This book was intriguing from the start. It left me scratching my head several times as I tried to figure out what was happening. I think this would be a good book for a book club because it would provide many topics for discussion.

OK. I can see how other people are really excited about this book. But unfortunately, it just isn't for me. The beginning felt like it dragged on forever so that by the time I got to the action, I just wanted it to be over. I also don't like animal narrators. But I know lots of people love it so again, this is probably just a case of "not for me".

This book gave me the kind of chills that is expected from any thriller but which most fail to deliver. I loved it so much. The author kept me on the edge and I could not have guessed the ending even in my wildest outrageous theories, conspiracies, or fantasies. The writing was impeccable and the narration was amazing to the least. Along with the horror aspect, the mental health aspect was marvelous. I am keen to learn more about it and am looking forward to the author's other books.

A really incredible story with a unique story line and some wild twists. The narrator was a HUGE plus to this story. He built a creepy vibe into the story, almost like the background music in a movie. WOW, just WOW!

3.5 stars

Dark, twisted, compelling

I am grateful to Macmillan Audio for sending me an advanced copy of this audiobook for review.

This was an interesting one, definitely more of a terror based novel than a horror or a thriller. This story was like an onion, with constant changing of the apparent plot direction and ever changing perspectives. I will say early that I'm sure some reviewers will say that this book uses mental illness as a plot twist, but I want to disagree with that. Whether you accept authors writing mental illness into books or not is going to be a personal choice, but the illness did not feel thrown in for the purposes of a plot twist. Rather, the story felt like its structure was atypical because of the perspective we were in, but the big plot twists were not dependent on that at all.

This story had two main characters, a neuro-divergent main character and a neuro-typical character. The shifting of perspectives between them, the way the story feels like it's being told to us by the characters rather than experienced through them, and the de-personification ( I made that word up... right?) of all the other characters (Bug Man, Girl With Popsicle, Chihuahua Lady etc) created a story where the reader is never sure about what is happening. Loved that, but my biggest criticism is that I found the story to be too long for what it was.

The story was that all seemed to meander but served to bring us to an understanding of who the characters were and why their motivations existed. Some aspects of the plot felt like we were receiving the character's version of events, and gave the story an eerie and almost supernatural feeling. We were kept at a distance sometimes and then suddenly we would be brought in close in a very jarring way. Add in the claustrophobic setting and you have a very disturbing story.

I enjoyed reading this and I thought it was an interesting new terror/horror. I would recommend this to fans of psychological horror stories, and though very different, I think fans of Gerald's Game will enjoy this.

I will point out that the depictions of abuse in this story are intense, and if this is something you are sensitive to (specifically child abuse) then be cautious.

I have no idea to review this book because I don't want to reveal too much. So, I plan on rambling a bit. I'll be honest when I saw it described as horror I was put off but It isn't supernatural horror. Several times I was tempted to stop listening, the anxiety and trepidation are real. I'm so glad I didn't. You first meet Ted, then Lauren, his daughter. Olivia, the God loving homosexual cat, is next. Ted is a sad man who loses time and I wanted to feel sorry for him at times but there's a woman who is convinced Ted kidnapped her sister years ago. Madness, mayhem, courage, and absolute insanity reign supreme in this book. I absolutely adored this book and it would be a perfect spooky October read!

Wow. This book is crazy. It took me a bit to be pulled completely in, but once I was invested, I couldn’t put it down! Lots of fun twists and turns that were really well plotted and surprising. Looking forward to other books by this author!

Every thriller lover should make The Last House On Needless Street by Catriona Ward their next book or audiobook. I was got. Every thriller troupe I thought was being used I was completely wrong. I went on a wrong turn journey with this story and loved every delicious mind bending moment.

This paragraph is where I usually give a plot description but almost anything I write would be misleading you. So I am going to give the few things I know for sure. Hopefully it will not ruin anything for you.

Lulu at six years old, known as the Little Girl with Popsicle, goes missing during a trip to the lake with her parents and big sister Dee. Years later Dee moves next door to Ted once a suspect in Lulu's disappearance. Lulu has never been found and despite an alibi Dee is sure Ted took her.

Ted is the star of this story. He is a loner. He likes late night walks in the creepy woods by his house. He tells us his daughter Lauren can be problematic, his indoor cat Olivia might be a lesbian and he doesn't trust his psychiatrist. Fair warning some of these sentences are not all true.

Whatever awards are given audiobook narrators Christopher Ragland deserves all of them. It is not just the number of roles he plays but the magnitude of emotions he displays is as mind blowing as the reveals at the end of the audiobook.

I went on an embarrassing misdirection journey with this psychological thriller. The first third of the book I told a friend how this story was about a missing child. The second third I said the book took a weird turn with Olivia the cat. Then at the end I just said to her forget everything I said nothing was what I thought and you MUST LISTEN TO THIS AUDIOBOOK!

