Scan barcode
A review by vikkilynn
The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain
5.0
It’s rare when a book stays with me and haunts me. I finished this book almost a week ago and it’s still marinating in my heart.
Stories like this should be told over and over lest we forget. I’m not a huge fan of books with a political agenda however, this book wasn’t like that at all. It merely educated as I had no clue SCOPE ever existed.
That aside, I think I found myself more drawn to Ellie’s story than Kayla’s. Kayla’s story was more of a sub-plot to help Ellie’s story reach the very end. I had a more emotional attachment to Ellie in this story also.
Kayla’s grief was well-written, including her not wanting to live in the house she designed with her husband. I really liked her relationship with her daughter and her dad. It was honest and open. Kayla’s intrepidations over living the new house are well-founded as she begins to receive threatening messages urging her not to move in. There’s a creepy woman who has some aggressive things to say to her also. The all over creepiness of living in a house with mostly windows and a dark forest is threaded through the book and leaves a significant chilling imprint all over Kayla’s story.
Ellie is a beautiful character from start to finish. She broke my heart over and over again and as her life is shattered, I felt like mine shattered along with her. It’s rare for me to have such a strong reaction. Her story is one of strength, power, dignity and passion. She’s a character so real and so important that I wanted to go find her so I could sit down and have a chat.
The subject matter is intense and should not be taken lightly, especially in this day and age when racism is still a hot topic. As a white woman, I felt uncomfortable and challenged and broken.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Over and over and all day long.
Stories like this should be told over and over lest we forget. I’m not a huge fan of books with a political agenda however, this book wasn’t like that at all. It merely educated as I had no clue SCOPE ever existed.
That aside, I think I found myself more drawn to Ellie’s story than Kayla’s. Kayla’s story was more of a sub-plot to help Ellie’s story reach the very end. I had a more emotional attachment to Ellie in this story also.
Kayla’s grief was well-written, including her not wanting to live in the house she designed with her husband. I really liked her relationship with her daughter and her dad. It was honest and open. Kayla’s intrepidations over living the new house are well-founded as she begins to receive threatening messages urging her not to move in. There’s a creepy woman who has some aggressive things to say to her also. The all over creepiness of living in a house with mostly windows and a dark forest is threaded through the book and leaves a significant chilling imprint all over Kayla’s story.
Ellie is a beautiful character from start to finish. She broke my heart over and over again and as her life is shattered, I felt like mine shattered along with her. It’s rare for me to have such a strong reaction. Her story is one of strength, power, dignity and passion. She’s a character so real and so important that I wanted to go find her so I could sit down and have a chat.
The subject matter is intense and should not be taken lightly, especially in this day and age when racism is still a hot topic. As a white woman, I felt uncomfortable and challenged and broken.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Over and over and all day long.