Reviews - The Last House on Needless Street

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11.4k reviews for:

The Last House on Needless Street

Catriona Ward

3.91 AVERAGE

adudemaybe's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Somewhat predictable, but expertly builds tension and has just enough good twists at the end to make the uncomfortable journey worth it

ksathompson's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

cosenzal's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

tallow's review against another edition

3.5

mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

ppchili93's review against another edition

3.25

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

izzy_reads7's review against another edition

2.75

challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I didn’t have strong feelings towards the cast of characters in this book. Ted was who I would consider our main character. He was kind of weird, but I do think that’s normal for a horror book. As this is a man accused of doing terrible things to a little girl, he’s supposed to be that way, he’s supposed to make me uncomfortable. However with the other characters Dee, who is the sister of said little girl, and Olivia, who is Ted's pet cat, they didn’t do anything for me. I didn’t feel connected to them and their stories didn’t compel me. After completing the book, I do feel sad after reading the afterword from the author. I feel sad for the characters.

The atmosphere was good and I do think this is the perfect time of year to read ‘The Last House on Needless Street,’ as it’s a good transitional piece from summer to fall. It is a horror story and I did feel creeped out and uncomfortable, but it is also taking place, in the summer,in Washington state at a lake town.

As for the writing, I have no complaints about the writing itself, the prose,the pacing, that was all fine. However, this book is so confusing. It was all over the place. We do get a better understanding of why that is but still it was too much for me. I should not have to read the afterword to get an understanding of what I am reading in the novel itself.

Again with the plot by what we read on the back of the book, we have: a man accused of kidnapping or killing a girl, the girl's sister, looking for justice for her sister, and then the pet cat of the man accused of murder. That all sounds like it’s going to be a good time. We then have this whole confusing book. After the story, there is an afterword explaining the book. How this is somebody’s, Ted’s, experience dealing with trauma and abuse. I do think that makes it sound like a very powerful story, but I do wish that afterword had been a preface instead. That I would know that gone in having knowledge to know that this is a psychological story rather than a confusing fever dream. I do think this really puts you in the head of somebody with this mental disorder but the days that I spent reading this book had me wondering what in the world I was reading. Having myself be confused and I’m somebody who doesn’t like being confused when I’m reading. One of the notes that the author left was how mental health and certain disorders are used as tropes in the horror genre. I agree with her that that is sad and that they need to be used in a positive way and that it isn’t some scary thing that people need to fear but understand. Reading gives you empathy.

I just wish this book was executed differently because I do think it could be a great powerful story that doesn’t have to hide behind being a horror trope. I’m not strongly recommending this book for anyone as it didn’t do a whole lot for me, but just because I didn’t have a strong reading experience you might have one.

2.75 out of 5 stars.