The Last House on Needless Street is twisty and dark with bits of humor woven throughout. The narration is excellent and at times, it's amazing that it's only one person.

This is told in first person from multiple POV's, with a lot of internal dialogue from Ted and Olivia. I loved the direction this story was going and I was fully immersed until one of the twists was revealed. After that, I was no longer invested and found the ending to be lacking. Obviously this is personal preference and many may find the ending satisfying.

I think the writing itself was very good. It reminded me of the writing style of Caroline Kepnes in You, with a lot of navel gazing and strange and twisted thoughts being part of the experience. I liked that aspect because it I was so intrigued by the characters and those glimpses into their minds helped to develop them and add tension.

I did expect there to be more of a horror aspect to this. There were moments that I felt the tension that I was craving but each of the scenes fell flat. I liked the mystery aspect as well though that story arc was main issue with the ending.

Overall, it's an enjoyable read but like most thrillers and horror, I enjoyed the ride but was not a fan of the destination.

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward is a weird, sprawling tale of trauma, abuse, neglect, isolation, and tragedy that keeps you guessing as to what’s really happening. A cast of unreliable narrators muddies the waters of a nonlinear timeline, shedding constant doubt upon the reality and sanity of the residents of the house on Needless Street, a quiet lane bordering the forest in Washington state.

A troubled man named Ted lives in a dilapidated house with his daughter (Lauren) and his cat (Olivia), but things don’t seem quite right, and the sense of wrongness intensifies throughout the book, not just with them, but with the flashbacks of Ted’s mother, his budget psychiatrist, his failed attempts at online dating…

Things get even more troubling when a woman named Dee arrives in the neighborhood, searching for answers about her little sister’s disappearance at a nearby lake some years ago. Is Ted the kidnapper? Is Lauren really Dee’s missing sister, Laura? Does someone outside the house mean its residents harm, or is it someone inside? Is the source of the weird discontinuities in the house supernatural, or psychological?

I found myself constantly swinging between feeling sorry for Needless Street’s residents, despising and suspecting different characters of wrongdoing, admiring them for their perseverance in the face of adversity, thinking I had answers, and feeling like there was something I wasn’t quite grasping. A slow burn with gothic undertones steeped in uneasiness and squalor, The Last House on Needless Street is an oppressive mystery that, despite all its darkness and confusion, arrives a hopeful and satisfactory ending and rewards an attentive reader.

Audiobook narrator Christopher Ragland does an admirable job of giving each of the characters a distinct voice, energy, and personality.

Audiobook duration: 11h30m
Hardcover: 352 pages

This book comes out in the US on September 28, 2021.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the NetGalley ARC.

I’m sorry I can’t finish listening to this book. I am not enjoying the writing style at all. I find that it’s hard to keep track of what is going on. And I have to be honest I’m really not a fan of the cat dialogue. I will not be posting this book on my Instagram.

Well.... I’m in shock.

This book was like riding a roller coaster. In the beginning you are excited, you have been waiting in line for a while and it’s your turn to get on. The ride starts and your curious how intense it really is.... you think you have it all figured out and it will not be as intense as everyone has told you. Then out of nowhere you are going 100 miles a minute and there is no where to go... you better hold on tight and pray your safety bar is secure.

At the end of the ride, you are going to be exhausted, sick and scared...but, you’ll want to do it all over again!

I’m not going to put any spoilers or details right now in this review... I’m going to wait until you get a chance to read it yourself. I think going into this book blind is the way to go!

Hold on... this one is a crazy ride.

Okay…so this is my first venture into audiobooks and it just isn’t going to be my cup of tea. I was tuning the narration out just a few minutes in. I do have this preordered and will be buying a physical copy, though. So excited to read this ASAP!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for an audiobook copy of this book in return for an honest review!

Rarely do I struggle to find words about a book that I loved, but I find myself in that position right now. THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET blew me away.

