Such great narration! I particularly loved the cat sounds. I had read the text already (5 stars) but the audiobook really brought the story to life. I have zero notes and criticisms.

I saw this book along with bookish package from Tor all over instagram and requested it right away when I saw the ALC. I went in blindly without reading the synopsis!

My initial thoughts while reading - ok, I think I have figured out the plot, this guy Ted did something bad and is not willing to accept it. He is hiding behind his childhood.

My thoughts after reading - WTF just happened. How did the story curve from one thing to another?! So this new character is responsible for Ted’s situation? No wait, let me read the synopsis. (After reading the synopsis and grasping what I listened) WOW so the author has rolled mental health, an abduction, sister love, perspective of an animal and multiple personality disorder all into a chilling serial-killer type story that was confusing at first, but is crystal at the end?! 🤯

There are still a few moments I believe I need clarification on, so I’m giving this well narrated ALC 4/5 ⭐️

Wow. I just finished this book and have been rendered speechless which never happens. I have no words. However, I have to write this review while everything is fresh in my head so here goes....
This is the type of book that is so hard to review without spoilers so, I am going to try to make this as concise as possible.
I did not want this book to end. A character-driven novel, I did not want to say goodbye to any of the POV's and this book is told in several. Through the multiple POV's I drew close to the characters and was invested in them fully especially, Olivia, the cat.
I would call this book disturbing but, not particularly horrifying. Well, maybe psychologically horrifying. I was moved, disgusted, angry, sad, and a little freaked throughout the reading journey.
Catriona Ward has written an immaculate novel. As disturbing as this book is it is equally as beautiful. Ward is an author I will be keeping my eye on. I already heard Andy Serkis' (Gollum/Smeagol) production company has optioned filmed rights to adapt this book.

The narration was brilliant and highly recommend listening to the audiobook.

This book got me out of yet another reading slump. Until this one, only novellas could hold my attention. This one grabbed my attention almost right away. I was so curious and knew it was a totally different kind of book when one of the POVs was a cat. But it all came together to make sense in the ned. There were several twists that I wasn't expecting and I really enjoyed it.

Wow okay so I went into this not knowing anything about the synopsis so I think that’s definitely the best way to go into it. It doesn’t make much sense at first and you don’t really know what’s going on in the beginning. I thought I guessed what was going on but I only guessed half of it so that was a pleasant surprise.

This book is very slowly drawn out but it works out well, usually I hate that type of story but this did a great job in being creepy and wrapping everything up together. I thought the narrator did a really great job bringing the characters to life as well.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook copy!

It's so hard to accurately talk about this book without spoiling it, but I really had a fun time with Catriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street ! The story focuses on several— central characters—Ted, a lonely man who lives with his cat Olivia. Ted lives a very quiet life, but becomes more vibrant and excited when his extroverted daughter Lauren arrives.

We also meet Dee, a young woman obsessed with finding her missing sister Lulu. Dee's obsession with Lulu's disappearance leads her to suspect that Ted has something to do with it, but after being cleared of all suspicion, Dee begins to investigate herself. What happens from here on out is a character driven, atmospheric telling of all the characters as they navigate the central conflict of the story. I CAN'T SAY ANY MORE, LEAVE ME BE! If you're confused, you're on the right path because I surely was during this story (in a good way). It took me a week to finish this book, when I can usually read 2-4 books in the same time.

I did suspect some aspects of the story early on, but Catriona Ward's beautiful storytelling immersed me regardless and that's what ultimately has me holding such a light for this book. I alternated between the audiobook and the physical written copy, and it did not disappoint. This light horror novel just oozed suspense throughout the story, from the creepy and a bit gory start, to the beautifully gothic imagery by the end. This is my first venture into Catriona Ward's writing, but surely won't be my last. I think the story places a bit too much emphasis on twists, but luckily the author provides them with respect to the story. Unlike many novels that have been published in a post-Gone Girl era of thrillers. The ending is actually what sold it to me in the end and has cemented this book as one of my favorites for 2021. Wow...I think this book will be getting EVERYONE talking.

This is a story about the monsters we contain, and the monsters who contain us.

