Wow. I was hearing a lot about this book. At first, I really wanted to read it, but then as I do with things that get a lot of hype, I subconsciously tabled it because I worry I won’t enjoy something as much as I expect to.

Eventually, I got around to starting it and, at first, I was not connecting with it. But it takes me a bit to get into any book so that’s not really new.

Thankfully I stuck through it and I am so glad I did.

The Last House on Needless Street is a dark and disturbing story about a reclusive man Ted, his teenage daughter Lauren, and his bible-reading cat Olivia. Yes, seriously.

There are many layers to both the story and the characters. Due to the structure and the multiple points of view (even the cat’s!), it can be a bit confusing and disorienting. Trust me, it’ll pay off.

There’s not just a twist at the end; it’s a winding, curvy road. So, buckle up, friends cause even when you think you have it figured out, you probably don’t.

And definitely read the author’s note at the end. Ward explains really well how this story evolved and the important messaging throughout.

3.75?

it's hard to rate this one. for the first half or so, i really didn't know what to make of it. it wasn't even until i was explaining the plot to my fiance' that i realized i was actually really enjoying it lol. but one of the biggest twists is my most hated trope so i couldn't give it a full 4 stars.

i will say i loved the prose and the slow reveals throughout were super engaging. everything is presented as normal but slightly askew to the point where you, as a reader, know something is off but you don't know what or why. then the author slowly reveals what is really happening and then it makes slightly more sense. i tried not to read any reviews but i get the impression this one is REALLY hit or miss. and i can see why some wouldn't like it. honestly, most of it worked for me, and i am tempted to re-read it sometime in the future now that i know how it plays out. <spoiler>i meant to go back and re-read some of Dee's chapters bc i guess her made up version of events is what is presented to the reader, and i think lying to your audience is an annoying cop out. but i couldn't remember how everything was told to be sure.</spoiler> will def be checking out the author's other stuff though.

I was so excited to receive an ARC of The Last House on Needless Street! I love all things spooky and the cover caught my attention right away. This book has become quite popular among my spooky book lovers, as it should! (It is a book club pick this month in Spooky Book Club!!). I enjoyed the writing style, found the characters likable and it was an overall captivating story.

This is one of those rare books that came with a TON OF HYPE and actually LIVED UP to the hype and then some! I really loved that this book started out in one direction and completely reeled you in another by the end!

Right from the very beginning, the reader knows there’s something very wrong the moment we dive into the story. This novel excels in creating this crescendo of dread and unease that by the time you’re hit with the climax, you’re questioning your own sanity.

Ted lives alone in a run-down home with his beautiful kitty Olivia while his daughter Lauren comes to visit him from time to time. When Dee moves next door to him, convinced that he had something to do with her little sister’s disappearance things really start to escalate into chaos for everyone involved. This thriller is a wild ride and one you won’t easily forget once you’re through with the final page.

I can’t recommend this book enough. Believe the hype, it’s worth reading!

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars.

Wow. Where to start with this one. This was a very strange book and at first I wasn't sure I was going to like it. There was a moment when I did consider a DNF, but I'm so glad I stuck it out. The Last House on Needless Street is a creep fest with the strangest plot, unreliable narrators, and just a whole host of WTF.

The construction of this book is brilliant. I didn't see it when I was in the middle of the read, but the last third just blew everything apart and made this book stellar. I did put a few of the pieces together along the way, but I was SO far off on a couple of things. The characters are just a jumble of screwed up and they're mostly unlikable, but they're also incredibly intriguing and overly damaged in a way that had me both totally turned off by them and not able to look away.

The plot is disjointed, creepy, and just plain weird. The narration moves through several points of view...none of which is reliable...and a timeline that feels incredibly disorienting. There is a definite ick factor and the story made my stomach turn more than once. I felt this story to my bones in some places and ran a gamut of emotions during my read.

