What on earth did I just read? This book is so weird and yet oddly addicting, I managed to read it in one sitting. 3/5

Well slap my ass and call me a cat. I am equal parts still utterly baffled and entirely impressed and let me tell you why... without telling you too much because it's best to go into this with only knowing what the vague synopsis tells you.

For 85% of this book, I had a look of puzzlement on my face that surely created a new wrinkle somewhere but I'm A-freaking-OK with it because of what the last 15% (or less probably) did in bringing it all together when I didn't think that was going to be possible.... but alas, Ward gave it to me good here. We get a few perspectives throughout the read and Olivia, the cat, was my favorite throughout. Yes, we get the POV of a cat and it's glorious. It wasn't until one shocking reveal that the little clues left throughout starting pinging in my head... ping, ping, ping, PING, PING, MF-ING PING! That's when I did that little shake of the head that you do when you're impressed with just how crazy everything sounded but then also made so much damn sense. But I did figure out the next part but only because surely, that's the only way it COULD go, am I right? *wink* But seriously, it was the thread ups after THAT that really got to me and I could hear something going "oh... OH..." and realized, it was me.

Now, after all of this, why not the full stars? Because for 85% of it, I was UTTERLY CONFUSED - I had no idea what was happening and yet I was very much intrigued. But I also truly am impressed with the geniusness of Ward and I implore you to make sure to read the Afterword after you pick up this book to read (because you WILL, right?). I realize that the utterly confused to brilliant is still leaving me in a state of awe but damn, sometimes it just didn't feel like an enjoyable read and I felt myself wanting to put it down at times but was compelled not to. Catriona, did you put a spell on this book? 😏 (I approve.)

Ahhhh - this one is going to stick to my bones for a long time. I eagerly await whatever Ward has for us next. Definitely get this one on your TBR, readers... and stick with it until the end. Meow.

This one was really hard for me. At times the writing was very confusing and it felt like work to get through. But once you start to understand what is actually going on it starts to feel worth it. This is not going to be for everyone but it is clear that the author did the research on child abuse and trauma and different ways that children deal with their pain. A very different type of horror novel that had me flipping the pages yet reading with caution. You MUST read the afterword I think to fully appreciate and absorb novel.

TW: child abuse, child murder, suicide, self harm, struggle with mental illness

I rarely give a book recommendation before finishing a novel, but in the case of The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward, I told my co-worker it was a must-read before completing the first half of the book.

This is a story to jump right into. Avoid spoilers! I recommend for readers of horror, true crime, and intense suspense. It has disturbing elements, so if one is sensitive to violence, please be aware.

I'm still thinking about the book even though I'm well into reading a new book, a sign of a great read!

I'm a library paraprofessional and received and advance copy from #NetGalley. Opinions are my own.

This was a strange book to say the least. There were parts that were really good and others that left me scratching my head. What was going on?! It was certainly different from what I was expecting.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

5 stars

This book is intriguing, sad and a bit unsettling.
Don’t read spoilers just dive right in. As you read you might think you have it all figured out but you’re gonna be wrong. Definitely worth the read!

This book totally hit the right vein with me. It was so unpredictable and I haven't read anything like that in a long time. I can't even describe the book without giving away spoilers, so just know what you think isn't necessarily what you know. There are mulitiple POV's including the views of things that aren't really human. If you like to go into books blind and be taken for a ride, please check out The Last House on Needless Street.

I wanted to love this book so so so so much. However, that was not the case 😩

I want to state the author does a great job of doing her research on the characters (I’ll leave it at that, non-spoilery). But I think that’s an important point to make.

For me, I enjoy trying to figure out the endings of books and if I DO guess them - it’s never a letdown, but more like an “aha! I did it!” However there was just no way to do that with this book (and yes the blurb does say that) but I really hated it. I felt.. IDK, tricked the entire damn book. Most of the reveals we’re not surprising and the rest couldn’t have possibly been guessed.

If you’re not an overthinker like myself - you’ll probably enjoy it. For me, however, it’s 2 stars.

