By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. A stolen child. Catriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street is a shocking and immersive read perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Haunting of Hill House. Nighttime is another alter, but I cant remember if he really had much point other than helping to integrate them. It was obvious the cat was an alt personality. Regardless if you . What's worse, she adds the further cliche of repressed memories/unreliable narrator to the protagonist in order to further obfuscate the narrative. The Last of Us 2 Leaked Plot Confirmed by Naughty Dog, Dune: Part Two Should Expand the Role of Zendayas Chani, Street Fighter V: Champion Edition Review, Shazam! The books narrative counts on its readers to feel as though they know whats happening, that theyve already guessed the twists ahead of them. I loved being suspicious, piecing it together in my mind, feeling a tad disoriented. As I mentioned in my review, I suspected from the first chapter that multiple personality issues will come into play in some way, including Lauren and Olivia. Okay, Im making quick connection: not only to add to your list, please read it! There is a truth we begin to see relatively early on, but when you're standing on shaky ground and the narrative keeps throwing curveballs your way, believing you know what's happening is almost impossible. Some say the concept has been done to death, but you could argue the same thing about everything ever created (movies, tv shows, books, whatever). Her writing has been featured in Paste Magazine, Collider,. Her fourth novel, the gothic thriller Sundial (2022 - Viper, Tor Nightfire) was Observer Thriller of the Month and a USA Today, CNN and Apple Books selection for best new fiction. There is something odd going on in the boarded-up house at the end of Needless Street. That was more chilling to think about than a fictional character, and Im honestly not sure what kind of person this makes me. She wasn't out of the car before an exhilarated voice said two words she had learned that Chifuyu would think were her most beloved words . She pushed down her own guilt and focused that guilt on trying to find her sister and the person who eventually took her away from the scene. The determined and watchful Dee takes up residence next to Ted's dilapidated home, intent on locating Lulu, convinced of Ted's involvement. 'The Last House on Needless Street' (Viper Books, Tor Nightfire) was a Times Book of the Month, Observer Book of the Month, March Editor's Pick on Open Book, a Between the Covers BBC2 book club selection, a Times bestseller, and is being developed for film by Andy Serkis's production company, The Imaginarium. Stephen King called Sundial Authentically terrifying. What Im trying to say here is I have no idea what Im trying to say. I miss my friend, but I dont really have any means to reach her and even if I would, I have no idea if the person I call a friend is still around. ONLY 3 for my enjoyment level of the story. No idea about . For more information, please see our Its been nearly two weeks since I finished reading/listening to the audiobook version of The Last House on Needless Street, and I still couldnt figure out how I feel about it. The writing is complex and not linear so it does keep you on your toes in that sense. He broke them between two boards with a mallet. Possible Spoilers Ahead. This is probably the best-executed book I have read so far this year. What kind of overpowering greed leads someone to need to do it twice in one day?. What kind of parent says they dont love their child? The Last House on Needless Street: The Last House on Needless Street follows Ted, who lives with his daughter Lauren and his cat Olivia in an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. Claire Douglas | The Girls Who Disappeared, Amy Lea | Exes and Os (The Influencer #2), Trish Doller | Off The Map (Beck Sisters #3). In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. The Chihuahua lady and the mom seemed to be close, and the mom told her later on that she would be going out of town as a way to lead false tracks away from her if the police came snooping because of what happened at the hospital . Any book is up for discussion as long as that discussion is respectful. Around halfway, I think things start to fall apart fast. The mothers coldness should have been a big red flag. 