There are many narratives here and several threads to follow-most of which lead down spoiler lane. But after mulling it over, here is what I've come up with:

This tale is beautifully written and I was immediately drawn to these characters and making assumptions about them. The author's skills in character building are nearly unmatched, and I had clear pictures in my head of all of them. Them being: Ted the awkward man who's overweight, and lives in a boarded up house; Lauren, Ted's daughter, who is rarely seen outside because it's much safer for her inside; Olivia, Ted's cat. Olivia likes to read the bible, worship the lord, nuzzle up to Ted and she doesn't go outside either. Lastly, there's Dee whose sister disappeared back when Dee was a teenager and that event has loomed over her life ever since, like a huge dark joy-sucking shadow.

The entire book is written in such a way that the mysteries keep piling up and the reader begins to wonder how all these secrets are going to be disclosed before the story comes to an end. But have no doubt, dear reader, when these secrets are unleashed it will leave you off centered and a bit stunned.

A sublime book of psychological dark fiction, both beautifully crafted and well told, I know that I'll be reading this book again. Even though it has already divulged all of its secrets to me, there is a certain joy in reading thoughtful, powerful prose. Beyond the enjoyment of the story itself, is the joy of words and how they are put together to create a flawless narrative. A narrative that, in the end, may have made this black-hearted horror lover break down and cry. Maybe.

You know what? I just can't do this book justice with my measly words, so I'll just say that THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET has earned my highest recommendation!

A special note regarding the audio version: Christopher Ragland was simply OUTSTANDING! I will be searching out other books in which he narrates because he was just that good.

*Thank you so very much to Tor/Nighfire and to NetGalley for the e-ARC. paperback ARC and the audio ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

The Last House on Needless Street is a 5-star book that you may not end up liking, but mark my words - you WILL be hearing about it.

In fact, if you listen hard enough, you may even hear the buzz building already. Though it was published in the U.K. in March, it won’t be available in the U.S. until September. So what are North American bibliophiles doing to get copies? Firing off requests to publishers, buying them online from U.K.-based Book Depository, and mailing them off to one another. Then after they’ve finally read the story, they’re discussing it with one another.

And there is A LOT to discuss.

What is it actually about, you ask? The genius is that people who’ve read it can’t really tell you. The back cover of the U.K. version sums it up quite well:

“This is the story of a murderer. A stolen child. Revenge. This is the story of Ted, who lives with his daughter Lauren and his cat Olivia in an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. All these things are true. And yet some of them are lies.”

Intriguing, huh? I thought so, and I found the reading experience itself to be unsettling as well. Not only do unsettling things occur, but I also was never quite sure what was going on. “What am I reading here?” was a phrase that ran through my head for the duration. While I did have a fairly good hypothesis, which ended up being correct, I wasn’t let down by not being completely blindsided by each reveal. That’s a true testament to author Catriona Ward’s writing. Putting the pieces of her puzzle together felt like a win rather than a loss.

The Last House on Needless Street is being primarily shelved as horror, but that doesn’t feel entirely accurate. It’s a creepy, gothic thriller that 50% of your book club will hate, and the other 50% will appreciate as the modern classic it’s destined to become.

I received the audiobook courtesy of Macmillan Audio via NetGalley. The narrator, Christopher Ragland, is superb and should be a contender for an Audie Award. If he doesn’t receive one, it would be as much of a crime as if you didn’t add this novel to your Must Read list.

Well written with good character development but very predictable to me. I just couldn’t get into it. Is the girl a girl or a cat? Are we really listening to a POV from a cat the entire story? I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I wanted to like this one but really, truly hated it. I do however think I have some pretty specific feedback.

Originally this book was posted as digital review copy with a green cover with gold-ish lettering and a cat on the front. I did read the description, was torn, and ultimately decided not to request it. Later, it was posted as an audiobook with the black 'no cover' and I figured I'd try it. I walk 4-5 miles a day with my dogs so I finish audio books very quickly.

