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

Little Eve was a mixed read for me. The atmosphere was wonderful, and I liked a lot about the writing, but I never quite connected with the book.

The book is set on Altnaharra, an island off the coast of Scotland, where a small cult is led by a man the children call Uncle. The book begins with the discovery of a series of murders on the island -- all of the cult members are dead, with a missing eye, except for Dinah. She tells the authorities that Eve, a teen girl, is the one who did it. The novel then flashes back to life in the cult from Eve's perspective.

I had a hard time connecting with either Eve or Dinah, our two narrators, both girls in the cult. The individual sentences were lovely, and I really enjoy Ward's writing from an aesthetic perspective, but the book as a whole didn't fully engage me. One character I enjoyed a lot was Chief Inspector Black, and I found myself rushing through the girls' sections to get more of him. The cult felt fairly generic as well, and the writing was disconnected from the abuse and fear the children were experiencing. However, I loved the setting and the atmosphere and felt immersed in life on the island in a way I didn't with the characters. I could almost smell the sea while reading.

I read and loved Ward's The Last House on Needless Street (easily a 5-star read for me), and a big part of what I loved was that emotional connection. I cared about the characters, I was terrified in places, and the ending made me cry. So it's surprising that Little Eve left me so cold. Still, I'm curious to see what Ward comes out with next and if it will recapture the magic of Needless Street for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for my review copy of this book

I was excited to read another Catriona Ward novel, as I really enjoyed Sundial and The Last House on Needless Street. And in true Ward style, this was dark, gothic, disturbing and bleak.

I didn't think Little Eve was as shocking and disturbing as Sundial was, but Ward does a great job at writing an atmospheric novel. The book starts off with the brutalized bodies of a family that appears to be ritualistic, then the rest of the story works its way back to fill in the gaps. This was a cult novel that was interesting with a twist that was done very well.

There were some times when the plot was a little hard for me to follow, and the book seemed to feel much longer than it was, but I don't think it detracted from the story. I don't think this is my favorite book of hers, but I still enjoyed it overall.

“𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”

Catriona Ward has been on my radar since I first read The Last House on Needless Street. This is my 3rd book I’ve read by her (other being Sundial) and she is absolutely one of my favorite authors.

Little Eve is told in 1st person from the POVs of Dinah and Eve from various time periods. This book was absolutely beautifully written, just like Ward’s other books. It is atmospheric and unique. Every single one of Ward’s books are incredibly unique and that’s why I’m so drawn to them. I loved the dual perspectives with unreliable narrators. This is a beautiful gothic horror that I highly recommend.

“𝘼 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚, 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝, 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙. 𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙞𝙧, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢. 𝙉𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩, 𝙨𝙝𝙚. 𝙉𝙤 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙚.”

I don't read horror. But I absolutely LOVE Catriona Ward and will read her books every single time they come out. Ward's mind is like no other. I truly don't understand how she creates such intense, atmospheric, chilling stories that make you feel like you're right in the middle of it. This book was so hard to put down! Disturbing and gripping, i definitely recommend Little Eve for fans of Catriona Ward's other works, and those who enjoy horror and chilling stories.

As a huge fan of Ward, I was really excited for this one but it just didn't quite work for me? It was definitely really twisted but I felt at times the writing was a slog to get through. I also just cannot stand long chapters and 60 page chapters are not for me. I also did not feel like there was the twist I normally expect with Ward's writing.

While this one didn't quite work for me, I plan to read whatever Ward writes next.

Eve and Dinah are two children acquired by the head of their family who takes on the persona of the Adder (the deciever from the Adam and Eve Bible story). Throughout their lives they are badly treated, barely fed, and kept captive. Not knowing any other way, the children all tow the line until one day the entire family is found murdered with their eyes missing. All except Dinah who manages to live through her ordeal, instantly pointing to Eve as the culprit.

Then we get to see the whole ordeal play out through flashbacks and flash forwards seen through Dinah's or Eve's eyes. The story definitely has its fair share of twists and turns, many of which are surprising, a few that were not.

While I found the writing style excellent, for whatever reason, the story seemed to drag for me towards the middle, and became increasingly difficult to read. I am incredibly glad that I read this book through to the very twisty ending, but had quite a hard time making it to that point.

Thank you to TOR Nightlife for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I really wanted to love this book more! I thought it was a great atmospheric read. Perfect for Fall but I just didn't like the really long chapters. It was super descriptive so I got a bit impatient with it. I liked cult aspect of it and that the story was based in 1920's Scotland. It started out strong for me but I kind of lost interest about halfway through the book but I did want to know how it ended. I think if you like Catriona Ward's book you will like this one. Its just that I have a hard time with books that have really long chapters.

I read this along with listening to the audio. I loved this secluded island mystery/gothic horror novel, set in the 1920's. Fantastic writing, propulsive. I didn't want to put it down.

While it took a few starts and stops to settle into this book, the patience really paid off. The story explores the complexity of indoctrination and childhood in such a setting. The decrepit Scottish setting adds delightful, gloomy landscape that keeps the reader guessing.

