This is definitely one of those books that will be very polarizing among readers. They will either love it or hate it. Unfortunately, I did not love it.

The setup was fairly intriguing. From the start of the novel, it is made clear that the author is purposely holding back information from the reader. However, any seasoned thriller reader will know very early on what is happening. Honestly, I don't know if the author was actually trying to hide much from the reader. Instead, this is one of those stories where the reader probably knows what is happening and just enjoys watching the reveals unfold.

My biggest issue was actually the tone of the story, which felt almost comical. Other readers described this one as creepy and suspenseful, which made me wonder if they had read a different book with the same title.

Despite my own reading experience, I always encourage people to try books for themselves since this story obviously has clicked with other readers. I really wish it had worked better for me because it had a lot of potential.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The Last House on Needless Street is one of the most unique and inventive thrillers I've ever read. The plot takes hold from the very beginning and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The narration is excellent as well. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in thrillers.

I received a copy of this audiobook through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I had been hearing about this novel (and subsequently the audiobook) for a while before I decided to request it and try my luck in getting it. I wasn't quite sure how I would feel about the story in a whole as the back blurb did not quite catch my eye. However, I gave it a shot because people I know were raving about it and honestly that was enough for me to want to get on that level.

When the audio book first started I was a little bored with how slow the story was developing, but I knew in my heart that the lead up to what was truly happening was going to be worth it. I almost did give up, but boom I got slapped in the face with the twist and honestly I was shocked and found myself going "wow...wow...wow" From that moment I knew this was going to be in my top books/audiobooks of the year. The story really packs a punch, and honestly all the back story, all the following along really makes that twist so much better.

Highly recommend.

Whaaaaat did I just listen to?! This book was sooooo psychologically messed up and I feel crazy saying that I was highly entertained.

It's extremely hard to review this book since any details would give too much away and that is the whole part of this book, but if you love deranged characters with crazy upbringings, this book is for you.

I highly recommend the audiobook version since it really makes you feel for all of the characters. I was very surprised to find out that the book is only read by one individual.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book was recommended by S. King, which automatically made me want to read it. I’m so happy that I was able to, because wow! This book starts out being told from Ted’s POV and then the narration changes between different people in his life with completely different points of view. I did not see some of these twists coming, which is unusual for me and very welcome! I really enjoyed this so much! If you’re into dark, twisted reads, definitely give this a chance. I will give a TW for child abuse.

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward is a story told from multiple different perspectives and centers around children who have gone missing. I don't want to give much of a summary for this one because I went in completely blind, and I highly recommend you do the same! (CW: child abuse)

This book was easily a 5 star read for me. It was unexpected, dark, and twisty. I wasn't able to put all of the pieces together until the end of the book. This was one that actually made me gasp at one point, and I can't remember the last time that happened while reading. It was chilling and I didn't want to put it down. If you're drawn in to twisty psychological thrillers, this one is for you!

I listened to the audiobook of this title which came in at 11 hours and 30 minutes. This time absolutely flew by. The narration was done by Christopher Ragland and he did an excellent job of immersing me into the story. Because the story is told from multiple perspectives and with some changes in timeline, there were a few times that I had to backtrack the audio to make sure I knew when the story was taking place. I thoroughly enjoyed the audio narration.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ALC of this title, which did not affect the contents of my voluntary review. All opinions are honest and my own.

I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this Author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!

I first found out about The Last House on Needless Street when a customer preordered it in print for the fall US release, so I was curious to review the ALC. The book starts out narrated by a man, Ted, who seems fragile, unable to participate in mainstream society in some way, then switches narrations frequently between other people in his life, including his hilarious, bible-reading cat. As the story progresses it becomes obvious there's something amiss with the reality Ted experiences, and soon you're unsure if he's experiencing a Shutter Island-style delusion and which characters are exactly what they seem. As the end grows nearer, the twists become more shocking, starting with what happened to the girl with the popsicle, and continuing with the people in Ted's life.

For an added bonus, wait until the end to look up the narrator names and see if you recognize the voices.

I think for me this is just a case of this not being the book for me. I'm trying to branch into mysteries and thrillers more and all the great reviews talked me into requesting this. Unfortunately I'm stopping at 14%.

I think a big part of this not working for me is the fact that it is very hard to follow in audio format. There's a lot going on and I'm very confused. This might be better as a physical book.

The Last House on Needless Street is a story that will stay with you for a long time. It is told from different perspectives, mainly a reclusive childlike man named Ted, his cat Olivia, and his daughter Lauren. The plot is complex and layered. Gradually the various pieces come together to create an eerie, unsettling and at times an extremely disturbing read. Christopher Ragland’s narration of the story is expertly performed. His portrayal of each character is brilliantly executed adding a creepy thread that ties everything together. Parts of this book were very difficult to read. The story is heartbreaking, gut wrenching and terrifying.
TW: child abuse
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook.

DNF - This was truly a case of the audiobook not working for me at all. There was a ton of background noise and the characters voices were sometimes hard to hear. I would give this another chance if I got a digital copy or bought a copy. Truly wasn’t the book for me.

