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A review by persephonefoxx
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“How many times can someone bend before they break forever? You have to take care, dealing with broken things; sometimes they give way, and break others in their turn.”
Now I understand why so many people told me to go into this book blind.
I was unprepared for the journey this book took me on, yet in hindsight, it all seems so obvious now. There was a moment in which I twigged to the core of this book and the story it was telling but in a way that merely scratched the surface. A moment when I thought that this storyline was hurtling towards cliche at breakneck speed. Only for the story to expand itself into the bigger picture - slotting everything into place. Like a Russian doll. Each part perfectly fitting inside the next.
My biggest qualm with this book is the end to Dee’s storyline. Which I personally didn’t stand up to the rest of the story.
This is the kind of book to go into as blind as possible (however, checking content warnings is highly recommended). This book uses unreliable narrators to their best ability, luring you into false conclusions and switching up at the final second. And other than that, there is not much more I can say.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Mental illness, Torture, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide