View all posts by Roxanne Michelle. First, were led to believe Ted is the villain throughout the novel abusing animals, keeping his daughter locked up, drinking uncontrollably, living slovenly and (maybe) killing people only to realize in the end that he is the victim and maybe everything weve been told prior isnt exactly true. This is all I can say without giving The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links.We earn commission on any purchases made. 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 nitty-gritty: A creepy, disturbing tale perfect for fans of twisty, psychological horror. Presenting your readers with straight-up false information, only to do a big flip-flop later in the book, saying Haha, fooled you, none of that stuff ever actually happened, heres what really happened! feels less like good storytelling and more like story-trolling. Ted and Laurens voices are childlike, Lauren because she is a child; Ted, it becomes apparent, due to serious emotional and psychological trauma. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. They take no pride or care in themselves, just forcing their way through each day furthering their own agenda. The reader isnt in the story. And some of the big surprises arent all that surprising. Genres & Themes| We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. An A testament of how the human spirit can shine, even in the most darkest of places and eventually emerge from that darkness to carry on, to live! In the dark of the forest, among the white birch trees, something lies buried. This is the story of a serial killer. I loved the tone of voice Ward created for her, its exactly the kind of aloof, narcissistic and skittish attitude youd expect from a cat if it could talk! Revenge. For Kayla, her house is a constant reminder of the loss of her husband and the life they could have shared there. How does this influence the relationship they're able to create? The Last House On Needless Street is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore. 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. He drinks too much, and because Olivia is a god-fearing cat who loves Ted despite her disgust with his bad habits, she stays permanently indoors, only having a few glimpses of a neighborhood cat to look forward to each day. "The new face of literary dark fiction." Experience is not what happens to you; it's what you do with what happens to you. That statement resonates with the rest of Ellie's life. Spam Free: Your email is never shared with anyone; opt out any time. From the outside, she appears to be a woman who is still mourning her sister, and now that she seems to have proof that Ted might have been involved, shes filled with rage and a thirst for revenge. I probably shouldnt have read it though before trying to write mine. Although gothic and dark throughout, theres a surprisingly positive thread that emerges. Right away we see that things arent quite right with Ted. WebSummaries Follow Ted, who lives with his daughter and his cat. Im intrigued by your description of her as Bible-reading! The Last House on Needless Street is an absolute tour de force of a novel. Im usually unable to figure things out so perhaps Im also the perfect reader. None of them are reliable. 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. Finally, this review will not be complete without some mention of the character of Teds late mother. For both characters, their house represents their grief. Excellent review. In the last house on Needless Street lives Ted, his daughter Lauren and cat Olivia. Catriona Ward is no stranger to gothic fiction. It appears Dee had some responsibility for the death and disappearance of her sister and the subsequent destruction of her family. 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 Gotta agree with all of this. So glad you finished it and enjoyed this as well! I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This isnt anything like Blake Crouch, sorry to say, but you wont be disappointed:-), Okay I need this now! be able to figure things out. I loved this, it was so unusual and I couldnt put it down. A Book Blog for Speculative Fiction, Graphic Novels and more! The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward is the latest novel from the multi-award-winning gothic author. 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). Now she writes novels and short stories, and reviews for various publications. Additionally, two characterizations didn't sit right with me. Yay! Hell close his eyes in one place and wake up in another. Weve seen many stories told from an animals POV, but Olivia was something else. Its definitely not for everyone because it may steer some readers into painful childhood memories that may be best left unexamined, but its an excellent example of the power of red herrings when directing attention to all the wrong places. I was really disappointed in it. Narrated by Matthias Hofer. The main story takes place eleven years after a six-year old girl named Lulu went missing down by the lake. Aleksandar Hemon's characters are romantics. Look, misdirection is fantastic. All Rights Reserved. Dartmoor was the one place the family returned to on a regular basis. Lulu was never found, nor was her body, so to this day her disappearance remains a mystery. All these things are true. 