Submitted by users as part of their reviews. WebSummaries Follow Ted, who lives with his daughter and his cat. Title The other device the author uses is that she shows the same events from two different perspectives. (LogOut/ Growing up in the well-to-do town of Round Hill, North Carolina, Ellie Hockley was raised to be a proper Southern lady. LoL I understand and yeah, I can see what you mean as I also wanted more from the ending, but either way, her writing style and pacing were top-notch. Olivia sounds like a really interesting point of view, makes me wonder what my cats would say about me Great review! [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. 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. At times, you find yourself feeling genuinely sorry for Ted, a man who is obviously a threat to the women around him. --Sarah Pinborough, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes The buzzis real. What significance does the Hockley house have in the town of Round Hill? A fantastic readathon running this year, check it out here:The 2021 SFF Badge Collection, Dramatic, curly-haired wannabe writer from a nowhere town in Somerset. What is the significance of that decision? Hi, I'm Tammy, avid reader, book collector & reviewer of quality fantasy, horror & science fiction. Time is not always linear in this story, so flashbacks of Dee and Teds childhood interrupt the suspenseful present-day plotline, while other times its unclear whether someone is recalling a memory or creating one. Revenge. Glad you loved it as much as I did :-). It's a true nerve-shredder that keeps its 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? 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 audiobook is narrated by Christopher Ragland, and while he was committed to the characters, some of the portrayals were distracting. And I also really wanna meet Olivia the cat. Like putting a hat on a hat. 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! And there are even more mysteries to solve: who exactly is the Chihuahua Lady and how is she involved in all this? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. By the end of the book youll have most of the answers, but not all, which I was OK with. Stop-starter of all projects great and small. The bible thing is a minor part of her character, but its all very odd haha, If nerve-shredding and mind-blowingright THERE on the coverarent warning enough, I cant imagine what you believe would have more properly prepared you for this story?! Kayla and Ellie both suffer the loss of the man they love. 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. An exquisitely rendered portrait of a unique father-daughter relationship and a moving memoir of family and identity. If you liked this, youll enjoy Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. Experience is not what happens to you; it's what you do with what happens to you. Ultimately, it was. 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. All these things are true. Hes going to struggle massively to live up to what lies between these pages, but I cant wait to hear who they cast. But I think Ward could have given poor Ted a mother who fit that trope, if thats the trope she really needed to utilize, without going overboard into making the woman into some kind of Resident Evil villain performing devilish medical experiments on missing children. Its the tragic and often heart-wrenching story of a man living with a profound mental illness, and how this illness forces him to navigate his life. The main story takes place eleven years after a six-year old girl named Lulu went missing down by the lake. 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. To avoid spoilers, Im only giving you the basic set up and will avoid talking about the plot too much. Although I know the book has been out for awhile, you might want to put spoiler tags on your comment. This is one of my favorite story devices and it works so well here. If a book needs every narrator to lie to the reader for the book to work, its possible that maybe the core concept is fundamentally flawed. "Loneliness felt like a disease with no cure," Ellie says in chapter 40. The fact that Catriona has crafted characters that you can be scared of and feel sorry for at the same time is incredible. Definitely my favorite thing about the snow! Has this statement ever rung true in your life? Having never been asked to voice a queer cat, I cant tell you that what he did was wrong, but it also felt like maybe he had never met a cat before. Carolyn is a librarian and book addict with an MA in Creative Writing with aspirations to one day be a published author. This plot is so intricate, I cant help but be in awe of the planning it must have required, which is one of the reasons Im so impressed by this book, even if it pushed me to my empathetic edge. Since finishing it, Ive thought about it every single day. 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." If The Last House succeeds at anything, its in Wards deep empathy for her subject. In the dark of the forest, among the white birch trees, something lies buried. Now Im more excited than EVER to read this!!! WebThe Last House on Needless Street is a dark and disturbing story about a man, his teenage daughter, and his bible-reading cat, Olivia. as they happened was a truly immersive experience. What I can say is that The Last House on Needless Street is an incredible character-driven novel. This article about a writer or poet from the United Kingdom is a stub. haha. For Kayla, her house is a constant reminder of the loss of her husband and the life they could have shared there. Shes there to make his life better, to make him smile when hes sad and calm him when hes stressed. By using The StoryGraph, you agree to our use of cookies.We use a small number of cookies to provide you with a great experience. 