Honestly, this was one of the best books I’ve read in the past five years. At least. I was absolutely riveted from beginning to end, staying up well into the wee hours of the morning in order to finish it. Compulsively readable, lyrical, bittersweet, ultimately hopeful. The subject matter is not for everyone, but I firmly believe those who pass up reading it miss out on a story of survival, adaptation, and humanity amid inhumanity. “The Last House on Needless Street” is an absolute triumph.

Lots of "twisty" thrillers either have a twist you see coming from a mile away, or one that's so nonsensical that it undermines the rest of the plot. Not so here. NEEDLESS STREET is a marvel, a Russian nesting doll of a book that slowly unfurls its reveals one by one without ever losing its deep sense of dread. You really don't get the full picture of what's happened until almost the last page, and it's an amazing ride the entire time. If you've been looking for a book that grabs you by the throat, this is it.

This is one of those books that starts as one genre and then completely switches to something else. I’m not sure if I like experiencing that switch, but I stuck to it due to the characters. I was invested in them more than the plot. More than a scary book, this is a story of survival. Survival isn’t clean cut and organized- which is something to remember as you flip the pages and the truth unravels.

Wowza! What a story!

All these things are true. And yet they are all lies...

When I first starting reading this, I was instantly intrigued!! A missing girl, a cat that reads the bible and a man with mental health issues! Bring-it-on!

And she does! Catriona Ward brings it on in this book. Try to go in knowing as little as possible. The synopsis is all you need to begin this book.

Because things get interesting and then *BAM* your socks will get knocked off. I loved how original this book was and how it was told. I enjoyed all the characters, but I will admit, Olivia the bible reading cat won me over! Holy Moly, a bible reading cat! Why yes! Aren't all cats’ readers? They sure like hanging out in bookstores. But I digress.... Did I mention this book has a bizarre feel to it? No, well there is a bizarre feel to this book. An uneasy feel which permeates throughout the book.

Initially, we know two things: a young girl has gone missing while enjoying the day at the lake with her family and a man named Ted lives in the house, he grew up in. He is basically reclusive and has mental health issues. I am being purposely vague as a.) I want readers to go in blind and b.) I think knowing too much will ruin parts of the book for you.

Whew! What a book! Again, go in blind. Along the forty percent mark, I started thinking hmmm....and wondering.... believing I had some things figured out..... Then the author brought it a little further in the book. There is a part where everything will make sense, you will understand why things feel bizarre, now things are becoming clear.... but not everything, not yet! Ward is not giving away the farm- all at once. She still saves some until the end.

This was a highly creative, original, and well thought out novel. Plus, it has a fantastic 'aha' moment! My head is spinning! I cannot wait to read what Ward writes next.

If this book is not on your radar, it needs to be!

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

There is a lot of discussion about this book, and The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward certainly deserves it. It is very hard to classify this book - part thriller, part horror, part gothic - it has many different layers that Ward slowly peels away to reveal its twisted truths.

The reader is introduced to Ted, somewhat of a recluse, who lives in a boarded up hoarder house at the end of Needless Street. This street has easy access to the forest, where Ted likes to disappear to frequently. Ted also lives in the house with his cat, Olivia, and his daughter, Lauren. New neighbour, Dee, moves in and begins spying on Ted, while she works through her own demons. While the plot goes much deeper, it is better left discovered by the reader.

Ward plays with character identity deftly and is skilled at creating meaningful identities for the characters and then subverting them. While at first I felt the different POVs were distracting (particularly the one of Olivia the cat - I mean, did I really want to read the POV of the cat?), they are significant and resolve at the end. I am not a fan of the unreliable narrative trope, but Ward's novel is much more than that. It is well paced, and there were many times when I was questioning what I was reading, but the ending is magnificent. I have no doubt this will become a classic and sit alongside The Haunting of Hill House.

Thank you to Netgalley and Nightfire/Tor for an ARC in exchange for review.

Very compelling, but the twists were disappointing and a little hackneyed from POV. Well written, but not for me.

