A review by clconrad
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

mysterious sad slow-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

0.5

Dissociative Identity Disorder should not be used as plot device/plot twist. Mental illness is already stigmatized and those who are dealing with it are already misrepresented enough without books like this demonizing them by making the reader think that the person with DID is a monster and a murderer for 90% of the book. It was clear the author had done their research and knew how DID functioned, but accurately representing the facts of the illness while simultaneously presenting the character with the disorder as an unhinged murdering maniac is not responsible story telling and undercuts any credibility they may have gained as a storyteller. 
The message of the book may have been that one should not assume someone is weird or dangerous just because they are mentally ill, but the fact that it’s written in a way that the reader can’t help but assume that, negates the message severely.
I will not be reading anything else by this writer.
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