I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Publishing for an advanced audiobook copy for exchange of an honest review.

I’ve not seen a thriller structured quite like this one. It is a very layered, nuanced story, a fascinating dive into the horror and humanity of each character in this book. I liked how in the first half of the book I wasn’t even sure what was happening, but I trusted the author to reveal things as necessary and I wasn’t let down. In the end, this portrayal of living, suffering, and healing was immensely rewarding and cautiously hopeful in a most unexpected way.

*check content warnings

Ultimately, I enjoyed The Last House on Needless Street, but it took me longer than I would have liked to connect with the story. I am glad that I stuck with it - if this hadn't been a netgalley book, I am not sure I would have finished it.

Dee has been looking for her missing sister for years. She moves next to a closed up house Where a man named Tim lives. Deep suspects him of kidnapping and killing her sister. Ted is strange, confused, and rarely leaves his house. Ted has a lot of secrets, some he's kept, even from himself. What did Ted's abusive mother do, what has Ted done?

I did not finish this book. It was too strange for me and I did not have enough interest in the story to push through.

QOTD: what’s the best reading weather in your opinion?

It’s rain or snow for me. I love feeling stuck inside the house with an excuse to veg out and read.

Book review:
The Last House on Needless Street by @catward66 was my last read of October and maybe my favorite read of the month, too.

If you haven’t read this one, don’t let the idea of the cat POV keep you from it. Yes, there are multiple POVS, and one is a cat. This one was a pretty brilliant, dark and twisty, totally unhinged, heartbreaking story with unreliable narrators and curveballs at every turn.

The only thing that I wasn’t impressed with was current day Dee’s storyline. I felt like all of the other characters were given so much thought down the last page, and Dee didn’t get the same treatment.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading this book and know I’ll be recommending it tons in the future. There are A LOT of trigger warnings. So, lbe sure to look them up before cracking the spine on this one. If you do read it, definitely reader the afterword!

I flexed between the ebook and audio and both were fantastic.

Thanks @aimee.fortheloveofbooks for setting up this buddy read!

#thelasthouseonneedlessstreet #catrionaward #buddyread #buddyreads #thriller #thrillerreads #thrillerbooks #thrillerreader #audiobook #audiobooks #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookstagram

Unfortunately, I have DNFd this book, it just wasn't for me. I was so excited to get into it and I just couldn't. I did not enjoy the writing or the main character. Thank you for the opportunity.

I was completely absorbed in this twisted, thrilling story! In terms of the narration, it was perfect. I loved the narrator and how they gave voice to the characters of his story, something I feel is not particularly easy by any means.

Catriona Ward’s brain amazes me. I could not have predicted this story, period. It truly surprised me. It kind of reminded me of how I felt while reading Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough where you’re just sitting there after reading and feeling like “what did I just read?” And I mean that in a good way! It all came together in a delightfully twisted way.

If you want to read a creepy and thought provoking thriller/mystery, try this one. I definitely recommend it and especially the audiobook.

I very much appreciate being gifted this copy of The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward, and the opportunity to read & review it. Thanks to the publisher.

A dark, disturbing book that is oh so sad. Creepy, atmospheric, and super creative.

The audio book is superbly narrated, I couldn't believe it was one narrator. This is a complicated story, and as such, the audio book may not work for everyone

I chose to listen to the audiobook version of this one and let me tell you, it was really creepy and unsettling. I have never read / listened to a book that made me feel the way I did after finishing. I don't really know how I feel about this one. It just didn't connect with me. It took me a long time to dive into it, creating space between listening sessions. The story was not one I would normally run out to pick up. Not a favorite of mine.

I will say, the narration was top notch and I believe that is exactly what gave off the creepy vibes, unsettling feelings. But for the narrator I wouldn't have stuck it thru so for that I am giving it five stars. The story, I just don't dig storylines such as these. But otherwise, really well done and if the theme of this book is something you can digest then you will definitely enjoy the book.

I also give this book a five star review because to me, when a book can invoke any kind of feeling within its reader, then I feel that author has done their job well. Whether you cry, laugh, become angry, scared or physically unsettled they hit the mark in my opinion. This book did that for me.