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. The main character experiences severe childhood trauma and the story we get is the effect of that trauma. She is determined to figure out what happened and is ready to lay the blame on Ted. Privacy Policy. In the present-day Ted Bannerman lives on Needless Street in a house where all windows are bordered up with planks while the gardens are filled with various treats for the birds . He drinks but there are other issues as well. This is a place to discuss horror literature. The atmosphere in this novel is depressing and the strangeness can lead to confusion "'The first time I tried to run,' she says, 'he took my feet. Catriona Ward was born in Washington, DC and grew up in the US, Kenya, Madagascar, Yemen, and Morocco. Dee chases Ted through the woods thinking that he has Lauren in a bag and is going to kill her, but is bit by a snake. That might sound confusing, but it's all part of the dark, strange world Ward created for this unsettling story, and it all makes sense. (Probably major spoilers) Just curious if there's any books, fantastical or realistic, dark and twisted or more "regular" novels containing a villainous psychologist, psychiatrist or therapist? I thought long and hard because at first, I wasnt sure if portraying DID in a horror setting was something I was comfortable with. I dont know, I felt like all those big reveals thrown at us in the last parts were too muchI mean come on, too much going on with such a narrow character list. Death. "You are an honest child. It sure left me with thoughts. Ward's second novel, Little Eve (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2018) won the 2019 Shirley Jackson Award and the August Derleth Prize for Best Horror Novel at the 2019 British Fantasy Awards, making her the only woman to have won the . A stolen child. The Last House on Needless Street has a small(ish) cast of characters. In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. "The Last House on Needless Street" by Catriona Ward is definitely worth all the hype! But that was one twist I didnt quite see coming the mother being the psychopath, I mean. His mother apparently used to experiment on him surgically, which caused his scars and is what her tapes were about.Teds therapist was also abusing him and making his condition worse. A teenage girl who isn't allowed outside, not after last time. Put it on the ground right there.". Hands up, when I started reading this, I thought it wasnt going to be for me, but it turns out I was wrong, and I was duly rewarded with a strange, dark, but unique reading experience. I just finished TLHONS and it was okay. Catriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street is a shocking and immersive read perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Haunting of Hill House. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The first few chapters are disorientating. Its pretty heartbreaking. The cat is a litmus test, isnt it? Ward laughs. A teenage girl who isn't allowed outside, not after last time. Everything from the gripping plot twists that no one sees coming, to the intricacy of the characters that readers are coming to love. Delivery charges may apply. He nails the different voices so well, that you feel compelled to go and make sure that its really only one person narrating. There are some deliberate reverberations that I set up with Ted in the beginning, Ward explains.Hes called Ted, and he lives in Washington state, near a lake where there had been a disappearance. This story is about Ted, a recluse suspected of a childs abduction. Hear noises at chasingthesky.bandcamp.com. Weight: 340 g. Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 34 mm. But youre wrong. Overall, The Last House on Needless Street is a thought-provoking novel, with some chilling elements, placing mental illness into the focus in a different way - which is refreshing - managing to stay with you for a long time. 431. Once I figure that out, I started to get uncomfortable and grew uneasy. Ms Hayter told of her mother's 'senseless and needless death lying in the road without those who loved her'. long-awaited, Stephen King seal of approval-bearing, and impossible to review without spoilers -- Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal I read this in 1.5 nail-biting days. If you usually ignore the afterword in books, make this one your exception (though not until after youve finished the book as there is a spoiler in there). Avoid the spoilers, skip the back cover copy, and place yourself directly into Catriona Ward's chilling hands. That's where you're wrong. And, as the story progresses, certain moments reinforce those assumptions. Topics. Dee dies from the snake bite. It gives hope that people with this disorder can find their path in life even if its not an easy one. At the end of the street are the eerie Woods where the gods are buried. Often, Im not a fan of male narrators trying to do female voices, but Christopher Ragland did an incredible job of matching all the different characters. (And the author herself is well aware of that fact. Honestly I don't get angry about figuring out what's going on in a story because to me that means the writing is good and has enough clues that someone who's paying attention could reasonably figure it out. The last house on Needless Street is a boarded-up, run-down shell of its former self. When new neighbors move in next door, the legacy of the house will finally be revealed - along with the secrets buried among the trees on this dark, dead-end . I did not like the last 20-30% at all when the big "reveals" happen. