4 Stars!

Sometimes a book catches your eye and you really want to read it but it just seems to hang out there waiting. Sometimes life just happens. This was the cast with The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. When I first saw it, I knew I wanted to read it but things kept coming up to keep it from happening. I finally pushed all the excuses aside and dove into the book to find that the anticipation was not for nothing.



The man, the cat, and the teenage girl lived together in the house at the end of Needless Street. That on its own does not sound strange. What was odd, though, is that only the man ever left the house. The teenage girl was not allowed to leave at all and the cat was so afraid of the outside world that it would never think of venturing out. The man, Ted, has a very strange way of thinking that may be caused by his heavy drinking or maybe caused by something else. Lauren, the girl, never seems to be happy and likes to lash out at Ted in odd and often childish ways. And the cat, Olivia, is, well, a cat although one with a hidden dark side the occasionally takes over. They are one big, dysfunctional family on the outside but something much darker when their secrets begin to get exposed.



Years earlier, a girl had gone missing under mysterious circumstances and her sister’s life had changed forever. A life of promise had turned into an obsession with uncovering the mystery behind her sister’s disappearance and enacting justice. Now the woman moves into the house beside the man and is certain that he holds the key to solving the mystery and maybe returning the missing girl to the land of the living. As her investigation begins to unravel the threads that have been woven over the years, the secrets that slowly come to light are darker than anyone could have ever guessed. It is time for the shadow that has covered the last house on Needless Street to be lifted at least and the world may not be ready for what lies in its murky depths.



Tying to describe The Last House on Needless Street is difficult and the best word to sum it up is unexpected. I had no idea what to expect when I first started this novel but can say that what I found was nothing that I expected. Ward weaves a tale that takes many twists and turns that are often shocking and sometimes surprising. While I felt confident that I had an idea of what was happening in the novel, the details that Ward kept throwing out kept me a little off balance. This is a nuanced story that takes some time to unpack even as the pages fly by. The novel flows smoothly and can be cruised through although I found myself repeatedly stopping to backtrack and make sure I did not miss anything. This really is a very strong novel and a “literary” read that has a depth and narrative that transcends genre. I did not know what to expect when I started the novel, and it is safe to say that I did not expect what I found.



Trying to classify The Last House on Needless Street is, in fact, a needless exercise. The novel can been read as horror, psychological thriller, and even as a type of coming of age/redemption story. Ward investigates the darkest of the shadows in the human mind and shines a light at what lies within. There is horror and terrible acts but there is also understanding and, most importantly, understanding. The novel seems to challenge the reader to throw away preconceptions and look at the world in a different manner. It is a call to see what we do not understand as something that is different and not threatening. There is no doubt that darkness is part of the human condition but so is light. Sometimes what is perceived is not what is true and sometimes the monsters are simply scarred victims. Catriona Ward takes a daring look into the human mind and crafts a novel that transcends genre and expectations. This is not a traditional novel, and some readers may have to work in order to unravel the sometimes-jumbled story told from varying perspectives, but it is a very rewarding read for those who are willing to take a chance on the unconventional and sometimes uncomfortable. Highly recommended.



I would like to thank Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for this review copy. The Last House on Needless Street is available now.

WHEW, is this a brain bender! From the deliberately ambiguous beginning to the creeping sense of dread to the first big twist, then the next, and the next—WHAT A RIDE. My advice is to go in knowing nothing. And then when you finish, do all the googling—especially about Ward’s inspiration and research process.

This book has so many fantastic, thrilling, and dark elements. It took me a while to get around to reading this one, but all I can say is the hype was real! If you haven't read it yet would be a great read for the next Fall season. Thanks to the author and publisher for allowing me to review this book.

A strange book with interesting characters and a cat pov. It was well written, unsettling and sad but also a fascinating read.

tw: animal abuse, child abuse

This was one of the most twisted books I’ve ever read and I recommend it to people as such! The twist was something I never would have thought of- the author was a genius for it.

i read this in one furious, ceaseless, page-turning blur. saying a book is 'unputdownable' is definitely a played-out term, but ward's book is fascinating, with every chapter bringing new questions and reveals. just as you think, 'i'll take a minute,' there's a line which has you moving to the next chapter. the characters are fascinating and her changes of tone brilliant, resulting in some whiplash switches, but they're always immensely satisfying.

while much has been made of the various twists and turns -- and justifiably so, as the reveals are set up so organically that you'll find yourself repeatedly gasping as the book goes along -- it's the emotional heft which builds throughout the entirety of the last house on needless street which is its real power. as the final chapters unspooled, i found myself getting more and more choked up, only to read the last paragraph and burst into gasping, gulping sobs. it's cathartic, but it hurts, and while i want to go back and re-read this book as soon as possible, it's going to take me a minute to recover.

I couldn’t get through the first fifty pages. I found it to be boring and uninteresting. I don’t believe this author is for me.