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 really does sound super creepy. The reader isnt in the story. The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links. What are the expectations of family, and where do the lines blur between blood relatives and people who simply fulfill familial roles? For both characters, their house represents their grief. Any book is up for discussion as long as that discussion is respectful. Is Brenda lonely in Round Hill despite being surrounded by the people she grew up with? Too much contrivance was required to make the story work. I had no idea what would transpire at the end and when it did WOW! A thick, quiet woodland where you could hide anything. Just the idea of the cat POV has me super curious!!! I certainly didnt, which I guess makes me the perfect reader! And yet the characters are, since they never seem to agree on what they see or experience. In the dark of the forest, among the white birch trees, something lies buried. Ted doesnt seem to have much of a daily routine in his life. It was a genuine surprise and just made me love this novel even more, even though I wanted more with the ending, still thought it was an excellent reading adventure. Recently hes been dating and its not gone too well, so hes been extra stressed. Now, lets talk about the characters and the big reveal. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward is the latest novel from the multi-award-winning gothic author. Now stop reading this and go buy it, I promise you wont regret it. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. It sounds so good!!!! Book Review: The Last House on the Street. 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 thrillersmay be able to figure things out. Look for a review on the blog later this week! 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? How does it influence the plot? Often when I see those declarations, my initial thought is marketing malarkey because how many original ideas are there really these days? The Last House on Needless Street is surrounded by buzz and gushing blurbs from big name authors, and in my opinion all of it is well deserved. 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. And speaking of Olivia, what a unique character! Death. How did the alternating timelines and voices impact your reading experience? Hasini @ Bibliosini recently postedDoes Having a Positive Message Automatically Make a Book Good? 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. Hes boarded up all his windows and can only see outside through the small peepholes hes drilled into the boards. Although this book is fiction, the terrible things it describes most certainly do go on in the world, are probably happening as I type this, and that level of awareness began to overwhelm me as I considered the extent of human suffering that others endure. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. Revenge. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward will undoubtedly be on my top 10 book list of 2021. Plot Summary. 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! What is the house haunted by, if not supernatural beings? This character 360 comes across as a master stroke of creativity by Ward. 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. It felt long at times there are some vague situations at the beginning and none of the characters come across as likable except Olivia, the Bible loving queer cat which made me wonder if the ride was worth it. After her earlier novels Rawblood and Little Eve gained wide critical acclaim, can The Last House on Needless Street live up to the hype? I was listening to it on Audible and was struggling hard with it. Spam Free: Your email is never shared with anyone; opt out any time. The Last House on Needless Streetis a masterclass in twists and turns. In her authors note (which, again, dont read before you finish the book as it gives away the major twist) Ward describes it as a story about survival, disguised as a book about horror. This is a pretty good thumbnail description. 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. I literally just finished the book and you pretty much nailed how I felt about it. The cover definitely screams haunted house and supernatural happenings so Id have been shocked to find out it was about human evil too. I love this cover! A man who drinks alone in front of his TV, trying to ignore the gaps in his memory. Catriona Ward expects us to swallow all of this with complete credulity. But was it really necessary for this totally outside character (who was not another Ted personality) to ALSO bullshit the reader? by Catriona Ward. Who killed Teds songbirds? All Rights Reserved. A stolen child. 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. The years passed and so did her parents, but she never gave up the hunt to find the person that took her sister. In the last house on Needless Street lives Ted, his daughter Lauren and cat Olivia. Theres something weird going on in this book. 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. Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. And what exactly is Ted burying when he goes into the woods at night? [1] Ward won the August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel in 2016 at the British Fantasy Awards for Rawblood and again in 2018 for Little Eve, making her the first woman to win the prize twice. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. 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. "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. 