One thing I enjoy about books, over just about any other form of media, is its ability to manipulate perspective. Outside of a few notable examples, most of the visual forms require the viewer to remain in a neutral, third-person perspective, but in a novel, our window into the world can be anything the writer can imagine.

It's this manipulation of perspective that makes The Last House on Needless street such a compelling read, as it goes beyond simply an unreliable narrator, to nearly half of a dozen of them. Constantly switches voices, sometimes getting mixed commentary on the same situation, creates many sides to the mysteries at the heart of the novel, until we're left staring into a cloudy prism, knowing something brilliant but troubling is lurking within, but not knowing how to clear away the dust. By the time the dust clears and everything comes to light, all of these relatable characters have taken us on meaningful, unforgettable journeys, even if they never left the confines of that dark, lonely house on Needless Street.

The Last House on Needless Street hits hard, but not in the way I was expected, While it certainly is tense, and horrifying, and at times violent, it also has a sense of loneliness and sorrow in its bones that creeps in as you read. I know for one that I was left weeping in the final stages of the book, something that virtually never happens to me. Ward makes us care deeply for Ted, Olivia, Lauren, Dee, and the rest of the broken, trouled souls that call this book home, and in the process creates a book that transcends its own genre to become something truly meaningful.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for giving me the opportunity to experience this lovely book, and be sure to grab your copy when it hits shelves in September 2021.

I stayed up WAY past my bedtime reading this DARK, COMPLEX, TWISTED, disturbingly delicious psychological thriller.

You will fall in LOVE with Olivia - the charming house cat who reads the Bible, has a mind of her own, and NEVER leaves the boarded up, unkept house. You will FEAR and LOATHE Ted - the recluse, CREEPY man who is mentally unstable TO. THE. CORE!!!!! And you will be EXTREMELY scared, nervous and fearful for Ted’s daughter - Lauren!

Suffocating, claustrophobic, and utterly horrifying, this book will grip at your heart strings on page ONE (1) and you’ll find yourself biting your nails until the very end. This is a must read for every fan of horror AND, f you think you have it figured out - think again, because you don’t!

Publication date is September 28 - perfect timing for Halloween!! 🎃

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 neighbor moves in next door, what is buried out among the birch trees may come back to haunt them all.

This book had me on the edge of my seat. The beginning was a little slow getting into it but it picked up quickly. There were several times where I audibly gasped and said things like, “Wait...what?”

I love the points of view that this story is told. Reading a story from the point of view of a cat was definitely different but I think those parts were some of my favorites.

There were moments that were difficult to read so I would definitely recommend looking up some trigger warnings if you feel like you may be affected.

I went into this with absolutely no knowledge of the plot and it was the right call. Whatever you think is happening or is going to happen, you're probably wrong. I couldn't put this down, partially because I just NEEDED to understand what the hell was happening! I respect and admire the author for upending a really harmful mental health trope in horror and for working with real people and groups affected (I have to be vague to not give anything away!).

The Last House on Needless Street is one of those books that leaves you thinking. It's really difficult to review, because almost anything specific I might say would feel like a spoiler. Definitely one where you'll benefit from going in knowing less! But, I'll say a few things.

1. It's WEIRD. It all came together at the end, but at least one POV is unusual enough that it took quite some getting used to.
2. Keep reading until the end! There were parts that had me skeptical, but in the end, the story wrapped up powerfully and effectively.
3. Catriona Ward really knows how to paint a creepy picture.

Is that enough info for you? No? I hope you'll read it anyway, hah.

Thank you Tor Nightfire for providing a free advanced electronic copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Warning: I'm not typically a reader of horror!

I have incredibly mixed feelings about this story. I was totally involved, and also "grossed out" by so much of what happened in Ted's life with his daughter and his cat - quite uncomfortable and so anxious in not knowing where this story was going. This is not an easy book to process. And after finishing it, I'm still bothered. Thank you, Catriona Ward for the "Afterword" chapter - it clarified some of the story, and also brought to mind another book with a similar topic written in the 70s.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Last House on Needless Street.

I absolutely thrive on not knowing what to expect when I go into my thriller or horror books, which I suppose is the universal appeal for those genres, but this here level of unexpected inception blew my mind to the smallest bits, and then blew THOSE bits into even smaller ones. Kudos to the vague as heck synopsis as well, which gave me nothing, but actually gave me everything??

