The pretension practically rolls off the page in that one. OMG. (And the author herself is well aware of that fact. He nails the different voices so well, that you feel compelled to go and make sure that its really only one person narrating. That was more chilling to think about than a fictional character, and Im honestly not sure what kind of person this makes me. ONLY 3 for my enjoyment level of the story. I knew Ted was innocent, but I didnt guess the DID storyline. Ill be marking the place where Ill go into spoiler territory, so youll have a warning if youd rather not read on. I think its one people will either love or hate . I loved Ward's Rawblood a few years ago but The Last House on Needless Street is such a disappointment, just a cheap series of narrative cheats whose only purpose is to support the oldest and most cliched 'twist' ending in horror fictionwe are seriously supposed to believe that not only does the murder suspect have multiple personalities, but that the dominant one has a name coincidentally similar to the name of a girl who went missing years ago, who was killed by his mother, but not really, she was actually killed by her own sister, who has stalked the suspect and moved in next door, but has repressed memories so she doesn't remember killing her sister, and who gets written out of the narrative by dying of a snakebite, because her greatest fear is snakes, based on a childhood experience which is actually a false memory, and the suspect acts so weirdly throughout because his psychiatrist is mis-prescribing him outdated medication, and who vanishes without explanation once he's exposed, and all of the other child disappearances around the area are just coincidence. His daughter Lauren visits occasionally. long-awaited, Stephen King seal of approval-bearing, and impossible to review without spoilers -- Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal I read this in 1.5 nail-biting days. "Good," she said. She hasn`t repressed the memories, the guilt of what happened and the fact that she kept it all to herself drives her to find who took her. Its an echo [in this story] because its such a landmark in my landscape of fear.. If you get parts of the talking cat in the second chapter, youre probably going to enjoy the book. You made it to the end, which is further than I did. It used Dissociative Identity Disorder as a plot point. Transgender journalist and musician from Grand Rapids, Michigan. The same applies to the psyches of its characters. This is my first time coming across this book and oh my, it sounds so good! Lauren appears in her own narrated chapters later in the book. Its inhabitants include a man who drinks a lot, an angry teenage girl who isn't allowed out, and a religious cat. I loved Olivia! While Im talking about spoilers, one of the most chilling things about this book was how the mother treated Ted. The book was well written and certainly had its moments but the ending was extremely disappointing. Pretty clear, right? - was it as simple as the mum ended up burying LuLu on her property whilst she was away on holiday. Delivery charges may apply. Anyway, not long after my friend confided in me our contact quite abruptly ended. Dee leaves Lulu there to die but Ted's mum finds her first (she thinks Lulu is a boy because of the short hair) and subjects her to abuse, then buries the body at neighbours house. To comply with FTC guidelines, I receive no compensation for the reviews or promotional content posted. Around halfway, I think things start to fall apart fast. There is something odd going on in the boarded-up house at the end of Needless Street. The mothers coldness should have been a big red flag. But that plotlines closure felt a bitforced? Hear noises at chasingthesky.bandcamp.com. No one is who they appear to be, a fact that is lost on them. The cat chapters were a little kooky (who knew cats could be religious! Both novels are critical darlings & both are horror-adjacent . I just loved the ride. *, The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward (Author), Christopher Ragland (Narrator). Just in time for October's spooky reading season. I read the reviews after the fact, and the fact that this book is about DID is totally spoiled. Ted remembers details from his childhood, for example. Its pretty heartbreaking. But in the grand scheme of things, I found this book a bit underwhelming. Ward uses unreliable narrators extremely well. Viper, 12.99, pp352. The books narrative counts on its readers to feel as though they know whats happening, that theyve already guessed the twists ahead of them. The Last House on Needless Street is another critical darling that employs what is arguably the most tired trope in horror, all while telling a pseudo-empathetic story that portrays a demonized community as. The Last House on Needless Street has been called a horror novel or a gothic thriller. Topics. The chapters alternate between Ted, Olivia, Lauren, and Dee, and none of them can be trusted. out of By Catriona Ward. Whilst I had my suspicions fairly early on about what was going on, I still enjoyed every second of it. The main character experiences severe childhood trauma and the story we get is the effect of that trauma. Abused as a child, he has turned mostly into a recluse in his adult life, going out to get food when necessary and see his therapist so he can get his meds. Seeking redemption and revenge is one thing, but inflicting self-judgment on innocent people is a whole another one. Things are slowly getting out of his control when Dee appears in the house next to his, bent on finding her lost sister who went missing some ten years earlier from the lake. But of course, nothing as it seems and as the truths come to the surface, we are forced to face our prejudices and first impressions. I wanted to read this book and be shocked, so I ignored other reviews and didnt even read the synopsis. How did reflecting upon the events in each timeline influence your reading experience? Lauren and Olivia the Cat also have their own points of view of what is happening on Needless Street. This is the story of a serial killer. But it is home for three: Ted, the town drunk; Dee, a teenage waif; and Olivia, a precocious cat. Your perceptions