The Last House on Needless Street is not a read for everyone, but if you like to be totally sketched out by your reads and enjoy being confused for a good majority of the narrative...this is for you. Haunting, damaging, and full of trigger warnings. It feels weird to say I liked the book...it feels a little twisted given the contents...but I did enjoy the journey of reading and I am in awe at the absolute talent that went into its construction. Brava to Catriona Ward.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET begins with story of a young girl who has gone missing while on vacation. At the time Ted Bannerman somewhat of a recluse is a suspect in Lulu’s disappearance. Living on his own on Needless Street, Ted is photographed on his front porch while the police search his house. Ted is eventually cleared but the damage is done.
Dee who is Lulu’s older sister has become obsessed with finding her sister. After much digging for clues and leads Dee believes Ted Bannerman knows more than he is letting on. To aid her investigation further Dee rents the house next door to Ted hoping to get some answers to questions that have plagued her for years.
I found THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET interesting. The setting was as were the characters sufficiently creepy. I must say I was somewhat confused by the ending so I feel I may need to reread it for some clarity. I liked Catriona Ward’s style of writing and I am looking forward to reading her next book SUNDIAL.
Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for allowing me access to an advanced digital edition of this book.

I absolutely loved this book. I really had no idea where this book was going for the majority of the book and once I did realize it, I was absolutely even more engrossed that I already had been. This was not an easy book to read and one I would definitely recommend checking trigger warning for.

Each of the characters felt so fleshed out. Even when you realize that the cat and Lauren are alters, there was so much distinction in their voices.

My main criticism was in the way that this book was marketed. I went into it believing it was a horror novel, possibly with supernatural elements, and it was not that at all. I understand that this is a difficult book to market, especially without spoiling major plot points, but it felt somewhat dismissive of the medical condition the main character had.

I love kidnapping and survival stories, so when I saw this I knew I had to read it! This book is told from multiple points of view: Ted, Dee, Lauren and Olivia. It was a little confusing to me, and I didn't really know what was going on? But as I kept reading, I enjoyed some of the POVs I read and little bits of the story here and there. I also felt underwhelmed by the twist, and I wish the ending had been more developed because it fell short for me.

Overall, I thought it was a fun read and I liked the writing and the plot. I would definitely give this author another try, because I'm interested to see what Catriona Ward comes out with next.

My first read of 2022!

I know many of my fellow bookish friends absolutely loved this dark horror book, and I definitely can see why. The book is entertaining and has a pretty intricate plot with unexpected twists. While I liked it and enjoyed it, I can't say that it blew my mind. It was good and fun, but nothing extraordinary, in my humble opinion.

This is a story of Ted, Olivia (the cat), Lauren (Ted's daughter) and Dee (a neighbor who is investigating her sister's disappearance). Dee thinks Ted was somehow involved in that crime and now Dee is trying to find out what exactly is happening in his house, the last house on the Needless street.

The story is told through multiple POV of the main characters. While the multiple POV was done well, at some point I found certain story lines a bit slow and less entertaining. The cat's POV was very cool in the beginning, but the novelty wore off really fast and those chapters were very tedious to read through. Dee's chapters were the best as they seem to be the ones that moved the story forward for most of the book. I think some parts of Lauren and Olivia's story could have been edited to make it more succinct and interesting.

The plot itself was complicated and some of the twists were unexpected and shocking. However, I found that there was just to much going on and, in the end, it didn't feel like all loose ends were tied properly. Some parts of the story were implied, but still left ambiguous, at least to me (blame my think skull). Personally, when a psychological story is so complicated I want full clarity in the end, to ensure that I really got all the details correctly.

Overall, a very good book, but a bit overhyped. If this book sounds interesting to you, I would say give it a try - I am in the minority here and there is a big chance that you will like it more than I did.

Currently a DNF at 10%. Couldn't get into the writing style. I hope to give it another chance in the future but for now, I've shelved it.

I really enjoyed this book. I figured out a twist very early on, but it wasn't something that is extra easy to figure out, so don't let that put you off.
The characters were well developed and the story flowed nicely.
I will definitely recommend this book to others.

I don't even know where to begin with this one. Let's start with the official book description:

"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.

In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street, lies something buried. But it's not what you think..."

This book is so full of twists and turns, it is going to be hard to discuss much of the plot without giving away spoilers. Let's just say that as we dive into the lives of Ted, Olivia and Lauren (the residents of the titular House on Needless Street) it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems and that there are plenty of secrets being kept both in and out of the house.

I was able to guess some of the plot points but some took me completely by surprise, which I thought was good. I think it was good that there were enough clues to discern some things while the author kept some things close to the vest. By the last few chapters, the reveals were coming fast and furious, and I couldn't stop reading until I hit the last page, needing to know how it ended.