I had read Sundial and didn't think that the author could write another book as horrific as that one, but she did. If you are a fan of slow, creeping horror and where nothing is as it seems, then you will love Catriona Ward's books. She is a master of the slow reveal.

This book takes place on an island called Altnaharra shrouded in fog off the coast of Scotland. The island is cut off from the mainland except for twice a day, when the tides subside enough to reveal a narrow ridge that connects to the mainland. There is a crumbling castle near the edge of a cliff where Eve, the main character, and her family live. They all practice an unusual religion, led by a man they call Uncle.

The story is mostly told from Eve's perspective and alternates between the past when she was a child and the present, when she is an adult. I don't want to give anything away as the subtle hints and the slow reveal of the truth behind the events is what makes the book such a compulsive read. We see what Eve observes as she grows up and when she begins to put the pieces together.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher Tor Nightfire via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

Such a great, creepy tale. Loved the coastal Scottish setting. The cult themes were also excellent. Any fan of horror or true crime will love this.

5⭐️

Trigger warning: implied rape

<b><i>What has happened here? A terrible thing. </b></i>

This book starts off strong with the tale of multiple strange deaths on the isle of Altnaharra. Jamie finds Dinah barely alive and missing her eye. She recounts that Eve killed the others and took their eyes because she believed it would give her power. Dinah is left to grieve all she has lost.

The reader is then taken back in time to see life through Eve’s eyes. She is young, and lives on Altnaharra with Uncle, Nora, Alice, Dinah, Abel, and Elizabeth. They follow Uncle’s lead and believe that the Adder watches over them and makes them pure. They all take the honey from Uncle’s fingers, and do not speak of the past. This life is all Eve has ever known, and she believes it all with her entire being. She hopes to one day become the Adder, and gives her blood to the snake, Hercules, in hopes of accelerating her trying.

Eve is curious, and loves learning the true names of the animals around her. She meets Chief Inspector Black one day after the murder of their school teacher. He speaks of scientific developments such as a microscope that can be used to compare hair follicles to match to the hair of the killer’s. Eve finds that she can easily talk to Chief Inspector Black, and confesses that she knew their teacher was dead because she saw it with the eye. Dinah finds Eve, and the two head back to Altnaharra and Eve realizes she has been impure and later resolves to change and be more pure and faithful.

This book is completely unexpected and the ending is so satisfying. This is a great gothic story that is hard to put down. Truly a wild ride, and one of my favorites from this year.

<b> Give them a villain. No need to create her. She is already made. It remains only to set her loose.</b>

When I read The Last House on Needless Street, I stayed up until 3 AM to finish it. I keep wishing to have a similarly enchanting experience with either of Catriona Ward's follow up novels, but it has eluded me. Personally, I lost interest in the story, but I appreciated the gothic atmosphere and the psychological aspect of this. I found everything else a bit much to keep track of.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so glad this book got the chance to be republished and have a well deserved light shone on it, because it was fantastic.

This is set on a gothic Scottish island and opens up with the reclusive 'family' who lives there being discovered in the most gruesome murder scene where each family member is missing an eye. Dinah actually survives and is actually able to tell everyone that her little sister Eve is the one who killed everyone. Dinah's story is told between Eve's point of view of their life and how it escalated into her killing everyone. However, about halfway through you start to realize Dinah's version and Eve's version aren't the same and one or both perspectives are unreliable.

The majority of this is told from the POV of Eve as a child/teenager and the way she views the world is an entirely brainwashed worldview so you have to kind of put together what's going on based on her interactions with people outside of the island. This was deliciously atmospheric and gothic. I love Catriona Ward's writing even more every time I read another one of her books. This was brilliant. I love knowing that every time I read something of hers it will definitely be a unique experience.

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

This is a gothic historical fiction, with a side of mystery. Bouncing between the past and present from several different point of views, this story is about a cult and the influence/control that adults have over children. From the very first chapter you know that the story doesn't end well; and as it unfolds you begin to see cracks in those that are being controlled.
Little Eve is the very definition of a slow burn. It is probably the slowest burn that I've ever read. Due to the format of jumping between past and present from different points of view (which I typically love) I found it hard to keep up with what was happening. I found myself confused during large parts of the story and almost DNF'd this one. However, after reading reviews, I decided to push on as this is apparently the authors writing style - with great pay off in the end. The end did include a twist, but it was pretty easy to see it coming.
While I don't think this one was for me, I think that anyone who enjoys a gothic historical fiction with a very slow burn would enjoy it. The premise of the story was very good, the format just wasn't for me. This is the first book that I read from this author, but I will definitely read another to see if I feel the same way.

I have tried to read this book multiple time but it just is not my cup of tea. I am just so lost and unsure of what’s going on-which could be the point but it is not working for me.
I appreciate getting the book ahead of time but I won’t be finishing it. Therefore I won’t be posting a review. But thank you again for the opportunity to read it!

Unfortunately, I just could not get into “Little Eve.” I found it to be confusing at the onset and by the end, I still think I was missing something. It was atmospheric and painting the scene for spooky season, but for some reason it failed to draw me in. Accordingly, I can’t say I enjoyed this one and 2 stars ⭐️ seems appropriate. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy for review.