It’s really not what you think.

Overall, this book was phenomenal. If you’re a fan of horror and psychological thrillers then you won’t be able to put this book down. You’ll constantly be guessing how the story will unfold and yet you’ll reach the last page and be awestruck. However, I will admit that at the start I was a little off-put.

It took me a while to get the cadence of Ward’s writing. There are multiple characters to follow and they each have a unique voice. The only thing I knew right away was that the cat was hilarious. Here’s this ultra religious cat calling people gd (goddamn) psychos plopped down into a kidnapping story and you’re just expected to go along with it. Yet as the book continues you start to unearth more and more that has you reeling to understand what’s truly happening.

I’m glad this book kept me guessing. However, I did feel Dee’s characters was difficult to comprehend. It took until the end for me to grasp her essence, but even then I didn’t feel much for her character.

I’m also glad Ward utilized her writing skill to address the underlying issues in the book (which she did wonderfully). Honestly, I wish I could read it again for the first time because it was that great!

The Last House on Needless Street is a solid and original thriller that occasionally gets caught up in its own twists. This title is difficult to review without revealing spoilers. Ward builds a solid foundation, with characters the reader roots for, and her reveals are, for the most part, earned. The tension she creates propels the story and the reader definitely becomes invested in the outcome. At times the narrative is confusing--there are a lot of voices here, each with their own perspective and it can be difficult to keep them straight. The fact that they are all, to some extent, unreliable adds to the confusion but also the tension. One less subplot, one less motif, would make for a sharper but no less rewarding reading experience.

I found the premise of this book very intriguing. Unfortunately, the writing style and the characters didn't click for me and I couldn't get into the book. After reading the first Olivia POV, I was put-off and then found Ted's POV very odd. I guess this just wasn't my kind of book.

There are definitely some twists I didn't see coming, but the writing style didn't work for me. I can understand what the author was trying to do after reading the "Afterward" but it wasn't an enjoyable book to get through.

One of my favorite reads of this year! The way the author was able to make me feel for all of these characters was absolutely stunning. I felt a pull to characters that I would have never thought I would and this story had twists that I loved. I don’t tend to get emotional in this genre, so making something that is truly horrifying, dark, and emotionally compelling is a real talent. Once you pick this book up you won’t stop thinking about it until you finish.

The Stephen King blurb on the cover - "A true nerve-shredder that keeps its mind-blowing secrets to the very end" - makes me think he didn't read the book; because this is the most underrated statement I've ever seen!

I read, and edit, a lot of horror; have been for over 45 years. It's my main reading genre, and something I know quite a bit about. I can say with 100% certainty that I have never read a book such as this.

I want to post a warning, however. This is an extremely slow-burn, almost to the point that some readers may give up on the book within the first few chapters. But you need to stick with it. Like a Russian Matryoshka doll, there are multiple layers - and just when you think you have it figured out... Sorry, you don't.

The problem here is that there is no way to write a decent review without giving anything away. The only thing I can say is this - even after finishing the book, your mind continues to process what you just read. Catriona weaves a magnificent tale and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

A well written thriller that will have readers thinking about this book for days, and wanting more from this author. While thrillers are not my favorite to read, the characters And plot are well written and fun to read.

