Nature or nurture? Can dogs who’ve been mistreated learn to be obedient and peaceful. Can people?

Rob loves her daughters Callie and Annie, but does Rob’s own upbringing on the Sundial ranch impact on how she raises the girls?

Trust no one and always be prepared for the next twist. Sundial is as complex and unusual as anyone who has read a Catriona Ward book would expect. I did find it didn’t try as hard to deliver these twists as The Last House on Needless Street and as a result was a much more compelling story.

Told through a combination of flashback and different points of view in the present you do have to be paying attention to keep up with the plot, but it’s worth the extra effort. While the fact that there are secrets is obvious, what those secrets are remain shocking and the timing of their reveal kept me reading to the last page.

Catriona Ward somehow manages a nearly flawless novel yet again!

I found the story of Rob and Callie just as captivating as Ted's in Ward's previous (and breakthrough) novel, certainly a mean feat!

Ward's writing is always atmospheric, wonderfully weird and demands your full attention.

Be warned there's is frequent animal cruelty in Sundial, I paused to hug my pup on multiple occasions!

When Rob discovers daughter Callie's deranged and violent tendencies she takes her eldest child on a trip to her abandoned family home and shares the story of her past in a mother-daughter bonding she hopes will protect her children.

There's a thick atmosphere of dread within Sundial. A continuous sense of impending horror, almost cosmic. The desolate, desert commune setting enhances the feeling that something inevitable is happening; something evil.

Letting the readers own imagination provide reasons and motivations without certainty is a tool I appreciate in horror and Ward does this brilliantly, particularly throughout the telling of Sundial history.

To begin with I absolutely hated Rob. She's weak and petty, I just wanted to slap some sense into her. Whilst that was a recurring feeling throughout, Ward twisted my opinions on Rob over and over with superb character development.

Sundial is written from multiple POVs across both present and past timelines with occasional bizarre stories.
These little stories, written secretly by Rob as a form of self help, are a mash up of an old childhood favourite set in a school alongside her own memories. Every character is named after the people in Rob's life but rather than moralistic schoolyard tales the stories boast casual violence in the style of a fever dream.
This insight to Rob's imagination heightens the layers of instability Ward conjures.

A minor dislike for me was Rob's habit of creating what she calls 'decision trees', essentially a numbered list of actionable options that are utilised throughout her present point of view.
I also thought Callie thinking and speaking in emojis (crying face) would irritate me (eye roll) but I actually found they leant an originality to her voice that I welcomed.

As I always find with Ward's writing the character development in Sundial is beyond impressive and of course, just as you think you know the truth.. you don't.

This was sent to me by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Having recently picked up The Last House on Needless Street, I decided, finally, that I would give this author a second read. I wasn't sure what I was expecting - I still haven't entirely made up my mind about Needless Street - but on the whole I think I preferred this one. However, it is going to be very difficult to write a review because everything I want to say seems to be a spoiler, but I will do my best.

We have the POV of present day Rob who lives with her husband Irving and their two daughters - Callie and Annie. We also have the young Rob's POV and her life on Sundial in the desert with Falcon, Mia and her sister Jack. A third POV is Callie, the daughter of present day Rob.

An incident causes Rob to take Callie on a road trip to Sundial and that is really all I can say. There are so many secrets that are slowly revealed and as you're reading, you're waiting to see what's next. There are also so many triggers in the novel for child abuse, animal abuse, domestic violence and many more.

We see awful violence here, we see manipulation and to me, we almost have the question of nature or nuture. Since I've finished this book, I have had to return to it and re-read the ending because .....

After reading Needless Street, I almost didn't pick this up. I am so glad I did. Thank you, Netgalley

The Last House on Needless Street is my favourite book of 2021. I was exited but a little apprehensive to read Sundial as I enjoyed TLHONS so much. This book didn’t disappoint!! I was drawn in straight away. I adore Catrionas writing style and how she builds her characters. Catriona again covers sensitive issues , this time with domestic abuse, child abuse and drug use to name a few. There were twists and turns and again the ending gave a surprise. Well worth a read! Catriona Ward is fast become one of my favourite authors.

