I will probably simmer on this book and come back with some more coherent thoughts but right off the bat I do have this to say.

1. I flew through this book. Ward wrote in such a way that had me wanting to stay up way too late to finish.

2. The twist was... lackluster for me. Even if it went on the track that I was expecting it would still be completely unexpected and feel fresh. Possibly being shelved in my brain as one of those weird books. Instead it went more towards traditional tropes when it comes to thrillers. I know we can't reinvent the wheel HOWEVER it feels like a cope out to use the 'it's all in their head' trope.

First off, this book was nothing like I expected it to be; so don’t go in thinking this is a traditional horror book – or mystery – it isn’t. I've not read any of this author’s other works, so I was going in a bit blind here. I saw it on NetGalley and it looked interesting, and so I requested it. I think perhaps I might not have been the right audience for this book, or perhaps I just wasn’t reading it at the right time. I definitely didn’t love it the way that other people have. There are some aspects of it that make it stand out – but I do suggest when you finish the book that you read the Author’s Note. I tend to skip those, but I felt that it was important to this book and understanding/resolving the thematic elements of this book.

There are a lot of people who loved this book way more than me, so I feel a bit like the odd one out!

So, first off, I felt that the book presented what happened in an interesting way. There were lots of moments in which you’re shown one POV, only to go back in a later chapter and be shown another. Sometimes all the characters can be a little confusing, but my only advice is to pay close attention. There are lots of little clues spread out through the book that will have you guessing and wondering what is going to happen next.

The characters felt distinct, and Olivia was definitely one of my favorite characters. The writing itself helped distinguish each character from the next.

I'm not sure what to say about this book without talking about spoilers; because once I’ve finished it is hard to go back and think of the rest of the book now knowing the ending.

Overall, I think the book was a good one. I gave it three stars because it was interesting and it was definitely a mystery, but not in the way the summary makes you think. This isn’t like a Stephen King horror or even like a Riley Sager, it reads more as a commentary on the horror genre itself, so bear that in mind when you’re reading this book.

There are some topics this book covers such as child abuse, murder, assault, mental issues, and various other darker topics that some people may find triggering. Just be aware that these are all important aspects of the book, but may make it difficult for some to read.

Ok I had a REALLY hard time getting into this book in the beginning. It seemed very...strange... and not in the way I had expected. I kept wondering why this was likened to Stephen King.. or why he had apparently enjoyed it so much. By the end, I got it. This was a very King-esque book. I was guilty of thinking I had figured out what was happening in this book, and then being wrong. Then I thought I had it again. Wrong again. I really do enjoy it when I find a book that I can't figure out. This was that book. Very well done.

What an unusual book! I kept having the feeling that things were not as they seemed but I would never have anticipated the story's final outcome. Three characters narrate: Ted Bannerman, Olivia the cat, and Lauren, a young girl. While Ted's behavior is extremely alarming, it was Lauren I was most concerned about. Ted calls Lauren his daughter, but she isn't there all of the time and no mention is made of her mother.

The mood is threatening and sinister throughout. I was naturally rooting for a better living situation for Lauren but had no idea how this might happen.

The Last House on Needless Street is compelling. Ted's explanations about his former job, living situation, and daughter just don't add up. I had to keep reading to find out why.

I recommend this book. I can't think of another book like it. Even if I could, I wouldn't name it because doing so would wreck the ending for other readers. Ms. Ward has obviously worked hard to structure the book as she did. I'd like others to be as surprised as I was.

I really had to think about this story even though I stayed up until 1:00 A.M. to finish it. So I suppose you could say I lost sleep over it. I’m only partially joking as the story is crafted so expertly that I completely miscalculated where it was headed. I really thought I knew where it was going; but where it could’ve gone after the set-up was nothing—and I do mean nothing—like how it eventually unfolded.

I can’t say too much without tipping author Catriona Ward’s hand, and it would be criminal to do so. There’s a house at the end of a street 🗹, there’s a horrible disappearance that sets the story in motion 🗹, there’s a weary detective who cannot bring closure to the family of the disappeared 🗹 , and there’s a lake and some woods 🗹. None of that tells you anything at all.

I won’t compare Ward to other writers, or this book to anyone else’s. I find that an annoying but necessary marketing evil, and in my opinion it’s not as flattering as it may seem for either party. I will say she is at the top of her game and whomever your favorite writer is, she will no doubt sit alongside them on your bookshelf—after you’ve lost sleep over it.

gorgeous, intricate, confusing. the writing is poetic and every sentence is powerful.

i’m still reeling at what i’ve just read and digesting it. this isn’t a book for the faint. there’s death, blood, and abuse of the worst kind. but it’s impactful and beautifully told.

thank you very much to the publisher and netgalley for my ARC.