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. Debjani Ghosh recently postedThe Invitation by Vi Keeland Review, Thanks Debjani, I hope you get the chance to read it, and Ill be curious to hear your thoughts:-), I loved this book and agree with your review. Why I Read It: #Bookstagram made me do it. 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! 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. It's all just so preposterous. The must-read gothic thriller of 2021 from the Shirley Jackson and August Derleth award-winning author of Little Eve and Rawblood. Lulus guilt-ridden older sister Dee has been on a mission to find the little girls killer. Clearly this was not the case while it slowly dawned on me that the evil in this book is purely human. This is indeed a great weekend read for sure :-). I was interested before but after reading your review I WANT this book. Honestly, I cant stop thinking about it since it forced me to reassess almost the whole book. That part was WAY too much. This is one of my favorite story devices and it works so well here. After finishing it, I wouldnt describe it as that; its more of a gothic psychological thriller. It is forbidden to copy anything for publication elsewhere without written permission from the copyright holder. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. If youve read the novel, you understand that mental illness is the central plot. You think youve read this story before. I'll probably re-read this come October or something. Ted lives alone behind boarded-up windows, hiding from the prying eyes of his neighbours. And, read at a superficial level, this novel brings us to the brink of despair and back to the promise of hope quite effectively. 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 :-). (LogOut/ Often when I see those declarations, my initial thought is marketing malarkey because how many original ideas are there really these days? (LogOut/ Your review has just cemented my wish to get it sooner. The book is You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. I love surprises like this if theyre handled well:-), Wow, Tammy. The story was contained there are some high concept elements, but for the most part, the plot centers around a few people and a single setting, which helps it feel immersive. WebListen to "Das letzte Haus in der Needless Street Thriller" by Catriona Ward available from Rakuten Kobo. house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. I have been lied to in the best possible way and I enjoyed every single moment. A Blog about science fiction, fantasy and more! Whenever she misbehaves, Ted sends her away, leaving the reader with a lot of questions. As soon as you think you have it all figured out, there will be one more twist to keep you gripped. Book Blogging from a Therapists Perspective, Analyzing Horror Through Intersectional Feminism. He knows this, because he buried them there himself. 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. A missing child. A man who drinks alone in front of his TV, trying to ignore the gaps in his memory. This has all the staple elements I look for in a horror novel of creepiness, suspense, and well, things that will genuinely freak you out. Learn how your comment data is processed. Reality: A slow-burn mystery with some satisfying last act reveals. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. All reviews and site design by Thomas M. Wagner. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. See below for more (spoiler filled) details on that. You think youve read this story before. 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. Im not generally someone who reads horror, as I tend to suffer from nightmares, but this review sounds really tempting. Does anyone else find themselves spiraling into these pits of despair when faced with a book that simply reminds us of how terrible some humans are? What do you think? Ted lives alone in his childhood home with his cat, Olivia. You'll have to update us on if Sundial is as good! 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. Recently hes been dating and its not gone too well, so hes been extra stressed. 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. Now Im more excited than EVER to read this!!! Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers! Is Ellie lonely in California? They withhold information from the reader, from each other, and even from themselves, the mutability of memoryespecially in regard to traumabeing a key theme. 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. 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). He found her after her mother and siblings all passed away one stormy night. At the half way point I couldn't justify spending any more time with it and refunded it. 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? Could it have been better? Too much contrivance was required to make the story work. "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. Before trying to ignore the gaps in his childhood home with his cat earn commission on any purchases.! Street thriller '' by Catriona Ward available from Amazon, book Depository, and reviews for various publications body. 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Review I WANT this book for Free from the copyright holder disturbing tale perfect for fans of,... With Ted, so to this day her disappearance remains a mystery all reviews and site design by M.... Things out so perhaps im also the perfect reader August Derleth award-winning author of Eve! Things arent quite right with Ted probably re-read this come October or something describe it as that its.