Wow. I just put this book down and just. Wow. There aren’t many books that leave me speechless but this golden piece of work has done just that. I honestly can’t explain the true brilliance and intensity and just dazzle this book holds. This book won’t be for everyone. You have to truly open your mind and gear up for a hell of a rollercoaster. It’s psychological it’s thrilling it’s horrific it’s clever it’s different it’s just pure GENIUS.

Don’t read anymore reviews. Don’t read into the story line. Go in blind to truly revel in the story and it’s mastermind Catriona Ward. If there is a book to be read this year this is it!

Amazing.

There are sites at the end for all the psychology homework that had to be done to write this book. Although this is fiction I am so glad that the author took the time to do full research. I feel like the research made a decent story absolutely phenomenal.

There were parts I was able to figure out, as a psychological thriller lover, and a lover of puzzles. But there are still some very decent twists that I did not see coming. Absolutely enthralling. I was glued to my book even though I have read a third of what I normally read this year. Nothing seems to hit the right reading spots. This was completely different from beginning to end.

My only wish, that this was longer. I loved every word

Bravo and a round of applause to Catriona Ward!!! 👏👏👏

As I'm sure you have heard the less said is better with this one so I am going to keep this short and sweet.

We hear from 4 points of view. Ted a loner that lives on Needless Street, his cat Olivia, his daughter Lauren, and Dee whose little sister was kidnapped while vacationing at a lake that is close to Needless Street a decade before.

Let me start by saying that this book has a brilliant marketing campaign and a blurb vague enough to intrigue and allure readers. It sure did intrigue me. I even love both covers that I have seen for this book. Imagine my disappointment when I was declined by both NetGalley and Edelweiss. Meanwhile all my lucky and cool friends were getting copies while I was sitting here saying what the heck, why not me??? So, in a moment of weakness, I wrote to Tor Publicity explaining my woes and the kind Anna Mertz sent me a widget to download! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Anna! 💗

(NetGalley: Why when you decline someone a book then decide to make it a "read now" for EVERYONE the declined person who showed early interest still has no access to the title? The injustice is real and a bit infuriating!)

While I was super intrigued I was also nervous and approached the book with a bit of trepidation. My concern: Olivia the cat's point of view. Can I suspend disbelief enough to go along with this? Turns out I can. I loved hearing from Olivia.

The real genius here though is Ward herself. She doesn't let you get your bearings. When I tell you I was clueless almost the entire time...well, I ain't kidding. I couldn't grasp what was happening but it wasn't in a bad way it was in a "I must get to the bottom of this way." As my friend and fellow reviewer, Karen, wrote in her review: "it starts to break your whole damn brain" and that is EXACTLY what it felt like. Again, in the best way possible.

I'm going to leave it at that. Do I recommend this? YOU BET I DO!!! 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Anna Merz @ Macmillan-Tor/Forge for my copy!

One of the best books I've read in 2021! While this isn't classic horror, it definitely has elements befitting the genre. File this under "the human mind is the most terrifying thing of all."

As I was reading this one, I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about it. And even as I finished it, I was still undecided. But after thinking on it for a couple of days, I realized just how good of a story it really was. There’s a lot going on. A story of abuse, both physical and mental. A story of mental illness, both known and unknown. And a story of missing children. It wasn’t perfect by any means. It was a rambling story at times with too many plot turns. And I wasn’t thrilled by how some of the loose ends were conveniently wrapped up. Still, a good read!

This book starts off as a curious jigsaw puzzle being doled out in increments. All the pieces are blank, but as the story progresses the colors start getting filled in by one of the many unreliable narrators. The image shifts from chapter to chapter, teasing you with hints of what it could be once it's completed before changing into something altogether different.

If this kind of rollercoaster in the dark style story sounds exciting then you'll enjoy this book. Some of the twists might hit you like a ton of bricks while others might make you wrinkle your nose.

The first major reveal was fantastic, but as the twists and turns pile up on each other I felt that the story collapsed under their weight. Some pieces were well developed and others seemed to be tacked on without any real substance or reason for their inclusion.

