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.

The book is more psychological horror than straightforward horror and that threw me off for the first half of the book. Once I finally understood what was going on, I really enjoyed the mental gymnastics and darkness the readers were given.

Wow. Just - wow. This was SUCH an intense, atmospheric, creepy story!! I honestly don't want to say much beyond that, as far as the actual story, because it would be too easy to give something away and this is DEFINITELY a story best read blind, so you can take everything in as it is delivered to you. To help with that, I found the narrator, Christopher Ragland, to be excellent - he really differentiated the characters and made them come alive for me. The narrator in an audiobook often makes or breaks the story for me - and Ragland most assuredly helped make this one as unique an experience as it was. He was a marvelous credit to Ward's exceptional story!

The writing in the first half of the book was incredible - I was hooked and imagining a million different ways that things might go... The second half felt a little more meandering and as things started to come to a head it became pretty obvious to me where a lot of this was going. I didn't mind really - the story was captivating in a darkly fascinating way throughout - but it definitely felt slower-going at times than the first half did, and I occasionally wondered how on earth Ward was going to pluck another 5 hours of story out of the air!

This is not a tale for the weak of heart - it's disturbing on a number of levels, but it's written with compassion and care not to become gruesome or voyeuristic for the sake of attention-grabbing. I give Ward a LOT of credit for that, because it seems like many authors lately are going down that path. She doesn't have to - she has demonstrated that she has great storytelling instincts, and I will definitely be looking for more from her!

First time with this author and won't be the last. Thoroughly enjoyed this slow burn story. It was creepy and eerie. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

This is one of those books that's hard to write about without giving away too much. Murder mystery, as a whole, falls into that category, but this one is just extra.

I was very, very close to DNFing this book early on when Olivia was first introduced. I wasn't thrilled with an idea of a narrating cat, one who reads the bible and says G.D. all the time. Not that <i>actual<i> swearing would bother me. However, I'm very glad I continued on due to the positive reviews.

There are clues, and I thought I had figured out a lot of the mystery, but holy cow. File this one under unreliable narrator 100x!

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54621094-the-last-house-on-needless-street">The Last House on Needless Street</a> is chock full of interesting, no fascinating, characters. Even if you don't like them or love them, they are really really bizarre and kept the book interesting and fresh at every turn.

My only negative comment is that while I enjoyed the audio version and the different narrators for different characters, I sometimes wanted to go back to check on the clues to the mystery. This is not the book's fault, of course, just something that nagged at me more than it has with other audiobooks.

This review and more available at <a href="http://www.cometgrrl.com/book-reviews">cometgrrl.com</a>.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Good Day, thank you to Catriona Ward and Macmillan Audio along with Catriona Ward for the Auto-Approved audiobook!
Are you a reader? Well it doesn’t matter if you are living under a rock, you have heard of the buzz surrounding this novel! And yes it is buzzworthy! Whatever the heck that means! There have been comparisons to Gillian Flynn, and I do believe that this novel is worthy of those comparisons.
This book, along with all books IMO, but is particularly important here is to go into the novel without reading the synopsis. It is a thriller and mystery with dark lit themes, yes even with the Cat Narrator! Ha! That is the most synopsis you will get out of me!
There are plenty of twists along the way, and not your run of the mill twists, good stuff. And as we all know the twists don’t work unless the story and the characters are there to back them up, and they certainly are present in this novel.
Very smart, and difficult to determine who is the “bad guy” A true mystery, not really a horror book, just great storytelling and strong characters. Obviously going to be a big hit, and I am sure this will be a film one day.
The story is told in POV chapters, which like a lot of folks is not my favorite, but the story was so strong that it overcame the format for me.
Again, great story telling and mystery, enjoy the read and The Cat!
Thanks for reading, and Stay Safe!

Very twisty book! Every time I thought I knew what was going on the perspective would change again. I never would have guessed what actually happened to Little Girl with Popsicle (lulu)

A great book to discuss serious mental illness, phobias, delusions, and multiple personality disorder. Some parts of the book made me feel very uncomfortable but I think that’s the whole point.

Recommend for horror fans, mental health advocates, and people who love plot twists.