I could give this book 5 stars for the atmosphere alone. But it also deserves 5 stars for the writing and characters. This unsettling story drew me in from the first chapter and had me hooked.

There are two main twists- I kind of saw the first one coming, but the second one had me audibly yelling at this book because I was so shook. And the way it was revealed was perfect.

If you’re in the mood for a twisty, creepy, gothic story with some chapters told through the POV of a Jesus-loving cat, pick this one up when it comes out!

Utterly unputdownable.
So rich in description, elaborate characters, layers, more layers!
It’s a shocking read, quite dark, and as the story (stories) thicken (and oh boy, do they thicken!), you can’t stop. You need to know more.
The author weaves such intricate detail, you feel like you are there, inside Ted’s house… with the boards, the Little Girl with Popsicle, the cat, even with Mommy, and the … oh, I can’t tell you that.
It drips with the humid weight of the surrounding forest and if your need to figure this out.

Gothic thriller, bordering on horror, glimmering with hope. Seriously, I never thought I’d say those words in the same review.
And while you’re there, after you’ve put it down, in all of your astonishment, stop back, later. Pick it up and read the Afterword by the author.
This is a new author for me and I’m glad to have had this introduction so I may read her previous works, and look forward to her next!
Thank you to the author, Macmillan/Tor Nightfire, and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy. My opinions and review are my own.

It’s really not what you think.

Overall, this book was phenomenal. If you’re a fan of horror and psychological thrillers then you won’t be able to put this book down. You’ll constantly be guessing how the story will unfold and yet you’ll reach the last page and be awestruck. However, I will admit that at the start I was a little off-put.

It took me a while to get the cadence of Ward’s writing. There are multiple characters to follow and they each have a unique voice. The only thing I knew right away was that the cat was hilarious. Here’s this ultra religious cat calling people gd (goddamn) psychos plopped down into a kidnapping story and you’re just expected to go along with it. Yet as the book continues you start to unearth more and more that has you reeling to understand what’s truly happening.

I’m glad this book kept me guessing. However, I did feel Dee’s characters was difficult to comprehend. It took until the end for me to grasp her essence, but even then I didn’t feel much for her character.

I’m also glad Ward utilized her writing skill to address the underlying issues in the book (which she did wonderfully). Honestly, I wish I could read it again for the first time because it was that great!

The Last House on Needless Street is a solid and original thriller that occasionally gets caught up in its own twists. This title is difficult to review without revealing spoilers. Ward builds a solid foundation, with characters the reader roots for, and her reveals are, for the most part, earned. The tension she creates propels the story and the reader definitely becomes invested in the outcome. At times the narrative is confusing--there are a lot of voices here, each with their own perspective and it can be difficult to keep them straight. The fact that they are all, to some extent, unreliable adds to the confusion but also the tension. One less subplot, one less motif, would make for a sharper but no less rewarding reading experience.

I found the premise of this book very intriguing. Unfortunately, the writing style and the characters didn't click for me and I couldn't get into the book. After reading the first Olivia POV, I was put-off and then found Ted's POV very odd. I guess this just wasn't my kind of book.

There are definitely some twists I didn't see coming, but the writing style didn't work for me. I can understand what the author was trying to do after reading the "Afterward" but it wasn't an enjoyable book to get through.

One of my favorite reads of this year! The way the author was able to make me feel for all of these characters was absolutely stunning. I felt a pull to characters that I would have never thought I would and this story had twists that I loved. I don’t tend to get emotional in this genre, so making something that is truly horrifying, dark, and emotionally compelling is a real talent. Once you pick this book up you won’t stop thinking about it until you finish.

The Stephen King blurb on the cover - "A true nerve-shredder that keeps its mind-blowing secrets to the very end" - makes me think he didn't read the book; because this is the most underrated statement I've ever seen!

I read, and edit, a lot of horror; have been for over 45 years. It's my main reading genre, and something I know quite a bit about. I can say with 100% certainty that I have never read a book such as this.

I want to post a warning, however. This is an extremely slow-burn, almost to the point that some readers may give up on the book within the first few chapters. But you need to stick with it. Like a Russian Matryoshka doll, there are multiple layers - and just when you think you have it figured out... Sorry, you don't.

The problem here is that there is no way to write a decent review without giving anything away. The only thing I can say is this - even after finishing the book, your mind continues to process what you just read. Catriona weaves a magnificent tale and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

A well written thriller that will have readers thinking about this book for days, and wanting more from this author. While thrillers are not my favorite to read, the characters And plot are well written and fun to read.