Thank you for the chance to engage in this challenging and complex horror/thriller. I appreciated the author's faith in the reader to engage in the multiple perspectives, complicated timelines, and the exploration of mental health, trauma, and often misunderstood aspects of psychological disorders. I wonder though if this faith is too much for some readers to handle as for me this book was too hard to process, I found the writing style to be challenging in a way that did not help me fully appreciate the author's goals and intentions and the sections from Olivia (cat) were hard to appreciate, particularly the early chapters. This is simply my thoughts, I respect the creativity, intention, and goals of the book but for me the execution did not work for me.
I hope this book finds the right audience, readers who want complex narratives and dark, but important, takes on trauma and mental health and readers who appreciate an intense shifting first person narrative.

I quite enjoyed this. It took a few turns I didn’t see coming and was refreshingly different. It also felt familiar, making use of real life traumas that horrify and change us. Overall I think it’s a successful horror story.

When I started this novel,  I did not really know what I was getting into. (This happens most of the time with me. I rarely read synopsis, reviews, or blurbs until I am halfway through any book. I decide what to read based on author, publisher, and sometimes cover design. Since The Last House on Needless Street is one of the flagship titles of Nightfire, a new horror imprint of Tor, I picked this up rather quickly.) I just knew the first line of the synopsis is, “This is the story of a serial killer.” When the first chapter is from the perspective of the serial killer, I knew that I was hooked. The voice of the Ted, from the very beginning sucked me into the story. Most readers of horror have a bit of an obsession about serial killers so for a novel to start from the perspective of a killer, instead of a cop or even a victim, is a gripping start. After reading further, the three main narrators, separated by chapters, are Ted, the killer, Dee, a woman who is looking for the man that killed her sister and has tracked the suspects down to Ted, and Olivia, Ted’s cat. Olivia’s chapters are almost feline but also insightful in a way that reflects the thoughts of what a cat might be like when they stare at you. 

The last house on Needless Street, Ted’s house, is boarded up, dark, dusty, and a little surreal. There are things in the house that hold memories that influence Ted’s behavior, and as a whole, it does not feel like there is anything concrete about the house, Ted’s life, and the story as a whole. Everything seems to be very slippery. Catriona Ward writes this is such a way that makes it as confusing for the reader sometimes as it is for the characters. There are some great passages that do not make much sense. There are details of the house that shift and change based on the narrator. There are events that change based on the perspective of the one telling the story, like to the point where sometimes one character is completely wrong about what just happened. Sometimes this story feels like a large puzzle that has been dumped on the floor, and we have to take the time to put it all together. 

If you are a reader that likes a straight forward plot and do not like being completely confused by the story, this probably is not the book for you. Fortunately many readers like the challenge of not really understanding everything that is going on, hoping that the ending reveals the whole picture. In the case of The Last House on Needless Street this happens in a solid way, but there are so many nuances that Ward uses that this book begs to be reread. The first experience is mind-blowing, but the second could make this your favorite book of all time.

I have received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First word that came to mind after reading this: WOW! I was essentially speechless and needed to get my thoughts in order.

Ted lives in an old house that is dirty, uncared for, and on the verge of being decrepit. He shares the house with his cat, Olivia, and his daughter, Lauren...when she’s able to visit. He values his privacy for many reasons and is not happy when a suspicious woman moves in next door.

As the synopsis states:

“All these things are true. And yet some of them are lies.”

Told from multiple perspectives, including Olivia the cat, I couldn’t determine if I was enjoying what I was reading. I was confused at times, and yet I had this propulsive need to flip the pages as my mind tried to process the bizarre events.

And then everything comes together. And it is a DOOZY!

This has got to be one of the most original novels I’ve ever read, and it’s brilliant how author Catriona Ward lays everything out and makes it all work splendidly and cohesively in the end.

I really can’t say too much about this one without giving anything away, but I’ll just say you should read it to believe it! I have no idea what genre I would put it in. Psychological Horror? Thriller? Something else? NO CLUE!

I may have to read this, or at least parts of it, again to fully wrap my head around it. It’s a mindf- - k, and I can understand why it seems to be one of the most anticipated books for many readers.

There are triggers, but I won’t discuss them here as I don’t want to spoil anything.

4 stars, but may move up as I am really still processing this SMART story. You do NOT want to miss this one!

