Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

20 reviews

suchsweetsorrow89's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense fast-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

4.0

wow. just wow. going into this book blind, i was in for a whirlwind. i thought i knew what the twist would be, and to some extent i was correct, but i was proven wrong again and again. ward has an absolutely brilliant way of stringing the story along and tying together all lose ends in ways that are partly scary, partly going to make you feel weird, but are ways that are complex and imaginative. but most of all, ward details this book in a way that is simply there, right before our very eyes from the beginning that makes it incredibly unique while also functioning on one of the most basic aspects of the horror classics that makes it so moving and just downright incredible. the afterward is incredibly powerful and, to some extent, left me very emotional (granted, i get emotional pretty easily, so that might not have been her intention). the twists and turns in the book will challenge everything you know about the story and it's overall message in ways that will forever remain impactful.

Spoiler

the one thing i really want to flag for those who have read the book is that i think ward put so much time into researching the effects of DID in ways that must be praised and celebrated. she took so much care into not making this one of those classic horror stories that come off offensive to actually craft a narrative that everyone can relate to at it's basic level: though we all seemingly strive for the good, sometimes the path of memory, acceptance, and forgiveness does not look linear for all, and that sometimes the very key to forgive ourselves and begin to live life and survive again looks like doing just that again and again and learning to celebrate and be angry at sometimes and just lean in. and that is perhaps the most beautiful message to put in a horror book especially.

as an avid nerd of the classics and dabbles into what defines the monstrous, this book borrows from so much of these classic authors and hallmark texts and really extracts the themes that make them work (i.e. religion, alienation, body horror, gender constructions, growing up, sexuality, the transcendental spaces of the woods and water, even down to the classic 'haunted house' trope, and so much more) while also developing an entirely unique product in the end that makes me happy i decided to pick up this horror book (as someone who doesn't really read horror) and makes me even more excited to see both what ward and other contemporary horror writers will do in the future. highly recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Death, Child death, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, Torture, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Violence, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Medical content, Gore, Domestic abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Body shaming

Spoiler

suicide and suicide attempt

ommageden's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Story's bones were great and up to about 3/4 of the way through the book really gripped me. However some events happen that make the story both hard to follow, as well as slow down the pace of the story dramatically which really made me have to power through. 

It was a good library read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism and Toxic relationship

Minor: Vomit

olijeffery's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, Suicide, Mental illness, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Torture, Death, Child death, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Addiction

squisheebee_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

If you find yourself drawn to Ted and empathizing with him, trust your gut. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Stalking, Torture, Child abuse, Child death, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Abandonment, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence

Minor: Animal death, Blood, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Animal cruelty

theimposter's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Child death, Child abuse, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, and Vomit

kimberwitch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Mental illness, Murder, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

ahixon1's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Mental illness, Medical trauma, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Suicide, Stalking, and Gore

Minor: Vomit

cassie7e's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

So. Many. Layers!
Also now I need more suspense stories wirh the cat as a POV character!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Animal death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Suicide, Grief, Drug use, Death of parent, Child death, Torture, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, Self harm, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

Minor: Homophobia, Abandonment, and Murder

kshertz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I don’t really know what to even rate this book. Or what I read. Or if I liked it. The book is one big mind fuck. You can never guess what’s going to happen. Then you’re mad about all the tricks the author is playing on you. But you’re kind of like, “yeah that was a good one.” So who knows? Try it out if you want something unlike anything else you’ve read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Child death, Violence, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death, Child abuse, and Kidnapping

wackly93's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Torture, Death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Animal death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, and Mental illness

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, Blood, Confinement, Medical trauma, and Medical content