The Last House on Needless Street – Catriona Ward
100-Word (or Less) Synopsis: All is not what it seems on Needless Street. From the ramshackle houses to the disappearing children, there’s something nefarious at foot – but is it human or supernatural?
Expectation: A page-turning supernatural thriller.
Reality: A slow-burn mystery with some satisfying last act reveals.
Recommended For: Fans of Paul Tremblay’s “A Head Full of Ghosts” or similar all-is-not-what-it-seems stories.
Why I Read It: #Bookstagram made me do it.
My Take:
Most reviews of “The Last House on Needless Street” mention that you can’t talk about the plot without giving away its secrets. Often when I see those declarations, my initial thought is marketing malarkey because how many original ideas are there really these days?
Imagine my surprise, then, when I finished Catriona Ward’s twisty and twisted novel and became a believer. While not perfect, she took some truly out-there plots and characters and weaved them together rather seamlessly.
What I liked:
The story was contained — there are some high concept elements, but for the most part, the plot centers around a few people and a single setting, which helps it feel immersive.
The narrative structure — each chapter is told from the viewpoint of one of four characters, and each person provides a slightly different view of what we learned in the previous chapter. This helped slowly build the mystery and allow the reader to revisit key points in near real-time.
The final act — there’s a bait and switch that felt organic and not for shock value. Honestly, I can’t stop thinking about it since it forced me to reassess almost the whole book.
What I didn’t like:
It felt long at times — there are some vague situations at the beginning and none of the characters come across as likable — except Olivia, the Bible loving queer cat — which made me wonder if the ride was worth it. Ultimately, it was.
The characters — yes, a talking cat is one of the primary narrators. Even as someone that loves cats, I struggled with this fantasy element. Additionally, two characterizations didn't sit right with me. See below for more (spoiler filled) details on that.
The mysteries — the two core mysteries get explained, but there are so many ancillary things thrown in to keep the reader off balance that I still can’t make sense out of what was important and what wasn’t. If this was a movie, I’d watch it again for clues, but I’m not that interested in doing it here.
The audiobook is narrated by Christopher Ragland, and while he was committed to the characters, some of the portrayals were distracting. Having never been asked to voice a queer cat, I can’t tell you that what he did was wrong, but it also felt like maybe he had never met a cat before. This is probably a story best suited in physical form so you can revisit sections as the mystery unfolds.
Now, let’s talk about the characters and the big reveal
[major spoilers ahead]
If you’ve read the novel, you understand that mental illness is the central plot. Ted was abused by his psychopathic and murderous mother for years, which led him to develop dissociative identity disorder. All the main characters, besides Dee, are his separate identities.
While this helped explain many of the scenarios presented, I often struggle with plot points that hinge on mental illness because it often portrays the character as a victim or villain.
While Ward toed that line delicately, a few things still didn’t sit right with me.
First, we’re led to believe Ted is the villain throughout the novel — abusing animals, keeping his daughter locked up, drinking uncontrollably, living slovenly and (maybe) killing people — only to realize in the end that he is the victim and maybe everything we’ve been told prior isn’t exactly true.
This is the twist that has largely propelled the novel to popularity, but I felt his childlike and duplicitous portrayal made it difficult to offer the forgiveness that Ward was going for. Instead in many ways it perpetuated stereotypes of those with mental illnesses as untrustworthy, incapable of taking care of themselves or unable to contribute to society in meaningful ways.
Second, it’s the intersection of grief, revenge and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It appears Dee had some responsibility for the death and disappearance of her sister and the subsequent destruction of her family. Yet, she continued to find others to blame, and in her targeting of Ted, did horrendous things to make him suffer, all to atone for her sins.
This character 360 comes across as a master stroke of creativity by Ward. While there’s satisfaction in seeing a bully get comeuppance, does it really need to be at the expense of one mentally ill person targeting another?
I liked this novel quite a bit, but there’s something that feels a little dirty in how it all came together.
[end spoilers]
Rating (story): 3.5/5 stars
Rating (narration): 2/5 stars
Formats: Audiobook (library loan)
Dates read: January 27 – February 2, 2022
Multi-tasking: Good to go, but since it feels like we toggle between fantasy and real-life, it’s better to stick to activities that will allow you to concentrate on the mystery.
