Olivia is Teds cat. I was interested before but after reading your review I WANT this book. This was my first book of the year but I sadly set it aside because I could tell my brain wasnt in the right mindset for it, but I am so glad you reviewed this book so well and I am excited to pick it up when the mood is right! But its not what you think. Is Ellie lonely in California? Title I give The Last House on Needless Street a 4/5 as it is an excellent psychological horror involving murder, serial killers, and survival to the highest degree in a cruel world. Revenge. You may think youve read this story before, but its not what you think. How does this impact each of them? Death. Who needs the real world? A Library Journal Editors' Pick! Would you look for excuses to extend your solitary visit with this possible pervert child murderer in his own house by asking things like Can I use the bathroom? and Could I have a drink of water? Would you spy on his movements and follow him, all by yourself, when you see him walking into the forest at night with a shovel? 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). You think youve read this story before. The other device the author uses is that she shows the same events from two different perspectives. Reviews| WebThe last book I can think of that I finished (that probably wasnt worth the effort of finishing) was The Last House on Needless Street. 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. I can hardly wait to read Catriona Wards next book! He does go out, though these excursions usually result in awkward and unpleasant encounters, to put it mildly. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward will undoubtedly be on my top 10 book list of 2021. What is the impact of Winston and Ellie falling in love despite Winston's statement that he never "planned on falling in love with a white girl" in chapter 42? Switching between POVs, Needless Street is the tale of Ted-a reclusive drunk, his cat Olivia, daughter Lauren and Dee-a woman in search of her missing sister Lulu. Ward takes a well-worn horror device and portrays it in a way thats much more sympathetic, less superficial, but without making it any less scary (because the survival itself and the things survived are pretty horrific). I read it in an evening and could not put it down. Olivia is the fly on the wall but an unreliable spy at best, since she talks only of her own interests. This is the story of Ted, who lives with his young daughter Lauren and his cat Olivia in an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. Ted and Olivia live mostly in the dark because hes boarded up the windows with plywood. I really cant say a lot more without giving away major plot secrets, youve got to just enjoy the ride for The Last House On Needless Street, the intrigue is blinding in this one and the ending is nothing short of incredible. What is the house haunted by, if not supernatural beings? house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. That novel, Rawblood (distributed in the United States as The Girl from Rawblood), was published in 2015. What I can say is that The Last House on Needless Street is an incredible character-driven novel. This has been in my list for a while.I just might get it now thanks! He knows this, because he buried them there himself. [3] Her 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 (Tor Books) in the US, in September 2021. Seriously, when it was revealed the sister had been lying to the reader and really knew what happened to her sister, I nearly threw the book across the room. Does listening to audiobooks count as reading? Growing up in the well-to-do town of Round Hill, North Carolina, Ellie Hockley was raised to be a proper Southern lady. Oct 12, 2021 | Book Reviews, Horror, mystery, Thriller | 12 comments. For example, both Brenda and Ellie were raised in the same society, but had very different values and, consequently, led very different lives. Publisher Profile Books Ltd. Imprint Viper. He doesnt have too many opportunities to be social, but he has learned to adapt to certain social cues. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions. Lying narrators aside, the scarf nonsense alone would have soured me on Wards story. I am excited for this one, also. Too much contrivance was required to make the story work. While theres satisfaction in seeing a bully get comeuppance, does it really need to be at the expense of one mentally ill person targeting another? He has a black cat named Olivia who isnt allowed outside the house, and a daughter named Lauren. From the ramshackle houses to the disappearing children, theres something nefarious at Excerpt| WebThe Last House on the Street touches upon several national current events in each timeline, for example: LBJ passing the Voting Rights Act in the 1965 timeline and the Hi, I'm Cara and welcome to my bookish world. In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street, lies something buried. This adds to the atmosphere of desperation and the knife edge feeling that something explosive could occur at any moment. The novel alternates between Ellie's perspective in 1965 and Kayla's perspective in 2010. The Last House on Needless Street, by Catriona Ward, is the best written book I wish Id never read. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. All rights reserved.Information at BookBrowse.com is published with the permission of the copyright holder or their agent. All storytellers are liars, but Catriona Ward is a particularly good one. Bestsellers rank 30,480. Ward dips back into the past at times and we learn more about Teds childhood, as well as the events at the lake the day Lulu disappeared. An unspeakable secret binds them together, and when a new neighbor moves in next door, what is buried out --Sarah Pinborough, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes The buzzis real. Book Review; The Eighth Girl- Maxine Mei-FungChung, AnAverageLifes Top 10 Titles of 2021 An Average Life, Book Review; Road Of Bones- ChristopherGolden, Book Review; Devil In Ohio- DariaPolatin, Book Review; House Of Hunger- AlexisHenderson, Book Review; The Violence- Delilah SDawson, Book Review; A Sliver Of Darkness- C JTudor. Anytime and happy reading! 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. Im not generally someone who reads horror, as I tend to suffer from nightmares, but this review sounds really tempting. However, intrinsically, The Last House on Needless Street is a tale of survival. When we then switch into kitten Olivias viewpoint its a jarring change. To know too much going in would have ruined the reading experience for me. How would the story be different if they were just friends? I read one other review of this book and put the audio version on hold. The house itself, although not haunted like I first expected, also acts as another character, releasing shuddering movements at particular times that only the cat can recognize. 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. His mother always warned him how dangerous the outside world was, and she wasnt wrong. They withhold information from the reader, from each other, and even from themselves, the mutability of memoryespecially in regard to traumabeing a key theme. The cat is one of the narrators yes. 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. Has this statement ever rung true in your life? Search: That part was WAY too much. This is probably a story best suited in physical form so you can revisit sections as the mystery unfolds. WebI am 66% into The Last House on Needless Street by @Catrionaward & I can honestly say its mind-blowing. Maybe its nothing, or maybe hes visiting his favourite place in the woods. Honestly, by the time the story reaches these revelations, were so far away from relatable reality that its practically parody. It also made me cry, and I can't say that about too many horror novels. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. All Rights Reserved. WebDescription. What is the importance of society and "fitting in" for the characters in the 1965 timeline? Beyond the Book| Both Ted and Dee are an absolute wreckage. If this was a movie, Id watch it again for clues, but Im not that interested in doing it here. How did the alternating timelines and voices impact your reading experience? But remember, everything in this book is setup for a shocking twist. The writing itself was not the problem, it was what the characters were doing to each other, or at least, what we are led to believe they are doing to each other. Dee has never been the same since her sister went missing on a family holiday. At last, she has the address of the man who was originally suspected of her abduction. Its a very unique book and one Ill remember for many years to come. I couldnt agree more with everything you said above . Subtle hints are dropped to keep us trying to guess what Olivia knows but doesnt care enough to mention- a fun, unique aspect of Needless Street. What is the significance of that decision? Author Bio, First Published: Genres & Themes| Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of St. Martin's Griffin. Since then, an invisible bond has connected them. He found her after her mother and siblings all passed away one stormy night. Finally, this review will not be complete without some mention of the character of Teds late mother. Hasini @ Bibliosini recently postedDoes Having a Positive Message Automatically Make a Book Good? "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. 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