While I was so excited to be approved for an ARC of this one, it just did not work. I tried a couple times to pick it up and read it. But I could not get into it at all. I kept going back and trying to reread, but it was so boring to me and not keeping my attention at all. I loved the last house on needless street, so really wanted this to work! I will definitely look for what this author comes out with next!

I'm thoroughly enjoying how Ward is taking us to places that are not often seen in Fiction. I get so tired of the same old hum-drum stories. I can definitely count on this author coloring way outside the lines of normal. So great!

Little Eve is a dark story. I mean dark. It focuses on a cult in a time far in the past. There is mystery, interesting characters, a few really creepy, scary moments and a bad guy that you will love to hate!

It was a hard read for me as I struggle with having children manipulated, especially for the pleasure of a man. It really makes me want to scream. But that was the point of this book, to make this dark telling an uncomfortable story.

I definitely think there is a certain audience that will enjoy this tale but if you haven't read Ward yet, it's a good one to jump in and give it a try.

Ahhh, this was a fantastic book and my only regret is I didn't read it in the spooky month of October. LITTLE EVE, by Catriona Ward, has a sort of historical Nordic Noir feel to it which is perfect reading for fall.

Eve and Dinah are trapped in a small cult. A lot of their actions, meanings, daily life and punishments do not make sense. Lead by "Uncle" the girls and others are stuck in a remote house. Malnourished, by choice (NOT), the family coexists in this bizarre world.

The story starts with the murder of most of the family with Eve being the assumed killer. LITTLE EVE takes us through Eve and Dinah's viewpoints showing how Uncle has control over them. When the veil of loyalty comes off, then the girls begin to fight back.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than Catriona's LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET. Both books leave you with an unsettled feeling. I was concerned about what was going to happen next. You know something is just OFF in these stories.

I think the story dragged out a bit longer than necessary, but nonetheless, it was a good one.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Tor/Forge for providing me an e-copy of LITTLE EVE to review.

I rate LITTLE EVE four out of five stars.

I truly adored The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. Catriona is a master at writing horror fiction. But Little Eve was a miss for me. Little Eve falls under the gothic thriller genre.
Ward does an amazing job with the creepy atmosphere, but the story was just not there for me. Maybe this will be a good book for other horror readers or lovers of Ward, but I'm sorry to say I had to DNF this title.

I am looking forward to Ward's next book.

Wow. Catriona Ward delivers yet again. This is out of my normal genre but always such a creative pleasure It doesn’t take long to sink into this dark spiritual story. Crazy great characters.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

*Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-book of Little Eve*

Privilege, alienation, familial ties, and motherhood were some of the topics that I truly connected with in this quick read. The boundaries between truth and terror were muddled by a gripping story that combined all of these elements. Eve struck me as being a highly intriguing and well realized character. I enjoyed how she and the other characters evolved throughout the course of the book.
That conclusion was an absolute stunner. The reality hit me square in the face just when I thought I had certain things worked out, but as I continued to reflect on the events, I came to see that the truth had been staring me in the face all along! This insight only increased my appreciation for all the better.

One day, Jamie MacRaith stumbles into a massacre: five people lying in a star pattern out by the ocean are all dead. They are four of the five inhabitants of the Altnaharra, a tiny, out of the way place with strange people and an even stranger way of life. Included in the circle is Sarah Buchanan, a village girl. Missing is Evelyn, or little Eve, the trouble-maker of the group. But then Dinah tries to move and we learn she is not quite dead yet...

The story flips back and forth between past and present (anyone else getting a little tired of this trope? Just me? Oh, okay...), sharing Eve's views of the past and Dinah's views of the present. Eve paints a picture of life on the isle in their cult - eating little while Uncle feasts; incredibly harsh punishments including being locked in a room in the cellar for days and forbidden to sleep while there; blood sacrifices; and playing with a snake who often unleashed his fangs and bit his captors All these were in preparation for the end of days - the coming of the Adder from the sea to take the group home. But as Uncle is dead and not Eve, things have definitely not gone to plan.

