Catriona Ward is a great author and her stories are unique. This time was no different. The way she writes is completely captivating, utterly creepy, and always keeps me guessing until the very end.

Little Eve is a re-release of the award-winning work that put Catriona Ward on the map as an author, despite the polarizing House on Needless Street making her a commercial success. And as someone who has loved the twisty, bizarre most recent releases from her I went into this novel with a grounded sense of optimism. Maybe speaking to Ward’s growth as an author since Little Eve’s release in 2018, I’m coming away from this older work not necessarily underwhelmed but definitely disappointed by a story that was incredibly disjointed I’m not sure I could pitch a synopsis for it despite having read every page.

This is a short book that feels very long. I think this mostly derives from the story having multiple plotlines with frankly too many indistinguishable characters with monosyllabic names. It’s trying to do too much in less than three hundred pages and the effect is one that left me going “Oh… who is she again?” when the big reveal is uncovered in the end. The horror elements are strong in visceral, a fair warning for anyone squeamish of body horror or sensitive to casual depictions of child abuse. But that’s in part what makes this whole story feel slightly stilted. The opening hook is so shocking and fundamentally disturbing it makes everything after seem like an uphill slog to get to the ending to explain the questions the first chapter presents.

Catriona Ward’s works are purposefully disorienting, and Little Eve does this to the greatest extent of the three novels I’ve read from her so far. As easy as it is to criticize thrillers for being too “commercial” this book leaned so heavily away from that direction into the realm of dark, flowery literary fiction that I just couldn’t seem to follow. Maybe if you like your horror novels with a little more big brain energy this may really resonate. But I think I’ll prioritize following Ward’s newer releases instead of working through her backlist instead.

Thank you to the publisher Tor Nightfire for providing an e-ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

This gothic horror novel was plentiful with the chills! The story was intriguing and creepy, usually right up my alley. However, I found it confusing many times along the way. There were times when I did not know who was speaking, or what time period we were in.

I really didn’t enjoy the last house on needless street by this author but I figured I’d give another book a try. This book was a very slowwww burn. The beginning started off with a bang but after that i was honestly bored.

Little Eve is a gorgeously written gothic horror novel set against the backdrop of The Great War. “Uncle” is the cult leader of a clan of women and children who reside on an derelict island home, isolated from the neighboring villages and townsfolk.

The story opens with a horrific mass murder and then follows the characters through a series of flashbacks to the events leading up to the murder and following. Although I loved the plot line itself, I had a difficult time following with the character and time changes within each consecutive chapter. The women all seemed alike and although that may have been intentional, the distinct lack of personalities between Nora. Alice, Dinah, and Eve left me feeling disconnected from them. I am also very sensitive to themes of child abuse which is a prominent feature in this novel and struggled to get through some scenes.

As a huge fan of The Last House on Needless Street, I appreciate Ward’s writing and gothic imagery, but Little Eve was just a bit too disjointed for me to fully enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Catriona Ward, and Tor Nightfire for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

How far would you go to keep the ones you love together and safe from the outside world?

I found that the characters were well developed, the scenes were perfectly eerie, and the idea behind the book was very unique.

I really wanted to love this book, but it was very slow-paced for me. Some parts seemed a little repetitive and there was a huge build up to the end that seemed to wrap up rather quickly after trenching through the book for so long.

On a positive note I will say that it was beautifully (almost poetically) written which had me feeling like I was right there with the characters going through their ups and downs.

I want to thank McMillan and netgally for the chance to read this book as an ARC.

I have loved all of Catriona Ward’s books they are strange yet so creepy. This book is no exception. I will say it took me a while to get into it but once I did I flew thru it. I just had to have more.

There were times I thought I had it figured out but I did not have it all figured out and the ending was perfect.

If you liked or lived her other books do not sleep in this one!

Final Rating: 4.5

This book was originally written in 2018, but this is the first time it will be published in the US and I’m so happy that I was provided a copy to review! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Little Eve follows two girls Eve and Dinah, who are members of a cult living on the Isle of Altnaharra off the coast of Scotland. Eve wants desperately to be the heir to the power that her ‘uncle’ has as the Adder. Eve starts to question everything surrounding her, which leads to tragic events that not even the Adder could see coming.