This book was marketed to me as a horror novel, but I would say it’s more of a psychological thriller/mystery. I found it deeply disturbing at some points, but never felt scared. Ted is our main character, and he’s an odd, kooky man who clearly has some mental health issues. He’s been suspected of being responsible for a child’s disappearance and the missing child’s sister moves in next door to keep closer tabs on him. The POV alternates between Ted, the sister of the abducted child, and that of Ted’s cat -- the cat parts were extremely amusing to me and I thought they were done really well. I don’t have a cat, but this is what I imagine a cat might act like, lol.

Upon finishing this novel I looked up reviews and it seems like many saw the ending coming and were not satisfied with the twist. Although I saw the first major twist coming, I have to say the ones that came after had me completely surprised and shocked. I would recommend readers go in blind and just enjoy this ride. If you don’t mind your thrillers a little spooky , this one is for you!

Unfortunately this book is not for me. It took me about three tries to start it and every time I was put off by the chapters where the cat narrates. The writing style and tone didn't suit me, and the twists felt flat and cheap. Glad this worked for others and I wish it did the same for me! However, the audiobook did help when I struggled to get into the physical book, so I'm thankful for that.

I’ve come to the decision that Catriona Ward writing style just isn’t for me. I think she has a beautifully complex writing style that many people love and enjoy. I’m just not one of them. I will definitely still recommend her books to my friends. I know there is huge audience of reads that will love and enjoy her work.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me and arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a hard book to rate.

There was a lot of hype and it’s being made into a movie. It did not live up to the hype. The characters were unremarkable to the point where I didn’t care what happened anymore. It wasn’t really scary and barely suspenseful. Maybe if there wasn’t so much hype I would have enjoyed it more but with high expectations going in this book did not meet them.

Wow! I'm not the best "detective" for sure and oftentimes my predictions fall short, but normally I have at least a few that are within reason but not this time. lol I was very confused for much of the book due to what I felt was a confusing timeline. I kept trying to figure out if it was just me or the way it was written or what. Because of how difficult that was for me to figure out for a minute, I found myself frustrated as well. That being said, as one can see based on my rating, I ended up loving it! It was dark and the characters were uniquely different...especially Olivia, the cat. Yep! Definitely a character in this one. Although it is dark and at times difficult emotionally, it did have its comic relief. I plan to re-read it fairly soon just to see if I pick up on things that I missed the second time around.

Christopher Ragland did a wonderful job narrating and his voice inflections were spot on in various parts of the story, changing as appropriate just adding to the eeriness of events and the enjoyment of the story itself.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, as well as Macmillan Audio, for an e-ARC and audiobook copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the first book I have read by Catriona Ward. Her style of writing was vivid and I loved the point of view through three characters. At first, I was a little confused with the cat's voice, but I can't imagine the book without it. The creative way she portrayed the characters all came alive in their descriptions, actions, and conflicts within themselves and with others.

This is definitely a psychological thriller that I don't want to spoil because there are things that I thought I understood or figured out that were nothing like I imagined. Start reading with an open mind to the unimaginable and you will love this book! Keep reading if you are not feeling the beginning because it will all make sense as you dive deeper into the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the book for an honest review. The narrator, Christopher Ragland, did a great job too!

Incredible narrator. Instantly one of my favorites. He is so good at being able to create so many different voices and make them so convincing. I even had to go look online to make sure it wasn't a full cast. I was blown away by the story.

What magical writing ability was Ward gifted because my goodness I haven't been disappointed from a book by her yet and here we are again. A creepy story that kept my attention throughout and writing that was Gothically enchanting.
Full review on YouTube.

I received an advanced digital copy of this audiobook. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in the review are my own.

Ms. Ward hits all the right notes that you look forward in a spooky, creepy and weird novel told from the perspective of a, well, cat. It defies explanation. It hooks you and doesn't quite let go until it's 4am and you're wondering how you're going to get through the next day without crashing.

Highly recommended.
5 out of 5 stars.