It took me 8 days to read this, but it feels like weeks. I don't know for sure, but that doesn't seem good. I thoroughly enjoyed Last House on Needless Street, but this one did not do it for me. Still enjoyable, just not as good.

I think this book would be perfect for someone who doesn’t mind a bit of gore with their gothic-style ambiance. For me, it was too gory, so it took me a long time to finish it.

I did very much like the creepy atmosphere and the mysterious, cult-like situation of the island. I also liked the way there were twists and turns and surprises throughout—that was fun.

I also like the way this author writes, in general; the characters are fairly well developed and interesting, the settings well fleshed out, the atmosphere deliciously creepy.

This book was mostly very good, but a bit too gory for my personal preference. A good story, though, and a great author.

Gripping. Biting. Intense, spooky gothic. This story pulled me in immediately and never let go. If you enjoy gothic fiction at all, this is for you.
From the opening scenes it kept me guessing, and the end was turn after turn like following the coils of the giant snake at the heart of the story.
I enjoyed this much more than Ward’s Last House on Needless Street - it was extremely well-plotted and well written, but disturbing enough that I almost put it down. This book deals with child abuse and neglect, some pretty grisly killings, and some deep emotional trauma, but it never got graphic, I couldn’t put it down.

Well hello creepy cult novel. Catriona Ward can write a group of characters that just eek their way under your skin. Uncle has master ick factor and boy does she write him well. The whole shebang just screams run. Creepy gothic castle on an isolated island that is only accessible by a causeway when the tide is out. Weirdo little town that just lets these people stay locked up in said castle without wondering what the crap is going on up there with these clearly emaciated children. The whole thing gave off a seriously medieval vibe though the timeline places it firmly in WWI with a followup timeline a couple of decades later.

I freaking devoured this book. It was so good and sketchy. I was totally entranced by the atmosphere and there were plenty of cringeworthy moments. The psychological games played with the plot were fantastically done and even when I had one of the big twists figured out I was just enraptured. A super disturbing read like a train wreck you can't look away from. Dark and weird. Just like I like 'em.

I struggled with this one. I normally love her crazy world building but i had a hard time following and connecting with this one. It is definitely a gothic story but i just thought it was a little too slow of a burn. I still would love to read more by her because The Last House On Needless Street was such an epic read for me.

This was incredible, and so strange, and such a wild, unpredictable ride. While the big reveal didn't stun me as much as Sundial and The Last House On Needless Street, it had the most wonderfully atmospheric setting and the melancholy, gothic oddity of it all won my heart right away. Full review coming soon, but trust me, you don't want to miss this one.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Another darkly atmospheric story from Ward!
The time is the 1920's-1930's off the coast of Scotland on a tiny island called Altnaharra. Eve lives on the island with her "Uncle", her favorite "sister" Dinah, a few other orphaned children and two women. Early on in the story, the local butcher is trying to deliver beef for a celebration and discovers almost all the island residents dead in a circle on the beach, the lone survivor a woman with a wound where an eye should be. The story moves back and forth in time as you get to know this family more and more from both Eve's and Dinah's POVs. You are never sure of anyone's motives and the secrets that pop up are really dark. If you like reading historical fiction with a thrilling bent, this is for you. If you like reading about strange cults, this is for you as well.
I couldn't wait to grab this ARC but unfortunately it took me so long to read it due to all the nuances and beautiful writing that I'm publishing this review post publishing.
Thank you anyway to the publisher and NetGalley. Really great story!

Can I say - this author will forever stay my favorite. She does horror like no other. It is surprising, it is chilling, it messes with your head, and you just want to keep reading more of it.

This book is a very slow burn. Now, usually that is not my favorite. And I was struggling with this book in the beginning. Add the long chapters (why oh why, please no long chapters), very detailed writing.. and it becomes a slog fest to get through. What saves this book from the slow burn is the little gory pieces the author adds here and there and the horrific picture starts to build. Once you start seeing the glimpses of the horrors that are happening, you need the whole picture. And like I said - it is well worth it, and definitely not what you expect.