I did NOT like the first section, and it may have had to do with narration. The voice it was read in sounded like a little kid but the things that were saying were clearly from an adult to the point where it was distracting. I think it probably was the guy flashing back to his childhood in that voice but then it was the same voice when he was actually an adult. I'm still not sure honestly. Maybe it came across better on paper.

I also hated the cat's narration. Awful. I have read a number of books told from the dog or cat's perspective and not had a problem with it conceptually but for some reason I just really really hated this cat and everything she said.

For me it just seemed like a mess. I do not think it's mystery/thriller at all, but I do think it's potentially a good fit in the Chuck Palahniuk vein. His stories tend to be a little more out there than I like to read and this one might knock it out of the park with people who like that.

3 ⭐️ for my enjoyment level of the story
5 ⭐️ for the spectacular Audible performance by Christopher Ragland
(I still cannot believe this was just one narrator!)

Sssh! Do you want to know a secret?🤫

👏🏻 Bravo to the marketing team of this novel for saying VERY little, and making us ALL want to know the secrets contained within the pages of this book.

What is said:

That it’s a story of a man named Ted, who lives with his daughter Lauren and his cat Olivia in a house at the end of Needless Street. And, that it’s a story of a murderer, a stolen child and revenge.

Also said:

That all of these things are true. And, at the same time that some of them are lies.

BUT that is all that the beautiful book jacket will tell you.

👏🏻 Bravo to the reviews that have come before mine, which for once, revealed almost nothing more-making this
THE MOST INTRIGUING BOOK OF 2021!

AND! MY MOST ANTICIPATED READ OF THE YEAR!

The story INITIALLY reveals itself through the perspectives of Ted and Olivia.
YES-Olivia the cat!

And, while I struggled to believe that any woman would’ve gotten intimate with Ted-I had no trouble believing in a talking cat! 🙀

As the author will tell you in the afterword (which you MUST read) , the book does begin as HORROR.
But then it evolved into.....something else.

And, it’s the something else we are all not telling you about.
You have to read it for yourself.


Unlike, apparently everyone else, this probably won’t make my favorites list this year.
I didn’t really enjoy the story.

BUT-I can’t argue with the fact that the misdirection was flawless and that I was dying to be in on the secret!
Unique and Creative-4 ⭐️ final rating.

Thank You to Macmillan Audio for providing a listen 🎧 through NetGalley shelf!
And, to my friend Susan for providing a gifted copy 🎁 which I read simultaneously!

Available now in the UK
Available September 28, 2021 in the U.S.

I wish I had been warned there would be so much religious stuff in this book. Every mention of The Lord, The
Bible and "He" speaking was like someone flicking my forehead. If there's this much this early (10% in), I need to get out before I get overwhelmed with needless religiosity.

Aborting now.

I will not rate on any other sites, because it doesn't seem fair.

I am not even going to attempt to summarize this, as I fear that I’ll reveal too much with anything that I say. It’s meant to be a creepy read and if that’s your thing, make sure you take a look at the successfully obscure synopsis on Goodreads.

Anyone who knows me well knows I struggle to relax with lighter reads. While I may occasionally stumble upon a charming tale that encapsulates me, the odds of that happening aren’t great. A dark tale may not be the thing everyone needs, and it isn’t always the best thing for me, but when you throw in a Jesus loving cat’s perspective, which was nothing short of pure hilarity, it certainly helps matters.

In the beginning, I thought this was going to be THE BOOK for me; the one that stimulated all of the happy chemicals in my brain. Coming off the heels of several heavy reads, I needed that relief.
While the book did prove to be a good distraction, it didn’t live up to what I had hoped for.

The biggest issue was that I knew the truth behind what was happening very early on and that was a huge disappointment. One of the most alluring factors of the premise was the promise that I wouldn’t know. I don’t understand how I couldn’t have known, as I thought it seemed glaringly obvious, but the problem may be that I’ve seen this all play out in various ways before.

