Little Eve by Catrina Ward

While Little Eve is different than Catrina Ward’s other books, I still really enjoyed every minute of it.

This book includes so many of the plot features and elements that I look for when deciding what to read. The cult? Creepy. In this book the cult consisted of only one family and that actually made it that much scarier to me. I felt hopeless for the characters knowing they were stuck with only each other for help. You’re also following dual timelines which I love. Being able to discover what led to the awful event that this book centers around while simultaneously and seamlessly experiencing the outcome of that event kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what exactly happened. (I don’t want to say too much because #spoilers). You also have small town drama. Count me in.

Ward perfectly captured the gothic vibe in this book. At the beginning I was reminded so much of Shirley Jackson’s “We Have Always Lived in this Castle.”

My only complaint is that I didn’t find the big twist that much of a surprise. But, that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the ride. I highly recommend this book to fans of gothic literature.

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

Rating: 3.5 Stars

This is now the second book I’ve read by Ward and, while it was different than the other I’ve read (The Last House on Needless Street), the similarities cement her in my mind as a go-to for horror books.

Some words I’d use to describe Little Eve are atmospheric, gothic, and gruesome. Somehow the depictions of the island and its inhabitants are both bleak and dreary while also being incredibly vivid and evocative. While I found the plot in general to be fairly guessable, I was still riveted by the the general creepiness of the book, which is mostly conveyed by its setting and the overall aura of uneasiness. The dual timelines and non-sequential scenes also elevated the sense of mystery.

Personally historical fiction is always hit or miss for me, and in this case I had a hard time getting into the cadence of the speech. But if you want to pick up a good book to read for spooky season, I’d recommend this on the vibes alone. I’m looking forward to checking out more of Ward’s stories in the future!

Thank you to Tor Books - Nightfire and Netgalley for the ARC

Wow, okay. Okay! I'm writing a review... I'm doing it...

Seriously though? I don't know how to review this because this is such a convoluted book. It's got a small family cult, a snake, and a location that is perfectly isolated and eerie. Little Eve is an atmospheric novel where each step that Uncle makes is more twisted and harmful than the last.

I loved Eve and was constantly on the fence with Dinah. Poor Abel, my heart broke for his awful treatment. And even though they were all in a terrible situation, I enjoyed watching Eve bloom.

I think that's about all I can say because otherwise, I would spoil the book. The slow unfolding, the meandering storytelling, and how your senses come to realize what is really happening is what I enjoyed the most. I figured out a few things ahead of time but kept on reading because Ward can tell a story, and this is a book you don't want to put down. Thank you, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, for sending this along!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Little Eve is an earlier work from Catriona Ward, originally published internationally in 2018 and having won a few awards, and only now has gotten an “official” US release. While I am still new to her work and likely wouldn’t have known the difference, I am glad that its history was acknowledged upfront, especially with the accolades it has received. And while I’m still fairly new to horror, I feel those awards absolutely are merited.

Ward is a master of capturing atmosphere in a creepy, immersive way, and her depiction of Altnaharra is no exception. Scotland and the adjacent islands are a region rich with magic and mystery, and Ward impeccably depicts that, as well as a complex, toxic spin on clan dynamics.

Structurally, Ward makes good use of the complex timeline of the novel, weaving back and forth in time. It makes for a creepy exploration of the familial relationships, with multiple bloody murders along the way. It ultimately culminates in a jaw-dropping twist that I did not see coming.

This is another winner from Catriona Ward, and one I’d recommend both to her established readers who may have missed it the first time around and to other readers looking for an engaging horror novel about a dysfunctional family.

Raised on a wild island off the coast of Scotland, Eve and Dinah are two of the Children, a group of kids raised by a mysterious man they call Uncle. Eve wants the power of the Adder and Dinah longs to be explore beyond the island. One evening a local townsperson stumbles upon a horrific act of violence on the island, and so the mystery of what has happened begins.

Little Eve is a psychological Gothic horror story that will mess with your sense of time and perception. If you've read any of Ward's previous books, you know what to expect- confusion and unease almost throughout the entire novel. Nothing is ever as it seems. We jump from past to present and from perspective to perspective. The writing style is very dream-like, almost a frenzied, fever dream at times, and the plot is dark and twisted.