I had such high hopes for this book but was disappointed. Without including spoilers, the concept of the story and the twist earned the third star because the writing style was extremely hard to follow and did not keep my attention like I hoped it would.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of possibly the creepiest book you'll read this year, or any other year for that matter.
Like to be creeped out to the point of getting actual chills? Like to be dazzled by so many twists, your head' will spin faster than Linda Blair's in "The Exorcist"?
Hoo boy, have I got a book for you.
For anyone who, like me, can never get enough scary thrillers to stay up all night with, this one should go on that list titled "Books I gotta have in my in my hands like yesterday."
This one plunges so far down a twisted abyss of psychosis, dysfunction and heartbreak, you may never think you or the book will ever crawl out out of it and see daylight again.
Four narrators tell the story here....There's ..Ted, a lonely, strange man living a hermit-like life in a lonely strange house with all the windows boarded up, except for a few peepholes. (Feel free to say "Uh oh....")
Also in the house - Lauren, supposedly Ted's young daughter......though it seems she's most likely the now grown older Lulu, who, at six years old, vanished from a family lakeside vacation, presumably abducted.. It's an unsolved disappearance that happened not far from Ted's house, which led to Ted being briefly questioned and suspected.
And also padding and purring around the premises - Olivia, Ted's cat. (Yes, she's an active narrator too and a character as vividly rendered and verbal as Ted and Lauren.
Finally there's Dee, Lulu's haunted ,driven older sister, who's moved to Ted's street in the obsessed belief that Lulu's still alive. and a prisoner in that forbidding house as a long time captive of Ted. The police may have quickly taken Ted off their suspect list, but he's been on Dee's for a lifetime.
Is it possible that these three humans and the feline may or may not be unreliable narrators?
Are you kidding? This book takes unreliable narration to almost unheard of, stratospheric heights. This may be the first thriller I've read where virtually every sentence might prove untrustworthy. You can try to make rational, educated guesses as to what's going on, but nothing can quite prepare you for the actual reveals in store for you.
As the novel progressively turns sicker, sadder and weirder, author Ward slowly but surely peels away all the secrets and twists like multiple layers of an onion.. And it's one hell of a deep, dark onion.
And none of these secrets, twists and stunning surprises are anything I'd expected when I started reading it. Yes, there's horror aplenty here, but as the revelations unfold, I could see this author had way more ambitious intentions on her mind ......to move her readers emotionally.
And she achieves that brilliantly. This story's designed to haunt and unsettle you long after you've turned the last page..
I dare not say one more word other than my rating. Without question a 5 star must read all the way. The kind of book that can give you a few nightmares and break your heart at the same time.

The family in the last house on Needless Street has secrets. Secrets they can't tell anyone. Now a new neighbor with questionable motives has moved in and it looks like everything is about to unravel. This book is the kind that makes you squirm with discomfort. Chew on your nails while you read. And it absolutely blew me away. A phenomenal atmospheric horror where things may not be as they seem. A very strong five stars and one of the best books I’ve read all year.

This book gradually unveils the truth as you proceed through it. It is a strange and dark experience and I found myself confused and disturbed many times before I finished it. Probably the less you know about this particular read the better off you'll be in terms of really taking it in. I sure know a lot more about Dissociative Identity Disorder than I knew before because I immediately did some research on it after completion of this book. What a strange ride.

<i>The Last House On Needless Street<i> is a dark, twisting, ribbon of a story. It's about children that go missing, and children that get lost, and the power of the will to survive. It's about a man named Ted Bannerman, and the people (and pets) that come and go through his grim, secluded life. It's a spooky ride, but one you'll want to see through 'til the end. Fans of Sarah Pinborough will find plenty to enjoy in Ted's world.

Thanks to Tor/Nightfire and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title.

I tried I really did but I just can't get into this book. A cat as a narrator? I just don't find that very interesting.

I was really looking forward to reading this book after seeing some great reviews. Unfortunately I did not share these folks opinion. I love to read and once I start a book I am determined to finish it. This was the first book in a long time that I really struggled with. Early on I had guessed part of what was going on. I plugged on and continued reading. I don't want to give anything away but I must say I did not like the way the book flowed, I felt there were some parts with in that quite honestly had nothing to do with anything and I found it was a bit confusing. All in all I am sorry to say I would not recommend this story.

The Last House on Needless Street alternates chapters with multiple perspectives and is predominantly written in the first person narrative. The main characters are: Ted (the man on Needless Street), Olivia (Ted's cat), Dee (a woman looking for her sister, Lulu), and Lauren (Ted's teenage daughter). It is impossible to describe this book without giving any spoilers away so I will input the Goodreads description instead that sums everything up nicely, "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..."