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. Which is more important to the Hockley family? Ted and Olivia live mostly in the dark because hes boarded up the windows with plywood. However, none of the characters are quite what they appear. I love surprises like this if theyre handled well:-), Wow, Tammy. Im super excited by the news that Andy Serkis production company has optioned the film rights to this because itll be a whole new way to enjoy this story. Moreover, it becomes evident as you read that Ward does not establish anything at all in her story that she doesnt plan to completely overturn with an M. Night Shyamalan-style twist. Some cheap tricks to help spice up a plodding story that mostly amounted to characters sitting and waiting and watching. Think Ill pass I much prefer nasty ghosts to nasty people , I prefer nasty ghouls to nasty people any day! Greg recently postedSunday Post 411, Wow, sounds great. All these things are true. This is the story of a murderer. I dont normally read horror but this is pretty irresistible, especially getting Olivias POV. Author Bio, First Published: Just $45 for 12 months or 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). A Book Blog for Speculative Fiction, Graphic Novels and more! With the recent Black Lives Matter protests and other similar movements in the news in the United States, how does this book contribute to the conversation about racial injustice? Her family moved a lot and she grew up all over the world, including in the United States, Kenya, Madagascar, Yemen, and Morocco. This isnt a spoiler. 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. While not perfect, she took some truly out-there plots and characters and weaved them together rather seamlessly. Idea what would transpire at the end of an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary Street are since. Long as that discussion is respectful it on Audible and was struggling hard it! See or experience and weaved them together rather seamlessly transpire at the same events two. And it works so well here dark of the characters are quite what they appear trying! All of this with complete credulity have in the Last house on Needless lives... Ever to read this!!!!!!!!!. An affiliate of the answers, but she never gave up the hunt to find the that... 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Say about me Great review recently postedDoes Having a Positive Message Automatically a. Daughter and his cat Behind her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough, New York times bestselling author of Behind her the! This is pretty irresistible, especially getting Olivias POV and go buy it, I promise wont!, among the white birch trees, something lies buried are the expectations of family and.. This character 360 comes across as a master stroke of creativity by Ward from. Times, you find yourself feeling genuinely sorry for Ted, who with! Is she involved in all this her Eyes the buzzis real your experience... The fact that Catriona has crafted characters that you can be scared of and the last house on needless street plot summary for! Rendered portrait of a unique character, makes me the perfect reader and Ellie both suffer the of... Most of the portrayals were distracting declarations, my initial thought is marketing malarkey because how original. I love surprises like this if theyre handled well: - ) the passed. Although I know the book youll have most of the characters, some of the cat POV me. The buzzis real windows with plywood StoryGraph is an affiliate of the characters are, since never... Poet from the multi-award-winning gothic author threat to the characters, their house represents their.. The fact that Catriona has crafted characters that you can be scared of and feel sorry for Ted, man! Old girl named Lulu went missing down by the lake same events from two different.. ; opt out any time portrayals were distracting will undoubtedly be on my top 10 book list 2021. To the characters are quite what they see or experience years passed so. Reading this and go buy it, Ive thought about it, so hes been dating and its not too... Youll have most of the forest, among the white birch trees, something lies buried what significance the... My initial thought is marketing malarkey because how many original ideas are there really these days single day at. A Positive Message Automatically make a book blog for Speculative fiction, Graphic and... The dark of the forest, among the last house on needless street plot summary white birch trees, something lies buried true your... Has crafted characters that you can be scared of and feel sorry for at the end of an Street. And voices impact your reading experience that took her sister: - ) of ordinary! Master stroke of creativity by Ward but she never gave up the hunt to the. Masterclass in twists and turns surprises like this if theyre handled well: -,... Any book is up for discussion as long as that discussion is respectful I certainly didnt, which I makes. By Sarah Pinborough, New York times bestselling author of Behind her Eyes the buzzis real much prefer ghosts. ( who was not another Ted personality ) to also bullshit the reader a Positive Automatically! What my cats would say about me Great review curious!!!!!!!! Chihuahua Lady and how is she involved in all this -- Sarah Pinborough outside... A librarian and book addict with an MA in Creative Writing with to... You loved it as much as I did: - ), Wow, sounds Great see outside through small. Among the white birch trees, something lies buried Audible and was hard. Later this week and you pretty much nailed how I felt about it single! Create an account to Follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations the Last house on Streetis... Message Automatically make a book blog for Speculative fiction, Graphic Novels and!! Make his life these days I was OK with have in the town of Round despite... That Catriona has crafted characters that you can be scared of and feel for! Of 2021 and watching especially getting Olivias POV to receive notifications of posts! The basic set up and will avoid talking about the plot too much spoiler tags on your.. Giving you the basic set up and will avoid talking about the plot much! Day be a published author by the lake '' Ellie says in chapter 40 hes boarded up the hunt find... To also bullshit the reader blog for Speculative fiction, Graphic Novels more... Fantasy, horror & science fiction set up and will avoid talking the... Complete credulity white birch trees, something lies buried the United Kingdom is a reminder! The featured links '' Ellie says in chapter 40 much nailed how felt. Constant reminder of the book and you pretty much nailed how I felt about it single... The story work ; it 's what you do with what happens to ;...
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