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am having a struggle coming up with the correct way to describe this book. It is a murder mystery, a character study, and a complete mind game. There are a few main characters and the book is generally told from their perspectives. There is Ted, the dad, son, hermit, drunkard. There is Olivia, his cat. Lauren, his daughter. Delilah, the sister of a missing girl. There are the green boys, and the gods, and the white trees, and a whole slew of calmly escalating insanity and sadness. I went into this book blind. I was pleasantly surprised by the way it was both written and performed. I love books like this because figuring out the nuances is a real treat. This one upended everything I thought and threw me for a loop in the best of ways. This is a book that I would feel comfortable with my 13 yo reading, yet it is unnerving to me in so many ways. The narration done by Christopher Ragland was spot on and absolutely perfect for this tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I couldn't get past the first 10%. but would recommend it if you are interested. who knows?!

This was a trippy horror book to start off the spooky fall and Halloween season. There are rave reviews for this one, so I couldn’t wait to get into it. It was definitely a creepy book, but it also got weird in a way I didn’t necessarily enjoy. It’s very hard to explain the premise of this one without giving much away, but it follows a missing girl and a suspect. Not much is what at seems and at the end, I’m not sure I followed all the twists. I liked it fine enough, but did not love it as so many others seemed to. 3 stars ⭐️. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy for review.

What a creepy, chilling and befuddling novel. The narration is great but the author delivers the emotion and the chills of this unique story. A good listen that got get me in the spooky mood. I did not love it but I can appreciate the tail.
This book has the chance to be one of the most polarizing books of the year. I think you’ll either love it or hate it.

Wow… I did not enjoy this book! I suppose that as fas as thrillers go it did keep me guessing until the last bit, but overall I just really didn’t like it. I didn’t like any of the MCs, I found the first 3/4 of the book very confusing, so it was really hard to stick it out. Even the ending wasn’t overly satisfying, though it did answer most of the questions I had throughout the rest of the book.

I don't even know what I just read! This was the most bizarre, unusual story I've possibly ever read. Told from alternating perspectives from a multiple personality disordered kitten, a young boy and an older man, all of whom have some dark connections to murder and serial killers. I honestly couldn't figure out what the heck was going on in this story and felt lost most of the time. It is very atmospheric, with the creepy house playing a central role. This one was definitely a case where I was sucked in by a gorgeous cover that kind of left me wanting. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copies. The kitten narrator was definitely the best part of the story for me!

4 1/2 Stars for book & content
5 stars for narration

All I can say as I finish the audio for this book is ....WOW....just WOW.

The Last House on Needless Street was a clever and twisty book like no other. The first part of the book - - several chapters of "setup" in the beginning - - felt slow to me. I had a difficult time getting into the story and was concerned that I wouldn't be able to make it through the audio. But I seriously had NO clue. This book is brilliant in a way that simply cannot be described.....and if I even try, I'm in danger of exposing the great twists and surprises. This book is best enjoyed with as little knowledge of the premise as possible. Also, don't read many reviews in order to avoid potential spoilers.

I feel safe in saying that the book revolves around a troubled man named Ted. He live a quiet and mostly solitary existence with his cat and daughter. He rarely socializes with the neighbors and seems to not trust anyone. Ted is notable quite socially awkward. Yet, you aren't quite sure of his full story. This book will explain how Ted got to where he is. In addition, we'll be introduced to other characters along the way and will learn how they connect to the overall storyline.

If at any point in this book, you think it's not for you, try to hang in there a little longer. I believe in most cases, people will end up connecting to the story with a little time. I also recommend that you pay attention to details - - they may be a clue to something else later on.

As for the narration of this book, I have to say that was also pretty incredible. The narrator, Christopher Ragland is an amazing talent and was able to created different voices and personalities for the many characters. It was impressive and definitely made the audiobook even more enjoyable. I highly recommend the audio version as it was entertaining and kept my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

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.

You think you know what’s inside the last house on Needless Street. You think you’ve read this story before. But you’re wrong. In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street, something lies buried. But it’s not what you think…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ted Bannerman lives on the "Last house on Needless Street." The house is boarded up, has triple locks on the doors and backs up to the forest. Ted is pretty much confined to his house, he's severely overweight, drinks too much but, he likes going out at night and also loves feeding the birds in his backyard. He has a cat named Olivia, who also narrates this story and, her POV provides some excellent perspective so readers need to pay attention to her POV. Ted also has a young daughter Lauren who only resides with him sometimes but, where she lives otherwise is a bit of a mystery. The neighbors think Ted is strange and his property is often the target of vandals and pranksters. Then there is Dee, a new neighbor, who moves in next door. She is definitely suspicious of Ted and she thinks he might know what had happened to her sister who disappeared when she a very young girl years earlier. What's up with Ted and did he have anything to do with the missing girls disappearance?

Ted comes across as very gentle and sincere but, something is definitely off with him. I viewed him with both suspicion and sympathy the more the story progressed. As he enlightens us to missing pieces of his childhood, it's easy to see his mother was a definite kook. Olivia the cat was another terrific POV that added insight into both Ted and Lauren as well as things that have been happening around the house.