On the surface of things, it looks like Rob has everything: a handsome husband, two beautiful daughters, and a -nice family home. But Rob's husband is both vicious and unfaithful, and one of her daughters collects dead animals and whispers to people no-one else can see. Rob decides to take her daughter on a road trip to Sundial, the dusty desert town where she grew up. Rob needs to confront her demons....and maybe her daughter's too...

I absolutely loved Catriona Ward's previous novels and was desperate to read Sundial ,so I was delighted to receive an ARC from the publisher/NetGalley. It's difficult to say too much in the review as the book is so multi-layered and dependent on truths being gradually unravelled, that I don't want to reveal anything ahead of time. Suffice it to say, this book was incredible. The writing is gorgeous, the twists and turns are deftly managed (and left me reeling) and the characters are absolutely riveting. It's a dark book, but not one without hope, and I was bereft when it was over.

A fantastic novel, and one I will be gifting to all my reader friends. Read it, read it, read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for granting me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF - pg. 100.
I really liked Ward's [book:The Last House on Needless Street|54621094]. It was creepy, subversive and sad. But... well, I don't know if I just have a poor memory, but I do not remember being bothered by super flowery, kinda awkward language like I was with this one.

Maybe it just worked better with the story being told in the author's previous book. Here, I found it jarring on multiple occasions. Sometimes the author would use nonsensical metaphors that I assume are supposed to sound clever and interesting.
<blockquote><i>I'm finally getting ready for bed when Irving yells my name. There is something sticky in his voice.</i></blockquote>
Or similes that read awkwardly to me.
<blockquote><i>My insides curl up like baby mice</i></blockquote>
Other times it would be the characters performing weird actions to, I think, make the book seem edgier, grittier.
<blockquote><i>Irving reached out and pinched the bridge of my nose so hard I heard the cartilage squeak.</i></blockquote>
To be fair, if this is anything like [book:The Last House on Needless Street|54621094], there may very well be a weird yet completely sound explanation for all of this. But, unlike Last House, I'm really struggling to make it through this one. Guess I'll wait for other readers' verdicts.

A lot of trigger warnings needed for this one which I wish I’d known more before I requested and read it. However the writing style is superb, it is dark and the characters are deeply unsettling. The plot covers a lot of difficult subjects which I don’t wish to reflect on.

I found Catriona Ward's Last House on Needless Street difficult to rate because it required such a leap, such a determination to suspend disbelief and ignore the essential silliness of some of its conceits. At the same time it was so cleverly constructed and so utterly gripping that I couldn't stop reading it. I pushed through and enjoyed it in the end. Unfortunately, she hasn't managed the same trick here. The silliness remains in the sheer unlikeliness of everything that happens but this time, much is predictable. The emotional resonance is missing from the characters, I just didn't root for Rob and Jack in the same way. There was more potential in Callie but she is underused and the whole present-day narrative was used just as a way to inject some mystery into the unfolding of Rob's past.

I don't even want to go into the ideas about predispositions to violence and "badness", it's the sort of reductive essentialism that I can't get on board with.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 4*
Writing skill : 5*
Plot: 4*
Characters: 3*
Pace: 5*

This is probably the most anticipated read I have ever gone into. 'The Last House on Needless street' is one of my all time favourites and its not even been out a year.
Now just off the bat I didn't like this one <i>as much</i>, but hear me out. The storyline was amazing, it was quick, thrilling and completely unexpected. I didn't know what to expect going into this but again Ward takes you to places any normal brain wouldn't go. I was creeped out much of the time which in itself is a marvel, she has serious King vibes throughout all her writing.
The only reason this is a 4* and not 5* is the characters. I didn't like them. Not one. I didn't care what happened to them which was sad for me, but who knows that might have been the vibe that was intended.
If you liked Needless street I'm sure you'll love this too. It is another fantastic novel.