4.83 stars

I won't lie. What drew me to the book the most was the buzz and the fact that people who have read it don't say much about it but give it high ratings. I wanted to be one of those people who are in on the secret and helps keep it!

In my humble opinion, it's best to go into The Last House on Needless Street blind. But if my word is not enough, and you need a bit convincing, we meet Ted, his cat, and daughter, residents of the titular house next to the wild Washington woods.

They each seem to be more than meets the eye and are bound by a dark secret. They try to keep to themselves, but their symbiotic stasis seems to be at risk when a new neighbour moves in.

I read this as an audiobook produced by Macmillan Audio and narrated by Christopher Ragland. The audiobook was excellent. Even though it is a single narrator book, Ragland was so good at giving each character their own voice and personality, I didn't miss the full cast. His pace was impeccable, and his rendition of Olivia was beautiful, respectful, and quite honestly everything! I felt her, and I think that I wouldn't have done as good a job with my "head voice" (what I call when I read it). For this character alone, I highly recommend the audiobook.

Catriona Ward really ticked all of my boxes with this book; her narrative delivers a punch you don't regret getting, and it results in the kind of pain you're thankful for. The atmosphere was so well crafted; it was dark and gloomy and scary and heavy. I do suggest having a light read lined up for after The Last House on Needless Street (unless you can handle carrying people's despair and angst, as an empath, I can't). We follow a few different character's POVs and they each bring their own emotional baggage. That being said, I loved how each character was so unique and so well developed; you get to know each of them well while not knowing who you can trust.

My favourite character was Olivia, the cat. You heard me right – a cat who loves the bible. Experiencing the world through her eyes was such a unique experience I am sure I'll carry it with me for a long time. Ward was supernaturally inspired while writing Olivia; every single sentence made sense. Olivia's experiences made sense; her thoughts were actually believable. Can I explain it? No, but trust me, you get her!

Even though the clues were more psychological, Ward played fair with her solution and delivered it terrifically. It was so layered that I suspect people won't guess it all, but once you know, it makes sense and begs for a reread!

This book is unique and fresh – it's the kind of book you didn't even know you needed to read because your mind never went there – thankfully, Catriona's did! It is, however, a slow burner, and as part of its originality, we have the introduction of new words to describe concepts we know (such as Ted for human, through Olivia's POV). Even though once you get used to it, it becomes part of why the book is so brilliant until you do, it requires a bit of concentration, and for that reason, I didn't enjoy it as much in the beginning.

The Last House on Needless Street is like general anesthesia – until you're under, you fear the unknown and hope for the best. While you're under it, completely immersed in the experience, everything is perfect and feels right. In the end, when you wake up, it feels like you have just been punched, and it takes a while for you to get your bearings but in the best possible way.

This is one of those books that is hard to review because the author has crafted a masterful immersive experience. To say anything about this book is to risk spoiling the reading experience to future readers. I know I would have been upset if I hadn't gone along the journey with no expectations.

Ward is a master. In the Last House on Needless Street, she took some of the scariest horror tropes and spun them on their heads, making them even more frightening yet heartbreaking, poetic, and uncomfortable.
This book is so multidimensional and organic, you catch yourself turning off your brains and just giving in to your emotions – not all of them positive, but each of them intense and visceral.

To me, this book was scary. But I have a hard time putting the kind of fear it evoked in a category. Sorry to be vague, but for your sake, I have to leave it at that.

I will definitely be picking up this book in physical form (pre-order has been placed) as I want to reread it and annotate. This will make a great book club choice, as it begs to be discussed but not spoiled!

I hope this wasn't too vague bit The Last House on Needless Street is a must-read book that you should go in prepared to face some uncomfortable feelings and to carry the thoughts the book provoked for a long time. To me, it was a similar experience as reading Shirley Jackson's books. Amazingly sad and hauntingly beautiful.




#CatrionaWard #MacmillanAudio #TheLastHouseOnNeedlessStreet #Horror #ChristopherRagland #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC

This is twisting, turning, mind-bending take that every time you think you have it figured out … the author jerks you up, spins you around, shakes you about, and leaves you spinning and breathless, unsure of what just happened. This is perfect for fans that love a good mash up of <i>Alice In Wonderland</i> meets <i>The Haunting of Hill House</i> while befriending Stephen King in one of your unending nightmares. This truly kept me on my toes and guessing, and anymore that’s a treat from a novel. The narrator for this keeps your interest and helped bring the creepy chaos to life.