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. (LogOut/ But its not what you think. As for the story itself, in The Last House on Needless Street is nothing as it seems. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The perspectives switch between Ted, the sister of the abducted child, and that of Teds cat. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street.All these things are true. And a house cat who loves napping and reading the Bible. Whilst I had my suspicions fairly early on about what was going on, I still enjoyed every second of it. There is also a skill to taking difficult and horrific situations and diffuse care and feeling into the writing, so that the issues raised arent dealt with gratuitously. Anne Coates is a journalist and author of the Hannah Weybridge crime thriller series: Dancers in the Wind, Death's Silent Judgement, Songs of Innocence and Perdition's Child . There were times I was thinking about DNFing, but my curiosity got the better of me, and me see it through the end which I have no regrets about. It releases on September 28th! I loved Rawblood. Were afraid of Ted, because context clues say we should be, because our own knowledge of the world has shown us its often right to be suspicious of loner men who live in shabby, boarded up houses at the end of the lane. Once I figure that out, I started to get uncomfortable and grew uneasy. The Last House on Needless Street is out September 28th. This absolutely horrifies me because what kind of world do we live in where someone can walk up to a woman in a group of friends, introduce himself by his name, and take her away and kill her in broad daylight? she continues. Fascinated is the wrong wordIm terrified, and the event that has quite a power over me is the Lake Sammamish Murders committed by Ted Bundy.. Number of pages: 400. It made me think of an online friend I had a couple of years ago, who as she confessed to me at one point has DID. I wanted a horror story. It's also useless, because nothing in The Last House on Needless Street is what it seems. It was different and kept me interested and may I even say, Im slightly SHOOK. I knock things over, I bounce off doorways. 13.9 miles away from Hero Towing. When a new neighbor moves in next door, it seems all their secrets will finally come to light. The problem, for me, was that I wasnt invested in the characters and didnt really feel what I should have been feeling and that bothers me. Copyright 2020 by Bookends. Slasher Films Provide The Lens That Frames This Horror Story, This Noir Adventure Shows Silvia Moreno-Garcia Can Do It All, With Style To Spare. That was my first encounter with this particular mental disorder so I had no understanding of what it really meant. First we find out that Olivia is one of Laurens alters, created to hide from the pain that Ted was causing her. Things are slowly getting out of his control when Dee appears in the house next to his, bent on finding her lost sister who went missing some ten years earlier from the lake. I wanted to read this book and be shocked, so I ignored other reviews and didnt even read the synopsis. There was really no other way the book could have gone. Its safe to say that she has achieved that goal. You made it to the end, which is further than I did. So, when I read about Teds story, the abuse he went through at the hands of his mom, I just couldnt help thinking what might have happened to cause DID and create the person I called a friend. Lauren and Olivia the Cat also have their own points of view of what is happening on Needless Street. This is so well written! To play [not just ] with the expectations of horror but also with the snap conclusions people might come to about certain kinds of behavior or mental health conditions [or socio-economic indicators].. This is smart! Her next gothic thriller, The Last House on Needless Street, will be published March 2021 by Viper (Serpents Tail). I knew Ted was innocent, but I didnt guess the DID storyline. "The Wizard of Oz" (Victor Fleming, 1939) As iconic musicals go, "The Wizard of Oz" nearly takes the cake. And yet they are all lies You think you know what's inside the last house on Needless Street. Her desperation drove her to the edge of sanity, and I guess thats what she paid for in the end. Thank you, Catriona Ward, NetGalley, and Viper books for the opportunity to read this book. The story is narrated by Ted, Oliva, Dee and Lauren with some characters in third person and some in first person, a technical that allows a rounded tale, told from limited but different viewpoints. At this point, we still think that Lauren is Lulu. However, upon finishing the book, I appreciate how the author didnt make Ted the villain of the story after all even if it seemed like it for a long time and that she showed how Teds life was improved with the right medication, professional help, and genuine friendship maybe even love. I loved Ward's Rawblood a few years ago but The Last House on Needless Street is such a disappointment, just a cheap series of narrative cheats