I must say, this author is doing interesting things and trying to work well outside of the box. For that alone, I will continue to read their books because I know that they'll soon hit the perfect sweet spot of experience, skill, and idea which will birth a genre destroying masterpiece.

This book took me by surprise. I’ve read so many mysteries and crime thrillers, that I assumed this book would follow a very familiar outline. Nope. I was taken on a ride that involves twists and turns, where I literally set the book down and asked out loud, “What! Where is this going?” But I promise...in a good way. The author, Catriona Ward, added so much to this story by presenting the perspectives from different characters: from Ted, a reclusive odd adult, to the now adult sister of the missing girl. to the child victim Lauren, to a Bible reading cat! I have to say that this is one of the most unique reads I have ever had the pleasure of reading. If you are a person who tends to view mysteries in black and white predictable plots...hold your hat because this author and he atmospheric, compassionate and at times downright chilling descriptions will take you on a ride into the world of gray. Catriona Ward has simply expanded the mystery and horror genres.

First, thank you to the publishers at Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for this e-ARC of The Last House on Needless Street.

I have no words for this amazing story. Just, wow. Absolutely incredible! What you believe is one story just warps into something completely different and unimaginable. Full of psychological drama and twists and turns, this will surely be one of fall’s most unputdownable reads!

Told from the perspective of many different characters, The Last House on Needless Street mainly revolves around Ted, a sheltered man in his late twenties/early thirties. The long ago suspect in the case of a missing girl, Ted still lives in fear of others, living in the house at the end of the street with boarded up windows and constant weariness of strangers. What or who is Ted hiding in his house?

Dee, the older sister of the missing girl, Lulu, ends up moving to the area after all these years, and is determined to find her sister and exact revenge on her kidnapper and/or killer. As I said earlier though, the book is nothing like what it seems. It’s even scarier than you might have originally have imagined.

I highly, highly recommend picking up a copy of The Last House on Needless Street, releasing September 28, just in time for a spooky Halloween read!

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley.

I was on the edge of my seat for the duration of this novel. It reads breathlessly and urges you onward with its dark hints and secrets. The leads provided would pull you in different directions that cause one’s brain to run the gamut of speculation. It sometimes caused a bit of confusion, but the writing always reassured that soon, you would understand. And it delivered.

The story is told from the perspectives of Ted (our main character), Lauren (Ted’s daughter), Olivia (a cat), Night-Olivia (another cat), and Dee (a grieving woman looking for her lost sister). Ted is an introvert who loves to spend time with his cat and his daughter, but always (and strangely) separately. We learn about Ted’s terrifying relationship with his mother and how her coldness affected him growing up. Dee is a girl who lost her sister when she was very little and has been spending her life trying to locate her kidnapper. Their lives intertwine like a cat’s tail around your legs and you cannot help but feel for every single character.

I was very impressed by Catriona Ward’s ability to convey such empathetic characters. They were touching, relatable, and unreliable. I was so intrigued by the character of Ted’s mother that I would love to see a whole book dedicated to her history alone. The dive into Ted’s mental state where he is losing time and seeing the world in a different way, was fantastically drawn up. The Afterword section was very welcome and only further proved that there was much research and heart put into creating the characters in this book.

I absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys psychological horror, true crime, and drama.

This book nabbed my attention from the first page. And just when I thought I had a bead on what was going on, it changed again. Wow! Loved it. I won't give away any spoilers, but if you love true crime or fiction about serial killers, you have to read this book.

Wow...

This book...

Okay, let me start by saying I'd seen this book all over Twitter and Instagram. I didn't really know what to expect other than it was a popular book being read by a lot of reviewers, so it must be engaging. What I got was so much more. Ward is putting on a clinic for writers. The writing, the plot, the characters, the twist...Holy guacamole the twists!! It's a dark book with really intense topics, and every time I assumed I knew what was happening, I was proven wrong. It's a book the explores mental illness.

It sticks with you.

Honestly, it wasn't at all what I was expecting, and that's always a pleasant surprise. If you like unsettling horror, this is for you!

Wow! What a ride! Every time you think you know, here comes another surprise! Well written, well researched, and unputdownable!