If you're into unconventional, mind-bending, thrillers this is the perfect book for you. It will challenge how you see things and make you think as you go along. I greatly enjoyed reading it!

This is a very hard book to review without spoilers, so I'll keep it short.

Ted lives in a boarded up house at the end of Needless street with his daughter Lauren and his cat Olivia. Years ago, a girl went missing in that neighborhood, and it's widely believed that maybe Ted had something to do with it. Ted's a weirdo, for sure, but to the reader, it's unclear whether or not that's the case. Something strange is going on in that house, but there's also love there. Olivia is the best part of this book, far and away. She's sassy, smart, sneaky, and devoted to Ted. She pines away for the female Tabby cat across the way, causing Ted enough anxiety that he tells his therapist he thinks his cat might be gay. I mean, this book is just strange, but I can't stop thinking about it. It truly frustrated and annoyed me while I was reading it, but the more I think about it, the more I see its genius.

Psychologically disturbing and several WTF moments back-to-back toward the end. I felt really lost for a good portion of this. I got snacked in (ha, pun) with an unsolved mystery that's pretty sad but it was just the tip of the iceberg. I'm so glad I finally got a copy from the NetGalley, otherwise I would have been so pissed if I'd spent money on this book.

Ted lives a secluded life with his daughter, Lauren, and his cat, Olivia; they live at the end of Needless street, before the woods begin. Ted's mother always told him to be cautious and hide who he really is. Now, a new neighbour has moved in next door, and Ted is finding it harder and harder to shelter Lauren from the outside world.

This book was mind bending from beginning to end. I was able to guess a little of what was happening, but was still absolutely surprised by a lot that took place. Just a shocking, scary, thought provoking book about the evil that can reside within a person, or the protections someone else may put in place in order to cope with severe trauma.

The timeframe of the novel jumps around. I thought this would be annoying or I would get confused, but this actually helped to create unease and suspicion. Ted seems like a sympathetic father at first, with a deep fear of his daughter being hurt. However, as the story progresses their house seems more and more wrong. Ominous and threatening. Also, you begin to wonder where Lauren goes when she is not at home with Ted.

Ted is an unreliable narrator, you are not sure what is happening within the house. He is often drunk, and blacks out from time to time. He is worried about his health and hopes to find someone to help care for his daughter (should anything happen to him), but he is also disgusted by himself and fears no one will ever want to help him. He degrades himself often. The cat, Olivia, is adorably feisty and reads the bible. She thinks very highly of herself and loves being a cat. She reveals a lot about Ted and, probably, the most accurate information you receive about the house. She also seems a little bit delusional. Lauren is an emotional child, continuously tearing at Ted, hurting him, angry, and pushes boundaries.

The house itself is a character within this novel, with its boarded up windows and stacks of old items. The ballerina music box, the photo of his family at the lake, the Matryoshka doll that terrifies Ted. The doll reflects the entire novel, the layers, depths, hidden things. The secrets Ted keeps about himself, his mother, his home. The house becomes even more important as the story progresses, as items shift and change within it, as Olivia moves about, as Lauren rides her pink bicycle around the living room. What is it about this house that does not seem right, what is going on with the attack and the basement?

Outside of Ted's story, there is Dee. A young woman in search of her sister who went missing at the lake eleven years ago. She is consumed with the need to find her, or find the person who took her. But, she is also broken, damaged by everything that took place and the aftershocks of it all. Her family fell apart and she is trying desperately to hold herself together. She also has a deep seated fear of snakes, which manifested that day at the lake when she was confronted with snakes in the water. The snakes play a key role in Dee's relationship with her sisters disappearance, their ability to hide, to strike. Dee and Ted's worlds collide when she finds an old article about her sister and a photo of Ted in connection to his house being searched.

A lot of this book is about two children who experienced horrific events and how they build up a story in order to deal with the trauma they are too scared to confront. It is about the influence of a parent and the power of the mind to protect itself from danger. It is also a book about perception, about how a story's telling can lead you to believe something, or how our own prejudices can make us think something that is completely wrong about a person.

This book was unsettling in the best ways, and I highly recommend it for mystery and horror fans alike.