whose only purpose is to support the oldest and most cliched 'twist' ending in horror fictionwe are seriously supposed to believe that not only does the murder suspect have multiple personalities, but that the dominant one has a name coincidentally similar to the name of a girl who went missing years ago, who was killed by his mother, but not really, she was actually killed by her own sister, who has stalked the suspect and moved in next door, but has repressed memories so she doesn't remember killing her sister, and who gets written out of the narrative by dying of a snakebite, because her greatest fear is snakes, based on a childhood experience which is actually a false memory, and the suspect acts so weirdly throughout because his psychiatrist is mis-prescribing him outdated medication, and who vanishes without explanation once he's exposed, and all of the other child disappearances around the area are just coincidence. She alters her memory of the snakes in order to cope with the guilt. Sure, she had a responsibility in the fate of her sister dragging her along, then leaving her alone to play by the river, then running away once she thought she was dead and the snakes were coming but Im not convinced she was a bad person up to that point or that she deserved punishment. And yet they are all liesYou think you know whats inside the last house on Needless Street. And a house cat who loves napping and reading the Bible. The Last House on Needless Street is a very dark, atmospheric and disturbing tale about a boarded-up house at the end of Needless Street whose inhabitants include a man who drinks quite a bit, an angry teenage girl who is a recluse, and a cat that seems to have a religious side. It's a true nerve-shredder that keeps its mind-blowing secrets to the very end. Ted lives on Needless Street. The Last House on Needless Street is complex and multilayered, but more like a multiverse than an onion. I'm getting bigger all the time. Instead, its darkness is primarily rooted in more mental frights: Unreliable narrators, oppressively narrow points of view, and an almost unbearable tension lace through even the most basic scenes. The Last House on Needless Street. I felt that this was just perhaps pushing the envelope a little bit further., Ward refers to her previous novels as Gothic-style stories of distressed girls wandering about on moors, and says that part of her drive to write Needless Street came from an urge to do something completely different and to write something as mad as I liked.. First, there's the stunning transformation as the film shifts from . Your perceptions change every instant and quite often no two people remember the same event the same way. It was such a fantastic book!. The Last House on the Street: Directed by Adam Berardi. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Sure, she had a responsibility in the fate of her sister dragging her along, then leaving her alone to play by the river, then running away once she thought she was dead and the snakes were coming but Im not convinced she was a bad person up to that point or that she deserved punishment. But I kept going because I was confused and felt that I might still be right. I loved Olivia! A division of The Kreisau Circle LLC. The Last House on Needless Street follows Ted, who lives with his daughter Lauren and his cat Olivia in an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. Each one walked away with him and was never seen again. They felt haphazard and cheap. I never heard from her again although I do think of her every once in a while. Descriptions of his love of nature reveal his complex character: he takes joy in feeding birds, and the nearby forest is a source of comfort to him; at times he feels he is 'in its . Today, we're delighted to share this Q&A our . In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. So, just a heads up. Ted lives in his childhood home with his daughter Lauren and his cat, Olivia. In fact, it wasnt even scary. The Last House on Needless Street Audible Audiobook - Unabridged Catriona Ward (Author), Christopher Ragland (Narrator), Viper (Publisher) & 0 more 4.0 out of 5 stars 3,338 ratings It used Dissociative Identity Disorder as a plot point. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! Looking back from the end of the book, Im amazed at how well-executed this story was. He also disappears for days at a time and finds himself saying things like "I did some damage when I was out" or realizes he's thinking of the "wrong memory.". [Spoilers herein.] She lives in London and Devon. Catriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street is a shocking and immersive read perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Haunting of Hill House. But that plotlines closure felt a bitforced? Do Billie and Brad get together: that is the question isn't it? The cat chapters were a little kooky (who knew cats could be religious! A spoiler free 1st half of the thrilling, chilling and heart pounding "Last House on Needless Street" A few