I wouldn't consider myself a fan, but I bet this is going to be a very popular book among people who enjoy horror and cults despite the fact that less time was spent on both themes than on the peculiar narrative device of telling the story two steps forward, one step back.

Atmospheric, yet droning.

Little Eve is told through alternating perspectives of protagonists Dinah & Eve. Our protagonists are part of a mysterious family, raised on the blustering island of Altnaharra, located off the coast of Scotland. The clan praises the Adder, a powerful snake-being said to bring imminent rebirth to the soon-to-be destroyed world.

After a threatening storm passes through in 1921, we discover a ritualistic tragedy of cult horror. We look back to the 1910s to see where suffering began.

Little Eve exudes a blustering coldness, eeriness and fear that is akin to gothic fiction, which is unfortunately the only part of this tale that I enjoyed. This piece was oversaturated with violence and unfavorable acts, yet ineffectively described for a horror audience.

The storyline alluded to conclusions but was ultimately confusing. Events in this book were written in a way that felt unexplained, rushed and unclear as to what was happening. If the conclusions were met with less ambiguity, the piece would have been more effective, and wholly more worthwhile.

Little eve is for fans of darker historical fiction, bleak settings and bizarre family rituals.

I strongly feel that readers who enjoy historical fiction will like Little Eve! And vice versa.

Regrettably for me, this novel feels like a period piece wearing a Halloween costume.

2/5.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for an eARC of Little Eve in exchange for an honest review.

Little Eve is a truly beautiful, yet disturbing story. The book itself is very descriptive, and as a result the pacing is quite slow, particularly in the beginning. Told in multiple timelines, the author is stretching our ability to understand what’s happening, which reflects the inner turmoil that the different characters are experiencing at times in the book. Even the sentence structure feels quite disjointed at times, inflicting upon the reader confusion, distrust in the narration, and a general sense of disease.

The book has a meticulously cultivated sense of foreboding, punctuated by truly disturbing scenes and revelations. While the writing style is fabulous, and some of the key plot points are equal parts shocking and fascinating, I still felt like the plotline trudged along a little too slowly. I think it was in part due to the metaphors stacked upon metaphors, making the book itself a much slower read than the other novel I read by this author (The Last House on Needless Street). At one point, I made a note that the plot is saturated with description and beautiful prose, and in this case, I thought it was too much of a good thing.

All this said, whether or not you enjoy this book truly depends on what type of a reader you are, and what you’re expecting from this story. If I put my readers’ advisory hat on, this book is for those who read for language and setting, then characters. While the plot has good twists, those who prefer a fast-paced, twisty thriller won’t be as satisfied.

The end of the book has some truly thought-provoking discussion questions for book clubs and reader groups to ponder.

If you like gothic atmospheric stories this one is great! It was a tad slow, it's more a horror mystery than a thriller. I enjoyed the creepy and culty vibes.

Little Eve by Catriona Ward is a horror novel, originally published in 2018.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Eve  has only known life on Altnaharra, a small isle off the coast  of Scotland.  She only knows that "Uncle" is preparing them for the end of this world and the birth of the new one, when the giant serpent in the ocean will rise up.  Eve wants to be the one that will inherit the Adder's power, although so does everyone else in the family.

When Chief Inspector Black investigates a murder in a small town near the island, he is drawn to Eve, and the ways she has been raised.  He tries to convince her that her uncle is controlling them, starving them, and brainwashing them, and that is why she feels she can "see" visions.  Eve isn't buying it.  She loves her life -- most of the time.


My Opinions:
This book is about family, not necessarily blood related, but family just the same.  It is about the dysfunction in that family, about the cult-like atmosphere, about doing what you have to do to survive your family and circumstances.

It is both a gothic novel and historical fiction.  That is beside the cult/horror/murder mystery aspects.  Needless to say, there was a lot going on in this book!

The characters are "different".  I'm not sure who I actually liked.  Eve was probably my favorite, although some of her actions were a little "off".     Well, all the characters were "off".  I also loved Black.  Nora, Elizabeth and Dinah fluctuated in my opinion.  I definitely could have done without Uncle and Hercules.  Jamie and Sarah were non-entities

With unreliable narrators, it is sometimes difficult to tell truth from fiction,  as I am sure the author intended.

Overall, the book was quite captivating, if a little (maybe a lot) dark and creepy.

I loved it!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little nervous going into this because a past Catriona Ward book didn't really work with me but I'm so glad I gave this a try! Ward creates this incredibly believable post-apocalyptic world that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The dark, gothic setting and "cult" vibes are so intense in the best way possible. This is Catriona Ward's shining 5/5 book for me and I can't wait to recommend it to everyone.

