Maryse: …this one was given some great recommendations in regards to the scare factor. Then I saw that Stephen King and another author I love (Sarah Pinborough) quoting how good it was, and I knew I had to give it a try. I’m in at about 20% and enjoying it. Not scary yet, but I definitely see where it will be soon. P.S. I LOVE the pet cat. 😉
Tasha J: I’ve heard good things about The House on Needless Street too, can’t wait to see what you think!
Maryse: Halfway through The Last House on Needless Street, and I like it well enough, it intrigues me, but I don’t love it yet. I am happy to pick it back up but I’m definitely not devouring it. Normally by now I’d put it down and start something else but the reviews are just too crazy intense awesome that I feel like the best part is coming.
It all seems too obvious for me (piece by piece, more is explored and I’m realizing stuff that seems apparent enough) but I’m still hoping for that amazing twisty-gotcha like everyone promises!
Eerie, clever, albeit confusing at first. Lots of POVs (even the cat has a POV – she was my favorite for awhile). Until it all starts coming together, and then you start flashing back to past scenes and and readjusting the images in your head to what they actually are. That’s pretty cool. 😂
Let’s just say, I was so sure about where this story was going, and couldn’t wait to see how it ended… and I was wrong!!! Sooooo wrong and I LOVE when that happens.
So what’s it about?
Okay… how to describe without giving anything away, or having anyone lose interest because I’m not describing it right. LOL!!
Okay, so… there’s this guy (super reclusive!!) that lives in a house at the end of the street. He has a cat, and a seemingly troubled daughter (that he gets every few weeks? Weekends?). The cat is not fond of the daughter (you’ll hear that from the cat’s POV, plus a whole lot more)…
I go to my crate when Lauren visits. There is room for my thoughts in there. It’s always dark and good. I am sure the LORD would not approve of what I’m about to say, but—small teds are awful. You never know what they’re going to do. And Lauren has some kind of psychological issue; I’m not clear on the details but it seems to involve being very rude and loud. Cats are sensitive to noise.
and there’s something… off about the daughter. And the guy too.
Killing things is hard, sure, but keeping them safe and alive is much more difficult. Oh boy, do I know about that.
The guy is lonely and possibly looking for love.
I can’t do any of that because of Lauren and Olivia. They can’t be left alone.
It would be good to talk about these things with someone. (Not the bug man, obviously. It’s very important I don’t show the bug man who I am.) I’d like to share my recipes with a friend but I don’t have any.
But he’s very socially awkward, and weird (“the bug man” as he calls a certain character, for example, is not who your think it is) and weird things… happen.
She was a fussy child and she is growing into a difficult adolescent. What do they call it? A tween. Some days, like today, she seems very young and all she wants to do is ride her pink bicycle. I worry about what happened today. There is a lot to worry about.
First, and this is the big one: I’ve been going away more often. It happens when I’m stressed. What if I go away one day and I don’t come back? Lauren and Olivia would be alone. I need stronger pills. I’ll speak to the bug man.
It’s all very convoluted (and keeps switching POVs) but interesting enough to keep reading and… wondering.
The gods are closer than you would think. They live among the trees, behind a skin so thin you could scratch it open with a fingernail.
And then a woman moves in across the street from him (he’s not thrilled), and she has her own story, suspicions and reasons for watching him.
It’s tense 😬, and a bit of a nail biter (especially a few scenes that will have you on the edge of your seat, and scared for a certain character. Actually, make that a couple of characters – total eeeeeeeeeeeeep!!! moments ). Occasional comic relief by way of the cat. And some great introspection too.
The young feel pain intensely, I think, because they don’t know yet how deep it can go.
I was reading this almost as if I couldn’t quite SEE anything. Hard to explain, but kind of like I was peeking in through gauzy curtains into a dark, dusty house. I could see the disarray, I could see motion, I could see something wasn’t right. I could feel the fear and tension and danger, but I couldn’t quite… SEE.
So I was guessing, reevaluating.
And then I could see it all. It all comes together. And then it comes together again!!!
Two reveals, one after the next, each one making the whole thing make sense.
4 stars! <— Was it the “horror” I was hoping for? No, because I wasn’t terrified (which is what I hope for in my horror). But it was intriguing, it did keep me nervous, and no matter how sure I was when I “realized” certain things, I was wrong. And I love when that happens, especially if it makes even more sense and gives me that exciting element of surprise.
➔➔➔ Looking for more of my must-read recommendations? Browse my 5 star and 4.5 star and 4 star reviews. 😀
➔➔➔ Love this genre? Check out more of my psychological thrillers features and reviews on my blog!