So, I’m not sure how to rate this one. It was very unsettling, and I appreciated the writing & atmospheric story telling. That being said, it had one of my least favorite story telling mechanism & I felt meh about the end.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️. 💫 rounded to 4.

The Last House on Needless Street is possibly one of the most perplexing stories I’ve ever read. I was confused. Then I put the pieces together, quite quickly I might add, only to realize I was very wrong. I was confused again. Who is Ted? Who is the girl with the popsicle? Why are we hearing from a cat? In the end, it all makes sense. As the story goes on, we learn more and more about each of the characters and how (and why) they fit together. Each character has interdependencies that I didn’t truly understand until the end of the book. Ward paints such detailed pictures of the characters, and has put together a plot that it makes you really invested in the outcome. I definitely want to re-read this.

The Short Version: An engrossing briar patch of a novel that keeps you questioning your own sanity up until the ultimate conclusion.

The Long Version: Dang! The last house on needless street is the first book in a while that made me go “Haven’t seen that in a while”. By that I mean the book kept me twisting in the wind, guessing, then re-guessing what the truth underlying everything was right up until the author resolved it all.

The author had a very unique take on this thriller/mystery including a delightful cat narrating her life (seems weird at first, but was delightful and I would totally listen to an entire book about her).

The book would have been a five out of five if not for the third act. The author so masterfully created a tangled story that’s near impossible to unravel through the first two acts but because of that, there was a lot of info dumping in the third act to resolve everything. I’m not sure there was a more deft way to handle it but after such a tense thrill ride through the first three quarters of the book it got stuck in the mud at the end and felt like a let down

Overall I still would recommend this book very highly if you’re willing to live with the self doubting madness that ensues.

Component Ratings
Idea/Concept: 5 out of 5
Characters: 4.5 out of 5
Character Development: 4 out of 5
Plot: 5 out of 5
Prose: 4 out of 5
Pacing: 4.5 out of 5
Ending (Third Act): 2.5 out of 5

Thanks #netgallery. I cannot say enough good things about this book. It's hard to write a review without giving away details. I couldn't put it down and it kept my mind guessing the entire time. Great read.

The Last House on Needless Street is twisty and dark with bits of humor woven throughout. The narration is excellent and at times, it's amazing that it's only one person.

This is told in first person from multiple POV's, with a lot of internal dialogue from Ted and Olivia. I loved the direction this story was going and I was fully immersed until one of the twists was revealed. After that, I was no longer invested and found the ending to be lacking. Obviously this is personal preference and many may find the ending satisfying.

I think the writing itself was very good. It reminded me of the writing style of Caroline Kepnes in You, with a lot of navel gazing and strange and twisted thoughts being part of the experience. I liked that aspect because it I was so intrigued by the characters and those glimpses into their minds helped to develop them and add tension.

I did expect there to be more of a horror aspect to this. There were moments that I felt the tension that I was craving but each of the scenes fell flat. I liked the mystery aspect as well though that story arc was main issue with the ending.

Overall, it's an enjoyable read but like most thrillers and horror, I enjoyed the ride but was not a fan of the destination.

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward is a weird, sprawling tale of trauma, abuse, neglect, isolation, and tragedy that keeps you guessing as to what’s really happening. A cast of unreliable narrators muddies the waters of a nonlinear timeline, shedding constant doubt upon the reality and sanity of the residents of the house on Needless Street, a quiet lane bordering the forest in Washington state.

A troubled man named Ted lives in a dilapidated house with his daughter (Lauren) and his cat (Olivia), but things don’t seem quite right, and the sense of wrongness intensifies throughout the book, not just with them, but with the flashbacks of Ted’s mother, his budget psychiatrist, his failed attempts at online dating…

Things get even more troubling when a woman named Dee arrives in the neighborhood, searching for answers about her little sister’s disappearance at a nearby lake some years ago. Is Ted the kidnapper? Is Lauren really Dee’s missing sister, Laura? Does someone outside the house mean its residents harm, or is it someone inside? Is the source of the weird discontinuities in the house supernatural, or psychological?

