This was quite strange and very slow paced but the ending picked up and got more interesting. Overall very conflicting feelings about this

33% in and a big old DNF. I loved Ward's Needless Street, and when I saw this was being rereleased I was excited. However, this was just not great. I am 1/3 in and nothing is happening. It is much too slow and the building is repetitive.

I may go back to this eventually and edit my rating. But as of now this is a hard pass.

Early on in the 20th century, off the coast of Scotland on the isolated island of Altnahaara, the Adder is imminent. A cult of worshippers, devoted to a mythical serpent, are ushering in the end of the world. Destruction is coming, and the foretold rebirth along with it. But when a murder investigation causes the apocalyptic ritual to run amok, the secrets of the isle rise to the surface, threatening to burst.
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LITTLE EVE is technically not a "new" novel from Catriona Ward - it was first published in 2018 & is now getting a wide release in 2022. That timeline is important, because now that it's coming after THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET & SUNDIAL, LITTLE EVE feels lesser in many ways.
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Ward is up to her old tricks - swapping POVs, non-linear timelines, pinball plot twists - but they're tricks that she executes stronger in the aforementioned releases. Here they're clunky & artificial. They feel in service of narrative vanity rather than of the story itself.
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This book feels like a stepping stone, which makes sense because it was written earlier on in Ward's career. It's clear that she was still finding her footing as a writer & as a storyteller. There are nuggets of an exceptional story in this book, & I think that's what makes it so disappointing. The sharp premise & moody atmosphere are both intriguing, but the execution of the characters & plot misses the mark. There's a lot of throwing ideas at the proverbial wall to see what sticks, & the result is, ultimately, a mess.
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LITTLE EVE wants to be much more than it is. It wishes to be a wave - rising, rising up to the top of the sky - but in reality it's nothing more than a rock, sinking straight to the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
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Thank you to Tor Nightfire & NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

I received both a print and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. This book was re-released on October 11, 2022 however it was previously published in 2019. It has one several awards and I can see why. It its very atmospheric and pretty dark. I would recommend looking up trigger warnings before reading. I didn't think it was particularly scary, but it is disturbing. This definitely includes child abuse and what I would consider grooming, there is also animal harm and body harm. Eve and her "siblings" are taken in by a man who kind of runs a cult that worships an entity of the sea, so there is also cult worship behavior.

This book was tough to listen to on audio because of the disjointed timeline. I often found myself referring to the print ARC because I felt like I missed something. The storyline is confusing because of the way the timeline jumps around to keep the reader in the dark prior to the reveal. I thought the reveal was creative and it took me a good bit of the book to figure out what was happening. I did eventually figure out most of what was going on but the final reveal was actually pretty good. This has some pretty decent twists and turns. I thought the alternating POVs worked well with the alternating timeline and thought the author did a good job bringing everything back together in the end to wrap things up.

I thought the world building in this was great! Ward's descriptions of Altnaharra and Eve's visions really put you into the setting. This was also very atmospheric, if you enjoy gothic style horror/thriller novels this is a good one to pick up. My only real complaint was the confusing nature of the timeline. I found it really hard to keep track of what was happening alternating between Eve and Dinah's perspectives and the large jumps in time between the different chapters. I don't think that would have been quite a big an issue had I read the book in print, but it was harder to keep track on audio. I'm thankful I had both the audio and the print arcs to reference when reading so I could keep track of what was going on. In the end I enjoyed this dark and twisty book. I don't think this is going to be for everyone given the uncomfortable subject that unfolds as Eve grows up and more information regarding the murder of her family comes to light.

Overall, I this is a good read if you are looking for a dark and twisty tale as we enter the spooky season.

A solid read for the Halloween season!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the advance copy to read and review.

I loved the opportunity to read this earlier work after reading The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial. There are some similarities, but this is very much its own thing. Loved the strong sense of setting and atmosphere, in particular.

Hello Catriona Ward, one of my auto-read authors! You managed to make me sit down and finish the story in one sitting because I knew you were hiding some twists and turns in there. I'm not going to make movie references not to spoil it for others, but wow, wow, wow! And I saw there will be another coming in next year, so I like that how you have these ideas keep on coming, feeding my horror loving persona.

Here we have a quite messed up cult with one man, two women and bunch of kids (all girls, except for one - who shouldn't have been there). I guess you understand why male/female distribution is so important and telling. It has many levels of abuse (both adult and child) and display's of "Uncle" the cult leader's master manipulation skills. Also since when snakes come out of ocean to be Gods?! This is what he made them to believe.

But most important and hardest to manipulate skill of humankind is survival. It doesn't matter how much you are brainwashed; when it comes to doing to thing to guarantee your survival, you won't listen to anyone. All the twists and turns in this story stem from that instinct and that only. In short, Ward writes, I read!

As soon as I heard about Little Eve, I immediately wanted to read it. The Last House on Needless Street is one of my all-time favorite books, so I was so excited to read another of Catriona Ward's books. Similar to The Last House on Needless Street, Little Eve begins in a way that the reader is unsure about what is going on at first. However, as you continue reading, the pieces fall into place and things become clearer.

