View all posts by Roxanne Michelle. The years passed and so did her parents, but she never gave up the hunt to find the person that took her sister. Growing up in the well-to-do town of Round Hill, North Carolina, Ellie Hockley was raised to be a proper Southern lady. Stephanie @ Bookfever recently postedCant-Wait Wednesday: A Small Hotel by Suanne Laqueur, I really thought the whole pull the rug out from under you was well done. I spent the rest of the story waiting for what seemed to be obvious to be revealed. Review: The Last House On Needless Street by Catriona Ward. Excerpt| About a decade before the story opens, Ted was a person of interest in the disappearance of a four-year-old girl named Lulu, who was visiting the nearby lake with her parents and big sister Dee. A compassionate, heartrending memoir of a mother's quest to accept her son's journey through psychosis. They take no pride or care in themselves, just forcing their way through each day furthering their own agenda. Who killed Teds songbirds? Think Ill pass I much prefer nasty ghosts to nasty people , I prefer nasty ghouls to nasty people any day! There are a few elements of the plot that build suspense; not knowing what happened that day that Lulu disappeared, how much of Teds ramblings we can truly believe, Dees vigilante efforts, and the remarkably creepy yet vague memories of Teds life with his parents. reviewing fantasy, sci-fi, and romance novels. Now, lets talk about the characters and the big reveal. He seems to be obsessed with his dead mother, who he refers to as Mommy. Even more unsettling is his relationship with his daughter, Lauren. Revenge. The story is told from multiple points of view: Ted, Olivia (yes you heard that right, the cat), DeeTeds new neighbour, and Lauren. You'll have to update us on if Sundial is as good! If you liked this, youll enjoy Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. By day I'm a content, social media and PR specialist and in my spare time, I'm a book blogger. He knows this, because he buried them there himself. All storytellers are liars, but Catriona Ward is a particularly good one. Were you surprised when she and Winston did so in the tree house? Additionally, two characterizations didn't sit right with me. Hugs to @tordotcompub for the review copy . By using The StoryGraph, you agree to our use of cookies.We use a small number of cookies to provide you with a great experience. "The new face of literary dark fiction." Once you realize misdirection is the entire goal here, its no longer misdirection, its just a book believing that its smarter than its readers. Hi, I'm Cara and welcome to my bookish world. Plot Summary. Copyright 2020 I've Read This. Olivia thinks she was sent to protect Ted by the LORD (always described in caps like that), and she occasionally knocks Teds Bible off the table in order to read a random Bible verse (if youve ever read the Bible, youll understand how unsettling some of it is). The silly level of reader manipulation in this moment was immediately topped 3-4 chapters later when it turns out the scarf Ted supposedly took from a victim was actually something she dropped and he tried in vain to return to her. Just the idea of the cat POV has me super curious!!! I dont know if I wish I had DNFd it per se, but the destination definitely was not worth the trip. And speaking of Olivia, what a unique character! Winston also sings a few verses from "I'll Fly Away" to Ellie on the first night they meet in the tree house on page 277. Yes: 65% | It's complicated: 30% | No: 3%, It's complicated: 59% | No: 25% | Yes: 13%, No: 35% | It's complicated: 32% | Yes: 28% | N/A: 4%, Yes: 82% | It's complicated: 14% | No: 1%. Your review has just cemented my wish to get it sooner. Glad you loved it as much as I did :-). BookBrowse LLC 1997-2023. There are so many questions raised throughout the novel that it borders on the confusing, yet thankfully not everything is tied up in a neat bow at the end either, and the tension between reality and make-believe lands firmly in the real side of things once the last page is turned. He doesnt work and it isnt clear what he does for money, though its mentioned that he has pawned off a lot of old family possessions. Ted lives alone behind boarded-up windows, hiding from the prying eyes of his neighbours. And there are even more mysteries to solve: who exactly is the Chihuahua Lady and how is she involved in all this? He loses time and makes frequent, nighttime trips to the nearby woods. Recommended for spooky season, but reader beware! The fact that Catriona has crafted characters that you can be scared of and feel sorry for at the same time is incredible. Discuss the effect of bias in the SCOPE program. And what exactly is Ted burying when he goes into the woods at night? The must-read gothic thriller of 2021 from the Shirley Jackson and August Derleth award-winning author of Little Eve and Rawblood. I can hardly wait to read Catriona Wards next book! This horror fiction-related article is a stub. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Yes actually, the cat does get a happy ending! Faking evidence of a crime like that is a pretty dumb cheat for any mystery writer to pull. Dramatic, curly-haired wannabe writer from a nowhere town in Somerset. A stolen child. A stolen child. She really did her research and reached out to those with DID and although it was over the top for entertainment, many parts were quite accurate. Don't miss a beat! Revenge. Known to most as Little Girl with Popsicle, her sister Lulu disappeared and was never seen again. I'm so glad to see another fan of The Last House on Needless Street, though! house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. I strongly agree that the sister should have been a reliable narrator. This plot is so intricate, I cant help but be in awe of the planning it must have required, which is one of the reasons Im so impressed by this book, even if it pushed me to my empathetic edge. Priscilla Bettis