Book Review: "The Last House on Needless Street" by Catriona Ward

I love gothic novels with weird twists. In my time, I have read a lot of gothic crime novels and have managed on some occasions, to guess the twists when they come around. More often than not, I take off marks if I am able to guess the ending and so, beforehand, I always write down my predictions so that I don't change them halfway through the book. When I predicted what was going to be the twist of this book, I thought I was right when I hit about a quarter of the way through. Then I realised I was wrong and finally, by the end of the book I do not think I could have been further from the truth if I had tried. When I say I was terrified, I mean it. I did not get anything right when it came to predicting the twist - not a damn thing. And guess what? I loved it.

This book is about a man named Ted. He lives with his daughter Lauren and his cat Olivia in a house on Needless Street. It is an ordinary house with an ordinary atmosphere. He seems to focus on the fact that some years ago, a little girl went missing from near the lake - he gets upset by it. A girl called Dee is desperate to find out what happened to her sister down at the lake that day and will do so, even if it means tackling some snakes. With Dee's hyper-vigilance and Ted's mommy issues, we get this deep, dark Freudian look into the world where nightmares are born. And, if you think you have guessed what is buried out there then I am sorry but your guess is completely and utterly wrong. Trust me, your guess is totally wrong and you could not be further out if you tried. Your guess was as good as mine. It made sense until it didn't.

Written in changing and alternating narratives between Ted, Lauren, Dee and even the cat, Olivia - this book tells the strange and bewildering story of a nightmare turned reality and a reality gone horribly wrong for too long. There are some secrets that are best left dead and buried - if you know what I mean. The writing in its gothic glory will haunt you and when I tell you not to read this book if you are not mentally all well, I will definitely say that I totally and utterly warned you the best I could.

One of the best books I have read in the past few years, this book has a life of its own, taking on the persona of those things that go bump in the night - only this time, they go bump in the day too. A fascinating writing style with a confusing premise, it presents itself as the all-too-familiar crime novel. That is, until it isn't anymore. There is no worse crime, there is no worse oddity and there is no worse moment to be stalking your prey.

In this book, your mind will bend, your reality will be shifted and the very ground you walk on will shake in an effort to rationalise what you have just read. Be fore-warned, this book is a deep and dark masterpiece that will haunt the crevices of your mind long after all is done and dusted. With its cast of enigmatic characters and its secrets waiting to be discovered, you need to brace yourself because you will be more than sorry you ever guessed at all. This book is not for the light-hearted.

Thank you, Catriona Ward - I will not be sleeping for a long time.