I found myself constantly swinging between feeling sorry for Needless Street’s residents, despising and suspecting different characters of wrongdoing, admiring them for their perseverance in the face of adversity, thinking I had answers, and feeling like there was something I wasn’t quite grasping. A slow burn with gothic undertones steeped in uneasiness and squalor, The Last House on Needless Street is an oppressive mystery that, despite all its darkness and confusion, arrives a hopeful and satisfactory ending and rewards an attentive reader.

Audiobook narrator Christopher Ragland does an admirable job of giving each of the characters a distinct voice, energy, and personality.

Audiobook duration: 11h30m
Hardcover: 352 pages

This book comes out in the US on September 28, 2021.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the NetGalley ARC.

I’m sorry I can’t finish listening to this book. I am not enjoying the writing style at all. I find that it’s hard to keep track of what is going on. And I have to be honest I’m really not a fan of the cat dialogue. I will not be posting this book on my Instagram.

Well.... I’m in shock.

This book was like riding a roller coaster. In the beginning you are excited, you have been waiting in line for a while and it’s your turn to get on. The ride starts and your curious how intense it really is.... you think you have it all figured out and it will not be as intense as everyone has told you. Then out of nowhere you are going 100 miles a minute and there is no where to go... you better hold on tight and pray your safety bar is secure.

At the end of the ride, you are going to be exhausted, sick and scared...but, you’ll want to do it all over again!

I’m not going to put any spoilers or details right now in this review... I’m going to wait until you get a chance to read it yourself. I think going into this book blind is the way to go!

Hold on... this one is a crazy ride.

Okay…so this is my first venture into audiobooks and it just isn’t going to be my cup of tea. I was tuning the narration out just a few minutes in. I do have this preordered and will be buying a physical copy, though. So excited to read this ASAP!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for an audiobook copy of this book in return for an honest review!

Rarely do I struggle to find words about a book that I loved, but I find myself in that position right now. THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET blew me away.

There are many narratives here and several threads to follow-most of which lead down spoiler lane. But after mulling it over, here is what I've come up with:

This tale is beautifully written and I was immediately drawn to these characters and making assumptions about them. The author's skills in character building are nearly unmatched, and I had clear pictures in my head of all of them. Them being: Ted the awkward man who's overweight, and lives in a boarded up house; Lauren, Ted's daughter, who is rarely seen outside because it's much safer for her inside; Olivia, Ted's cat. Olivia likes to read the bible, worship the lord, nuzzle up to Ted and she doesn't go outside either. Lastly, there's Dee whose sister disappeared back when Dee was a teenager and that event has loomed over her life ever since, like a huge dark joy-sucking shadow.

The entire book is written in such a way that the mysteries keep piling up and the reader begins to wonder how all these secrets are going to be disclosed before the story comes to an end. But have no doubt, dear reader, when these secrets are unleashed it will leave you off centered and a bit stunned.

A sublime book of psychological dark fiction, both beautifully crafted and well told, I know that I'll be reading this book again. Even though it has already divulged all of its secrets to me, there is a certain joy in reading thoughtful, powerful prose. Beyond the enjoyment of the story itself, is the joy of words and how they are put together to create a flawless narrative. A narrative that, in the end, may have made this black-hearted horror lover break down and cry. Maybe.

You know what? I just can't do this book justice with my measly words, so I'll just say that THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET has earned my highest recommendation!

A special note regarding the audio version: Christopher Ragland was simply OUTSTANDING! I will be searching out other books in which he narrates because he was just that good.

*Thank you so very much to Tor/Nighfire and to NetGalley for the e-ARC. paperback ARC and the audio ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

The Last House on Needless Street is a 5-star book that you may not end up liking, but mark my words - you WILL be hearing about it.

In fact, if you listen hard enough, you may even hear the buzz building already. Though it was published in the U.K. in March, it won’t be available in the U.S. until September. So what are North American bibliophiles doing to get copies? Firing off requests to publishers, buying them online from U.K.-based Book Depository, and mailing them off to one another. Then after they’ve finally read the story, they’re discussing it with one another.

And there is A LOT to discuss.