This book is about Ted, but it's also about Ted's daughter Lauren, and Ted's cat Olivia and a woman named Dee who cannot be convinced otherwise that Ted isn't the long-ago kidnapper of her young sister, Lulu. There is such an art in holding back from writing too much, and that's exactly what I'm trying to do here. In fact, I hope that no one reads this, because The Last House on Needless Street is (if there is ever a book that you should do this for) a book that you venture into with zero knowledge of what lies waiting inside.

I don't think the phrase, "well damn, I did NOT see that coming" has ever been more relevant in my reading life, and I just want to (virtually) shake Catriona Ward's hand for plunging me into the deepest depths of chaotic confusion, because that ending was TOTALLY worth the brain warp. TOTALLY worth it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced release copy of the book and audio book.

I really wanted to like this one as the premise was really interesting but it was just so slow! There was so much extra information given at the beginning that it became difficult to figure out what was actually important. I did love that part of the book was told from the cat's point of view!

The narrators on the audiobook had very soothing voices and did a good job. Sadly, this was not a favorite for me.

Uncomfortable, Shocking, Disturbing and Excellent Horror

What a cringey, suspenseful, and riveting story! Catriona Ward has revealed what inevitably comes when a predator's cold, sharp claws sink into the tender heart of a lonely child and never, ever lets go.

Her small cast of characters are vivid and unforgettable. I haven't come across a book in some time that kept me guessing until the end so frantically, or made me wish, with sinking heart, that things wouldn't turn out the way I was afraid they would.

I was able to obtain a free advance reader's copy of this book courtesy of the author, publisher, and NetGalley. My opinions and endorsement are freely given: this book is a dark gem, but not for the faint of heart.

I have to admit that several times while reading & listening to this story, I almost stopped. But....I couldn't stop. I had to keep on....because I wanted to know The Truth & The Ending! There are a lot of deep, dark things in this story -- abuse of children and animals, violence, etc -- that some readers may need to be aware of before reading this book. Then again, it's a heavy, gothic, horror novel....not a peek-a-boo picture book. We horror readers pretty much know what we may be in for if we delve further than Chapter One. (Just felt it had to be mentioned on this one since there are instances of animal abuse/torture and child abuse - be aware before reading).

What a weird, confusing at times, creepy, disturbing and utterly fantastic bit of horror this is! Dark, disturbing, demented -- loved it! I have to admit that I had no earthly clue what was going on for the first few chapters of this book....a obviously crazy hermit guy, his cat, other weirdness....but it WORKS! Horror is supposed to be uncomfortable and I love crazy, creepy stories that make me wonder WTF is going on.

I'm not going to say anything about plot....best to go in to this story not knowing what is going on. Be confused. Be uncomfortable. Let the story envelop you. Let the creepy build on its own. Don't read reviews with spoilers. Let this sneak up on you....

I had both an ebook arc and a review audio book....sometimes I read, sometimes I listened, sometimesI did both at once. I find I really love horror novels on audio....it's like ghost story time around a campfire! :) The audio book is narrated by Christopher Ragland. He did a wonderful job!

I look forward to more by this author -- she managed to creep me out! :)

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Macmillan/Tor and listened to a review copy of the audio book from Macmillan Audio. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

The Last House on Needless Street follows Ted, Lauren, Olivia, and Dee in a multiple character point of view mystery. Children have gone missing from the lake, one of whom was Dee's sister, Lulu. No one knows what happened to Lulu, and nothing is at it seems.

*Spoiler Alert*

This started off good. We're introduced to Ted immediately, and it's obvious that there's something not quite right about him. It feels as if the reader is let into the mind of the novel's antagonist. We also have Dee, who appears to be the hero. One of the twists is that Dee is the narrator we shouldn't be trusting. This entire concept is great. But Ted coming out at the end as complete innocent didn't feel right, especially after he attacked a character and walked away wondering if he had killed him.

The writing was immediately addicting. Olivia was annoying, but in a way that worked well. After Dee leaves the scene, the story putters to the end. The last 20% of the book took me longer to read than the first 80%. This book had a lot of potential, but didn't quite do it for me.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Catriona Ward and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the advanced copy of The Last House on Needless Street.

