Now on the anniversary of her disappearance, Dee has tracked down a new lead, and that lead just happens to be Ted. While this helped explain many of the scenarios presented, I often struggle with plot points that hinge on mental illness because it often portrays the character as a victim or villain. Finally, this review will not be complete without some mention of the character of Teds late mother. Yes actually, the cat does get a happy ending! Olivia sounds like a really interesting point of view, makes me wonder what my cats would say about me Great review! Web162 votes, 71 comments. Frustrated with the lack of results from the police, she has zeroed in on Ted as the prime suspect. Its a form of mental illness that is still not well understood, but has been featured so often as a device in horror stories and thrillers that its more or less become cliche. Hes going to struggle massively to live up to what lies between these pages, but I cant wait to hear who they cast. ** This title earned me the Animal Companion badge in the Spells & Spaceships SFF collection! Another fabulous review, Tammy! Publisher Profile Books Ltd. Imprint Viper. In chapter 2, Ellie says "There are moments in life when you suddenly see your future and it's not at all what you expected." This is one of the books Ive most been looking forward to and your fabulous review has me even more excited! Reading Guide| Ted is a middle-aged, jobless man who lives by himself in the house he grew up in as a child. Personally, I had Cameron Britton in my head as Ted. Even when the detective in charge of the case started to give up, Dee kept hunting. Revenge. A compassionate, heartrending memoir of a mother's quest to accept her son's journey through psychosis. But Im sorry to say that as a story, The Last House didnt work for me more than it did. A missing child. // Lets Talk Bookish. I'll probably re-read this come October or something. as they happened was a truly immersive experience. This is a place to discuss horror literature. Lets discuss your favorite reads or listens. But, its also not what you think when you start reading it, it turns into something totally unexpectedI dont want to give anything away! Please dont ask me how because that would involve at least a hundred spoilers. Is Brenda lonely in Round Hill despite being surrounded by the people she grew up with? All rights reserved.Information at BookBrowse.com is published with the permission of the copyright holder or their agent. A stolen child. It sounds so good!!!! The other device the author uses is that she shows the same events from two different perspectives. I pushed through because I suspected (based on the cover blurbs) that I was purposely being misled, and the twist of all twists eventually changed my mind, but I do feel as though this book should come with some sort of trigger warning because it delves quite deeply into child abuse and neglect. But its not what you think. For both characters, their house represents their grief. Its a difficult book to review however, as the less you know about the plot going in, the better (though the title reminds me of the house on Neibolt street from IT, its not a spoiler for me to say that there arent any clowns hanging around in storm drains), but Ill do my best. These little bits of information eventually reveal what actually happenedor do they? WebCatriona 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. Sign up to get the download as well as an email sent once a month with links to my latest reviews, information on my online book club, and other bookish announcements. Then at the end it gets Scooby-Doo explained in painstaking detail which kind of seemed like an insult to the intelligence of the average reader. 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. All storytellers are liars, but Catriona Ward is a particularly good one. Who killed Teds songbirds? by Catriona Ward. The Last House on Needless Streetis a masterclass in twists and turns. Its like, give me a break! WebThe Last House on Needless Street is a dark and disturbing story about a man, his teenage daughter, and his bible-reading cat, Olivia. I just finished it and felt like starting it all over again so I could read it with a more complete understanding of how it all fits together. These little bits of information eventually reveal what actually happenedor do they? Why does the bug manTeds therapistseem so sinister? Its powerful, beautifully designed and comes with everything you need to engage your visitors and increase conversions. If you read it for its mood, for its sense of dread, if you enjoy being surprised and you dont care to think too closely about the choices the writer is making and why theyre making them, then yes, The Last House on Needless Street is a novel that can have a profound emotional impact. Lulus guilt-ridden older sister Dee has been on a mission to find the little girls killer. Review: The Last House On Needless Street by Catriona Ward. This is a psychological horror story that leads you to believe certain things, but then pulls the rug out from under you late in the story. The reveal at the end was sort of mind-blowing, and I loved the authors Afterword where she gives some background on how the story came to be. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. If good intentions made for great novels, Id be only too happy to join the chorus of praise. I know Im not alone in judging a book by its cover, and based on this one, I thought a haunted house and black cat guaranteed a supernatural, Halloween-ish read. A thick, quiet woodland where you could hide anything. The story is told from multiple points of view: Ted, Olivia (yes you heard that right, the cat), DeeTeds new neighbour, and Lauren. Im relieved I kept going because being pushed to the brink is clearly what the author intended with her plot development. I have been lied to in the best possible way and I enjoyed every single moment. There were moments when I thought continuity mistakes had been made (I have a proof copy so it can happen) but trust me when I say that nothing in this book is a mistake. 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. Olivia is the fly on the wall but an unreliable spy at best, since she talks only of her own interests. A stolen child. WebDescription This is the story of a murderer. How does it influence the plot? It doesnt help that Ward has a tendency to be very ham-fisted with her symbolism. Publication date 16 Sep 2021. BOOM! Weve seen many stories told from an animals POV, but Olivia was something else. Change). I probably shouldnt have read it though before trying to write mine. What really happened inside the freezer chest? 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. Zeen is a next generation WordPress theme. 1965 And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. WebIn a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I liked this novel quite a bit, but theres something that feels a little dirty in how it all came together. The book is As I delved deeper into the subconscious of these characters, I found myself horrified by what I found, which is what prompted me to consider abandoning it. In the dark of the forest, among the white birch trees, something lies buried. An The final act theres a bait and switch that felt organic and not for shock value. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Now stop reading this and go buy it, I promise you wont regret it. I get why people like it, but I'm certainly not in a rush to pick up any of the author's other work. is surrounded by buzz and gushing blurbs from big name authors, and in my opinion all of it is well deserved. Death. This is probably a story best suited in physical form so you can revisit sections as the mystery unfolds. And what exactly is Ted burying when he goes into the woods at night? 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. Any book is up for discussion as long as that discussion is respectful. And that is the beauty of this storygetting to the truth is a circuitous and uneven path, one I never grew tired of. Think Ill pass I much prefer nasty ghosts to nasty people , I prefer nasty ghouls to nasty people any day! Is the cat one of the narrators? By day I'm a content, social media and PR specialist and in my spare time, I'm a book blogger. Then there is Dee, who is also shrouded in mystery. 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. Ellie frequently leads her fellow SCOPE volunteers and supporters in song during protests. 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. I've read it and was blown away. From literary classics to sci-fi graphic novels, I love it all. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. What do you think is the meaning behind this statement? Genres & Themes| However, Catriona Ward has penned something really unique here that booksellers will struggle to find a genre to shelve it under. Now Im more excited than EVER to read this!!! Why do you think Brenda and Ellie had such different views on race? He has only his cat Olivia for company, and he A stolen child. Hasini @ Bibliosini recently postedDoes Having a Positive Message Automatically Make a Book Good? So basically, in the first fifty pages or so. 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). Recently hes been dating and its not gone too well, so hes been extra stressed. Growing up in the well-to-do town of Round Hill, North Carolina, Ellie Hockley was raised to be a proper Southern lady. It's a true nerve-shredder that keeps its Im usually unable to figure things out so perhaps Im also the perfect reader. This adds to the atmosphere of desperation and the knife edge feeling that something explosive could occur at any moment. This was the first novel Ive ever read by Ward and her style of writing is absolutely fantastic. Ted also has a daughter, a little girl named Lauren, who shows up at odd times for a visit before she has to go away. Are you starting to get the picture yet? However, none of the characters are quite what they appear. A stolen child. 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. Books Ive most been looking forward to and your fabulous review has me even more!! A hundred spoilers circuitous and uneven path, one I never grew tired of he into! Of three could occur at any moment re-read this come October or something in how all. Her plot development from the police, she has zeroed in on Ted as the prime suspect all storytellers liars! Charge of the books Ive most been looking forward to and your fabulous review has me even more!... 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