Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

206 reviews

ink_fiction's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

A re-read of this book as I wanted to listen to the audiobook after reading it physically a couple of years ago. 

I have no description of the plot for this one because as many others have said, you really should just go in completely blind. I will say experiencing this book for a second time was truly amazing, knowing the ending and being able to pick up on the exquisite detail placed throughout is something that I really enjoyed. I have to to give the biggest praise as well to Christopher Ragland for the performance of the audio book - he truly brings this story to life as it’s hard to remember that all narration is by just one person. 

This book is not really a horror, it’s a story that subverts the tropes you expect, and at its core it’s about survival. A truly beautiful piece of work that will always be one of my favourite books.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Kidnapping, and Animal cruelty

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

librarian_elle's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Violence

Moderate: Death, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Child death, Animal cruelty, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Animal death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, and Child abuse

pvp_niki's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Medical trauma, Blood, Child death, Torture, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Self harm

Moderate: Murder, Death of parent, Suicide, and Kidnapping

Minor: Homophobia and Body shaming

hotknife's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Child death and Animal cruelty

thornthistle's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-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

This was great and awful at the same time. I was nauseous 80% throughout due to how its content was described, but it needed to be written that way. It starts dark and confusing, then as it's twists are resolved, ends with hope.

Great book, but not for the faint of heart.

Lying will be the death of you, but the rebirth of your true self.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Bullying, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Death, Murder, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders

marisamoo's review against another edition

dark 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, and Mental illness

Moderate: Sexism, Animal cruelty, and Sexual content

Dissociative identity disorder

lazydazey's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Medical trauma, and Animal death

Minor: Animal cruelty

jahsi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Confinement

Moderate: Self harm, Torture, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Murder, Child death, Suicide attempt, and Blood

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

aranmn's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Torture, Suicide, Kidnapping, Blood, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Death