After devouring The Last House on Needless Street, the best horror book of 2021, in my opinion, I was thrilled when I got the opportunity of reading Sundial ahead of time thanks to an ARC by Netgalley and the editors. And here I am now, just finished it, still processing all the twists and turns of Catriona Ward’s new horror story. And let me tell you, you’re in for a very sick and horrifying ride.
As it already happened when writing about Needless Street, it is almost impossible to talk about this novel without spoiling its entrails, and therefore I will just show you a glimpse and recommend you to get it as soon as it is out.
Rob is a mother of two, trapped in a not-so-happy marriage with a man called Irving and worried for her oldest daughter, Callie, who is collecting bones and talking to an imaginary friend. This is something that would worry anyone, but Rob has dealt with this before, back in the desert, in a house full of secrets called Sundial, where history seems doomed to repeat itself. And she is willing to risk it all in order to find a solution.
The novel goes back and forth between the past and the present, and the present is separated into both Rob and Callie’s point of view, which helps the characters develop in a very quick and satisfying way. There are also figments of another narrative, just a few ones, to which I am sure the readers will get back to after reading Sundial for the first time, just to look for some clues that might not have been so interesting while invested in the labyrinth that is displayed before our very eyes.
I suppose everybody will want to compare Sundial to Needless Street, but I am afraid there are different enough for it to be a flawed comparison. The only thing I could say is that the puzzle does feel more satisfactory in Needless Street, but that does not mean that this one is worse. Again, they are just different.
I will maybe get back to this review in a few weeks, when the sand of the desert is settled and I can fully process what I just read, but I know for sure that I will be recommending Sundial as soon as March arrives and we get it in the bookshop.

The story takes toxic relationships to a different level. Ideal for fans of hardcore literary horror. With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

I loved Last House on Needless Street and was thrilled to see Ward's latest release on NetGalley. And it didn't disappoint! Dark, tense, psychological and twisty right to the end. I think Ward is so clever at delving deep into psyche and examining the effect of trauma and psychological damage. This is sure to stay with me for some time.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

A riveting psychological horror novel from Catriona Ward, ‘Sundial’ is dark, shocking, and in parts, due to the sensitive subject matter, a difficult read. The plot is as twisty as you would expect from the author, with a heart-stopping ending.

I shall start this review off with one word: WOW.
After devouring The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward earlier this year, I was waiting with bated breath for her to announce she was releasing a new book.
So, of course when the release of Sundial was announced, it was straight to pre-order.
There I was, living my life, repeatedly checking Amazon to see if the release date would be arriving any sooner…
And then…
Netgalley announced that Catriona Wards’ new book, Sundial, was up for request.
I tried to fight it, I really did.
I thought to myself, ‘Just wait until you get it in the flesh, you know you’ll enjoy it more’
Of course, I didn’t wait.
I have no self-control.
I could have cried with happiness when my request got approved.
However, it turns out this book is genuinely impossible to write an in-depth review of, without giving away any of its unique plot, that is.
I’ll just say this: The story centres around Rob and her eldest daughter, Callie. Rob, after finding some disturbing things in Callie’s bedroom, embarks (with Callie) on a trip out to the Mojave Desert, to Rob’s family home of Sundial.
The story is told in the past and present, mostly by Rob, but with some chapters told by Callie. In some of Rob’s chapters, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read on, because it was like opening Pandora’s Box, and the horrors were ones which, once the lid was off, there was no way of putting them back inside. Callie’s chapters were… well… creepy. I know I probably shouldn’t say this about a child, but she’s the kind of kid you’d pray yours would stay away from in the playground.
Catriona Ward has once again woven a horrifically beautiful story, with absolutely faultless prose. The way she writes every character is realistic, often frighteningly so.
As some of you know, I write myself. Honestly, if I can write even a quarter as good as Ward does, I’ll be a happy woman.
Between The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial, Ward has written from the point of view of a cat, a recluse, a child, a mother, and so many more well realised characters. I don’t know how she does it, but she manages to illustrate them all so perfectly, and everyone within those pages gets bought to life.
This book isn’t for the feint of heart though. I’m currently reading an extreme horror book (yes, I’m one of those people who live for gore and love nothing more than a book to make me uncomfortable), but honestly, it’s falling short, compared to the horror which we experience in Sundial.
Oh, also; you know when I told you I have no self-control?
I also devoured this book in a day.
Admittedly, I kind of regret it, because I know nothing will live up to how brilliant Sundial is.
However!
I promised myself I would read The Last House on Needless Street again before this year is out, so I’ll definitely be doing that over Christmas Break.
Although!
I find myself craving the isolated Mojave Desert, with the horrific past which is Sundial. I’ll be making myself wait for the hardcopy though – I’m far too excited by that, considering I’ve JUST finished it.
I should probably stop fan-girling now 😉 but…
If you haven’t already checked out Catriona Ward, I absolutely urge you to do so.

