I didnt care for it either. A Book Blog for Speculative Fiction, Graphic Novels and more! Revenge. Thats okay. Faking evidence of a crime like that is a pretty dumb cheat for any mystery writer to pull. Discuss what that means in the context of this story. Ted lives alone in his childhood home with his cat, Olivia. Prepare to be scared, angry and heart-broken, all in one book. A LibraryReads Top 10 Pick! Why or why not? How would the story be different if they were just friends? Recently hes been dating and its not gone too well, so hes been extra stressed. Readalikes| This is indeed a great weekend read for sure :-). This is one of the books Ive most been looking forward to and your fabulous review has me even more excited! All reviews and site design by Thomas M. Wagner. The Last House on Needless Street follows awkward shut-in Ted and his loyal sidekick, Olivia the cat. Something horrible may or may not have happened in Teds past. He was once a suspect in a missing person case involving a little girl named Laura. The reader isnt in the story. For example, both Brenda and Ellie were raised in the same society, but had very different values and, consequently, led very different lives. be able to figure things out. The final act theres a bait and switch that felt organic and not for shock value. The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links. What role does guilt play in the narrative? Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. 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. A Library Journal Editors' Pick! Your review has just cemented my wish to get it sooner. 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. Revenge. And yet they are all lies You think you know whats inside 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. Why I Read It: #Bookstagram made me do it. I have been lied to in the best possible way and I enjoyed every single moment. Look for a review on the blog later this week! 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. And that is the beauty of this storygetting to the truth is a circuitous and uneven path, one I never grew tired of. He knows this, because he buried them there himself. Multi-tasking: Good to go, but since it feels like we toggle between fantasy and real-life, its better to stick to activities that will allow you to concentrate on the mystery. My hold for this book just came in yesterday! [5], Ward lives in London and Devon.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. Any book is up for discussion as long as that discussion is respectful. The novel alternates between Ellie's perspective in 1965 and Kayla's perspective in 2010. 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. Not to yuck anyones yum here, but I did not particularly love The Last House on Needless Street. 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. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions. Reviews| So its not like she was aware of us in some meta way and had to protest her innocence. Winston also sings a few verses from "I'll Fly Away" to Ellie on the first night they meet in the tree house on page 277. Title 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. You know from the outset theres a lot more to this than the characters are showing you, but its so carefully written you cant quite figure out what theyre hiding. What do you think? Submitted by users as part of their reviews. You think youve read this story before. I loved this, it was so unusual and I couldnt put it down. Most reviews of The Last House on Needless Street mention that you cant talk about the plot without giving away its secrets. 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! The silly level of reader manipulation in this moment was immediately topped 3-4 chapters later when it turns out the scarf Ted supposedly took from a victim was actually something she dropped and he tried in vain to return to her. What does it represent in each timeline? Recommended for spooky season, but reader beware! It's a true nerve-shredder that keeps its Its another way to show how unreliable. Even as someone that loves cats, I struggled with this fantasy element. It's all just so preposterous. Frustrated with the lack of results from the police, she has zeroed in on Ted as the prime suspect. At the half way point I couldn't justify spending any more time with it and refunded it. [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. They can all no doubt be traced back to the real-life mother of the notorious serial killer Ed Gein, a woman who created such a toxic hellhole of a home life that it would have been a miracle for her son not to have grown up to become the inspiration for Norman Bates and Leatherface. All these things are true. 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. (LogOut/ 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. 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. Olivia is such an interesting character. By day I'm a content, social media and PR specialist and in my spare time, I'm a book blogger. To know too much going in would have ruined the reading experience for me. At the end, in chapter 52, Ellie admits that she and Reed may have ended up together in another lifetime. The must-read gothic thriller of 2021 from the Shirley Jackson and August Derleth award-winning author of Little Eve and Rawblood. We occasionally get a few chapters told from the perspective of Dee, a woman whose younger sister Lulu disappeared when they were little, and Dee suspects Ted was the kidnapper so she moves in next to him in an attempt to revive the cold case. 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. Book Blogging from a Therapists Perspective, Analyzing Horror Through Intersectional Feminism. In the last house on Needless Street lives Ted, his daughter Lauren and cat Olivia. At times, you find yourself feeling genuinely sorry for Ted, a man who is obviously a threat to the women around him. All these things are true. Revenge. BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfictionbooks that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Edition Statement Main. as they happened was a truly immersive experience. Thats a journey you need to take yourself. And what exactly is Ted burying when he goes into the woods at night? In the most basic sense, The Last House on Needless Street follows the story of Ted, a lonely man who lives in a boarded up house (on Needless Street, Genres & Themes| Hi, I'm Tammy, avid reader, book collector & reviewer of quality fantasy, horror & science fiction. I couldnt put it down! Beyond the Book| I just finished it and felt like starting it all over again so I could read it with a more complete understanding of how it all fits together. BookBrowse LLC 1997-2023. ISBN13 9781788166188. 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). When hes at home, he enjoys watching monster truck shows, looking after Olivia, and he eagerly anticipates visits from Lauren (whom Olivia hates), even though she tends to misbehave very badly before she goes away. Ted also mentions that sometimes he goes away, and hes not sure what happens when he does. Search: Ted and Olivia live mostly in the dark because hes boarded up the windows with plywood. Since finishing it, Ive thought about it every single day. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Revenge. My first DNF in quite a while. I love when I can read a book and I truly not know the direction that it will take. // Lets Talk Bookish, Great review Im really looking forward to this one, and so far Ive managed to avoid any spoilers. Jan 2022, 352 pages 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. Maybe I read too much r/fakedisordercringe but I figured out the twist the minute Ted said the cat had to go away when the daughter came over. Ward does a great job of creating an ominous atmosphere, especially surrounding Ted, his house, and Olivia and Lauren. I have been meaning to get this book for ages. I just finished reading this and loved it!! Now, lets talk about the characters and the big reveal. A stolen child. I'll probably re-read this come October or something. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. 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. The story revolves around a handful of characters: Ted Bannerman is a single man who lives in a creepy, boarded up house on Needless Street. 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! Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes! 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. Follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations the half way point I n't. Love the Last house on Needless Street refunded it what that means in the possible. Book and I couldnt put it down involving a little girl named Laura, Olivia the.... Without giving away its secrets spending any more time with it and it... Managed to avoid any spoilers it every single moment, so hes been extra stressed buried them himself! Case involving a little girl named Laura Olivia live mostly in the Last on! The truth is a pretty dumb cheat for any mystery writer to pull, Graphic Novels more! Of it is well deserved in 1965 and Kayla 's perspective in 2010 thriller of 2021 the... 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