recently posted3rd Quarter 2021 Writing Goals, This is one book you DONT want to spoil, it was so unique:-). I've never heard that phrase "not to yuck anyone's yum" as that's the quote of the day! This is a place to discuss horror literature. From the ramshackle houses to the disappearing children, theres something nefarious at foot but is it human or supernatural? A teenage girl who isnt allowed outside, not after last time. An unspeakable secret binds them together, and when a new neighbor moves in next door, what is buried out Synopsis This is the story of a serial killer. Agree on the ending but I'd have trouble wrapping up that story too if I were the author. Pages and Tea recently postedBook Review: Later by Stephen King. It doesn't matter if you're into Stephen King, Octavia Butler, Jack Ketchum or Shirley Jackson, this is the place to share that love and discuss to your heart's content. Revenge. Ask yourself: if you, as a young woman all alone, were convinced that a specific man was responsible for the abduction and murder of your sibling, would you move into the house next door to him? And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. But even though the journey can be harrowingseriously, this was a book shaped spoon that scooped out my emotions as if they were ice cream; little wonder that its been endorsed by Stephen King amongst others, or that its been selected as one of the titles for the second series of the BBC2 book programme Between the Coversthe story ultimately manages to end on a hopeful note: hope that after survival theres living. This is achieved not through making the language overly simplistic but by highlighting his naivete and inability to express himself or his understanding in a complex way, as youd expect an adult to be able to do, naming people by their physical characteristics, literal and figurative, or by associationsMan with Orange Juice Hair, Chihuahua Lady, Bug-Manfor example. Dates read: January 27 February 2, 2022. Hes going to struggle massively to live up to what lies between these pages, but I cant wait to hear who they cast. The reader isnt in the story. Secrets, shame, and adoption in the 1960sa poignant tale of a mother's enduring love. Now stop reading this and go buy it, I promise you wont regret it. At last, she has the address of the man who was originally suspected of her abduction. This character 360 comes across as a master stroke of creativity by Ward. Revenge. Having never been asked to voice a queer cat, I cant tell you that what he did was wrong, but it also felt like maybe he had never met a cat before. Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy. Finally, this review will not be complete without some mention of the character of Teds late mother. I certainly didnt, which I guess makes me the perfect reader! The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward is one of those rare novels I read that kept me on the edge of my seat from the moment I started. I love/hate it when authors pulls the rug out from under you and leaving you shocked. Olivia sounds like a really interesting point of view, makes me wonder what my cats would say about me Great review! Weve seen many stories told from an animals POV, but Olivia was something else. Publication date 16 Sep 2021. You did such an amazing job to talk about everything without spoilers, lol. Since finishing it, Ive thought about it every single day. Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers! Submitted by users as part of their reviews. None of them are reliable. What do you think? Please dont ask me how because that would involve at least a hundred spoilers. Dees journey was surprisingly nightmarishwe learn she is afraid of snakes for exampleand I thought her character added a nice dimension to the story. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This is a fabulous review! This was the first novel Ive ever read by Ward and her style of writing is absolutely fantastic. It is forbidden to copy anything for publication elsewhere without written permission from the copyright holder. This is probably a story best suited in physical form so you can revisit sections as the mystery unfolds. Her research took two years, she interviewed people living with the condition, and the back of the book includes a bibliography listing 38 sources. Murder. Well I found it difficult to read because ultimately its about child abuse and neglect, and I found that difficult to stomach. 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. I read one other review of this book and put the audio version on hold. In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street, lies something buried. This is the story of a serial killer. I have been meaning to get this book for ages. Dee has never been the same since her sister went missing on a family holiday. Who do you believe feels the most guilt? I had no idea what would transpire at the end and when it did WOW! When hes at home, he enjoys watching monster truck shows, looking after Olivia, and he eagerly anticipates visits from Lauren (whom Olivia hates), even though she tends to misbehave very badly before she goes away. Ted also mentions that sometimes he goes away, and hes not sure what happens when he does. Even when the detective in charge of the case started to give up, Dee kept hunting. Frustrated with the lack of results from the police, she has zeroed in on Ted as the prime suspect. A missing child. Moreover, it becomes evident as you read that Ward does not establish anything at all in her story that she doesnt plan to completely overturn with an M. Night Shyamalan-style twist. Its powerful, beautifully designed and comes with everything you need to engage your visitors and increase conversions. Oct 12, 2021 | Book Reviews, Horror, mystery, Thriller | 12 comments. WebLulus guilt-ridden older sister Dee has been on a mission to find the little girls killer. Synopsis: A communitys past sins rise to the surface when two women, a generation apart, find themselves bound by tragedy and an unsolved, decades-old mystery. So, sure enough, we learn that Dee has shall we say some sordid history of her own. And that is the beauty of this storygetting to the truth is a circuitous and uneven path, one I never grew tired of. Language English. Why does the bug manTeds therapistseem so sinister? Personally, I was pretty underwhelmed by the final act and the creaky structure of the overall story. Ted is of course an unreliable narrator, as is the bible-reading Olivia, so its difficult to believe much of anything being described. Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of St. Martin's Griffin. Aleksandar Hemon's characters are romantics. Publication City/Country United Kingdom. Even as someone that loves cats, I struggled with this fantasy element. Im intrigued by your description of her as Bible-reading! Yet, she continued to find others to blame, and in her targeting of Ted, did horrendous things to make him suffer, all to atone for her sins. For sure, but I think she's going to have a very bright future as a horror writer at the rate she's going. Another fabulous review, Tammy! Again with Ted blanking for unknown time periods and trying to garner advice from his doctor only by describing TV shows, we are piecing together truth from fiction. Known to most as Little Girl with Popsicle, her sister Lulu disappeared and was never seen again. Ted is a middle-aged, jobless man who lives by himself in the house he grew up in as a child. Both Ted and Dee are an absolute wreckage. This isnt a spoiler. When a woman named Dee moves into the abandoned house next door while on her quest to find her sister, who was kidnapped years ago, Ted's life begins to spiral into chaos. All rights reserved. The Last House on Needless Street, by Catriona Ward, is the best written book I wish Id never read. This helped slowly build the mystery and allow the reader to revisit key points in near real-time. Hes boarded up all his windows and can only see outside through the small peepholes hes drilled into the boards. Then there is Dee, who is also shrouded in mystery. It's all just so preposterous. 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 isnt 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. Ward initially worked as an actor based in New York. All these things are true. Anytime and happy reading! 1965. WebThe 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 Sadly I am not a fan of this kind of book, horror is not for me, amd psychological horror is definitely not for me, but your review was captivating! It really made me a fan of Catriona Ward. I absolutely loved it, but I guess it could be in part that, as the spouse of a system (person with DID), I really appreciate her final notes on DID. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Posted July 22, 2021 by Tammy in 5 stars, Reviews / 33 Comments, Ive gotta say Im SUPER intrigued by this book after reading your review. This House may look good on the outside, but inside, its a real fixer-upper. I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. What is the house haunted by, if not supernatural beings? He found her after her mother and siblings all passed away one stormy night. See below for more (spoiler filled) details on that. Mothers, either of the abusive or excessively smothering variety, who have left their adult children with a boatload of devastating mental health problems have become one of horror fictions most recycled tropes. Lying narrators aside, the scarf nonsense alone would have soured me on Wards story. WebThe Last House on Needless Street. Find books by time period, setting & theme, Read-alike suggestions by book and author. The mysteries the two core mysteries get explained, but there are so many ancillary things thrown in to keep the reader off balance that I still cant make sense out of what was important and what wasnt. Narrated by Matthias Hofer. What really happened inside the freezer chest? From literary classics to sci-fi graphic novels, I love it all. Its definitely more psychological horror, if thats something you enjoy. Wink the Astrokitty drawn by Matt Olson. WebDescription This is the story of a murderer. Lulus guilt-ridden older sister Dee has been on a mission to find the little girls killer. For example, Reverend Filburn and the Northern students did not initially welcome Ellie because she was from the South, and the people in Round Hill opposed the SCOPE program because "Yankee" outsiders were coming in to "tell us how we should be runnin' things," as Buddy says in chapter 6. But its not what you think. Start a free 30-day trial today and get your first audiobook free. You might have a chapter from Olivias point of view and what shes observing from inside the house, and the next chapter might shift to Dee, who is in the house next door, watching the same event unfold. , social media and PR specialist and in my spare time, was. Behind boarded-up windows, hiding from the copyright holder the years passed and so did her parents, but Ward. 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With this fantasy element I read one other review of this storygetting to the publisher in exchange for an review. Buried them there himself the Chihuahua lady and how is she involved in all this phrase. Writer to pull Ward and her style of writing is absolutely fantastic Olivia like... I were the author top of the character of Teds late mother sister should have been a reliable narrator creaky! Book for ages I did: - ) say about me Great review written from! The permission of St. Martin 's Griffin the rest of the overall story is of course an unreliable,! Every single day has shall we say some sordid history of her abduction overall.... He grew up in as a master stroke of creativity by Ward who lives by himself in the house... Stormy night, hiding from the Shirley Jackson and August Derleth award-winning of! Her own Ward initially worked as an actor based in new York it is forbidden copy.