When I first came across this book I thought it seemed like a perfectly awesome choice for my list of darker fall weather stories and, this one worked out great. The audio, read by Christopher Ragland, was excellent. Although this is described as falling into both the psych thriller and horror genres - there was no horror but, it is quite creepy at times. How can a creepy book make a reader feel sad and sympathetic toward a person like Ted? That's what made this story so good; this author has real talent and made this story so compelling. I can see why this has already been optioned for a movie as well. A perfect RIP Challenge pick. I'm so happy I listened to this one as well.

Rating - 4.5/5 stars


The audio book download was provided to me by Macmillan Audio and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.
https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2021/09/book-review-last-house-on-needless.html

Thank you to Macmillan Audio & Netgalley for gifting the audiobook & Tor Nightfire for an advance copy!
——
The book is about Ted who lives with his daughter, Lauren, and his cat, Olivia, in the last house on Needless Street. Ted has long been suspected of being involved with a missing child and often got his house vandalized by the public, hence he lives in permanent isolation with occasional visits to the forest. The rest of the time is spent on old nostalgia with his parents or recording recipes or drinking. Lauren visits him occasionally but then goes away to an unknown place. Olivia is a religious cat whose sole mission is to take care of Ted, her God-given birthright.

Wait, what? 🧐

That’s how I felt in the first several pages. But keep reading…don’t stop. I promise you, every missing nut and bolt falls into place. I cannot say much more without spoiling something, and believe me, you do not want this book to get spoiled. Very clever writing from the author.

I HIGHLY recommend getting the audiobook. The narrators brought the characters to life. In particular, I really enjoyed the cat narration and the noises she made. If you’re a cat lover and horror lover, this book is for you.

Although I have to add, this book isn’t traditional horror, maybe a bit tamer horror. It’s a mix of thriller/mystery/horror. Nonetheless a book I am going to recommend wholeheartedly. Go in blind and enjoy the experience! I cannot wait to read more of Catriona Ward books!

The Last House On Needless Street is a difficult book to review, the less you know about the plot going in, the better.
The official synopsis:
“In a boarded up house on a dead end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. A teenage girl who isn’t allowed outside, not after last time. A man who drinks alone in front of his tv, trying to ignore the gaps in his memory. And a house cat who loves napping and reading the bible. An unspeakable secret binds them together, but when a new neighbour moves in next door, what is buried out among the birch trees may come back to haunt them all…”

The story is told from multiple points of view: Ted, Olivia (the cat and she is wonderful in her observations about humans), Dee—Ted’s new neighbour, and Lauren. None of them are reliable. They withhold information from the reader, from each other, and even from themselves, the malleability of memory—especially in regard to trauma—is a key theme. In her author’s note (don’t start the book there) Ward describes the book as “a story about survival, disguised as a book about horror.” This is a very accurate description.
Ward takes a used before horror device and portrays it in a way that’s much more sympathetic, less superficial, but without making it any less scary or twisty - because survival itself and the things survived are pretty horrific. This book is somewhere between horror, psychological thriller and literary fiction. It was a fabulous book for the season definitely a spooky read with the darker parts of the forest at the end of Needless Street getting their role in the story.
The narration was fabulously done and added to the story - I loved how Christopher Ragland did the different voices for the different points of view ! It was wonderful to listen and feel this story develop !

“How many times can someone bend before they break for ever? You have to take care, dealing with broken things; sometimes they give way, and break others in their turn.” Catriona Ward, The Last House on Needless Street

Holy cow… what a ride! I feel like I’ve just gotten off a tilt-a-whirl through a fun house!

I truly had no idea what I was listening to when I started. I was literally shaking my head thinking what the heck is going on? Very, very bizarre… a talking cat? Seriously? But, again, I kept faith in my GR’s friends reviews and kept listening. I even read a bunch of their reviews hoping to get some hints as to what the heck was going on, only to be met with several ‘this story must be experienced to really be appreciated.’ It was at about the 30% mark that I finally started to feel like I was making some sense of what was going on. Felt that at this point I’d found the key and from then on it started to make sense.

From totally bizarre to heartbreakingly sad this story will muddle with all of your emotions… like putting them in a jar and shaking. The ending did drag a bit, but it was a needed cool down after the marathon run of this story.

I listened to this on audio and I would highly, highly recommend this format. Christopher Ragland does an absolutely brilliant job in his narration… so much so that I would’ve sworn it was more that one person. Truly an award winning performance that I think lends so much authenticity to these characters.

This novel will definitely be popping up on all the Best Of 2021 book lists, if not, then a true crime has been committed. Story: 4.5 stars, narration: 5+stars.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fabulous listen (or read), but not an easy one. It is a very dark, scary, creepy twisted psychological thriller that is so well crafted that even of you are sure you know the answers you will most probably be wrong. We meet and get to know so many people along the way with their own agendas all trying to find out what happened all those years ago. A brilliant book that will have your mouth agape at the end.