Reading this book took me a long time, but I binged most of it in one day. At first, you might think it's slow but oh boy, does that change later! Sundial is a story of family, upbringing, magic, nature vs nurture and a ton of other things. I'm not including any description of the plot because I feel like everyone should just experience it for themselves. Please check trigger warnings if you have any! I can't stop thinking about this story and everything that happened in it. It was extremely vivid, real and scary. I don't know if it should be classified as horror or thriller because it seems to fit both of these categories - if you read The Last House on Needless Street you probably understand what I mean. The plot twists in this book, the reveals, the memories slowly being revealed, it was all amazing and the last plot twist made me up my rating a star! Giving it 4 stars just because the beginning was a little bit slow and I wasn't a fan of the "book inside a book" parts (that might change if I ever decide to reread this book).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this book early!

Catríona Ward is a master story teller and I loved this book.
The characters were dark and none more so than Rob, the mother of Callie and Annie.
I found the chapters featuring Callie particularly disturbing and the story draws you in to see where all this leading.
Sundial, Rob’s family home, had a chilling history and this is brought to life in the latter half of the book.
I wasn’t so keen on the chapter’s which featured the book Rob was writing.
Overall, Catríona Ward has not let her readers down with this book.

Many thanks to Serpent’s Tail, Viper and Profile books and to NetGalley for the advance read.

I really struggled to finish this book. It definitely wasn't for me. I went into it completely blind, not having read Catriona Ward's first book The Last House on Needless Street, that everyone seemed to adore.

I liked the two main characters. Rob and Callie played off each other well and made for an interesting mother/daughter dynamic. Callie reminded me of Jack from Room. Her inner dialogue played out like someone who had never lived in the real world and her 'friend' Pale Callie gave me the creeps. Sadly, it was the very world they lived in that made it hard for me continue.

After an unfortunate 'accident', Rob takes Callie to Sundial, her childhood home town. They may as well have crossed over into another dimension. I was expecting something a little more creepy. However, this was too magical realism meets insane diary ramblings for my liking. I understand why others would love this; the writing is quite lyrical and beautiful, just not for me.

Sundial’s written in the kind of crafted prose style I associate with mid-market, literary fiction, a choice presumably intended to legitimise the cheaply manipulative material it showcases. And there’s an abundance of this material to get through, the plot’s so packed with incident it’s straining at the seams. So, we get domestic violence, bad-seed siblings, dodgy twins, genetic experimentation, adultery, child abuse, hippy counterculture, mass murder, drug addiction, and gory details of the mistreatment of animals who feature in a rehashed version of one of MKUltra’s infamous projects. As if all that weren’t enough, the story’s told from a number of alternating perspectives, across timeframes, and interspersed with a surreal, macabre school story jotted down by one of the main characters. Yet, somehow, even with all that going on, I found this both irritatingly slow and shockingly dull: a long-winded, drip-feed of a novel, interrupted by sudden bursts of preposterous, gruesome twists. I think it’s fair to say this one definitely wasn’t for me - not least for the distasteful inclusion of lovingly-detailed instances of animal cruelty, operating as a device to prop up a bizarrely hackneyed narrative - reviewers who claim these scenes weren’t gratuitous, might want to brush up on the meaning of the term. But it’s a fairly slick, readable, decent enough example of its subgenre, and I’ve no doubt it’ll be hugely popular with readers who enjoy this particular brand of commercial horror.

Thanks to Netgalley UK, and publisher Viper, imprint of Serpent’s Tail for an arc in exchange for an honest, unedited review

This story just got better and better with each page! I’d not heard of this author before but I’m definitely going to see if she has written anything else!