Ward is a masterful storyteller who excels at writing horrific books showcasing the worst of humanity with an unreliable narrator. She is excellent at making the reader think they know who the antagonist is, only to completely flip everything you thought you knew about the characters. Little Eve is a Gothic, atmospheric book, where the castle on Altnaharra feels like a character in the book because it is so vividly described that it comes to life.

Little Eve was another five star read by Catriona Ward! It's safe to say I'll read anything she writes.

Content warnings: child abuse, sexual assault/rape, religious cult, murder, miscarriages.

*Thank you to the publisher, Catriona Ward, and NetGalley for the eBook ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Little Eve is my first read from Catriona Ward, but it certainly won't be my last. Skillfully written, the slowly developed sense of unease comes largely through the flat, matter-of-fact way characters relate horrific details, and the non-linear story swirls and shifts under you, so you never feel entirely sure where the story is headed. Haunting and impossible to put down.

Thank you Tor Nightfire for the advance review copy.

Historical fiction is usually not my jam, but when I read the blurb and saw who it was by, I couldn’t resist taking a chance. My first book by this author was Sundial, which I loved for its complicated family relationships, atmospheric setting and twists. Little Eve has all of that plus a deliciously gothic setting!

For almost as long as she can remember, Eve has lived on the remote isle of Altnaharra. Led by Uncle, she and the other children spend their days gathering food and pretending to be normal when they must attend the village school with the Impure. Unlike them, they worship the Adder, who will come from the sea and remake the world. But when a murder in the village attracts unwanted attention, Eve is forced to reckon with everything she believes in.

It’s hard to say too much about this book without ruining bits of the plot, and this is definitely one of those books where you want to come in with as little foreknowledge as possible. Set against the backdrop of World War I, it’s the kind of cult horror novel that starts with a teen protagonist who has no understanding that her upbringing is, well, strange. Eve is an interesting character, protective of the bond between herself and Dinah, an older girl who she considers a sister, though that word is forbidden on the isle. Fascinated by Uncle’s tale of how the Adder will return, she’s a true believer who yearns for recognition from him – and the power that comes with it.

“What you are saying doesn’t make sense,” I say. “Why would I invent the eye?”
“To satisfy the great need that lies at the heart of us all.”
“Which is?”
“To be loved. To belong.”


Much like Sundial, this book explores the complicated bonds of family and love. Eve longs for Uncle’s approval, even as he harshly disciplines her for the slightest misstep. But it’s the relationship between Eve and Dinah that carried that book for me. From comforting each other over nightmares to holding on to secrets, they’re as close as sisters, both starved for affection. The isolation of Altnaharra deepens the bond between them while Uncle’s machinations also force them against each other for their own survival.

After the initial shocking scene, the plot is a slow unwinding of terrors, one after the other. The twists, when they come, are horrifying. There’s enough hints about each in the text to give you an inkling in advance of what’s about to happen, but the reality is always so much more disturbing than expected.

Overall, a very good slow burn gothic horror, perfect for October!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I just loved everything about the book "The Last House on Needless Street" so I thought this gothic horror story would be perfect for me. I'm not sure what changed, but this book doesn't even seem like it was written by the same author.

I struggled with this book for various reasons. The main one was I was so completely lost on what was happening. I'm not sure what exactly caused this, but it could have been due to the dual perspectives (I normally have no problem with this) being a little clunky, the far out there concepts that were not explained very well (I can typically figure this stuff out), and the story was kind of going so many different directions. The other reason was I just lost interest after a while. I couldn't connect and get immersed into the story.

I do plan to read her new book "Sundial" and I'm crossing my fingers that it has the same vibe and writing style as "The Last House on Needless Street."

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book was seriously dark, creepy, and disturbing! I’d expect nothing less from Catriona Ward! I was hit with chilling vibes from the outset, since the book started off with a gruesome tragedy and then worked backwards to show the reader what led up to that event. I find cults intriguing, so the premise combined with Ward’s atmospheric writing immediately sucked me in. My feelings about Eve were constantly vacillating, and I had no idea what was going on, so I stopped trying to figure it out and just enjoyed the ride. This gothic, suspenseful, emotional book shocked me with a twist I never could have predicted! I can’t wait to see what this talented author comes up with next!

One of the biggest strengths of this novel from Catriona Ward is that it is about a family with a twist, this is a family with secrets, dark and terrible. What makes it so distinctive and so compelling is the voice of Eve and her sister Dinah. As you read their stories, it is almost as if you can hear them. The historical elements add to the terrible horrific aspects because of how isolated the clan is from the rest of the world. Eve and her sister are rich characters and as a reader, you quickly become engrossed in their story.

This is a story of very human horror and it is fitting that as the novel delves into the past, that mysteries and intrigues emerge, secrets spill out into the light of truth. The story is about family but not in any traditional way and yet, Catriona Ward deftly explores the bonds of sisters and how love can enrich us or harm us. 

