To compare "The House on Needless Street" to "Gone Girl" is to do it a great disservice. I found Gone Girl to be ok...just ok. The so called twist was predictable.
Catriona Ward has written something so much greater, so much more on every way. This is a suspense mystery, a horror story, a ghost story and a story of rebirth.
There was a twist within a twist, within a twist. I was blown away by the talent to keep me not only interested but actually talking back to the audiobook;" No! Don't do that! Oh no, you can't!" It have never been so invested, so engaged in a novel as I was The House on Needless Street.
There is little I can say that would not be a spoiler. A missing child, a desperate sister, a troubled man who could be dangerous. All haunted by the past, the ghost of bad decisions and troubled lives.
The audiobook was well done. Christopher Raglane did an excellent job of the voices, the tempo, and the emotion of this book.
Do yourself a favor and run to get this, you will not be disappointed.
I received this audiobook.free from Macmillan Audio, For Night fire and @Netgalley in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion.

When I started this audiobook, I found myself thinking, "What on earth have I gotten myself into?" The main human character, Ted, is quite unique, and I had trouble relating to him initially. Then, I discovered that another narrator in this story is Olivia, who just so happens to be a cat. I decided that I needed to make it to the 20% mark before I stopped listening, and let me tell you, I am thrilled that I didn't give up. This story is unlike any other that I have heard or listened to, and as the truths of the situations were revealed, I found myself with my jaw hanging open. I finished the end of it in two days, citing a large amount of housework that suddenly desparately needed my attention as my excuse to ignore my family and listen.

This book is told from multiple points of view, including Lauren, who lives with Ted. As the reader progresses, they meet Dee, Ted's new next door neighbor who is searching for her little sister who disappeared while on vacation many years ago. Dee is conviced that Ted kidnapped her sister and seeks information to prove her theory and find her sister. The story ends in a way I could have never predicted.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to the advanced copy audiobook of The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward.

Thanks to Catriona Ward and Macmillan Audio for this book. I am completely in awe of the talent that went into this story. I could not put this one down. The narration was superb.

4.5 stars, rounded up for incredible creativity.

I will remember this novel for a long, long time.

I don't want to write too much about it because I think the best thing about this story is how it unravels and how you as a reader are constantly trying to figure out what's going on and each time you think you have it, you realize you don't. And it keeps going again and again.

This is not a story with a twist, it's a story with a million little turns. It's like each time a layer of the onion gets peeled your perspective of the onion's actual shape changes. And in the end, the book leaves you devastated.

I almost didn't request this book because it said it was horror and while I think the atmosphere and mood of the story definitely feels like horror, I don't think calling this horror is the right fit. It's a very atmospheric mystery maybe but really at its heart it's a character study.

It's absolutely phenomenal.

with gratitude to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Provocative, disturbing, and at times hauntingly tender, The Last House on Needless Street is an extremely well-crafted psychological puzzle in the vein of I'm Thinking of Ending Things, offering a hazy, dream-like experience.

Highly recommend going into this knowing as little as possible, and just let the narrative takes you on its mind-boggling journey. Slowly unravels through a set of unforeseen perspectives, readers who are expecting a quick-read and digestible plot might find this novel too eccentric and absurd; but for those who stay on course and get pass the disorienting buildup, The Last House on Needless Street does an excellent job closing the loops in a gratifying way—as a matter of fact, almost *too* well, as the ending comes across like it was a series of never-ending epilogues. Also worth noting the audiobook is excellent, the narrator has crafted distinct voices for the various characters, and based on the theme of the novel, listening to the story really adds an additional layer of immersion.

Tailored made for readers who like their thriller slightly off-tiler, don't go in expecting a 'twist ending', as the central conceit of The Last House on Needless Street should be pretty obvious during its early chapters; the real intrigue lies in how exactly DO all the pieces come together, and I was pleasantly shocked by some of its choices. I can see this being even more rewarding on repeated reads.

THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET by:
Catriona Ward
Publishes in the US September 28, 2021
Available now on @netgalley, and you can score an awesome UK edition by purchasing now through Book Depository.

THE LAST HOUSE is vivid, enigmatic, luscious, and savagely rich like entrails on expensive china.
The Audiobook version is especially recommended here. I am so thankful I was able to receive this in audiobook format. It was a little confusing at times, and I think the chapter headers and different narrators helped dispel some of that disorientation.

The most amazing thing about the writing is simply Ward's way of combining words to make sentences that sink deep into your bones. Reading her books is more than turning pages. It's an experience. One I will not soon forget.

Thanks to @netgalley and #Macmillanaudio for this amazing audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

Make sure to mark it on your tbrs for this fall. It’s a stunner, and it would look absolutely stunning on the big screen.

Don’t miss this one!

5 Stars

This is a convoluted psychological thriller that is an absolute master class in story construction. It’s a page turner—even kept me up until 3am one night—but part of the reason it left me desperate to see what came next wasn’t just a desire to see the plot unfold (though I could barely restrain myself from searching previous reviews for spoilers every time I had a new theory for the outcome), but also a strong desire to see just how the words themselves were going to be used.

The story is about Ted, a lonely man in a lonely dark house with his daughter and his cat. It is also the story of a missing little girl and her sister’s desperate search for answers. It is told from multiple perspectives, and this is the story’s true strength. Every time the point of view changes, we learn a little more and see a little deeper into the house. As you wade through a series of unreliable narrators, each new discrepancy of memory or incongruous detail adds to the crushing sense of claustrophobic dread. And this story is intensely claustrophobic. I repeatedly needed to step away from the book for a moment to catch a breath of air—there are some moments so traumatic that I felt trapped in that house with them. There are graphic depictions of torture and child abuse that I think will stay with me for a long time; this story may not be for everyone.

The reason I picked up this story was because I heard that portions of the book were told from the perspective of a cat who enjoys reading the Bible. I have an entire Goodreads shelf dedicated to books with animal narrator, because that is one of my absolute favorite sub genres, so this caught my eye immediately. Catriona Ward clearly has a completely impeccable understanding of cats, because Olivia the cat has some truly delightfully feline insights. What could come across as a gimmicky structural choice has a wonderful payoff.

I do believe this book will be divisive in a love it or hate it kind of way. I would definitely advise readers give this book a few chapters before giving up, because as I made my way through the first chapter I nearly put it down, convinced it was going to lean heavily into negative stereotypes regarding mental health. I expect mileage will vary on how well readers will think those expectations are subverted, but it definitely doesn’t go with the cheapest of garden variety tropes.

Now, the crowning jewel of this book for me was the audiobook narrator, Christopher Ragland. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and will definitely be looking for him in the future. I legitimately thought this was a full cast production at first, with how well he embodies each character with his voice. If he doesn’t win any awards for this performance, I will be shocked.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Catriona Ward for giving me an ALC in exchange for review! This review will be published on my Goodreads account (immediately) and my Instagram account on the U.S publication date: September 28th, 2021.

Simply, one of the easiest five star ratings I have ever given. It is so weird, so wacky, so thrilling, AGH I absolutely ADORED ADORED this book! Every perspective in the book was perfectly timed, with incredible voice acting from the audiobook narrator. I was engaged my entire listening experience, and anytime I was not listening I always wanted to find out what would happen next and had this book on my mind. I really was on the edge of my seat and this is the first thriller in a LONG time that has actually made me gasp on multiple occasions.

This book is a weird wicked one, and I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to everyone, but personally, I will recommend going in knowing absolutely nothing and just riding the rollercoaster that Ward has created. The pacing was superb, giving you a little bit at a time to stay engaged but not too much until the climax -- and even THEN not every little detail. I was intrigued by every character, even ones that I was supposed to despise, and I greatly enjoyed the jumps in time and the reader’s hand wasn’t really held through the story, you were thrust into it. I want and NEED everyone to read this book so I can talk about it, and I am ready to relisten now that I finished it yesterday...