NEEDLESS to say, I was automatically hooked once I read the first chapter in the cat's perspective (couldn't resist the joke). I went into this book very excited based on all the raving reviews I've read so far! Unfortunately, it was a very slow burn in the beginning and I really had to push through to read it. It's one of those thrillers where it feels predictable and you think you have it all figured out. The Last House on Needless Street ended up being way more than I anticipated once the twists started setting in! The last 100 pages or so really made the book for me and solidified my positive opinion about it. I don't want to give away too much or compare it to other novels, nor could I without completely spoiling it, but go into this one blind and give it a chance. I also heard they're developing this into a movie. Highly recommend to fans of psychological thrillers.

Wow, I am blown away by this book. I was unsure of what to expect based on the mysterious description I’d been seeing. It was so much more than I anticipated and was able to pull the rug out from under me, not once, but probably 5 or so times. While at the surface it appears as a straight forward horror story, it is so much more than that. It’s about survival, resilience, and overcoming trauma. I really don’t want to say too much because for one, it won’t do it justice, and two, readers should go into this with a very open mind so that they can have the full experience which I guarantee will not disappoint.

I love it when a book surprises me, an increasingly rarer experience the more I read. "The Last House on Needless Street" succeeds wonderfully in that regard, with it's unexpected structure and thematic development making it a book very much worthy of attention.
Not since "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" have I seen a better use of the unreliable narrator...several of them, in fact. Ward's character development is brilliant, and all the more disturbing for being so. In using the first person perspective in a multi-perspective epistolary style, Ward successfully develops immediately recognizable voices for a fascinating array of characters. More than that, this structure allows for employment of some horror tropes based around reader expectation that in lesser authors would be cliche and predictable. Ward plays with those expectations to deliver something completely unexpected and admirable in its intent and execution.

Normally, I write off the advance reviews of a novel like this as so much hype intended to generate sales but without any real relevance to the content of the novel. This book is one of the rare examples where the early reviewers, even the ubiquitous Stephen King, are dead on point and in no way exaggerating the appeal of the work.

The story is a page-turner, the book is a keeper to be recommended to friends, and the author is one whose future work I look forward to reading.

I received a free ARC of this book via NetGalley; my sincerest thanks to both the author and the publisher! :)

What. A. RIDE! I wasn't 100% sure what to expect going into this book, just that it was generating buzz, it was horror, and Stephen King himself said it kept him guessing until the end.

The tale is multiperspective and woven intricately, vividly. But, I won't lie, the twist was huge and had me expecting to have the rug yanked out from under me yet again until the very end.

The ending itself is incredibly unique for the genre, heartfelt, and well done. An excellent book of psychological and physical horror will have you questioning what is/isn't real until the very end.

Though admirable in scope, this book is about 25% too long. Experienced readers will have figured out many of the mysteries early, so that the wheel-spinning gets a tad frustrating by the end. The writing is gorgeous in places, and the atmosphere is well-established. But there are no characters I was able to empathize with or root for, even those who seemed to have all the pieces in place for the audience to be on their side. Looking at all the raves on Goodreads I am in the clear minority here, but this book did not appeal to me, and if asked for horror titles to recommend to students I would look elsewhere.

This is what books can do like nothing else. We humans cannot delve deeply into other people's minds and hear their actual thoughts. We need brilliant writers like Catriona Ward to create a novel with compelling, mysterious characters whose lives we encounter through the deep delve.

Prepare yourself for reading closely while reveling in the gorgeous language used in the three main characters' minds. Read this book now. Details are important. Think things through. Then you will thoroughly enjoy the immersive story that takes you out of yourself and into the world of those who live at The Last House on Needless Street.

I’m having so much trouble gathering my thoughts on this book. I need to digest it some more and come back.

I will say, I wish there had been an ophidiophobia warning on this sucker, because it was horrifying.