Thank you to Tor Nightfire for sending me a widget of the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published in the U.S on: 9/28/21.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

I admit that in the first bits of this I couldn't help but to think that this just wasn't going to be my kind of book at allll, but I'm glad I finished it and got to experience the story as a whole. Big thank you Tor Nightfire and the author for the digital copy I was gifted.

Though there are horrible things that happen in this book, I'm not sure I would readily classify it as horror. I only mention this because horror-genre hungry readers may need to adjust their expectations going in. There IS a bit of a mystery/thriller element as readers will try to figure out what exactly happened to the child that went missing at the lake as well as whether or not Ted was involved, but it's more of an exploration of survival and trauma in the guise of a horror/mystery read.

Familiar with the trope that lies within this book, I did see one of the big reveals coming very early on but it in no way detracted from the story nor did the book become overly predictable - it still had several reveals and devices that surprised me and kept me guessing. I'm attempting to be as spoiler-free as possible so I apologize for the vagueness here, but I did have concerns regarding the trope being harmful to the individuals that it applies to. The author does go on to explain in the back of the book her time, research, thought process, etc. that went into this book, and that she hopes she has done said individuals justice. This is my hope as well and I'm interested to see how it is received (hopefully well!) by those individuals.

To wrap up my ramblings here, this book surprised me and I liked it. I can see why others have raved about it and I'm interested to see how I feel about the book as I continue to process it (just finished it last night, it takes a whiie for things to sink in - ya know?).

Man. This book.
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Synopsis:
"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."
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From the very beginning, this book sets you off-kilter. It's strange, disjointed, disconcerting. Nothing is as it seems and you know that but you just can't quite grasp how to make it fit.
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The story is a Russian nesting box of horror, layers and layers of varying truths to sort through. Every bizarre character is fully realized, broken and beautiful, strong in their fragility.
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I could not stop reading this. It was so bizarre, so intriguing, so complex, that I simply had to discover how it would end.
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Frightening? Yes, on many levels. Also sad and disgusting and painful and heartbreaking. I will be thinking about this one for a long time.

So, THIS is the book that everyone is talking about. I suppose I will also talk about it.

But...I will follow the lead of my fellow book reviewers and not give any plot details. This is especially important for this book, but I rarely talk about plot anyway.

I think Christopher Golden took the words out of my mouth about this book: "audacious as hell." It really is. As I was reading and uncovering the layers of mystery, I couldn't believe what Ward was pulling off.

I'm actually tempted to take off of work tomorrow, just to think about the nooks and crannies of the plot of this book. Tons of nuance to unpack here.

Oh, there is a cat too.

This is by far the best novel I have read in quite some time. Unreliable narrator is perfect. Kept me guessing until the very end. I definitely will recommend this book in all my circles. I will also keep this author on my radar.

Creepy, sad, dark and utterly enthralling! I could not put this down once I started it. I have no idea how to categorize this book....horror, mystery, love story? Maybe all 3 at once. This was one of those stories you hate to see end. Prepare yourself for quite the ride. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Catriona Ward’s The Last House on Needless Street arrives in 2021 riding a wave of pre-release hype the likes of which I don’t think I’ve seen since Justin Cronin released The Passage ten years ago. It’s the tragic and often heart-wrenching story of a man living with a profound mental illness, and how this illness forces him to navigate his life. This isn’t a spoiler. It’s evident from the opening chapter that something is very very wrong with Ted Bannerman, who lives in a decrepit old house with all of its windows boarded up, on a cul-de-sac bordering a forest and nearby lake. His only companion is a cat named Olivia, who has her own chapters in which she is the first-person viewpoint narrator, suggesting that Olivia is either a very special cat indeed or maybe not a cat at all. Ted also has a daughter, a little girl named Lauren, who shows up at odd times for a visit before she has to “go away.” Are you starting to get the picture yet?

I won’t drop a massive spoiler and say what Ted’s condition is, but it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out unless you yourself have been living in a boarded-up house all your life. It doesn’t help that Ward has a tendency to be very ham-fisted with her symbolism. When Olivia talks about how much she hates the creepy Russian nesting dolls that sit on the mantlepiece, it’s almost like a Symbolism Siren goes off. And for any reader who still might be slow on the uptake, later on in the book Ward actually has her characters straight up tell us, “Gosh, we’re just like those Russian nesting dolls!”