Even though for the most part I liked not knowing what was going on, at times it felt a bit too chaotic and unstructured. Something felt a little off with the pacing. Maybe that's what the author was going for, but it did take me out of the story at times.

Still, this was a great fall read and I still feel unsettled when thinking about the story-the sign of a great horror book! If you have enjoyed Ward's other books, if you like feeling uncomfortable while reading your horror, and if you like books about dark cults, I would definitely recommend picking up this book!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the digital arc. All opinions are my own.

This story at first was very difficult for me to get into. I’m not sure, but I felt a little overwhelmed by the story, but I’m glad I stuck with it because it was a really great read.

Eve lives in a castle called Altnaharra with a group of people that are led by a man they call Uncle. They are preparing for the end of days where they will all be returned to the sea and reborn.

Through chapters told in different times, we see the realities and consequences of the clan at Altnaharra and how Eve navigates her changing world.

A little cult-ish, a little gothic horror, and very much a discussion of human nature and the relationships we build.

By the end I was really invested in this novel and found it completely engrossing! Definitely deserving of the Shirley Jackson award, this is such a fresh take on horror.

This one is sadly going to be a DNF for me. I am obsessed with Catriona Wards newer works, and I think she is undeniably a phenomenal author. Gothic /historical fiction often doesn't work for me and I just think that's the case here. I'm sure that this book will find its audience though and I will gladly pick up all new work by Ward!

I love gothic mysteries and I love Scotland! This book is a bit on the slow side but the writing is lovely. I think the reader has to go into this knowing it’s not fast and explosive, but more subtly haunting, and they will find ways to appreciate it.

I loved The House on Needless Street and I found Little Eve to be equally fantastic. The beginning of the book was a little gruesome and shocking, but an excellent start to the story. The cult aspect of the story was fascinating although horrific. Eve was a brilliant character. Perfect Halloween read, this was so atmospheric. The castle, the sea, the town of Loyal, I was immersed. Off to read whatever else by Ward I can get my hands on! She is such a fantastic writer and has a way of describing things that is breathtaking.

Thank you to Netgalley, TorNightfire and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced copy!

WOW that was good. It was slow and eerie and creepy. Gothic horror with cults!! Definitely check trigger warnings. The way the story unfolds and the mystery of it all is so unique and interesting! The cult aspect of it had me hooked from the start. Super disturbing, super creepy, I loved it. The perfect autumn read!

Too slow moving for me I read about 1/2 through but found this Gothic style just wasn't a fit for me.
I hope others enjoy this book as the author is a great writer storyteller.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

Did not finish. I usually like gothic novels, but I found this one slow and hard to get into. The author is popular, so I'm sure this will appeal to some of her readers.

I read this ARC via Netgalley Shelf.

Out near a remote village in Scotland, a crumbling castle sits on an isle only reachable at low tide. When Jamie MacReith enters through the gate, he discovers the site of a grisly, ritualistic murder. Flashing back to the years before, Evelyn describes her life on the isle, raised by an Uncle who demands loyalty and feeds them a mystical honey that promises to give them the vision of the Adder. In the years after the murder, the only survivor, Evelyn's sister Dinah walks through the world with her one eye. Both sisters have secrets that one police investigator will finally uncover.

The very beginning of this novel hooked me in, but the jumps between past and present/future and the varying uses of first-person and third-person had me feeling confused up until the very end. Evelyn's chapters were the most interesting to me, although they were long and her knowledge was so limited that it was difficult to parse what was truly happening. It just took me too much work to figure it all out and then the big revelation at the end wasn't as horrific as I had hoped.

One thing to keep in mind when you pick up a book by Catriona Ward is that it will be weird. And I personally love weird and having to wonder where exactly she will go with the story.

So was Little Eve weird? Yes! I find her books are perfect for going in blind and having an open mind because everything will make sense in the end. So I won’t say too much about it other than it was a good blend of of gothic thriller with elements of horror and maybe coming of age. This was my third book by her and once again I was left impressed by her story telling and how she manages to weave such strange tales, which I think about days after. So if you’re a fan of darker tales which are atmospheric and clever and a bit sad, definitely add this to your list!