This is my 3rd Cat Ward book and will not be my last. She is officially an auto buy author. Little Eve starts with a horrific scene, a cult ritual ceremony gone terribly wrong. Off the Northern coast of Scotland, Evelyn lives with Dinah, Able and Baby Elizabeth, their caretakers are 2 women, and the leader is simply known as Uncle. After the opening scene we get 2 different POV's. One detailing the aftermath from Dinah in the form of letters and journal entries. The second is Eve starting back in 1917, setting the scene for what leads up to the tragedy. Ward's writing is atmospheric and lyrical. The pacing in the first half is slow but you just have to trust the process. This is a very dark gothic horror story that will leave you unsettled but satisfied. Thank you to TorNightfire and NetGalley for my eARC of this book

Atmospheric and gothic with masterful plotting and mesmerizing, luminous prose. This tale of love, hate, and the secrets that bind us will enthrall, with the inimitable twists & characters Catriona Ward seems to write effortlessly. A beautiful work of wonder and horror that you'll inhale and savor.

“The storm is in my bones, the lightning drapes the world in blasts of white. The sea breaks like falling towers, within me, without me.”

I LOVED this book. What a perfect fall read okay, highly recommended. ‘The Last House on Needless Street’ was one of my top reads of 2021 so I knew I would do ANYTHING to get my hands on this ARC. (Thank you @tornightfire & @netgalley for access in exchange for an honest review.)

Took me a bit to get into the pacing (short vs. long chapters consecutively) but once I gave in to the magic, MAN did this story flow! Talk about pure, pristine gothic atmosphere and unreliable characters working to give you a run for your money.

Ward has a way of crafting horror stories with such finesse, she has easily become one of my favorite authors. My mind is still dancing with this deliciously dark story. The words flowed seamlessly to the melody of a rampant Scottish coast.

‘Little Eve’ was originally published in the UK, 2018 but is getting a second chance with today’s release date in the US. And I AM SO EXCITED to have been a part of this journey, no matter how small. Thank you @Catward66 for presenting us yet another winner. Looking forward to each and every next one to come.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan/Tor- Forge, Tor Nightfire for this arc.

I had conflicting thoughts while reading this book. I could not connect to the plot but I ended up finishing it on a higher note. I enjoyed Catriona Ward’s two previous books much more than I enjoyed this one. That said, I gave Little Eve three stars, which for me is not a great but just a ok book.

This novel was originally published in the U.K. in 2018 and won the August Derleth and Shirley Jackson awards. It stars with a shocking scene: a mass murder at the island of Altnaharra. The bodies are found laid out inside a stone circle as if for a sacrifice. The villagers and the police believe they were killed by Evelyn, one of the “daughters”, in her madness. The cult is formed mainly by children, and its leader is called “Uncle”. The setting of this book, an isolated island, helps the leader of the cult to make his followers believe in whatever he wants.

The story is told by different POVs, making it harder for the reader to know who is telling the truth. The plot is very repetitive but I liked how the author created this suffocating and terrifying setting in which the fate of the children seems to be the worst imaginable. The reader gets to know a little bit of how the minds of the members of a cult work, and how the children react to isolation, starvation, punishments, and brainwashing being part of this “family”.

It was not an awesome read for me. I lost interest in the story, did not feel anything about the characters but I know Little Eve will please a lot of readers. It is definitely a creepy read.

Little Eve is a gothic horror story featuring an isolated castle off the coast of Scotland, a cult, and a dual timeline and alternating points of view.

Nothing is what it seems on Altnaharra.

What worked for me:
•Incredible descriptive writing - truly immersive & atmospheric!
•Very gory. Lots of visceral scenes.
•An intriguing mystery
•The cult storyline was really interesting

What didn’t work for me
•The POVs & timelines really confused me. I was often confused and found this hard to follow. (This is a total me issue; I read this book in a very disjointed way - in 15 minute increments over the course of a month. It requires your focus!)
•The characters - I struggled with a few of them. But I did love the others - bit of a mixed bag!

I think I was hoping for something a bit scarier, but it really just dragged on and didn’t scare me at all.

I liked Catriona Ward's Sundial when it came out earlier this year. This book looked even more appealing with its World War I Scottish seaside setting. Here Ward seems much more in her element!

There are many layers to this one, and lots of opportunity and motive for multiple ways for this one to go. Ward's plots are complicated and weave time around itself. There is always a bit of the fantastic. Here is it much more fantasy than the science fictiony aspect of Sundial, which is more my preference. Folklore is key here. I am quite familiar with Scottish folklore, but Ward possibly should have given a short relative primer for the uninitiated.