The Last House on Needless Street WILL blow your mind! If you think you know what's going on...you DON'T. What an excellent narrator, he spun the web of madness that is this story!
We have several narrators; Ted an odd man who lives in a dilapidated house with his cat, Olivia and his daughter, Lauren. Ted is clearly unwell and we can see that from the get go. Olivia also narrates the story and quotes the Bible. Dee is the sister of the "Girl with the Popsicle" that went missing many years ago. She is looking for her sister and zeroes in on Ted. Dee moves in next door to Ted to finally prove his guilt.
Don't miss the afterword by Ward in which she explains how she twists your heart and bends your mind!!
Awesome story and narrator. 4.5 stars

This was such a strange book and in a weird way I’m really glad I read it. There was an incredible amount of imagery floating around in my head while I read, all the characters were so heavily developed and each brought their own light to the story. This book is on one hand in a category of its own and on the other hand has this odd home amongst eclectic horror.

The Last House on Needless Street is eerie in a way that you say what?... wait WHAT?... what the F*CK?? About halfway through the book, I knew this was in my top 10. Period. It's that good.

It's very hard to review without spoilers, but I'll do my best. This is the story of Ted (a man who lives in a boarded-up house on Needless Street) Olivia (a self-absorbed cat) Dee (a woman searching for her lost sister) and Lauren (a child who visits Ted). It twists, and twists, and twists again, then twists one more time. If you're interested in reading this book, stop reading reviews; you'll end up with more information than you want.

Okay, I don't think that gave too much away.

This story is initially confusing in a way that some might find frustrating, but it's worth pushing through. It's like brushing away deep, deep snow to see what the story is. And that story is an absolute spine-tingler.

My brain is still a puddle.

This book is Heavy with a capital H, but sometimes it's really funny. The author has a hilariously good understanding of cats, complete with sound effects. And Ted's recipes? lol

Now let's talk about the frosting on the cake: the audio performance. Christopher Ragland somehow has the range to do a full cast recording all by himself. There are men, women, kids, and even cats each with their own distinct voice. So distinct, in fact, that I checked to see how many voice actors were actually performing here. Even the cat's meows sound realistic without being cheesy. This was a phenomenal casting choice. If you have the opportunity to listen to the audio version of this book, do.

And yes, this book is going to be divisive. I can't imagine anyone has a neutral opinion of The Last House on Needless Street. I, for one, adored it. I have never ever read anything quite like this before.

CW: severe abuse

I was given the audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for a non biased reivew.
The narrator did a great job distinguishing between the characters- including the main characters Ted, a cat named Olivia and a young girl named Lauren among others.
I must admit the first 60%of this book I was not into it. Dee, Lauren's sister, ignited the pace when she moves next door to Ted - obsessed with his obvious but circumstantial guilt.
The ending certainly broke my heart. The twists were very well done - causing me to gasp out loud several times.
A tale of horror and long term abuse. Great writing, unique characters and lots of shock value.

Bravo. BRILLIANT. ATMOSPHERIC. Now I know why I have been hearing so much about this book. I went into this expecting a gothic horror, and I got so much more. I am extremely surprised by the emotion this brought out in me. You can't really say a whole lot about it without giving away a bunch of stuff, I think, but I will tell you there is a character who is a gay cat (not in a cartoony way). So that tells you everything you need to know.

This is probably not going to be for everybody. It is probably going to be confusing at first for most people, but you have to stick with it through the end if you are at all enjoying it. The author's writing is ... beautiful in many places. She must be the Queen of [original, not cliched] Metaphors. This is absolutely going down in my favorite of all time list. This is one of those books that's going to stay with me for a long time.

