona Ward! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 This book will take you for a spin. What you think you know, you don't really know. What you should know, you will be far from it. This is the best psychological thriller I have read this year! Hands down, the best! The characters, the plot, the plot twists, the heart ache, and the whole shebang is just outstanding! Y'all have GOT to read this book! Whew! I feel like I've been on one big mind f**k, and I LOVE IT!

I can now totally understand why others found it hard to review this book without giving anything away. So I’m going to keep it brief because 1. I don’t want to spoil anything and 2. It’s kind of hard to really summarize this one.

When I first started reading this book I felt like I was in a fog, a constant state of confusion. I had no idea where this was going and i’ll be honest, I wasn’t totally feeling it. But this was also one of my most anticipated reads and I needed to know. This book starts off weird, like talking cat weird. But I am also a fan of weird and this book definitely intrigued me and I liked the writing. The Last House on Needless Street is the type of book that will force you to think outside the box and question everything that you’re reading. I also needed frequent brain breaks. After about the half way mark I made it out of the fog and started to finally see more clearly. And I think that’s when the magic happened. This is a pretty solid read that just pulls the rug right from under you. A cleverly crafted story that will sort of break your heart a little. I know some have struggled with this one and I can understand why, but I’m really happy I read it. Again I think it’s worth it to go in blind with no expectations and just let the story carry you away.

This book is a MUST READ for this spooky season. So well executed. I could not put this book down, and I double checked my locks about 5 times more than normal. Readers who like to get a bit spooked should not miss this!

The Last House on Needless Street, by Catriona Ward, is a definite page-turner! Just when I thought I had things figured out, new information proved me wrong. Reinforces that adult actions can really have seriously negative effects on children. If you are a Stephen King fan, you will enjoy this book.

I am clearly in the minority here but I had to give up at 75%. I kept pushing myself to continue reading and kept saying "It will make sense soon." Well I have to give up because I'm struggling to continue now.

A talking cat who reads the Bible. An odd little girl who gives me the feelings that she is a victim. Ted who is clearly crazy.

Throughout this book, I had trouble following along. The book jumps around a lot and the flow just wasn't right to me. It's confusing.

Everything about this book is crazy and I tried really hard to wait for the big AHA moment but its taking me forever. Maybe a little break away from it and I'll come back to it later.

I needed a moment to sit with this story before writing this review. There is a lot to absorb at the end of this book. The author did a wonderful job of weaving details throughout the story and it is interesting to go back through it all in your head and think about the small things that you missed or you might look at differently in the end.

I will not go into the details of the story in my review at all. It is too easy to give something away and this story is one that is best gone into without any spoilers. You may figure out some of what is going on as you read, but it is likely there will still be some surprises in store for you.

What I will say is that the writing is excellent. The story is excellent. The details are excellent. I did not feel that I was tricked at the end, but felt included by the story, as if I was let in. This happens when you are about 80% of the way through the story, but the last 20% is still interesting enough to keep you wanting to read and know what happens.

I had both the ebook and audio version of this book. The audio, narrated by Christopher Ragland, was very well done. You almost feel like there are multiple narrators and always know exactly which character is narrating the story. The only disadvantage to the audio is that there is an author's note at the end of the ebook that was not included in the audio version. The author's note is very interesting and worth reading.

This is the first book I have read by Catriona Ward. I will definitely be looking into more of this author's work. 4.5★