Ive seen this everywhere lately, definitely going to have to pick it up! EXCLUSIVE: Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish s Imaginarium Productions has optioned film rights to Catriona Ward s upcoming new novel The Last House on Needless Street. Viper will publish in the UK on March 18 and Tor Nightfire will publish in the U.S. in late September. Ward will executive produce alongside the Imaginarium. 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From what I remember, the other review didnt even mention child abuse that I remember, so thats the main part that surprised me. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. "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. This is a fabulous review! Olivia is Teds cat. Again with Ted blanking for unknown time periods and trying to garner advice from his doctor only by describing TV shows, we are piecing together truth from fiction. // Lets Talk Bookish. Its evident from the opening chapter that something is very very wrong with Ted Bannerman, who lives in a decrepit old house with all of its windows boarded up, on a cul-de-sac bordering a forest and nearby lake. And what exactly is Ted burying when he goes into the woods at night? 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. What does it represent in each timeline? This is one of my favorite story devices and it works so well here. awesome review, Tammy. When Olivia talks about how much she hates the creepy Russian nesting dolls that sit on the mantlepiece, its almost like a Symbolism Siren goes off. Like I could handle the Ted/Lauren/Olivia twist because they would conceivably be so fucked up they are actually be narrating as honestly as they are able. 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. Another fabulous review, Tammy! Now stop reading this and go buy it, I promise you wont regret it. Once you realize misdirection is the entire goal here, its no longer misdirection, its just a book believing that its smarter than its readers. Ward read English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford. This is the story of a serial killer. Hasini @ Bibliosini recently postedDoes Having a Positive Message Automatically Make a Book Good? Why do you think Brenda and Ellie had such different views on race? You think youve read this story before. A stolen child. Here it does. Hi, I'm Cara and welcome to my bookish world. Ask yourself: if you, as a young woman all alone, were convinced that a specific man was responsible for the abduction and murder of your sibling, would you move into the house next door to him? Olivia is such an interesting character. This is a psychological horror story that leads you to believe certain things, but then pulls the rug out from under you late in the story. reviewing fantasy, sci-fi, and romance novels. Web162 votes, 71 comments. The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links. Imagine my surprise, then, when I finished Catriona Wards twisty and twisted novel and became a believer. 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. Why I Read It: #Bookstagram made me do it. This adds to the atmosphere of desperation and the knife edge feeling that something explosive could occur at any moment. But remember, everything in this book is setup for a shocking twist. A man who drinks alone in front of his TV, trying to ignore the gaps in his memory. Please dont ask me how because that would involve at least a hundred spoilers. I couldnt agree more with everything you said above . This article about an American writer is a stub. By the end of the book youll have most of the answers, but not all, which I was OK with. Spam Free: Your email is never shared with anyone; opt out any time. This is a place to discuss horror literature. Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info and giveaways by email. Too much contrivance was required to make the story work. The novel alternates between Ellie's perspective in 1965 and Kayla's perspective in 2010. The other device the author uses is that she shows the same events from two different perspectives. In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street, lies something buried. This was the first novel Ive ever read by Ward and her style of writing is absolutely fantastic. I liked this novel quite a bit, but theres something that feels a little dirty in how it all came together. Revenge. Lulu was never found, nor was her body, so to this day her disappearance remains a mystery. Lulus older sister Dee is still upset by her sisters disappearance and has continued to search for clues on her own, even after the authorities gave up. Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy. Im glad you kept this spoiler-free. WebSummaries. This really does sound super creepy. I know Im not alone in judging a book by its cover, and based on this one, I thought a haunted house and black cat guaranteed a supernatural, Halloween-ish read. This is the story of a serial killer. I love this cover! A missing child. His young daughter stays from time to time, but he keeps her hidden away too. Frustrated with the lack of results from the police, she has zeroed in on Ted as the prime suspect. Catriona Wards The Last House on Needless Street arrived in 2021 riding a wave of pre-release hype the likes of which I dont think Ive seen since Justin Cronin released The Passage ten years ago. 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. Recently hes been dating and its not gone too well, so hes been extra stressed. Ted is a middle-aged, jobless man who lives by himself in the house he grew up in as a child. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of St. Martin's Griffin. Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. 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. 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. I can hardly wait to read Catriona Wards next book! Here to talk books, film, mental health and lifestyle. Thats where youre wrong. Even her plot twists have plot twists. Im not generally someone who reads horror, as I tend to suffer from nightmares, but this review sounds really tempting. 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. This is probably a story best suited in physical form so you can revisit sections as the mystery unfolds. They withhold information from the reader, from each other, and even from themselves, the mutability of memoryespecially in regard to traumabeing a key theme. 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, Personally, I was pretty underwhelmed by the final act and the creaky structure of the overall story. 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. Not to yuck anyones yum here, but I did not particularly love The Last House on Needless 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. What do you think is the meaning behind this statement? Think Ill pass I much prefer nasty ghosts to nasty people , I prefer nasty ghouls to nasty people any day! I read one other review of this book and put the audio version on hold. 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? 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. SYNOPSIS Dee has never been the same since her sister went missing on a family holiday. I love/hate it when authors pulls the rug out from under you and leaving you shocked. 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. The must-read gothic thriller of 2021 from the Shirley Jackson and August Derleth award-winning author of Little Eve and Rawblood. 100-Word (or Less) Synopsis: All is not what it seems on Needless Street. 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?! The nitty-gritty: A creepy, disturbing tale perfect for fans of twisty, psychological horror. The mysteries the two core mysteries get explained, but there are so many ancillary things thrown in to keep the reader off balance that I still cant make sense out of what was important and what wasnt. Oct 12, 2021 | Book Reviews, Horror, mystery, Thriller | 12 comments. Is Ellie lonely in California? 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. [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. The years passed and so did her parents, but she never gave up the hunt to find the person that took her sister. All rights reserved.Information at BookBrowse.com is published with the permission of the copyright holder or their agent. Well I found it difficult to read because ultimately its about child abuse and neglect, and I found that difficult to stomach. Bestsellers rank 30,480. Subtle hints are dropped to keep us trying to guess what Olivia knows but doesnt care enough to mention- a fun, unique aspect of Needless Street. 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. Reviews| 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. I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. How do you imagine Ellie felt? The very subject matter of parental abuse and the destructive traumas that children of abusers can carry into adulthood is alone enough to be triggering to a great many readers. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. What is the significance of that decision? Theyre all complex and driven by completely different pain and fears. 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. For both characters, their house represents their grief. Has this statement ever rung true in your life? 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. And I also really wanna meet Olivia the cat. Additionally, two characterizations didn't sit right with me. Could it have been better? Catriona Ward is an American and British horror novelist. The years passed and so did her parents, but she never gave up the hunt to find the person that took her sister. 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. 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