What is it actually about, you ask? The genius is that people who’ve read it can’t really tell you. The back cover of the U.K. version sums it up quite well:

“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.”

Intriguing, huh? I thought so, and I found the reading experience itself to be unsettling as well. Not only do unsettling things occur, but I also was never quite sure what was going on. “What am I reading here?” was a phrase that ran through my head for the duration. While I did have a fairly good hypothesis, which ended up being correct, I wasn’t let down by not being completely blindsided by each reveal. That’s a true testament to author Catriona Ward’s writing. Putting the pieces of her puzzle together felt like a win rather than a loss.

The Last House on Needless Street is being primarily shelved as horror, but that doesn’t feel entirely accurate. It’s a creepy, gothic thriller that 50% of your book club will hate, and the other 50% will appreciate as the modern classic it’s destined to become.

I received the audiobook courtesy of Macmillan Audio via NetGalley. The narrator, Christopher Ragland, is superb and should be a contender for an Audie Award. If he doesn’t receive one, it would be as much of a crime as if you didn’t add this novel to your Must Read list.

Well written with good character development but very predictable to me. I just couldn’t get into it. Is the girl a girl or a cat? Are we really listening to a POV from a cat the entire story? I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I wanted to like this one but really, truly hated it. I do however think I have some pretty specific feedback.

Originally this book was posted as digital review copy with a green cover with gold-ish lettering and a cat on the front. I did read the description, was torn, and ultimately decided not to request it. Later, it was posted as an audiobook with the black 'no cover' and I figured I'd try it. I walk 4-5 miles a day with my dogs so I finish audio books very quickly.

I did NOT like the first section, and it may have had to do with narration. The voice it was read in sounded like a little kid but the things that were saying were clearly from an adult to the point where it was distracting. I think it probably was the guy flashing back to his childhood in that voice but then it was the same voice when he was actually an adult. I'm still not sure honestly. Maybe it came across better on paper.

I also hated the cat's narration. Awful. I have read a number of books told from the dog or cat's perspective and not had a problem with it conceptually but for some reason I just really really hated this cat and everything she said.

For me it just seemed like a mess. I do not think it's mystery/thriller at all, but I do think it's potentially a good fit in the Chuck Palahniuk vein. His stories tend to be a little more out there than I like to read and this one might knock it out of the park with people who like that.

3 ⭐️ for my enjoyment level of the story
5 ⭐️ for the spectacular Audible performance by Christopher Ragland
(I still cannot believe this was just one narrator!)

Sssh! Do you want to know a secret?🤫

👏🏻 Bravo to the marketing team of this novel for saying VERY little, and making us ALL want to know the secrets contained within the pages of this book.

What is said:

That it’s a story of a man named Ted, who lives with his daughter Lauren and his cat Olivia in a house at the end of Needless Street. And, that it’s a story of a murderer, a stolen child and revenge.

Also said:

That all of these things are true. And, at the same time that some of them are lies.

BUT that is all that the beautiful book jacket will tell you.

👏🏻 Bravo to the reviews that have come before mine, which for once, revealed almost nothing more-making this
THE MOST INTRIGUING BOOK OF 2021!

AND! MY MOST ANTICIPATED READ OF THE YEAR!

The story INITIALLY reveals itself through the perspectives of Ted and Olivia.
YES-Olivia the cat!

And, while I struggled to believe that any woman would’ve gotten intimate with Ted-I had no trouble believing in a talking cat! 🙀

As the author will tell you in the afterword (which you MUST read) , the book does begin as HORROR.
But then it evolved into.....something else.

And, it’s the something else we are all not telling you about.
You have to read it for yourself.


Unlike, apparently everyone else, this probably won’t make my favorites list this year.
I didn’t really enjoy the story.

BUT-I can’t argue with the fact that the misdirection was flawless and that I was dying to be in on the secret!
Unique and Creative-4 ⭐️ final rating.

Thank You to Macmillan Audio for providing a listen 🎧 through NetGalley shelf!
And, to my friend Susan for providing a gifted copy 🎁 which I read simultaneously!

Available now in the UK
Available September 28, 2021 in the U.S.