This story starts out almost mystical ( I had to make sure this is not some paranormal/fantasy horror - I assure you, it is not). There's an island, where a man who is called uncle, some women and kids live. They are preparing for the end - a big snake will come out of the sea and will devour the world. Only those that are pure will survive and live under the protection of this snake.

In the meantime, the kids are allowed on land to go to school. trade for food, etc. just as long as they do not catch attention from the unpure. They are all responsible for each other, and if one makes a mistake or does something agains the rules, they tell on them to the Uncle who rules the island with punishments on shunning (person is completely ignored), silence and fasting (lips are completely sealed for a period of time). But he also rewards them with the honey they grow on this island.

Oh this book is so messed up. I Wish I could tell you more, but I don't want to ruin anything with spoilers. It is a must read.

Catriona Ward's writing style is really engaging and hooks the reader right from the start. Little Eve was a gothic, historical, cult horror story. It has a great start to start the mystery of what happened on Altnaharra Island. Then the secrets are revealed slowly with big reveals saved for the exciting climax. The middle section did slump in pacing, but the story was still very enjoyable. The setting of Altnaharra Island off the coast of rural Scotland created a dark, bleak, isolated atmosphere.

I would recommend this book to fans of gothic stories or cult stories. Those that love mysteries in their books are going to like this one as well. This is a book that starts with a horrible event and ends with a horrible revelation.

Although written and released before Sundial and Last House on Needless Street, Little Eve comes from Tor Nightfire following the other two. Ward has trademark ability to weave a narrative that unfolds as the pages turn, leaving you with a sense that something is wrong, but never revealing too much at once. That is once again on display with Little Eve, but never quite pays off in as satisfying a fashion as Ward's other works.
The cult and family aspects make for some intriguing folk horror, consistently forcing the reader to withhold anything resembling trust. The off-kilter understanding of exactly what's going on and questioning of motives makes for an unsettling experience that some readers of Catriona Ward will adore. Her voice is unique, disquieting, and on display as ever, in Little Eve.

4.5 ⭐️

Little Eve by Catriona Ward affirmed that any new release that Ward puts, I will be buying automatically. There are so many fantastic elements in this story. From creepy storytelling, a terrifying cult, mutilations in the from of a sacrifice, to the underlying mystery that guides the novel - there are so many things to love.

This story centers on two young girls (sisters) as they start to learn more about the rituals and evils that surround their ancestral and historic home. From this exposition the story explodes out in a whirlwind of character development and thrilling plots (all of what I now know to be Ward's excellent writing style).

This book did not disappoint and is a fast-paced horror adventure that I believe many readers love and will continue to discover and love! Check it out!

Although I have tried numerous times to read, this just is not for me. There are certain situations that make me uncomfortable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC and audiobook.


Description from NetGalley:
“A great day is upon us. He is coming. The world will be washed away.”

On the wind-battered isle of Altnaharra, off the wildest coast of Scotland, a clan prepares to bring about the end of the world and its imminent rebirth.

The Adder is coming and one of their number will inherit its powers. They all want the honor, but young Eve is willing to do anything for the distinction.

A reckoning beyond Eve’s imagination begins when Chief Inspector Black arrives to investigate a brutal murder and their sacred ceremony goes terribly wrong.

And soon all the secrets of Altnaharra will be uncovered.

I have enjoyed Catriona Ward’s other works, The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial. This one was good, but the biggest area that kept me from loving this one like I did the previous two was my confusion. This is a dual timeline book; however, listening to the audiobook, I got confused as to which person was talking/which timeline it was. The twists and the horror were good. There is a major trigger warning of child abuse, which bothered me more in this book than in her previous books. Overall, if you liked the past two or are a gothic horror fan, then this is probably up your alley.

Overall: 3.5/5