I was introduced to Catriona Ward by way of "The Last House on Needless Street" which is one of my favorite books. Ms. Ward has a way of taking a mystery and changing everything you thought you knew.

In a end of the world cult led by her Uncle, Eve and Dinah are getting ready to find out which one is going to be inheriting powers. A murder changes things.

This is a great atmospheric read. A bit of horror, crime and mystery, this book will make your skin crawl and mess with your head. Great story once again by an author who is the best at making your skin crawl even when you aren't sure why.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the ARC of this book!

I'm so glad I got this book during peak spooky season. Highly recommend reading it during autumn or whenever you feel like reading a creepy thriller. It's a "wtf did I just read?!" kind of book but in the best way. The mystery and creepy vibe are added to by switching POVs and popping back and forth in the timeline. Quickly it becomes obvious that there are some very unreliable narrators involved in the story. Over the course of the book we uncover more about the people on the isle and the secrets surrounding them. We slowly uncover what really happened the day of the murders and it's a doozy that I didn't see coming.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Jordan Hanley at Tor/Nightfire, and Catriona Ward for an ARC of this book!**

If historical fiction is not normally the genre for me...I can now say that gothic-tinged historical fiction is DEFINITELY not the genre for me.

This horror-lite, gothic-heavy novel from Catriona Ward made me wonder if I was reading a book from an entirely different author...or if her writing has just evolved THAT much over time!

Eve and Dinah are part of a cult led by "Uncle," isolated from society in a remote part of Scotland. They are preparing for the coming of the Adder, where one of them will inherit mysterious powers. In order to prepare, they must keep their bodies clean and this involves performing some rather bizarre rituals. Eve is determined that she will be the one to obtain the powers, but things go awry (yes, even in this already bizarre situation) when a body turns up and the inspector comes a-calling. Are the secrets held at Altnaharra even more dangerous than any of the members of this group could ever predict? And will Little Eve get her wish...or will she rue the day she ever desired such dangerous powers?

It's hard to know where to start with this book. I'm very hit or miss with cult novels, and if I had known going in this essentially IS a cult novel, I probably would have skipped it altogether. However, I know Catriona Ward is a brilliant author and I have thoroughly enjoyed both other books I read by her, so I figured I had nothing to lose.

However, what I ended up losing most...was interest.

I had such a hard time following even the basic tenets of this plot and I am not entirely sure why. It reminded me of reading a book written in the 1800s (or a similar era) where an extra level of focus is required to get through meatier writing...but without any of the payoff. This was a long slog for me, and I am honestly stunned it is less than 300 pages, because I would have guessed it was closer to 500. The narrative felt clunky, repetitious, and all over the place. None of Ward's hypnotizing descriptions, fascinating characters, and dizzying mind puzzles leapt off the page for me as they did in Needless Street, or even in the more exciting parts of Sundial. I know authors tend to grow and change over time, but if you had presented me with this book and told me this was a completely different author, I wouldn't have questioned it at all!

This book won the Shirley Jackson award upon its original UK release in 2018, and I have no doubt the honor is deserved. There are plenty of readers who have devoured this one and have appreciated Ward's craft in this particular story. I personally prefer the psychological horror path she has tread AFTER this book and I hope she will continue to travel down THAT path...leaving any further forays into past both out of sight AND out of mind.

3 stars

My favorite Catriona Ward book by far!!! Little Eve was so good!! I loved the setting; a spooky castle off the Scottish coast. I loved the characters; all mysterious and intriguing on their own but together make a splendid cast that you either love or dislike. The whole story line is magnificent but those last few chapters!! OMG what just happened?!?! Suspenseful throughout, I could not stop reading page after page of this gothic horror story! Bravo!!

I’m not too sure what to think about this book
It’s a strange story that I had a hard time getting interested in. Others might like it but it just wasn’t for me
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Ended up tearing through this in three days. This apparently won the Shirley Jackson award for best novel back in 2018, and I can see why. You’ve got a hell of a setup in the first chapter - a family found dead in a Scottish castle on a remote island - and the rest of the book unwinds how everything came to this point. Tightly plotted and wound, full of gothic vibes, and an excellent read for spooky season. Pick it up!