A huge thank you to #NetGalley, #MacmillanAudio, and the talented author Catriona Ward for providing me an advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest opinions. I definitely recommend you have a listen when it’s released Sept. 28, 2021, perfect for your Halloween horror mashup start!

This is twisting, turning, mind-bending take that every time you think you have it figured out … the author jerks you up, spins you around, shakes you about, and leaves you spinning and breathless, unsure of what just happened. This is perfect for fans that love a good mash up of <i>Alice In Wonderland</i> meets <i>The Haunting of Hill House</i> while befriending Stephen King in one of your unending nightmares. This truly kept me on my toes and guessing, and anymore that’s a treat from a novel.

So, should you listen to it as an audiobook? Oh my!! Yes yes and yes!! The narrator, Christopher Ragland, does a fabulous job with this multi view point tale, and without giving away spoilers, he will keep you on your toes as much as reading it for yourself! .



A huge thank you to #NetGalley, #MacmillanAudio and the talented author Catriona Ward for providing me an advanced copy of this thrilling audiobook in exchange for my honest opinions. I definitely recommend you have a listen to this one when it’s released Sept. 28, 2021.

What A RIDE! Well worth the read/listen if you like dark themes and multiple plot twists. This is not a horror novel, so be forewarned, it is more mystery than anything.
When I first started listening to this audiobook by Catriona Ward I wasn’t quite sure if I would be able to keep listening. I mean, a missing little girl, a man who drinks alone sitting in front of a TV worrying over his daughter. and… a talking cat? I mean, what? I thought I had figured it out about halfway through, I honestly did, and I was on the right track, but I was in for a shock. This is the first book I’ve read (audiobook version) by the author and I believe I will read more of her work because of it.

The narrator, Christopher Ragland…let me just say WOW. I went in knowing there was only one narrator but the way he changed his voice for each character is amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him narrate this book. Most narrators just drone on and I get bored or irritated but with Christopher Ragland, I was enthralled. I will listen to more audiobooks narrated by him in the future.

What happened to Little Girl with popsicle? That is the main question of the story. So, to answer that question, let’s first get to know Ted, his cat Olivia, his daughter Lauren and DeeDee, not to mention the Bug-Man. Let’s look through the peephole. Just give it a try. We might see Olivia knocking down Ted’s Bible or Lauren riding her tricycle around the house, or Ted thinking about the Gods buried in the forest. And what’s up with that empty freezer? And why do we never see Lauren outside playing? Why is there plywood over the windows? What is Ted trying to hide? Who just moved into the house next door?

Come on, take a chance. Get on the Needless Street ride, strap yourself in tight, it’s going to be a blast!
*I was provided a free copy of this audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

This is a tough one to review. I enjoyed it for the most part. But this is the type of mystery/thriller where nothing is as it seems and the reader is heavily misled. I generally don't like that direction of writing. I have to give the author props for creativity, because the story did have great depth. I just can't say I appreciate the cheap twists. I might have enjoyed this more in physical format rather than audiobook. I thought Olivia's chapters were pretty unbearable with all of the meows and references to the Lord and the use of "GD". Ultimately by the end, when all the revelations came to fruition, I felt empty. It was surprising, but not in a pleasant way.

This book had so much hype surrounding it that I went in very apprehensive. I also went in knowing next to nothing at all about the plot, and I think I liked the book better for that.
The story is told in multiple POVs which sometimes can be a slog, but in this story it worked well. As the story gradually came together there was a certain predictability on the way that the plot would go, but I was still enthralled the entire time. The reveal was slow and I enjoyed taking the time to put it all together.
There were some spots in the middle where it felt like it dragged a little bit, so I think it could have used some work with pacing, which is why I only gave 4 stars, but I think that this book was excellent and I think it deserves the hype.
The audio was well produced as well and the narrators were good.

3.5

👍 Slow burn mystery
👍 Multi POV
👍 Character Driven
👍 Dark themes
😐 Plot twists


The Last House on Needless Street markets itself as a book about a serial killer/murder, as though it covers a grand mystery, but that's not really true. It's also not really a horror, as it is marketed. It's a slow-burning character drama with some dark themes. It's also very weird.

