Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

43 reviews

librarymouse's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed The Last House on Needless Street! There were a few false starts before I finally made it past the halfway point, and was hooked. I adore the gay and religious cat, Olivia!

this is one of the most sincere representations of disassociative identity disorder that I've ever seen! I'm really glad Ted didn't end up being a villain. It was interesting to have gotten Ted's point of view of events only to have those events later rewritten as explained by the consciousness that actually experienced them. I want more information about Ted's mom, tbh. Making Ted both a suspect and one of his mother's victims filled in the hanging questions in the story wonderfully. I also wanted more of an explanation on why the bug man is the way he is and what exactly he did to warrant the temporary loss of his license.
Rob feels like a good addition to the story, and I like the hints of possibility that Ted is gay.
The ending of this book was unexpectedly tender and comforting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Confinement, Mental illness, Gore, Violence, Vomit, Child death, Torture, Medical content, Medical trauma, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, and Child abuse

thewordapothecary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A rollercoaster for sure. There were multiple times I swore I had it all figured out. And I guess in a way I did, but not fully. There are so many ups and downs with the characters, you love them and think they’re good and then the next you hate them and think they’re the bad guy.

Not a challenging read, but you do have to get used to how Ted speaks. Once you do though, it’s a very fast read. 

Really dark, but so good and I can tell it was well researched. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gore, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder, Physical abuse, Vomit, Body horror, Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, and Violence

melliedm's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gore, Animal cruelty, Medical trauma, Stalking, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Blood, Alcohol, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Ableism, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Child abuse, Body horror, and Mental illness

Moderate: Abandonment, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Child death, Homophobia, and Vomit

chrisljm's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I've never really found myself enjoying twists in thriller novels because they often feel like the author trying to pull a fast one on me, but I think it's done well in this book and I was positively stunned I must say. I thought I was able to see what was coming but I truly didn't. This was a very unique story, so creative, and honestly more than being a thriller, it was very sad. 

I can tell the author truly did her research on DID and I really appreciate that. I enjoyed reading the ending author's note where she detailed her research process, as well as the people and resources she utilized. I also love seeing her inclusion of a bibliography with all her sources.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Child death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Grief, Torture, Violence, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Physical abuse, Stalking, Confinement, Gore, Kidnapping, and Mental illness

Moderate: Self harm

Minor: Cursing, Fatphobia, and Eating disorder

mel_j's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I guessed the first two plot twists very quickly, but even after that, the book kept surprising me. Brilliantly written, very twisty, with deeply human characters. It had a creepy atmosphere, but ended up heartbreaking. 
What a great book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Death of parent, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Child abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Body horror, and Blood

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Alcohol, and Homophobia

klr0's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Self harm, Murder, Kidnapping, Death, Confinement, Child abuse, Torture, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Grief, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Medical content, Gore, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Child death, Blood, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

chris_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Mental illness, Confinement, Dysphoria, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Stalking

Moderate: Death, Blood, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Gore, Kidnapping, and Medical trauma

Minor: Torture, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Animal death

jareadforfilth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Wow… All I can say is WOW. This book blew my freakin mind, it begins (and remains) so dark throughout, but the twists in here flip everything you think you know on its head… and then does it again and I never saw it coming. The way this book shook me can not be overstated. I remember being 100 pages from the end like how can there be more?!? But when I tell you those last 100 pages annihilated me in the most satisfying of ways?!

the way I was lowkey rooting for Dee and BEGGING for Ted’s downfall and the safe return of Lulu only for everything to be reversed was WILD!! And it is so true what Ward says: this is a story about survival. When we find out Olivia is a personality within Lauren I gagged, but when we found out they were both within Ted?!? GIRL!!!!! AND THEN THAT DEE BASICALLY LET HER SISTER DIE?!? AND SHE WAS KILLED BY SNAKES AND SO WAS DEE?!?!?!? Not only the justice of that moment but the POETRY in it, I can’t even. And I’m so so soooo happy that Ted is finally given an opportunity to move forward. What a horrible hard life, it breaks your heart.

This book is incredible, for horror fans it is a MUST.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Alcoholism, Gore, and Kidnapping

kt2e56's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Without a doubt the most disturbing and distressing book I think I’ve ever read. I couldn’t put it down. Every time I thought I knew what was going on I then hoped I was wrong because “that would too horrible.” Definitely recommend for anyone who likes horror. This really crawls under your skin and stays there. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

killmoore_'s review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I'm without words.

Best book I have read all year, and in the top 5 for all time. I cannot express how much I loved this book. 

It will make you feel all the things, drop you on your skull and do it all over again. 10/10 will be recommending to anyone who enjoys the genre.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Stalking, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Torture