This is a smart, original story that slowly reveals the secrets of what is versus how it appears. The story is told from multiple POVs, including a cat, which initially seems strange but plays out well as the story progresses. There are parts that did not gel and others left open for different perspectives but too much discussion will give away the outcome. However, overall, this was an interesting and thought-provoking story.

Where to start with this one? This book was a journey and at times it felt like a journey of hallucinations. Some of the descriptions used in the telling of each character just made me feel like I was going crazy. The book is not a slow burn it gets right to it. You aren’t gonna know where exactly that is that it’s going but if you keep reading and let it take you there you will be amazed at the story. It’s such an experience I just loved the ride. There were times I was scratching my head and thinking what the hell is going on here and luckily for the author all of my questions were answered. Give this book a read it’s not like anything else I’ve read. Definitely not gonna forget Ted or Olivia, or Lauren any time soon.

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.

I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I started reading this book. I had theories, and they were ALL PROVEN WRONG! That is the best feeling for me while reading, to be kept guessing and then be completely duped like this. If you're partway through and feeling the urge to stop because of problematic depictions of mental illness, I encourage you to keep going because nothing in this book is what it seems. It's very different from other books in this genre.

Wow I don’t even know how to put words together to describe this book! It’s been so long since a book has kept me on my toes the entire read! I had no idea who or what was real...cats? Snakes? Evil mothers? This book was so well written and even though it made me so confused it pulled together in the end. Horror is not my usual genre but this book had me feeling every emotion mostly sad. I now understand the reviews and excitement around this novel.

Stephen King devotee that I am, I don’t always agree with his pre-hype for new books, but he’s definitely spot on when it comes to The Last House on Needless Street. Along with a great atmosphere ala Silence of the Lambs and a clever, believable writing style, Catriona Ward kept me guessing all the way through to the surprising end.

I really don't get the hype around this book...

I really didn't enjoy the writing style or the characters. I found the plot hard to follow, the writing difficult to read at times and no connection to the characters.

This book is very weird and people said it will mess with your mind. Yes, it's different but the problem is I went in knowing that so I questioned everything I read and therefore, the twists were not that shocking.

One important quality that a reader must possess is the ability to tell when a book is not for them. The reviews for this book have been fantastic. It sounds good! But by the second chapter, from the perspective of a cat, I knew this wasn’t for me. The book begins with Ted, who lives in a dilapidated house with a cat and his daughter. Ted obviously has some... issues. This novel teases a major twist, one I’ll never know. Because this one? It just wasn’t for me.

It’s important to approach a problem from the right perspective. But it can be difficult to know just which angle to take. Should you tackle the issue logically or empathetically? Impulsively or methodically? Things get even tricker when you ask others for advice. No matter the situation, different people will come to different solutions.

Every character in The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward (out September 28; Tor Nightfire) has a problem. Dee Dee is struggling to find clues to the mysterious disappearance of her little sister, Lulu. Ted—a recluse living at the end of Needless Street—wants to help make a better world for his daughter, Lauren. Even Ted’s cat, Olivia, has a series of troubles to contend with, ranging from the beautiful tabby cat to the irritating buzzing sound she can’t quite track down. But while it may seem only natural for characters in fiction to have problems, it’s the way these troubles intertwine that makes Ward’s book sing. The result is a mesmerizing tale of horrifying mystery.

To discuss the plot of The Last House on Needless Street in much detail would be a disservice to both the author and the reader. Every chapter of this expertly crafted novel reveals new shades of meaning that will be best enjoyed by those who go in blind. On its surface the story is about the disappearance of a young girl and those affected in the aftermath. But once you sink a little deeper, Ward reveals an intricate world where cause and effect fold in on each other in a Sisyphean loop that’s not easily untangled.

What can be commented on is Ward’s remarkable prose. In a landscape laced with violence and affliction, every sentence sings with harmonious precision. Readers will no doubt find their heads lifting from the page at the sheer rightness of Ward’s character’s observations. But they won’t stay lost in reverie for long. There is something magnetic about Ward’s work—a certain literary special sauce—that compels the reader forward. Perhaps it’s the mysterious intentions of her characters, but it’s just as likely in the writing itself.

The Last House on Needless Street is a powerful story told by a first-rate craftsperson. If you’re a fan of the dark and mysterious, this book will be for you. Avoid the spoilers, skip the back cover copy, and place yourself directly into Catriona Ward’s chilling hands.