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. Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of St. Martin's Griffin. I was interested before but after reading your review I WANT this book. Recommended For: Fans of Paul Tremblays A Head Full of Ghosts or similar all-is-not-what-it-seems stories. This isnt anything like Blake Crouch, sorry to say, but you wont be disappointed:-), Okay I need this now! I have to admit I was confused for quite a long time, but Ward does bury clues within her tale, and astute readersor even readers who are well versed in thrillers. This is one of my favorite story devices and it works so well here. But its not what you think. How do you imagine Ellie felt? 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. Why do you think Brenda and Ellie had such different views on race? 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. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. Hi, I'm Tammy, avid reader, book collector & reviewer of quality fantasy, horror & science fiction. Revenge. Change). And speaking of Olivia, what a unique character! WebI am 66% into The Last House on Needless Street by @Catrionaward & I can honestly say its mind-blowing. 100-Word (or Less) Synopsis: All is not what it seems on Needless Street. What is the house haunted by, if not supernatural beings? ISBN10 1788166183. I can understand why so many readers are praising this book to the skies. Publication date 16 Sep 2021. Jan 2023, 368 pages, Book Reviewed by:Jane McCormack At times, you find yourself feeling genuinely sorry for Ted, a man who is obviously a threat to the women around him. An Reading Guide| Dates read: January 27 February 2, 2022. Who do you believe feels the most guilt? Start a free 30-day trial today and get your first audiobook free. Narrated by Matthias Hofer. hah. Get in touch with me at thetattooedbook@yahoo.co.uk. Finally, this review will not be complete without some mention of the character of Teds late mother. Additionally, two characterizations didn't sit right with me. 100-Word (or Less) Synopsis: All is not what it seems on Needless Street. Im not generally someone who reads horror, as I tend to suffer from nightmares, but this review sounds really tempting. All these things are true. Catriona Ward is an American and British horror novelist. The must-read gothic thriller of 2021 from the Shirley Jackson and August Derleth award-winning author of Little Eve and Rawblood. 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 Lulu was never found, nor was her body, so to this day her disappearance remains a mystery. Personally, I had Cameron Britton in my head as Ted. Although I know the book has been out for awhile, you might want to put spoiler tags on your comment. Book cover artwork is copyrighted by its respective artist and/or publisher. Spam Free: Your email is never shared with anyone; opt out any time. Could it have been better? I mean wow, what a book! Ted is a middle-aged, jobless man who lives by himself in the house he grew up in as a child. So, sure enough, we learn that Dee has shall we say some sordid history of her own. This is a place to discuss horror literature. Even when the detective in charge of the case started to give up, Dee kept hunting. The must-read gothic thriller of 2021 from the Shirley Jackson and August Derleth award-winning author of Little Eve and Rawblood. He found her after her mother and siblings all passed away one stormy night. So glad you finished it and enjoyed this as well! Clearly this was not the case while it slowly dawned on me that the evil in this book is purely human. The Last House on Needless Street moves away from the historical to the contemporary gothic, but deserves just as much praise and attention. At this point, Ward asks us to believe a chain of events that are frankly incredible. Hes not a complete shut-in. In this novel, Ward is either so clumsy that all of her intended mysteries are obvious from the get-go, or, as in the case with Dees character, she doesnt misdirect the audience, she simply misleads them. 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. This House may look good on the outside, but inside, its a real fixer-upper. 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. The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links. I loved this, it was so unusual and I couldnt put it down. All Rights Reserved. I get why people like it, but I'm certainly not in a rush to pick up any of the author's other work. In what ways does the society that the characters were born into impact who they become? Catriona Ward was born in Washington, D.C. And then there is Mommy, Teds mother, a beautiful but slightly sinister figure, who we gather is no longer around but whose presence nevertheless looms over everything like the spider at the heart of a web. I had no idea what would transpire at the end and when it did WOW! 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. Now Im more excited than EVER to read this!!! You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. For Kayla, her house is a constant reminder of the loss of her husband and the life they could have shared there. 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. But Ted has some endearing qualities as well: he loves animals, especially the wild birds that flock to his garden bird feeders, and of course, his beloved cat Olivia. Theres something weird going on in this book. For sure, but I think she's going to have a very bright future as a horror writer at the rate she's going. His only companion is a cat named Olivia, who has her own chapters in which she is the first-person viewpoint narrator, suggesting that Olivia is either a very special cat indeed or maybe not a cat at all. This is one of my favorite story devices and it works so well here. All storytellers are liars, but Catriona Ward is a particularly good one. Readalikes| This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Dartmoor was the one place the family returned to on a regular basis. Press J to jump to the feed. The years passed and so did her parents, but she never gave up the hunt to find the person that took her sister. This has been in my list for a while.I just might get it now thanks! Is the cat one of the narrators? How did the alternating timelines and voices impact your reading experience? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. WebIn a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. And yet they are all lies. Hi, I'm Cara and welcome to my bookish world. Here to talk books, film, mental health and lifestyle. I was listening to it on Audible and was struggling hard with it. Death. Here to talk books, film, mental health and lifestyle. You think you know whats inside the last house on Needless Street. Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers! It doesnt help that Ward has a tendency to be very ham-fisted with her symbolism. be able to figure things out. 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. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. They withhold information from the reader, from each other, and even from themselves, the mutability of memoryespecially in regard to traumabeing a key theme. So basically, in the first fifty pages or so. Your review has just cemented my wish to get it sooner. Just $45 for 12 months or 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. 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. Imagine my surprise, then, when I finished Catriona Wards twisty and twisted novel and became a believer. Unfortunately I can't read Sundial because I've heard that the plot surrounds animal/dog abuse and I just can't even begin to go there. It's a true nerve-shredder that keeps its A teenage girl who isnt allowed outside, not after last time. Title Yeah, I thought it was awful, I guessed the big twist about 50 pages in. What significance does the Hockley house have in the town of Round Hill? ISBN13 9781788166188. Which characters do you think are most impacted by loneliness? Greg recently postedSunday Post 411, Wow, sounds great. To know too much going in would have ruined the reading experience for me. Abused as a child, he has turned mostly into a recluse in his 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!. All these things are true. Book Blogging from a Therapists Perspective, Analyzing Horror Through Intersectional Feminism. Im relieved I kept going because being pushed to the brink is clearly what the author intended with her plot development. 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. The other device the author uses is that she shows the same events from two different perspectives. In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street, lies something buried. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. See below for more (spoiler filled) details on that. 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. Recommended for spooky season, but reader beware! 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