When I wasn’t yet sure if my assumptions were correct, it was easier to enjoy the story, but I feel a large part of what happened was entertaining only while I was still lost in those questions. Once my suspicion turned to certainty, it was harder to stay engaged, although I was also quite ready to be finished, so I made it through quickly. Despite my perspective change, I’m partially glad I figured it out. I think I would have been very irritated if I’d been shocked by the type of reveals this story provided.

I will say that the author went about all of this in a very unique way and the cat, Olivia, was fun to get to know. I did genuinely need the laugh-out-loud moments her perspective provided. Additionally, in terms of trauma, I was satisfied with the way the author delved into its effects.

Undoubtedly, Edmund Wilson’s quote - “No two persons ever read the same book.” - is true. Many readers have already found this to be mind-blowing. While my opinion doesn’t mirror theirs, I don’t share my experience to dissuade you. I do genuinely hope your own experience is better than mine was, should you choose to pick this one up!

I am immensely grateful to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

The Last House on Needless Street will be available in the US on September 28, 2021.

Haunting, horrifying, touching, and weird - this book really puts the “psycho” in “psychological thriller,” and is one of the best books of 2021. I listened to the audiobook, which was full of absolutely stunning and spectacular vocal performances by Christopher Ragland.

I really trust the master, Stephen King, for my horror book recommendations, so my when I read his blurb saying this book blew him away, I had to read it. Despite my sky-high expectations, I was NOT disappointed by this twisty, gothic horror book full of mysteries and secrets.

It’s pretty hard to discuss this plot without giving any of the fun away, but here goes my small and vague attempt: Ted lives in a decrepit old house on Needless Street. It has boarded up windows and is poorly kept. Soon, we learn that Ted is not alone in the house. At about the same time, we learn about a kidnapping years ago. Is Ted connected to this event?

The very best thing about this book was the characters. Wait, or was it the twisted, perfectly constructed plot? Anyway, I absolutely loved the character of Olivia, to start, and as I went along I found myself loving all the characters...even the ones that seemed like monsters.. This book is constructed in such a way that each character’s narration gives you more and more clues to not only the central mysteries (there are several!) but also enlightens you about the other characters and their parts in the mystery, as well as their unique and creepy roles in each others’ lives.

I must pause to note that the audiobook narrator does one of the best jobs I’ve ever heard voicing numerous very different characters in this extremely complex and varied audiobook. His narration contributed greatly to my listening enjoyment. He was just perfect.

But I think the plot of this story is the real star. It is just spectacular. It has SO many layers, which peel away until you get to the core of one mystery, only to begin uncovering another. The reveals are shocking, crazy, weird, horrifying, and yet there is so much humanity and compassion in this difficult tale. It has been a long time since I felt so drawn in and connected to characters in a book. I did not want them to leave me when it was over. If you have read this book, at this point you might be a little worried about my mental health. But seriously, all the characters,dark though they may be, were so beautifully and emotionally drawn, and they way they all related to each other was very special.

I will say that I did not find the central mystery of this story too hard to figure out .;The author leaves a LOT of clues. But this in no way took away from my enjoyment. It is a super creative, always unfolding and developing mystery that just sucks you in and doesn’t let go.

I really cannot praise this book enough. I foresee awards and probably a movie adaptation in its near future. I’m also planning on reading the physical version of this book to see if it’s different from the audiobook experience, and to see what else I get out of it, knowing what I now know about the ending.

Bravo to Catriona Ward for doing something so creative, new and different in the horror and suspense genre. A truly engrossing, powerful, shocking mystery that will surely stay with me for a long time. Bravo too to this amazing audio narrator for pulling this book off flawlessly!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and the author for one of my most anticipated, and now favorite, books of 2021. I need more than 5 stars for this one! 🌟

I really wanted to love this book but I struggled to get invested in the storyline and the narration. I just kept thinking “what am I listening to?”. Sadly, this one just wasn’t for me.

