Hi all!

Welcome back to the bookclub! In December, we read The Last House On Needless Street by Catriona Ward for The You’ll Read Too Bookclub! Spoilers ahead!

Quick Reminder: This month we are reading ‘The Book Of Accidents’ by Chuck Wendig.

Today I’m going to give a quick plot summary, plus my overall star/scare-factor ratings. Then I will share the discussion topics and trivia questions. Please include all of your answers and opinions down below. I want to know exactly what you thought. I’ll also leave the answers to the trivia questions at the very bottom of the post. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET by CATRIONA WARD – DECEMBER 2021 

PLOT SUMMARY 

This is the story of a serial killer. A stolen child. Revenge. Death. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. All these things are true. And yet, they are all lies. You think you know what’s inside the last house on Needless Street. You think you’ve read this story before. That’s where you’re wrong.
In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street, lies something buried. But it’s not what you think.

OVERALL STAR RATING

I gave it 4/5 stars. It took me a while to realise what was happening, but once I did, it blew me away. It was one of the most interesting reading experiences of my life. I was kept guessing until the very end. I highly recommend checking it out. Trigger warnings for child abuse, death of a child, emotional abuse, animal abuse and kidnapping. I’ll elaborate more in the discussion topics.

OVERALL SCARE-FACTOR RATING

I gave it a scare factor rating of 1/5. It wasn’t so much chilling, as it was disturbing. It’s really important that you don’t expect a haunted house story. The true horror lies in the reality. As you go along, you will feel more sadness than fear. 

DISCUSSION TOPICS

1.) By the end of this story, how did you feel about Ted?

By the end, my opinion of Ted was completely different. I started out hating him. I wanted him jailed and brought to justice. As the last page turned, I wanted to give him a hug. This poor individual struggled not only with mental illness, but a horribly abusive mother. It was evident that Olivia and Lauren were coping mechanisms, to work through his childhood trauma. I have never had such a change of heart like this one before. 

2.) Did you think you knew where this book was going? Explain your experience reading it.

As mentioned above, I had no idea where it was going. It was a roller-coaster ride of an experience. Every single time I thought I had this novel pegged, I was wrong. I knew early on that Lauren was not real, but I thought Ted was behind her kidnapping and murder. It never occurred to me that his mother was the real villain. 

3.) Did you feel the author was respectful of DID or did she vilify it? 

If you read this story, please don’t skip the author’s note at the back. Catriona was determined to be respectful of DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder), researching it extensively and even interviewing those with the same condition. It is not for me to comment on how well she achieved her goal, but I hope readers can see her intentions were pure. I certainly learned a lot. 

TRIVIA QUESTIONS

Easy: How does Ted refer to Lulu? 

Medium: What item of Lulu’s did Ted find among his mother’s belongings?

Hard: What would Olivia’s podcast be called?

I hope you enjoyed the book club discussion. As mentioned above, share all of your thoughts in the comments below! If you have any feedback/suggestions to improve the bookclub, please let me know. I look forward to talking to you all next month! Thanks for reading!

Peace & Love xoxo

TRIVIA ANSWERS: Easy: Little Girl With Popsicle. Medium: One single white flip flop. Hard: CAT-chin up with Night Olivia.