change every instant and quite often no two people remember the same event the same way. Everything was obvious to me from the get-go. Catriona 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. Im fascinated by the lake. All rights reserved. After reading some of the other reviews, I can tell I am in the minority here and that is ok. Overall, The Last House on Needless Street is a thought-provoking novel, with some chilling elements, placing mental illness into the focus in a different way - which is refreshing - managing to stay with you for a long time. Im not sure how to review it in its entirety without spoilers, so I will keep my thoughts brief on public forums and invite everyone whos read it to my blog post (coming soon) for a spoiler discussion. Shes honed in on Ted and is determined to find out what became of her sister. Im just really not into it, I guess. Descriptions of his love of nature reveal his complex character: he takes joy in feeding birds, and the nearby forest is a source of comfort to him; at times he feels he is 'in its . A stolen child. Ted stayed inside in his own mind whenever his mother was in a bad mood. It gives hope that people with this disorder can find their path in life even if its not an easy one. But this is one of those books that you have to trust and take the plunge so you can ride a hell of a ride. Accepting that things didnt quite make sense but knowing it would come together. , I hope you enjoy it if you read it. In the present-day Ted Bannerman lives on Needless Street in a house where all windows are bordered up with planks while the gardens are filled with various treats for the birds . Just finished the bookagreed 100%. It doesn't matter if you're into Stephen King, Octavia Butler, Jack Ketchum or Shirley Jackson, this is the place to share that love and discuss to your heart's content. All commissions go toward supporting this blog. And, as the story progresses, certain moments reinforce those assumptions. Death. Follow Queen's Book Asylum on WordPress.com. 1,051 reviews 2,628 followers. Fury of the Gods Brings Back the "Shazamily": Inside DC's New Superhero Adventure, Scream 6's Brutal NYC Trip: "You Can't Trust Anyone" This Time, Cocaine Bear Is Not Just About a Killer "Coked-Up" Bear, It's Also an "Underdog Story", How Marvel's Wastelanders Podcast Created an Exciting Story with No Visual Safety Net, The Secrets That Lurk in The Last House on Needless Street. I was immediately drawn into the story, intrigued by Ted with his idiosyncrasies and strange way of living. You just dont, Ward says. . What kind of parent says they dont love their child? I think horror doesnt get enough credit as well for its redemptive qualities, Ward continues. But the thing is, I did have an emotional reaction to the book due to some personal reasons, which was connected to the mental condition itself rather than anything happening in the book. Really good summing up of the book's flaws here: https://medium.com/wayward-magazine/im-so-mad-about-the-last-house-on-needless-street-57a2f9b16f88. I was concerned when I realized this wasn't pure thriller from the get-go. Ive been looking for a good opportunity to get to read this book, and the Ladies of Horror Fiction Readalong seemed like the perfect reason to jump The Last House on Needless Street on the top of my TBR. The Last House on Needless Street has been called a horror novel or a gothic thriller. Regardless if you . The Last House on Needless Street is a book that has twists not for their own sake, but because what we think of as twists-unexpected events nonetheless grounded in established character and plot-are a natural extension of the characters and events Ward is tackling.. Despite my general like of the grimdark/dark fantasy subgenre, horror is a genre I rarely read in. The Den of Geek quarterly magazine is packed with exclusive features, interviews, previews and deep dives into geek culture. So therefore, I wont go into specifics on the book, just my thoughts on it overall. Are you afraid of it too? Then youre forming this bond where you travel through the fear together., But, then again, by the time they reach the final page of Needless Street, readers ideas of what constitutes a horror storyand where precisely Wards book falls within the genremay have changed. There were times I was thinking about DNFing, but my curiosity got the better of me, and me see it through the end which I have no regrets about. Absolutely hated it and it was fucking confusing to follow. It made me think of an online friend I had a couple of years ago, who as she confessed to me at one point has DID. To solve this, I started jotting down synopses to jog my memory. Their remains were found on a neighboring hillside two months later, in such a state of decay that the local forensics team were driven to test the feces of local animals to help identify them. SHOW SPOILERS He lives secluded, has his mental health problems, and the only time he leaves the house is when he is going to the forest, to a local therapist for meds and advice, and to local pubs to drink and try to date women. He doesnt have friends and he cant quite get free of his mothers influence over him even though shes been long gone. Stephen King called Sundial Authentically terrifying. Because, although Needless Street has no real factual content in the plot at all, there are echoes of a real-life tragedy built into its bones, the kind that could certainly encourage readers to draw specific conclusions about the things theyre watching unfold. Teds alters integrate, he gets therapy from a real therapist, and starts to become a part of society again. It gives hope that people with this disorder can find their path in life even if its not an easy one. The book embraces many of the most familiar aspects of the horror genre, but it also counts on its readers to possess a shared understanding of its common tropes and signifiers, and uses those assumptions to subvert many of their preexisting expectations. That was more chilling to think about than a fictional character, and Im honestly not sure what kind of person this makes me. I heard a few people describe this book as a gothic thrillerso I was in!
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