This book was given to me by NetGalley, the publisher and author in exchange for a review.
This is a unique, intriguing, scary, unexpected thriller. From the unique angle, I have never read a book quite like this one. It has several points of view that seem wildly different but by the end of the story
they all make sense. As to the scary part- this book involves a child’s disappearance and it’s effects on the community and family. The author builds tension masterfully so that I did not want to put the book down- had to find out what would happen. I found myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading.
The unexpected- of course there is a “who done it” angle but I thoroughly enjoyed the
psychological angle also, which makes this book somewhat different from a lot of “thrillers”.
At the beginning of the book I wondered why I was reading such a scary book but by the end I realized I had a unique tale in my hands. There is an afterword which I encourage all readers to take the time to read.

This book is not quite what it seems, and that isn't at all a bad thing.

Ted lives in (you'll never guess it!) the last house on Needless Street, a run down old house that is boarded up in odd ways and visibly falling apart. He lives with his cat Olivia, and his daughter Lauren when she is able to visit. There is something not right quite right about the situation though. and when a new neighbor begins to poke around things begin to unravel in surprising ways.

This story is told through multiple perspectives, including Olivia the cat, a surprisingly devout Christian?

Incredibly unique, this story blurs the lines between horror, thriller and... something unexpected.

4 (rounded up) stars

I am not normally drawn to books in the horror genre but I saw that there was a cat that narrates part of the novel so I was hooked! This horror/thriller starts with a missing child and keeps you guessing throughout about just what happened. I will definitely recommend this title, especially to readers interested in a dark or spooky mystery!

I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.... should be the catch-phrase for this book.
This story is AMAZING and I loved it all.

From the start, going in completely blind, this story captured my attention and hooked me into its web of whodunnit. I'm not one that puts details in their review.... all I want to say is that going in blind was magical and I wish I could read it again for the first time!!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Catriona Ward and Viper & Macmillan Audio for providing me with their ARCs of this publication which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

This book wasn't at all what I expected, it had a lot more psychological twists and turns, but overall it was really engaging and a thoroughly unsettling experience, which I think is what it was going for.

I enjoyed this read. It was unexpected, scary, and also, at times, funny. I really appreciated the cat character/personality and the role she played in the story. I also liked the unique plot and the way the story was slowly revealed.

Thanks to MacMillain-Tor Force, Netgalley, and Catriona Ward for this ARC. What can I say about this book? I think either people will love it, or hate it. I happen to love it. I’ve seen so many great reviews online and different book clubs and the statements of “what did I just read?” So I was intrigued. I love this synopsis of it, I was envisioning every Character best I could. Wasn’t exactly sure what anything was, but in the end it all came together as promised by other readers. I have my theories that the main character had multiple personalities, and did the kidnapping of Lulu., When the answer to why Ted was like this, the answer came at the end of the book. . By the end I knew this wasn't so much as a horror thriller, as much is a book of a disorder brought on by abuse . Kudos to the author from bringing to light something that most of us never heard of.

While not exactly a horror novel it’s more of a psychological thriller with a number of sensitive topics included. If you give this a read you may wonder what the heck is going on - I’m still not sure what happened at the end and I read the last few chapters twice. An interesting writing style that may not appeal to some but I say give this a go, you definitely will be surprised.

Weird. Psychologically twisted. Wow… This story is a mystery in itself because of the narrators. As I read, I was unsure if I could trust any of the narrators. They all seem unreliable in some way. Ted, the man with extremely odd behavior and lifestyle, Olivia, Ted’s cat, and Dee, a woman who moved into Ted’s neighborhood who’s secretly looking for her younger sister that’s been missing for years. Ted supposedly has a daughter, Lauren. It’s difficult to decipher her age and maturity. Also, it seems that Ted’s mother handicapped Lauren so she’s unable to walk. It took me a few chapters to get into the story but then I needed to finish it to figure it all out. By the time, I read the entire book, I was fascinated, albeit a bit morbidly. I completely appreciate the author’s notes at the end of the book, explaining everything and making sense of it all and her spoiler alert at the beginning of her notes. So, don't read her notes until after you've finished reading the book. She shares her research also, which is impressive! I want to read more of Catriona Ward’s books now. She wrote an intricate and complicated story, The Last House on Needless Street, showing the fragility and capabilities we all have within us. 5 stars!

I have very mixed feelings on The Last House on Needless Street. Halfway through I would have given it one star, but then ending redeemed it. I'm months late on reviewing this and have read dozens of books since, however; The Last House on Needless Street is still fresh in my mind. I would rate it higher if the middle was more interesting.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC! What a crazy story!! I was a little confused at the beginning. However, once I got in to the groove I could not put this book down. Told from alternate points of view. Sad, creepy, heartbreaking! Will recommend!!

Good initial build, but once things began to be revealed it felt convoluted and hectic. Unsure about the major "twist" as well.

What a great book! The writing was amazing and I did not see all the twists coming. Loved the different perspectives too.