The story is focused on Ted. He lives in a boarded-up house with his cat Olivia. His daughter Lauren also visits. It also focuses on Dee, who is trying to uncover the mystery of who abducted her sister many years ago. Sharing anything else about the book is spoiler-heavy, though one thing I haven't seen mentioned is that Ted has a few co-morbid mental disabilities. A lot of this book is written through an extremely childlike perspective and can be jarring to some readers.

On top of the unique way Ted communicates and sees the world, The Last House on Needless Street is a very strange and isolating book. I can see it being off-putting to a lot of people because of how heavy it is with uncomfortable slice-of-life moments- from the life and times of Olivia the cat, to Ted navigating the disability of his own daughter, to his own struggles and substance abuse issues. It's written with intense fragmentation.

There are several plot twists in this book. None of them are super hard to figure out, but I did see them as a little more lazy and stereotypical for a thriller. Some of the twists I was hoping for, which would have made the story a little more spooky, did not in fact happen. I also felt like the twists made up for a few awkward plot holes and sort of exhausted me when the book was finished.

There were points in this book I didn't want to put it down and carved out my day to listen to them. The audiobook is exceptional and the narrator is incredible. There were also a lot of lows, especially after mysteries were revealed. The wrap up was also a little slow for my taste.

This is a very grim and gripping book, and I am glad I listened to it in audio--the narrator was spectacular, doing a variety of different voices and accents. I will look for more books by this author, Catriona Ward, as well as more recordings by the narrator, Christopher Ragland. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc of the audiobook. It was excellent!

Ted is a loner. He lives in Needless Street and avoids his neighbors. His only companions are his cat, Olivia, and his daughter Lauren who comes for short visits too.

Ted's parents are both gone and his childhood home is now his house. He tries to maintain the upkeep of his property but he doesn't do a very good job. When he was a kid he used to go to school but he never really developed close friendships. His mother was a nurse and she took care of him after his father left.

Ted became a recluse when his face was in the newspapers. His face was associated with the disappearance of a young girl. She disappeared near the lake and her body was never found. People said Ted had an alibi, but the girl's sister, Dee is not too sure.

Is Ted the monster who took Lulu? Did Ted kill her? If so, can Dee find out the truth?

You would have to read (or listen to it as I did) this book to know what really happens.

Yes, this book is unconventional. Olivia, the cat, has her own chapters which might dissuade some readers. I will say, persevere, IT'S WORTH IT. Furthermore, I think Olivia became my favorite character.

The audio was superb and the narrator did a wonderful job at interpreting each character and their own turmoil.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Macmillan Audio/Macmillan-Tor/Forge via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wow..how do I even begin?
This story follows Ted, his daughter Laura, and his Cat Olivia. They all live in the house at the end of Needless Street close to the forest. We come in as a girl has been murdered, and we get several different perspectives. You will want to go in as blind as you can to get the full effect of the story. This story is weird, but in a very good way. Just remember to stick it out until the end, it is worth it.
You think you know what is happening,but you would be wrong. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy. I read this by way of the audio book, and it really was a showstopper, but I already want to reread this in physical form to fully I understand.
Thank you to netgalley for the copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Full disclosure: I received an ARC from the publisher.

I heard enough good things to want to give this book a try, and I am very happy that I did. I work as a librarian, and as soon as this is around here (US), I'm definitely going to be recommending it.
Definitely plays with your expectations, and messes with them nicely.

This is definitely a very original book. I don’t think I have ever read anything like it. The characters are very strange and disturbing. You know something is wrong without really knowing what is going on. This one definitely holds all it’s cards until the end. I found myself surprised at what actually happened. Definitely a good book if you want to be surprised and love a twist ending.

This book was definitely unlike any other book I’ve read. It’s easiest comparison would be a spoiler. But this reads as a confusing, almost heartbreaking story about the lonely resident of the last house in needless street.

His only friends are his cat and his daughter. It’s almost sad at how this character’s story pans out as it flashes into the past. I think my only main criticism that did bother me a bit was how mental illness was portrayed. I won’t go into detail for the sake of spoilers.