I had such high hopes for this book but was disappointed. Without including spoilers, the concept of the story and the twist earned the third star because the writing style was extremely hard to follow and did not keep my attention like I hoped it would.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of possibly the creepiest book you'll read this year, or any other year for that matter.
Like to be creeped out to the point of getting actual chills? Like to be dazzled by so many twists, your head' will spin faster than Linda Blair's in "The Exorcist"?
Hoo boy, have I got a book for you.
For anyone who, like me, can never get enough scary thrillers to stay up all night with, this one should go on that list titled "Books I gotta have in my in my hands like yesterday."
This one plunges so far down a twisted abyss of psychosis, dysfunction and heartbreak, you may never think you or the book will ever crawl out out of it and see daylight again.
Four narrators tell the story here....There's ..Ted, a lonely, strange man living a hermit-like life in a lonely strange house with all the windows boarded up, except for a few peepholes. (Feel free to say "Uh oh....")
Also in the house - Lauren, supposedly Ted's young daughter......though it seems she's most likely the now grown older Lulu, who, at six years old, vanished from a family lakeside vacation, presumably abducted.. It's an unsolved disappearance that happened not far from Ted's house, which led to Ted being briefly questioned and suspected.
And also padding and purring around the premises - Olivia, Ted's cat. (Yes, she's an active narrator too and a character as vividly rendered and verbal as Ted and Lauren.
Finally there's Dee, Lulu's haunted ,driven older sister, who's moved to Ted's street in the obsessed belief that Lulu's still alive. and a prisoner in that forbidding house as a long time captive of Ted. The police may have quickly taken Ted off their suspect list, but he's been on Dee's for a lifetime.
Is it possible that these three humans and the feline may or may not be unreliable narrators?
Are you kidding? This book takes unreliable narration to almost unheard of, stratospheric heights. This may be the first thriller I've read where virtually every sentence might prove untrustworthy. You can try to make rational, educated guesses as to what's going on, but nothing can quite prepare you for the actual reveals in store for you.
As the novel progressively turns sicker, sadder and weirder, author Ward slowly but surely peels away all the secrets and twists like multiple layers of an onion.. And it's one hell of a deep, dark onion.
And none of these secrets, twists and stunning surprises are anything I'd expected when I started reading it. Yes, there's horror aplenty here, but as the revelations unfold, I could see this author had way more ambitious intentions on her mind ......to move her readers emotionally.
And she achieves that brilliantly. This story's designed to haunt and unsettle you long after you've turned the last page..
I dare not say one more word other than my rating. Without question a 5 star must read all the way. The kind of book that can give you a few nightmares and break your heart at the same time.

<i>The Last House On Needless Street<i> is a dark, twisting, ribbon of a story. It's about children that go missing, and children that get lost, and the power of the will to survive. It's about a man named Ted Bannerman, and the people (and pets) that come and go through his grim, secluded life. It's a spooky ride, but one you'll want to see through 'til the end. Fans of Sarah Pinborough will find plenty to enjoy in Ted's world.

Thanks to Tor/Nightfire and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title.

I tried I really did but I just can't get into this book. A cat as a narrator? I just don't find that very interesting.

I was really looking forward to reading this book after seeing some great reviews. Unfortunately I did not share these folks opinion. I love to read and once I start a book I am determined to finish it. This was the first book in a long time that I really struggled with. Early on I had guessed part of what was going on. I plugged on and continued reading. I don't want to give anything away but I must say I did not like the way the book flowed, I felt there were some parts with in that quite honestly had nothing to do with anything and I found it was a bit confusing. All in all I am sorry to say I would not recommend this story.

The Last House on Needless Street alternates chapters with multiple perspectives and is predominantly written in the first person narrative. The main characters are: Ted (the man on Needless Street), Olivia (Ted's cat), Dee (a woman looking for her sister, Lulu), and Lauren (Ted's teenage daughter). It is impossible to describe this book without giving any spoilers away so I will input the Goodreads description instead that sums everything up nicely, "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..."

NEEDLESS to say, I was automatically hooked once I read the first chapter in the cat's perspective (couldn't resist the joke). I went into this book very excited based on all the raving reviews I've read so far! Unfortunately, it was a very slow burn in the beginning and I really had to push through to read it. It's one of those thrillers where it feels predictable and you think you have it all figured out. The Last House on Needless Street ended up being way more than I anticipated once the twists started setting in! The last 100 pages or so really made the book for me and solidified my positive opinion about it. I don't want to give away too much or compare it to other novels, nor could I without completely spoiling it, but go into this one blind and give it a chance. I also heard they're developing this into a movie. Highly recommend to fans of psychological thrillers.