I’m sitting at my microtome at work. It’s almost 5am and I’ve been at work for just over an hour and I think, WTH am I listening to?
Two more hours go by and I say again, WTH am I listening to?
And then it’s clear. Well, not really. I’m listening to a story about madness. Well sort of......There’s a crime, cruel parents and madness. And maybe not in that order.
It will take a minute to get into. You’ll have to push past the cat part and then it will start to come together. I did find it very interesting and thought it very well done. There’s nothing predictable about it. I think my mystery friends will enjoy it.
Audiobook version narrated by Christopher Ragland. He did a great job. I’d definitely listen to him again.

Thank you Netgalley.

I received the audio book to this one!
Such an intelligent, well-written, stylish psychological thriller, written in mutiple distinct voices!
The writing here is just incredible,. And I've never read anything like before!
It takes serious thinking to write like this and Ward did it perfectly!

The house is creepy, that’s all there is to it. It sits alone, abandoned at the end of a dead end street, surrounded by untamed forest. The inhabitants consist of a man who sits blankly, staring at a television, a teenage girl who is not allowed outside after dark and a cat. Ted is a shadow of himself these days and isn’t sure whether he looks forward to visits from his boisterous teenage daughter, or dreads them. Ted gets a new neighbor, Dee, who is sure that Ted is responsible for the disappearance of her little sister 11 years before. And Dee intends to make Ted confess to his crimes, no matter what it takes. A darkly told, thrilling contemporary Gothic

Rating: 9.5/10

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of The Last House on Needless Street for review consideration. This did not influence my thoughts or opinions.

The Last House on Needless Street is as good, if not better, than advertised. Believe all of the hype surrounding this novel from names like Stephen King, Joe Hill, Paul Tremblay, Alex North, Sarah Pinborough and a litany of others. It is an absolutely mesmerizing novel; a bone-chilling masterwork of dark fiction that is as disquieting as it is heart-wrenching. A true standout in the genre.

I’ve been watching the hype surrounding this book for a while now and have been waiting on pins and needles for an advance reading copy so I could absolutely devour it. Not many novels have the ability to instantaneously sink its claws into you, shred every nerve in your body, and leave you a messy puddle on the floor… but this one did. The only others that come to mind are Gone Girl, The Only Good Indians, You, and maybe a handful of others.

I’m sure most of you have already seen the Deadline article where Andy Serkis (yes, THAT Andy Serkis) alongside Jonathan Cavendish will be making a film adaptation (if not, here is the link.) I’m not going to say that is unheard of before a book has even been published world-wide, but it is still a super noteworthy thing. You know, on top of the dozens of other massive praiseworthy articles, lists, etc. it is already making its rounds on.

What I am saying is… READ THIS FREAKING BOOK AS SOON AS YOU CAN.

I found Ward’s writing very intriguing, especially in the onset. It is a completely different style than what I am used to which is probably part of the reason I found it impossible to put down. The way in which she wrote the beginning couple of chapters asked way more questions that it answered and had me searching page after page well into the darkest part of the evening. Much like the synopsis on Goodreads…

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…

every time you think you have it figured out, you are completely wrong. Like, WAY wrong. Even after finishing, (which in order to read this section, you HAVE TO FINISH. Otherwise, you will ruin the book for yourself) I had to read Ward’s Afterward where she explains how she came up with the story idea and all of the research she put into it. Utterly fascinating.

You’ll fall in love with the characters, hate them, feel sorry for them, and will end up in a pool of your own tears by the final turn of the page.

Ward is a very new author to me, and probably most of you. I keep asking myself “WHY?” Why am I just now finding out about her? TLHoNS isn’t a debut; it is actually her 3rd full-length novel. Why did Rawblood and Little Eve fly so far under my radar? Who knows, but I will definitely be purchasing both by the time I am done writing this review.

Time to end the review. I simply have nothing else to give. Buy the book and thank me later.