The narrator for the audiobook, Christopher Ragland, does a superb job. You seriously forget that you are listening to a man talking sometimes (when he does feminine characters).

An enormous thank-you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for ARCs of the ebook and audiobook.

This book was an insane read! It has to be the best thriller of its kind that I've read in a really long time. All through its twists and turns, I had no idea where it was going and had to be content with the gripping details of the moment.

I have to say that early on, the cat threw me off, and I was second guessing my choice to read this- only to find what a stroke of genius it was. Catriona Ward has produced a masterful work of fiction, as thrilling as it is well crafted.

I will be recommending this book for years to come.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit what others did - I had no idea what was going on with this one. It took me at least to the 50% mark where things started to really come together. I had guesses and those guesses, the really good narration and storytelling kept me coming back to finish this one.

I typically good at solving mysteries. I normally solve them in novels and movies really early on and then it's just a matter of waiting for the MC to catch up. In this one, you have one main MC - Ted. But there are more that will help tell his story - and through their eyes and ears, you will learn all about the house at the end of Needless Street.

I think the best part of this story is going in a bit clueless and seeing if you are able to solve what happened and how it all went down. I loved this one.

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

I was completely surprised by this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect. This book was dark, disturbing at times and many twists.

For me I was completely absorbed in the book but found it confusing at times.

The author did a fantastic job with the with the development. Ted was a total loner. He was a recluse. Did he abduct and kill LuLu?? You will have to read for yourself.

My favorite character was Ted’s cat, Olivia. Yes, his cat had her own chapters.

Teds daughter Lauren who visited a few times. A neighbor, Dee. She was the sister of Lulu. A 6 year old girl who went missing many years ago.

This was a book like no other books I have ever read before. I still struggle with writing a review. I will definitely recommend this book to others!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the advanced audiobook.

I have absolutely no idea how this book ends because I gave up on it early on. I loathed it. I cannot fully put my finger on why, maybe it was the story, maybe it was the way the narrator was telling the story, or maybe a combination of both. The main issue I had with it was that the storyline felt like I was listening to a grown man talk like a child. I could not tell if that was intentional or not, but I realized that listening to it felt like when a gnat is buzzing by your ear incessantly. Annoying, bothersome, and you find yourself getting irrationally irritated.

The Last House on Needless Street is told by a man with many secrets and his cat. I don't want to give away any more of the plot because I think it's better to go in blind, only knowing that it is a thriller with a missing child.

This book felt so different to others in the thriller genre. At points I almost found it funny when the cat was narrating, but then the content matter itself kept it very serious and sinister. Nothing is how it seems in this book and there are endless twists and turns. It was creepy, confusing, dark, and I loved every bit of it. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be thinking about this one for a while.

The audiobook really helped me get into the mindset of this book. Its a phenomenal listening experience and the narrator was crazy good. With so many characters involved it can be hard sometimes with audiobooks to tell them apart, but he did such an amazing job. I highly recommend listening to this one.

I received a copy of this audiobook free from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

I was ready to write this book off after the first half as another tale unfairly stigmatizing those who suffer from a particular mental illness as predators when in reality they are almost always the victims of abuse, but I am so glad I stuck it out. This book did a complete 180, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the author had not only done their research on this disorder, but also was able to portray it fairly accurately and in a creative manner, the likes of which I haven’t seen since watching Mr. Robot.

As far as the plot goes, I typically don’t love feeling like I’m in the dark for so much of the story, but as I was able to guess relatively quickly what was happening, it kept me hooked. Even though I had my theories, the ending was not something I would have guessed in my wildest dreams, and it absolutely blew me away.

I’m hoping other readers won’t be turned off by the oddness of this narrative; rather, I hope it will inspire them to do some research on this strange disorder, because it really is fascinating.

What a ride..The twist and turns, the ups and downs left me dizzy with excitement. This book was exactly why I love reading. Amazing book.