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A review by hollowspine
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A discordant jarring story for fans of Stephen King, unreliable narrators and multiple horrifying twists. It is an uncomfortable story and meant to be so, no looking away from abuse or shying away from the results of mental and physical trauma.
Truthfully I wasn't too surprised by the multiple twists in the story and had some guesses from the very beginning of the book that turned out to be true in the end, so that wasn't why I kept going through the book. I kept going because I wanted to find out if the characters made it through to the end, and if so, what would be indicated in the story as coming after.
I was pleased by the end, without giving anything away, it felt like there was further action coming for the characters, it wasn't an abrupt end once all the pieces were put in place and the reader figured out the full horror of everything that was hinted at before. But...I just didn't find the story enjoyable, I wasn't craving to listen to it (despite the great narration) and when I finished I was honestly relieved. It didn't bring up subjects that I wanted to examine further or give me anymore insight that helped me to understand ACEs (adverse childhood experiences).
Truthfully I wasn't too surprised by the multiple twists in the story and had some guesses from the very beginning of the book that turned out to be true in the end, so that wasn't why I kept going through the book. I kept going because I wanted to find out if the characters made it through to the end, and if so, what would be indicated in the story as coming after.
I was pleased by the end, without giving anything away, it felt like there was further action coming for the characters, it wasn't an abrupt end once all the pieces were put in place and the reader figured out the full horror of everything that was hinted at before. But...I just didn't find the story enjoyable, I wasn't craving to listen to it (despite the great narration) and when I finished I was honestly relieved. It didn't bring up subjects that I wanted to examine further or give me anymore insight that helped me to understand ACEs (adverse childhood experiences).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Self harm, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Blood, Gore, and Vomit
Minor: Homophobia