This book was wild! I always find cults fascinating, mainly because I cannot fathom not only how someone gets into such a headspace that they will go along with everything their leader says, but how the leader themselves gets into such a position. You have to be truly evil to bend other people to your will, and in this case, knowingly abuse them.

That’s kind of the one thing I wish was explored a bit more – the backstory of the Adder. It’s mentioned briefly a few times, but I wanted more! I did really enjoy though how the Chief Inspector tried to put things into perspective and discussed the cult beliefs with Eve, the psychology behind how your beliefs can twist everything you witness and experience is so fascinating.

The way this ‘family’ interacts with one another and how they will willingly throw each other under the bus if it means becoming the Adder’s favored member was both interesting and frustrating to read, but in a good way. Reading about cults always frustrates me because all I want to do is take the characters by the shoulders and shake them until they snap out of it!

The setting of Scotland was perfect for this book, the dreary and stormy weather on the isle fit the mood and mysterious vibes of the cult so well!

At the beginning of the book, I struggled to tell if the characters had magic or if they were just suffering from hallucinations and delusions, and I did end up getting my answer, although I don’t really want to say here just in case you also cannot tell while reading, I think figuring it all out was part of the fun of reading this book!

You do get some chapters that are told after the events from the synopsis that make you second guess what has happened in the chapters from the past, and piecing everything together was really what kept me engaged with the story and wanting to read more! On top of all this, the writing was great, and I’m relived that I enjoyed this since I have both Sundial and The Last House on Needless Street on my TBR to read soon!

I liked The Last House on Needless Street, so I was excited when I saw this on NetGalley. This is its first publishing in the U.S., but it won a Shirley Jackson Award for best novel when it was originally published.

If you’ve read any Catriona Ward, you’ll know there will be disturbing elements. It starts with murder, then goes into the past to the years and events that led up to it. Eve and Dinah are raised isolated in a small cult. The story goes back and forth between their perspectives. You feel the tension of their lifestyle and what a misstep in the eyes of their “uncle” would lead to.

It’s very descriptive and engrossing. I couldn’t put it down. I was completely drawn into the story. I highly recommend it! It comes out October 11. Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, Tor Nightfire, and NetGalley for my copy.

Obviously an earlier work, Little Eve is not as polished or engaging as Ward's most recent accomplishments. A good horror setting, and it was interesting to see how Ward has evolved as a writer.

Nestled in the savage arms of the Black Sea off the coast of Scotland lies the Isle of Altnaharra.
Nestled in the wilderness of the grey isle are the Children, locked away in their castle under the care of Uncle.
Nestled even deeper yet, something sinister lurks beneath the surface of Little Eve's seemingly perfect family.

Just when I thought that Catriona Ward couldn't possibly get any better--I discover "Little Eve," winner of the Shirley Jackson award for best horror novel after a quiet debut in the UK, about to be published in the US.

"Little Eve" is a true, literary gothic masterpiece. Wrought with unsettling, deeply-atmospheric prose, it's both gorgeously-written and undeniably-captivating. Gothic fiction is a genre I long to love but find myself bored with; here, Ward blows the doors of conformity off of their hinges and delivers a literary tale that breeds terror and twists unlike anything I've read in a long time.

The beginning of the story beats with a steady pulse of dread as she builds the world of Altnaharra, and once the story gets going, it is so very worth the wait. Not a slow burn, but a masterfully-paced march into the unbridled horror of a Scottish Isle's wildness and the dark secrets it holds.

Eve, Uncle, Dinah, and the others each carry their own, somber histories, and somehow Ward weaves them seamlessly into the story while creating a crescendo of utter madness that comes together perfectly at the end.

Read this with a steaming hot cup of earl grey alongside a crackling October fire as a thunderstorm batters the windows, just as long as the doors are locked.