If you struggle with non-linear plots this may be hard for you to follow. But that hard to follow is the point and you may quite enjoy the ride if you can let go of needing to understand. Part of this is how certain things aren't understandable and that our minds work in mysterious ways.

Pick this up for a light spooky read to take a break from the craziness of October.

this is the second book i've read by Catriona and i have to say she's a great writer. this was a solid book and the story was amazing.

This one was weird to say the least. But it was just eerie enough and strange to keep me interested and figure out why it was a horror or frightening. I wouldn’t say it was really a horror in the scary sense but the characters did go through some horrors that’s for sure. It’s hard to give a star rating on it but since this is NetGalley I will. I want to still leave feedback that if slow burn eerie creepy is your thing then give this one a shot. In the end the twist wasn’t what I expected so that was good too. Overall decent.

This is my second book by Catriona Ward and it won’t be my last! I love the way this author writes and Little Eve was the perfect, gothic tale to usher in October.

The novels opens up with a bleak beginning and the story is told in two timelines split between the past and present. In the past, we see life unfold on Altnaharra, a small island off the Scottish coast that at times seems idyllic and others oppressive. Uncle, Alice, Nora and the children wait for Him to come from the sea and for the end times.

Little Eve took a bit for me to get into, but by the second half I was hooked by all the twists and turns.. Ward does such a great job of creating an atmospheric environment so that you feel transported to Altnaharra. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes cult-ish books with slightly creepy children.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the advance copy. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

With its disturbing plot, gothic atmosphere and well-developed sinister characters in “Little Eve”, the author Catriona Ward takes you on a journey full of twists and turns. I’m a fan of Ward’s style of writing and was not surprised to find out that this book had won the Shirley Jackson Award.

While it did take me a bit to get into the story and was confused at times, the creepy approach to storytelling won me over. It was dark, unsettling, and I couldn't stop reading!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for this digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Content warning: on and off page physical and emotional abuse, hints at sexual abuse, on page animal cruelty, child abuse, inappropriate behavior of adults with minors.

I LOVE the cover, it's what initially caught my interest, and the plot sounded like a book I'd enjoy. Unfortunately, something was missing for me. I found the time jumps in the narrative confusing and at times I wasn't sure what exactly was going on. I didn't really like any of the characters and some pieces of the plot didn't make sense. I struggled to finish this, but the last 20% was good - there were definitely moments within LITTLE EVE that turned me off and I wish they weren't there. I get why they were, but also don't think they needed to happen for the overall plot to continue.

As a side note, there is a place called Altnaharra in Scotland, but it isn't on the ocean, it's inland and near Loch Naver. I was hoping this would be addressed in an author's note since the actual location is not a wind-battered isle on the coast of Scotland and I was curious why the name of a real place was used but in a different geographic location.

A pet peeve of mine is to have unbalanced chapter lengths, LITTLE EVE was a mix of short chapters (20 min or less to read) and novella-length chapters (over an hour, sometimes over two hours to read). So for me that was aggravating.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and Tor Nightfire in exchange for an honest review.

Little Eve was amazing. It had darkness, gothic vibes, and mystery on who could be trusted.
I loved what each character brought to the story and how they were written.
It was clever and well thought out.

I just could not get over how well written every part was. The plot the people the settle. Gold!

This was actually Ward's second novel but was made available this year. I had a bit of trouble with this one. Very interesting story, however, because it took place on a Scottish isle, I was having a bit of an issue with the language. Totally my misunderstanding. But the way the story sort of drifted back and forth between characters and time periods, I was a bit confused.
The story of Eve and Dinah is told in 1917 and 1921. The girls are part of cult, run by Uncle, on the Scottish isle of Altnaharra. There is a murder mystery to the story and a lot of things aren't explained (or don't make any sense) until you get to the end of the story.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for this arc.*

In a remote part of Scotland, Eve other young girls are raised by "Uncle." In the early 1900's, their clan is really a cult. They believe they will usher in the end of the world and bring about a rebirth. When a brutal murder occurs, their planned ceremony is interrupted by the police and their investigation.

The story jumps around to reveal events that lead up to the opening catastrophe. It is very dark, and has a lot of disturbing descriptions of abuse, especially on children. Typically, I enjoy reading mysterious and at times dark, twisty suspense stories, especially occurring in the UK. However, this was not my cup of tea. It was way too dark and sinister.

I am willing to give Catriona Ward another chance with her other novels. Her writing style is enigmatic, painting vivid pictures. Little Eve just did not leave a great impression on me.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the digital ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.