Gotta love a creepy cover and this one is Sooooooo #creepy!
A huge thanks to @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for providing this audiobook for review! In this story, kids are going missing, all from the same general vicinity of a wooded lake. We hear from many different perspectives in this story, one of which is from a cat. Yes, a cat. The main POV is from Ted, who talks about "little girl with popsicle" - which makes him sound like he was watching her - which makes you wonder and fear if he had something to do with the girl's missing status. Every POV makes you wonder wth is going on, but dont worry, you will catch on soon enough, and if you dont, the characters will reveal themselves to you in due time. Even as you guess as to what you think you know, this story will reveal the truth that will send you reeling, and will give you some new perspectives on some scary themes. Who is the bad guy here? Whats happened to #girlwithpopsicle ?
This book gave me so many chills and twists and turns, its a horror thriller that you won't soon forget! Give it a read/listen!! #Thelasthouseonneedlessstreet #catroniaward #macmillan

Whenever Stephen King recommends a book, I become very interested. I have enjoyed every book he has recommended and it's opened my eyes to new authors. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward was an advanced reader copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm not sure if it's just bad timing on my part or the subject matter, but I had a very hard time getting into the book. It was hard to listen to the cat's perspective and her bible reading just pushed it out of my realm of comfort. I might try it again later, but for now, this book was not my cup of tea.

Thank you to the publisher, MacMillan, and to Netgalley for letting me listen to an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I asked to listen to this book because of the description and because it said that although it was a bit spooky, it was also warm and heartful. And Stephen King raved about it--although much as I like SK, his books scare me! I had no idea what to expect. I found the beginning very hard to get in to but I stuck it out. There were many times I wanted to stop not because it wasn't good but because I was scared. In the end, I'm glad I stuck with it. I had guessed from the beginning a certain aspect of it that is quite important and was completely taken by surprise by another part of the ending. I kept thinking it was over and it wasn't.

I don't know how much to reveal so I won't reveal much. The book is narrated by many different characters--four main ones. I think that added to my difficulty in getting into the book. But I got used to it and it was important. In the end, I learned a lot about an aspect of mental health I know very little about. There is nothing sci-fi or fantasy about the story and I was right to be scared but not for the 'who done it' but because the nature of this aspect of humans exists.

This is a good book. I recommend it. I think it's a first novel for this author and hope her future work grabs me from page one in the future.

Review for audiobook edition:

The Last House on Needless Street, clearly well-liked by many readers, will hit a lot of psychological suspense fans' sweet spots early on. Within the first few chapters we've got:

- the mysterious disappearance of a child that seems to have never been solved?
- an overtly unreliable shut-in narrator, in the form of heavy-drinking, childlike, traumatized Ted
- a talking cat (who is smarter and more articulate than anyone else)
- a nosy neighbor
- a volatile girl who is either thirteen going on three or vice versa
- a nosy neighbor

For genre-lovers and book clubs that like a twisty read that presents real-life issues (being vague to prevent spoilers) in no-nonsense prose, this will likely be a pleaser. For those who lean more Tana French and love Gillian Flynn for her darkly witty narrators more than her plots, the childlike voices may be a little uninteresting and the character development too flat and predictable. (I literally picked up on the big twist within the first few pages.)

I made it through about ten percent, but I wasn't able to get into it.

A challenging story to review. A challenging story to read.

Once invested, a hard story to put down.

While reading the book and listening to the audio, I was confused, puzzled, and disturbed. It is more than a horror story, it made my pulse race.

3 locks turning - let me in- let me in.....

A feeling of doom, a decrepit house, broken things, a clever cat, shock and surprise and a need to know. You won't know until you know.

Sayonara

An excellent audio!! Thank you Macmillan Audio and NG! OUT in US on March 18, 2021

It's been a while since a book has left a mark on me. Equally disturbing and creepy, definitely grabs the reader from the start.

I had a really difficult time with the quirky nature of this book. The timelines were extremely hard to follow and place (in addition to the all-over-the-place plot) but the pious cat was the odd little cherry on top. I kept trying for a bit but I just simply wasn't invested in this.

I knew right away from the description that I would love this book. Readers who love books with shocking plot twists, mysterious characters, and unfortunate circumstances, will enjoy this thriller. It really does have everything a thriller should have...a boarded up cabin, 3 sad tenants, and new neighbors who stalk them! The author reveals the plot twists at just the right moment and saves some shockers for the end! Excellent!

4.5* stars

This was a very interesting and weird read. When I started reading it and a cat was one of the perspectives telling the story I kind of had my doubts about this book. It was definitely one of those books that take time to understand what is happening. There were times when I was confused but when things were slowly revealed the pieces started to fit. This isn’t a book that has one big reveal at the end but throughout the book, the truth of what is happening is slowly explored.

The slow reveal is what kept me entertained throughout the whole book. I feel like books that only contain one big reveal at the end tend to lack through the main core of the book. This book has that need to continue reading throughout the book because we are always learning more and getting that feeling of slowly understanding. When something would become clear, you think you know what happened, until the next thing is revealed. I definitely didn’t see one of the major reveals coming but after the fact, it made a lot of things more clear. Even after the major reveal halfway through the book, continuing to read isn’t a waste of time. There is still a lot more to unpack.

This story had a lot of different things that helped to further the mystery and to add even more pieces to the puzzle which makes it even harder to piece together until is it told to you. Because of this, I think very few will figure out the truth before it is uncovered.

Another element of this story is that there are a few different backstories and side plots to aid the main story. So there isn’t just one thing to uncover but many different ones from different people. One of these is another character named Dee who also narrates the book. She tells her story of the day her sister went missing and her undercover work to stock Ted who she believes is the one to took her sister.

I loved that there was a creepy and strange backstory to the main character Ted. He is always thinking back to and living his life for his mother, who is assumed to be dead. He talks to himself like she is there and will do anything to please her. This is another thing that we get to slowly learn about.

The narrator for the audiobook put a lot of feeling into the story and even played the characters, no matter how weird it might be. Like when narrating the cat there were a lot of meows. I did find that this male author changed his voice into one kind of annoying for when narrating one of the girl characters. I got used to the weird voice but still was annoying to listen to.

This book will take you into the deepest parts of all the character's minds as well as your own as you try to untangle the weave of complicated and genius storytelling.

TW: Child Abuse, Suicide.