Little Eve is a moody, culty, period piece. It's riveting, and I recommend grabbing it on a rainy afternoon with a cup of tea and staying for the long haul. I loved this read!

Little Eve is a gothic horror that was especially dark and twisty. This book had the perfect vibes for the upcoming spooky season. The opening chapter of this book, left me especially intrigued and creeped out, with James finding the bodies at Altnaharra. Dinah is the only survivor.

As we are introduced to all the characters, Uncle definitely can't be trusted, he is the leader and rules his "family" with an iron fist. With the others, it's harder to know who can and can't be trusted. Especially as Eve starts to tell us the story of what led up to the murder.

The way the story was written had me wanting to keep reading, even though the story itself left me confused. At least until the end and the final truth is revealed.

I think this is my favorite book I've read from this author, the atmosphere was perfect, spooky, and creepy, and the way Eve told her story gave me chills.

Catriona Ward is a genius who never misses and this book is exact proof of that.

Little Eve is a fascinating and atmospheric read filled with beautiful writing and well-developed characters. I couldn't put it down! The author not only painted a rich portrait of the setting, but also did a great job in exploring the tight hold that cults have on people and how hard it is to break away, The many twists and surprises left me shocked as I never saw them coming, I re-read several scenes after finishing the book and consider my mind blown! Yet another haunting and unforgettable novel from the brilliant Cat Ward!

I loved Sundial by this author and was really looking forward to reading this one. It is an earlier book by her that has been released in the US, or about to be released her. To enjoy this book, you have to be willing to be immersed in the world she creates, a haunted disturbing world, an isolated family of sorts, waiting for salvation from the early 1900's. It was written, very well in that style/age but it made it much harder for me to read than a more present day novel. It is worth it

I really want to love Ward’s books but I just don’t seem to vibe with them. I do enjoy creepy gothic settings so that was definitely a positive but I just couldn’t get into this one. It seems there are a lot of cult books being published lately and I just don’t think they’re for me. This is also the second time the author has included animal abuse in the story which I am not a fan of.

“What has happened here? A terrible thing.”

Written in 2018, Little Eve is the second novel written by Catriona Ward. In 2019, it won the Shirley Jackson award for best novel as well as the British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel.

Despite its notoriety, October 11, 2022 will be the first time the book is set to be published in the U.S.

On a personal note, I devoured Ward’s last two books, The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial. She has easily become one of my favorite psychological horror writers. So naturally, I couldn’t wait to read the book that won two of the most prestigious awards.

…And this book is Golden!

Part Historical Fiction, Gothic, Horror, and Mystery, Little Eve is the the cult plot that outshines them all.

What is power? Who has it and how do they use it?

Ward explores emotions such as love and yearning in relation to what it means to belong to a family symbiotically attached to a place.

The characters feel isolated, trapped, but also reliant on each other due to their isolation. Despite these feelings, characters also forge a deep sense of sisterhood.

In 1920, while delivering meat to the castle on the isle of Altnaharra, Jamie MacRaith finds five people dead inside a stone circle, each with their right eyes removed.

But where is Eve? She is not among them.

Alternating between then and now, characters detail the history of the cult of Altnaharra, founded by John Bearings.

The lifelike characters, haunting setting, chilling suspense, and brilliant twists I did not see coming, set this book apart from all other cult mysteries.

Ward explains, “Little Eve made me into a writer. That award changed the fortunes of this book and my career.”

Bravo, Ms. Ward! These awards are 💯 well-deserved! I hope more are to come with the new release of this book in the U.S.

This book deserves all the praise and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy dark, disturbing, and twisty cult mysteries.

Trigger warnings: Animal abuse, cults, cutting, talk of rape, abuse

5/5 stars
Expected publication date: 10/11/22

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

The author delivers with strong characters, and intricate plot, and atmospheric setting. I'm a new fan.

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read.

Excellent gothic horror#

Catriona delivers an atmospheric tale full of family secrets, surprises, and spooky things that lurk in the dark.

The story is slow building but the intricate details and descriptions with give you goosebumps while you read.

Perfect read for this fall season.