If you love stories with human terror and mystery, a story about family with a twist, I recommend this compelling novel of sisters and secrets. You will find you won’t be able to put the book down. It will keep you up long into the night.

My interest was initially piqued when I saw this was a gothic horror, because that is definitely up my ally. Then you throw in cult vibes?! Yes., please! The sad news is that I just couldn’t get into it. The story is told through two POVs with alternating timelines. The beginning was super confusing and a little dry. You hit 50+% before you even know what the hell is going on; and with all the build up the ending fell a bit short. Overall the book had a lot going for it, but I’m thinking Ward’s books just aren’t for me. And that’s cool. If the blurb grabs your attention, I’d give it a read!

While not as complex and layered in themes as her recent works like this year’s “Sundial”, Catriona Ward’s “Little Eve” is still an impeccably written gothic horror tale set in the early half of the 20th century in Scotland, involving a prophet-like “Uncle” and the cadre of girls, young ladies, and one boy who have somehow come to live with him by one reason or another and are bound by his beliefs and words about how they came from the sea, are for the sea, and that the world will end when a great serpent encircles the earth.

Catriona Ward knows how to cast a spell with her words and sentences: her writing could almost be mistaken for a cantrip with how the time passes so effortlessly as you read her books. Reading Catriona Ward is never a chore, for she knows the economy of words and the magic that comes from imparting just the right amount of information at the right time and leaving some more information for later. You have to leave them always wanting more, and she knows that. Like someone who’s been starved, you can’t just feed them a feast or they will get sick. You give them a little bit of what they need at a time until it’s okay for them to have more. That’s what good horror and good suspense is supposed to be like. That’s what good editing is like. A steady line that never slacks off or sways. You are fed a steady diet of horror, exposition, characterization, imagery, inner thoughts, side characters, and a bite of subplot here and there as you turn page after page after page.

The theme, while relatively simple and classic, is turned sinister and poisonous by its origin: competing for a father figure’s affections. Longing to appease the parental figure in your life and coming to realize that parental figure is human and fallible. While “Sundial” also deals with themes of family, “Little Eve” deals with it in a twisted and stained manner, with the word and notion that these people are “family” banned by their “Uncle” as if he can truly dispel the ties and bonds that come to form between people kept together in seclusion for so long together in an isolated castle by the sea.

The characters are complex, traumatized, and have that inherent vulnerability that emits from those who you know are inevitably damned, whether they live or die at the end. The plot arc is rich and satisfying, even if some of the great turn was easily guessed. Nonetheless, even a Catriona Ward book that loses one star is still well worth reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for granting me access to this title.

Themes: Gothic Fiction/Horror Fiction/Gothic Horror/Horror Literature/Cult Horror

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

After I read the first few chapters of this book, a lot of the details reminded me of Outlander, which is one of my favorite series. A lot of the details like places and characters names are similar but that is where the comparison ends. The story itself has a spooky ghost story feel that I really enjoyed, with a heavy religious influence. I really liked the way it ended and the twists that I never say coming!

Little Eve is a dark gothic (thiller, horror?) novel set in Scotland. It follows a family that lives in the castle of Altnaharra, where the town of Loyal has all but shunned them. The Adder, or Uncle, rules behind the castle walls, the small cult he has created. The story shifts between characters points of views.

The writing is beautiful and haunting, if not a little confusing. The timelines were a bit confusing at points, but I was able to understand the general flow. The plot was okay, but didn’t blow me away. It’s a neutral 3/5 for me.

3.5 out of 5 stars

This book is told in alternating POVs and I enjoy this style of writing, as I like seeing the story unfold from different perspectives. We start this book near the end of the story and then we jump back and forth in time to tell the story of how we go to everyone dying. This was a little confusing at times; overall the story was twisty and I would read more books from Catriona Ward in the future.

DNF at 40% - unfortunately this one just wasn't for me. I loved the culty and gothic aspects, but wasn't a huge fan of the historical setting. Her writing style is so enthralling though, which is what got me to the 40% mark in the first place. I may pick this one back up, but it just wasn't right for me now.

Little Eve was a read that I thought had some good potential, and it does, but overall it proved to just not be the best book for me.

The idea of an isolated castle in Scotland mixed with a cult and some questionable shenanigans sounded like a great read.

What worked for me:
- the opening was great and set up the mysterious aspect of Altnaharra very well.
- the writing was great - very atmospheric and brought me into the story.
- the cult element - it's always infuriating and an interesting element to me.

What gave me pause:
- I found it really slow, and as much as the writing brought me in, I struggled to stay engaged in the story, and it just dragged. It was missing a more powerful tension and urgency to it for me.
- some challenges with mixing timelines and following everything that was happening.
- I found the characters a bit flat and overall just wasn't invested in their emotional journey.

Thank you Macmillan Tor/Forge and NetGalley for my digital review copy!