So its not like she was aware of us in some meta way and had to protest her innocence. An exquisitely rendered portrait of a unique father-daughter relationship and a moving memoir of family and identity. Would you walk over to his house, all by yourself, knock on the front door, make friendly conversation? Once I acknowledged this discomfort and moved on, I found I could read my way through this book and enjoy the fact that its an incredibly brilliant story, twisted in such surprising ways that I was always eager to turn the page and find the answers that inevitably eluded me until the very end. 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. Spam Free: Your email is never shared with anyone; opt out any time. I had no idea what would transpire at the end and when it did WOW! I've read it and was blown away. I'm so glad to see another fan of The Last House on Needless Street, though! Yes actually, the cat does get a happy ending! 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. 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. Its like, give me a break! For Kayla, her house is a constant reminder of the loss of her husband and the life they could have shared there. Just the idea of the cat POV has me super curious!!! Prepare to be scared, angry and heart-broken, all in one book. This is the twist that has largely propelled the novel to popularity, but I felt his childlike and duplicitous portrayal made it difficult to offer the forgiveness that Ward was going for. Lying narrators aside, the scarf nonsense alone would have soured me on Wards story. Death. Theyre all complex and driven by completely different pain and fears. 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." What I can say is that The Last House on Needless Street is an incredible character-driven novel. Discuss what that means in the context of this story. How does this impact each of them? I found the sister story confusing and unnecessary and, like you, felt it was contrived having that whole set-up be a lie to begin with. In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. 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. An ordinary house on an ordinary street becomes a pit of unimaginable darkness in this truly nerve-shattering psychological thriller from the author of Little Eve. Even when the detective in charge of the case started to give up, Dee kept hunting. 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. That statement resonates with the rest of Ellie's life. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Since this is one I will obviously not be reading, LOL, can you tell me does that poor cat get a Happy Ending? Honestly, by the time the story reaches these revelations, were so far away from relatable reality that its practically parody. To her infinite credit, Catriona Ward has taken seriously her responsibility to do justice to a condition that is suffered by a great many deeply traumatized people and present it in a way that is compassionate and, despite the horrors that unfold in the story, hopeful. Recommended for spooky season, but reader beware! And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. All storytellers are liars, but Catriona Ward is a particularly good one. 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?! In the dark of the forest, among the white birch trees, something lies buried. Known to most as Little Girl with Popsicle, her sister Lulu disappeared and was never seen again. Is Brenda lonely in Round Hill despite being surrounded by the people she grew up with? WebSummary Excerpt Reading Guide Book Summary A community's past sins rise to the surface in New York Times bestselling author Diane Chamberlain's The Last House on the Street when two women, a generation apart, find themselves bound by tragedy and an unsolved, decades-old mystery. Here to talk books, film, mental health and lifestyle. So, where do I even start with this?! In chapter 21, Kayla finds a letter that her father, Reed, wrote to Jackson, describing their new house as "haunted." Narrated by Matthias Hofer. WebDescription. A thick, quiet woodland where you could hide anything. by Catriona Ward. Since then, an invisible bond has connected them. Once you realize misdirection is the entire goal here, its no longer misdirection, its just a book believing that its smarter than its readers. But its not what you think. Overall, this was an excellent story, masterfully constructed and executed, and creepy as hell. Synopsis An Indie Next Pick! All the main characters, besides Dee, are his separate identities. All reviews and site design by Thomas M. Wagner. Dates read: January 27 February 2, 2022. I spent the rest of the story waiting for what seemed to be obvious to be revealed. A compassionate, heartrending memoir of a mother's quest to accept her son's journey through psychosis. I certainly didnt, which I guess makes me the perfect reader! BOOM! Publication City/Country United Kingdom. The main story takes place eleven years after a six-year old girl named Lulu went missing down by the lake. Posted July 22, 2021 by Tammy in 5 stars, Reviews / 33 Comments, Ive gotta say Im SUPER intrigued by this book after reading your review. The novel alternates between Ellie's perspective in 1965 and Kayla's perspective in 2010. But remember, everything in this book is setup for a shocking twist. For sure, but I think she's going to have a very bright future as a horror writer at the rate she's going. View all posts by Roxanne Michelle. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 100-Word (or Less) Synopsis: All is not what it seems on Needless Street. Ted lives alone behind boarded-up windows, hiding from the prying eyes of his neighbours. 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!. It also made me cry, and I can't say that about too many horror novels. If you liked this, youll enjoy Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. And yet they are all lies You think you know whats inside the last house on Needless Street. And yet Do you believe this could have been true? This horror fiction-related article is a stub. To say she has mad skills is a massive underestimation here. Hasini @ Bibliosini recently postedDoes Having a Positive Message Automatically Make a Book Good? He has only his cat Olivia for company, and he rarely leaves the house. But its not what you think. They withhold information from the reader, from each other, and even from themselves, the mutability of memoryespecially in regard to traumabeing a key theme. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. All these things are true. 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. Im not generally someone who reads horror, as I tend to suffer from nightmares, but this review sounds really tempting. WebSummaries. WebListen to "Das letzte Haus in der Needless Street Thriller" by Catriona Ward available from Rakuten Kobo. A stolen child. I certainly didnt, which I guess makes me the perfect reader! Find books by time period, setting & theme, Read-alike suggestions by book and author. Stop-starter of all projects great and small. Beyond the Book| // Lets Talk Bookish. Web162 votes, 71 comments. All these things are true. I've never heard that phrase "not to yuck anyone's yum" as that's the quote of the day! Press J to jump to the feed. And I am glad you had such a great time with it! Thats where youre wrong. You think you know whats inside the last house on Needless Street. It is central to the appeal of a mystery, being led down blind alleys in the hope that youre a clever enough detective to piece together the puzzle. In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. A teenage girl who isnt allowed outside, not after last time. A man who drinks alone in front of his TV, trying to ignore the gaps in his memory. And a house cat who loves napping and reading the Bible. Revenge. 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. house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. The nitty-gritty: A creepy, disturbing tale perfect for fans of twisty, psychological horror. Reviews| This is a fabulous review! This is where the story begins to go wrong. Is Ellie lonely in California? This has been in my list for a while.I just might get it now thanks! Why or why not? Murder. Im intrigued by your description of her as Bible-reading! Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. Am I getting too big picture here? This isnt a spoiler. Who killed Teds songbirds? Wink the Astrokitty drawn by Matt Olson. I'll probably re-read this come October or something. Its another way to show how unreliable all of the characters are, since they never seem to agree on what they see or experience. 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. At last, she has the address of the man who was originally suspected of her abduction. Also yes, I tasted one and they are delicious, This book was simply exquisite. 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. His young daughter stays from time to time, but he keeps her hidden away too. The fact that Catriona has crafted characters that you can be scared of and feel sorry for at the same time is incredible. 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 WebThe Last House on Needless Street. The other device the author uses is that she shows the same events from two different perspectives. Don't miss a beat! Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of St. Martin's Griffin. 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. What role does guilt play in the narrative? Reality: A slow-burn mystery with some satisfying last act reveals. At this point, Ward asks us to believe a chain of events that are frankly incredible. 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. 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