Well, Well, Well,.....Now I feel like Maleficent when she was so shocked by human behaviors! So, this was NOT the book that I thought it was going to be, get ready for a twist unlike all. Get ready to venture into the 'Last House On Needless Street'.

I think what I loved the most about this book was the fact that the author takes you into the world of a serial killer, and child abuse like you have never seen before. And the fact that it takes place in Washington state, from where I grew up!

Ted is a serial killer and just plain fucked up human being.....who is not a good person, and he lives in the last house on Needless Street in a small Washington town outside of Hoquiam and just outside of Seattle. He had a daughter by the name of Lauren and a cat.....a cat that can read the bible. What!? Now i almost immediately put this audio book down, when I heard this! What the fuck is this author on? Drugs I meant. You know that something is just not right with Ted the main character in this suspense thriller when you hear him refer to his mother as 'Mommy' and he is in his 30's!! Okay, did he or does he suffer from Norman Bates syndrome, or is he just immature?

I have to admit, i listened to this in 2 days, and was absolutely mesmerized by the story. Did I really want to listen to a dark tale of child abuse, and or possibly murder and rape? Evidently this possibility did not stop me from going on, and I am glad that I did.

The book ended up surprising the hell out of me, with the fact that what I thought was going on, was so different than what I was thinking. Will you be able to figure out the secrets that are going on in the "Last House on Needless Street"? I can't wait to find out what you think of this one.

4 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛

This story reads like a Shirley Jackson novel, though I was a bit confused by the story progression. There are parts that are still unclear to me that I wish had been explained in the end. Ominous and creepy vibes throughout, it took me until close to the end before figuring out the connection between all of the characters.

Where to start with my review? I honestly don’t know what to say about THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET by Catriona Ward without giving things away which I definitely do not want to do. It's best to go in completely blind with this one. If you are reading this review and you have not yet read the book then step away, avert your eyes, do not pass go and collect $200 until you have read it for yourself. I would hate to ruin any moment of discovery for you throughout this journey, dear reader.

I loved this story. Absolutely everything about it from beginning to end. Masterpiece is not a word I use lightly but that's how I feel about this book. It is a masterpiece. Never have I ever been more wrong about what I thought was going on within a book than I was with this one. It kept me guessing at every turn. Catriona Ward has meticulously crafted a mystery puzzle box of a book filled with clues and misdirects. It all seems so obvious at first but everything is not as it seems. First impressions can be misleading, teaching us not to be so quick with passing judgment.

To quote from the synopsis from the back of the book, “This is the story of a serial killer. A stolen child. Revenge. Death.” But it is so much more than that. This is also a story of long buried secrets and hidden scars. About misconceptions and past traumas and how people learn to cope. A dark foray into the minds of broken and flawed characters.

As I said earlier this book kept me on my toes guessing at what I thought was going on. We finally reached a point closer to the end of the book where I thought all had been revealed, all the cards have been played and we the readers have a full and clear picture of what is actually transpiring, but no. Ward hits us with another twist that literally made my jaw drop in disbelief. Maybe other readers saw this moment coming a mile away but I did not and was completely blindsided by it in the best way possible. It is not often that I get surprised in this way by a book but Ward was able to pull it off without it feeling cheap or like something was thrown in from way out in left field. The revelations come full circle, everything finally making sense, all the puzzle pieces falling perfectly into place. Bravo.

THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET by Catriona Ward is in a word, spellbinding. A dark psychological thriller horror suspense mystery mashup. A puzzle wrapped in a mystery whispered about in secret. Ward demonstrates skillful execution as she slowly peels the layers away to reveal an intricately woven narrative. I don’t really know what else to say and I have probably already said too much. Just know that I loved this book and it has my highest of recommendations. I also suggest reading the Afterward once you have completed the book as it gives insight into the amount of care, time, and research Ward put into this story.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this...... honestly I'm just not sure. This was unlike any thriller I have read. The cats perspective and then all the others was unique and different but maybe not really something I enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t know what to expect going into this novel, and I think that’s the best way to approach it. It’s advertised as a horror, and while there are aspects that might fit that, the story is so much more. When you pick this one up, be prepared for fear but also for grief and love. Be ready for twists but also the consistency of humanity. Be ready to be shocked. Be ready to not be ready.