more weeks in October would be great! Press J to jump to the feed. Please only click on the spoiler tag if you already read the book or have no intention of reading it. 7. Abused as a child, he has turned mostly into a recluse in his adult life, going out to get food when necessary and see his therapist so he can get his meds. I read some reviews after I finished the book that spoiled the main twist, so beware! I kept reading because of the amazing reviews. Ted lives alone in his childhood home with his cat, Olivia. But now that I have finished reading the book, my question isdo people know what a gothic thriller is? To me, everything is as it seems. Big, fat. All these things are true. It started off with a strong atmosphere and intriguing set up. I got a free e-copy through NetGalley about a week ago. "Good," she said. Fuck this book and every author who blurbed it. Im not sure I make any sense, so lets move on. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward is available in hardback and audible, published by Viper; the paperback will be released on 30th September, 2021. I no longer need to think of you as my son. And that I draw the line somewhere between grimdark and horror? ), but such a creative way to describe Ted from another point of view. 'completely and cleverly manipulated,' is about right, tortuously and underhandedly. Im fascinated by the lake. I'm very late to the party but I completely agree (except I never read anything else by the author). A teenage girl who isnt allowed outside, not after last time. It is only outside the last house on Needless Street that Ted finds occasional respite. The house is a prison and a sanctuary, a reliquary of agony and torment. Overall, not a win for me. Her words stung me. Death. The chapters alternate between Ted, Olivia, Lauren, and Dee, and none of them can be trusted. Dee, the girls sister, has never stopped thinking about Lulu. It would be a bad book if I wasnt afraid of it, she says, explaining that theres actually an important emotional element involved in telling and reading stories about our fears, of both the real and the fictional variety. The mothers coldness should have been a big red flag. I just loved the ride. Change). I loved the story, but the audio production made it ten times better. Almost time to get my garden going. And I won't even start with the talking cat. They all had their more or less deserved ending I say more or less because I just cant make my mind up about Dees fate. I think its unnerving to the reader because fiction is supposed to be more organized than that. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Snakes were her one true fear because they slithered out from under Lulus body when she found it. Just finished the bookagreed 100%. By the time they leave, the six year old is missing and Dee's family is shattered forever. This book is the exact reason why I rarely read reviews before picking up a book. He lives secluded, has his mental health problems, and the only time he leaves the house is when he is going to the forest, to a local therapist for meds and advice, and to local pubs to drink and try to date women. . Its inhabitants include a man who drinks a lot, an angry teenage girl who isn't allowed out, and a religious cat. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. *, The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward (Author), Christopher Ragland (Narrator). It hangs like it has been strapped there. Lauren appears in her own narrated chapters later in the book. 1 ijnfleetadmiral Omake: The Kong-Ree ijnfleetadmiral Omake: You need more than luck, Goto Judge Mental Omake: Wrong question, Issei gS49 Omake: Gred and Forge find out a secret MagisterAurelius Omake: Darth Draco is Displeased A man who drinks alone in front of his TV, trying to . Firstly, this review is really hard to write in a spoiler free way but I am going to be extremely careful because you do need to go into it with no spoilers. However, I seem to have completely lost grip on the story when it comes to the Chihuahua woman. Revenge. This is my first time coming across this book and oh my, it sounds so good! We see into the depths of their lives through their memories and find the darkest corners of their existence. Children have been going missing at a nearby lake for some time and a woman named Dee, whose sister disappeared there some years prior, has convinced herself that Ted had something to do with it. A young girl who isn't allowed outside, not after last time. Absolutely hated it and it was fucking confusing to follow. But I don't need a mirror to know how I look. Part horror story, part mystery thriller, and part tragedy, the book subverts a lot of expectations about what a genre story should be and do, unpacking a complex emotional narrative in the midst of a menacing tale of fear, uncertainty, and constantly escalating dread. THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET blew me away. One thing is for sure, nothing is as it seems.Actually, that is just the given synopsis.