See below for more (spoiler filled) details on that. I get why people like it, but I'm certainly not in a rush to pick up any of the author's other work. Cant-Wait Wednesday: A Small Hotel by Suanne Laqueur, Does Having a Positive Message Automatically Make a Book Good? You think you know whats inside the last house on Needless Street. A man who drinks alone in front of his TV, trying to ignore the gaps in his memory. In the middle of this now, and Im enjoying myself! 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. Since then, an invisible bond has connected them. 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. This is the story of a murderer. This is a book thats oppressive and disturbing, sometimes nearly overwhelming in its sadness, but one that comes from a place of real humanity and caring. The must-read gothic thriller of 2021 from the Shirley Jackson and August Derleth award-winning author of Little Eve and Rawblood. It really made me a fan of Catriona Ward. Ted is a middle-aged, jobless man who lives by himself in the house he grew up in as a child. Now she writes novels and short stories, and reviews for various publications. And yet they are all lies You think you know whats inside the last house on Needless Street. 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. Growing up in the well-to-do town of Round Hill, North Carolina, Ellie Hockley was raised to be a proper Southern lady. Being able to read the same situations play out from the perspective of other characters and even cats (yes, cats!) In what ways does the society that the characters were born into impact who they become? That novel, Rawblood (distributed in the United States as The Girl from Rawblood), was published in 2015. 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. Dramatic, curly-haired wannabe writer from a nowhere town in Somerset. I dont know if I wish I had DNFd it per se, but the destination definitely was not worth the trip. At last, she has the address of the man who was originally suspected of her abduction. Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. Although gothic and dark throughout, theres a surprisingly positive thread that emerges. This is probably a story best suited in physical form so you can revisit sections as the mystery unfolds. Like I could handle the Ted/Lauren/Olivia twist because they would conceivably be so fucked up they are actually be narrating as honestly as they are able. What significance does the Hockley house have in the town of Round Hill? awesome review, Tammy. 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. How does this influence the relationship they're able to create? Known to most as Little Girl with Popsicle, her sister Lulu disappeared and was never seen again. For Kayla, her house is a constant reminder of the loss of her husband and the life they could have shared there. A stolen child. Maybe I read too much r/fakedisordercringe but I figured out the twist the minute Ted said the cat had to go away when the daughter came over. Hes not a complete shut-in. Once you realize misdirection is the entire goal here, its no longer misdirection, its just a book believing that its smarter than its readers. haha sorry Im being so vague. From what I remember, the other review didnt even mention child abuse that I remember, so thats the main part that surprised me. My hold for this book just came in yesterday! It felt long at times there are some vague situations at the beginning and none of the characters come across as likable except Olivia, the Bible loving queer cat which made me wonder if the ride was worth it. I'll probably re-read this come October or something. If this was a movie, Id watch it again for clues, but Im not that interested in doing it here. After her earlier novels Rawblood and Little Eve gained wide critical acclaim, can The Last House on Needless Street live up to the hype? Here it does. Who killed Teds songbirds? I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Ive seen this everywhere lately, definitely going to have to pick it up! The Nerd Daily 2023. Discuss what that means in the context of this story. I wont drop a massive spoiler and say what Teds condition is, but it shouldnt be too hard to figure out unless you yourself have been living in a boarded-up house all your life. A stolen child. I spent the rest of the story waiting for what seemed to be obvious to be revealed. 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, were just like those Russian nesting dolls!. Thats where youre wrong. And some of the big surprises arent all that surprising. (LogOut/ I wish I could wax lyrical about what twists I liked best and the clues I missed, but I have no intention of explaining the ending. Prepare to be scared, angry and heart-broken, all in one book. WebHer next gothic thriller, The Last House on Needless Street, was published through Viper Books (an imprint of Serpent's Tail) in March 2021, and Tor Nightfire in the US, in To say she has mad skills is a massive underestimation here. Carolyn is a librarian and book addict with an MA in Creative Writing with aspirations to one day be a published author. Greg recently postedSunday Post 411, Wow, sounds great. WebThe Last House on Needless Street. Olivia is Teds cat. Ted lives alone behind boarded-up windows, hiding from the prying eyes of his neighbours. It sounds so good!!!! This is all I can say without giving "Viper strikes: Catriona Ward moves to new Serpent's Tail imprint | The Bookseller", "The Imaginarium's Andy Serkis & Jonathan Cavendish in Film Deal for Catriona Ward Novel 'The Last House on Needless Street', "catriona ward discusses her novel girl rawblood with mike mignola and devin griffiths", "On Ghosts, the Gothic, & 1920s Lesbians: An Interview with Catriona Ward, Author of Rawblood", "The Shirley Jackson Awards 2018 Shirley Jackson Awards Winners", "Interview: Catriona Ward Talks About Her Latest & Upcoming Books - Fully Booked", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catriona_Ward&oldid=1126574772, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 10 December 2022, at 02:30. From Teds first person narrative, we get the impression that hes dealing with quite a few issues, although its not clear exactly what those issues are. Which is more important to the Hockley family? The ending was alright and even though I wanted a bit more, I'm looking forward to reading her next novel, "Sundial" by the end of March :-). While Ward toed that line delicately, a few things still didnt sit right with me. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. He has a black cat named Olivia who isnt allowed outside the house, and a daughter named Lauren. Secrets, shame, and adoption in the 1960sa poignant tale of a mother's enduring love. Excellent review. And that is the beauty of this storygetting to the truth is a circuitous and uneven path, one I never grew tired of. That statement resonates with the rest of Ellie's life. Its a very unique book and one Ill remember for many years to come. The narrative structure each chapter is told from the viewpoint of one of four characters, and each person provides a slightly different view of what we learned in the previous chapter. I was listening to it on Audible and was struggling hard with it. The bible thing is a minor part of her character, but its all very odd haha, If nerve-shredding and mind-blowingright THERE on the coverarent warning enough, I cant imagine what you believe would have more properly prepared you for this story?! From the ramshackle houses to the disappearing children, theres something nefarious at foot but is it human or supernatural? Olivia is in love with an outdoor cat that strolls by the window peephole, and she has an odd relationship with another cat named Night-time. Now on the anniversary of her disappearance, Dee has tracked down a new lead, and that lead just happens to be Ted. Revenge. Who needs the real world? What follows is a mind-bending mystery where nothing is quite as it seems. Just $45 for 12 months or This is one of my favorite story devices and it works so well here. Its another way to show how unreliable all of the characters are, since they never seem to agree on what they see or experience. He doesnt have too many opportunities to be social, but he has learned to adapt to certain social cues. None of them are reliable. Yes actually, the cat does get a happy ending! This article about a writer or poet from the United Kingdom is a stub. It was a genuine surprise and just made me love this novel even more, even though I wanted more with the ending, still thought it was an excellent reading adventure. I read it in an evening and could not put it down. The book is I've never heard that phrase "not to yuck anyone's yum" as that's the quote of the day! This really does sound super creepy. Death. It is forbidden to copy anything for publication elsewhere without written permission from the copyright holder. BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfictionbooks that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Why or why not? The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward will undoubtedly be on my top 10 book list of 2021. 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. Firstly, when I started reading The Last House on Needless Street, I expected a bone-chilling horror and prepared myself for some gore. Buy This Book. What are the expectations of family, and where do the lines blur between blood relatives and people who simply fulfill familial roles? I found the sister story confusing and unnecessary and, like you, felt it was contrived having that whole set-up be a lie to begin with. Lulu was never found, nor was her body, so to this day her disappearance remains a mystery. Im probably like you in that I would also start to think about how such things really do occur/are occurring in the world and that makes this type of book one Im far less likely to want to read. I was really disappointed in it. I couldnt agree more with everything you said above . I can understand why so many readers are praising this book to the skies. This was the first novel Ive ever read by Ward and her style of writing is absolutely fantastic. Look for a review on the blog later this week! Stop-starter of all projects great and small. What role does guilt play in the narrative? How does it influence the plot? is surrounded by buzz and gushing blurbs from big name authors, and in my opinion all of it is well deserved. This isnt a spoiler. As soon as you think you have it all figured out, there will be one more twist to keep you gripped. Thats where youre wrong. But remember, everything in this book is setup for a shocking twist. I got about halfway through The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward and debated closing the book for good I just wasnt sure I could handle it anymore. Was there one perspective that you connected with more than the other? Middle of this now, and that lead just happens to be social, but Im not interested... Gothic thriller of 2021 of it is forbidden to copy anything for publication elsewhere without written permission from United. Into impact who they become reading the last house on Needless Street, does Having a Message. You connected with more than the other of Ellie 's life and book addict with an MA in Creative with. Poet from the Shirley Jackson and August Derleth award-winning author of Little Eve Rawblood. Most as Little Girl with Popsicle, her sister Lulu disappeared and was struggling hard it! 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