It’s a form of mental illness that is still not well understood, but has been featured so often as a device in horror stories and thrillers that it’s more or less become cliche. To her infinite credit, Catriona Ward has taken seriously her responsibility to do justice to a condition that is suffered by a great many deeply traumatized people and present it in a way that is compassionate and, despite the horrors that unfold in the story, hopeful. Her research took two years, she interviewed people living with the condition, and the back of the book includes a bibliography listing 38 sources. If The Last House succeeds at anything, it’s in Ward’s deep empathy for her subject. This is a book that’s oppressive and disturbing, sometimes nearly overwhelming in its sadness, but one that comes from a place of real humanity and caring.

If good intentions made for great novels, I’d be only too happy to join the chorus of praise. But I’m sorry to say that as a story, The Last House didn’t work for me more than it did. There are too many plot contrivances that ask us to be extremely generous with our willing suspension of disbelief, too many supporting characters who seem like exaggerated and even cartoonish caricatures. Moreover, it becomes evident as you read that Ward does not establish anything at all in her story that she doesn’t plan to completely overturn with an M. Night Shyamalan-style twist. Even her plot twists have plot twists. Once you realize misdirection is the entire goal here, it’s no longer misdirection, it’s just a book believing that it’s smarter than its readers. And some of the big surprises aren’t all that surprising....

COMPLETE REVIEW AT LINK

Sometimes when I love a book, i REALLY REALLY love (and obsess over) a book, and The Last House on Needless Street is one of those books. The ALL CAPs and the double 'really' are absolutely necessary.

The characters. The voice. The Narrative that is embedded so wonderfully, with surprises around every corner. Perhaps because I work as a "bug man" and in the field of mental health, I found this book even more intriguing, but I think it will have universal appeal to horror lovers and thriller lovers alike.

There is complexity here that keeps growing. It's the Russian doll with an infinite number of new gems inside. Each time the story went to a new level, and the reading gains momentum with tension and complexity, I was completely invested and along for the roller coaster ride, and then it would dip into something even more deliciously deep and rich. The author takes a lot of risks, and with those risks will come criticism, but for this reader she pulls it off with spectacular talent.

 As I read, I was reminded of the book Secret Life of Souls by Jack Ketchum, and then I imagined Dallas being alive and reading The Last House on Needless Street and how it seems written exactly for him. Terrible shame he didn't get a chance to read it, but in some ways, the spirit of Ketchum is wrapped up inside Catriona, for she captures some of his writing in both style and substance. Somewhere Ketchum is reading this and, along with True Crime by Samantha Kolesnik, I think the Ketchum spirit is alive and kicking.

The less you know about this book the better. But even if you know there are surprises, you wont guess them all (if you say you did, I call BS). Of course, it's not just the twists and turns of the plot, but the unique voice and the author's vivid and tragic characters. There is such empathy for every one of them, which became ever more clear after reading the afterword.

A chilling masterpiece with so many underlying horrors, that surprisingly I rated it a 5 star. It was so brilliantly written I could not underrate such a talented author. With it being such a dark literary fiction, I did not want to be intrigued so deeply. You do not want to miss it if you are a thriller fan.
A boarded house at the end Of Needless Street is sure to get your attention. Those creepy woods.....

Pay close attention and Capture every detail of the descriptive views into these characters, a girl not allowed outside the house, a house cat's point of view, a secluded man with a loss of memory and they each share a secret. I was wowed by the insight of the characters. At first, I didn't realize what was happening and can't even elaborate without giving it away.

I'm still weighing all the hints and clues along the way and reading it a second time is in the near future. You will not be able to figure this one out. Clever, Catriona Ward and good job!
Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As a psychologist, I won’t comment on the psychology of this book. As a reader, I will say that this is a thrilling, twisty ride. What starts out, apparently clear-cut, quickly becomes complex and multilayered. I was impressed by how deftly the author wove these elements together. To say any more could spoil the surprises in store for the reader of this compelling page-turner.

At first, I was very confused by what was happening. By the time I figured everything out, I was very sad. This book was an emotional roller coaster.

I really can’t say much more without giving too much away, but I do recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an unbiased review.