I really enjoyed The Last House of Needless Street, so I was excited for the opportunity to read Little Eve.

In a lot of ways, it reminded me of We Have Always Lived in the Castle, which was a weird and somewhat dark book.

Little Eve took a few chapters to get into and the story was weird and jumbled, but I thought it was short enough to keep me turning the pages and trying to guess who was who and which parts of the story were true.

I recommend to any fans of weirder and less in your face horror. I don’t want to go into too much detail since I think I enjoyed it so much because I didn’t really know what was going on, so if you like horror and weirdness, try this book out! It’s also not incredibly long, either, so it’s worth the effort.

DId not finish I got about thirty percent in and couldn’t really get into it. I was not vibing with the writing style but I’m sure others will enjoy it. Sorry.

Like many readers, I’m guessing, I discovered Catriona Ward with the one-two punch of The Last House On Needless Street and Sundial. Those two novels heralded a seismic shift in horror fiction. They were so sharply written, so self assured, so downright audacious, it was like someone had found long-lost novels by Shirley Jackson. Which makes sense, because as it turns out, those were not Ward’s first novels. In fact, Little Eve was her second novel, and won the Shirley Jackson award for best novel. This is an ARC review because it’s now being reissued on October 11, 2022. I can’t think of another novel more deserving of reissue.

Here’s the thing, though. Much like The Last House On Needless Street and Sundial, when it comes to reviewing, to say too much about Little Eve would be a literary crime. One of the chief pleasures of this book is discovering the gothic horrors awaiting you beyond each and every turn of the page.

The bare bones, and that’s all your getting: On the desolate Scottish Island of Altnaharra, a small cult-like found family with limited interaction with the outside world prepares for the end of the world. There are relationships that are twisted, corrupted at the core. There are secrets, mysterious ceremonies, and betrayals, all of it set in a crumbling castle on a windswept island beneath a threatening sky, surrounded by the unforgiving sea. Speaking of secrets, every character has them. More than that, they are bound up in them, like barbed wire that’s been pulled tight.

Ward excels at weaving the various threads of her story into a gothic tapestry. Her language is darkly evocative, and she keeps you guessing. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, she spun me in circles until I was dizzy and disoriented, and I loved every minute of it. Little Eve is unnerving, sometimes overwhelmingly bleak, and always mesmerizing. I loved this novel.

As I mentioned above, Little Eve will be reissued October 11, 2022. Definitely worthy of a preorder. Do not miss this one.

I first read Catriona Ward when I, like many people, read The Last House on Needless Street. That is one of those books that you finish and just think, "WOW," and then you hear people say, "I guess it all along," and you get angry because there's no way. There are too many layers to the story. Did they guess one part? Maybe. But all of it? No. I thought that book was disturbing and brilliant. It appears that this book was released years ago, but due to the success of Last House, it is being re-released. There's a really wonderful introduction by the author about this that I found interesting. Unfortunately, I found the book less so.

Weird Scottish island that is almost impossible to get to? Check. Weird ritualistic stuff/murders? Check. Strange cult? Check. Yet somehow, it didn't click for me. I wanted MORE. I wanted to know more about Uncle, about the cult, about what they were trying to accomplish. Every time something about "Him" was mentioned, I eagerly read it because I thought the overarching theme of their "religion" would be revealed, but it wasn't. That could be by design as this is at least partly narrated by a member of the family, but it still felt hollow. I also found the book hard to follow at times. Mr. Black kept popping in and out, the timeline was hazy, and a big reveal at the end felt sort of meaningless at that point - the kind of reveal that you think, "I'd have to go back through the book and reread the entire thing to really grasp it," but you aren't going to do that so you appreciate it as much as you can. Overall, I think it's an interesting book, good for people who like the same weird stuff that I do, but not as thorough as I would have liked.

This is different than anything I’ve read. This is a gothic tale that takes place between 1917-1921. The family cult is lead by a man who is referred to as “Uncle.” You learn the bizarre rituals and dynamics of the members who have ostracized themselves from society. The story opens as a local butcher delivers an order to the castle and finds the family has been massacred. The story flops between 1917 and 1921 and even jumps to 1931 as the surviving members of the massacre tell their story. This story is mysterious and compelling, once you figure out what's going on. It took me about a quarter of the book to figure out what was going on and who was who. After that it a bit easier to read.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan/Tor-Forge for the Advanced Copy of this ebook.

Gorgeously, hauntingly atmospheric, populated with fascinating characters and a kind of creeping horror which seems to dance the line between supernatural and human. Strongly recommended for anyone who enjoys the Gothic genre, extremely atmospheric horror, or cult stories, and anyone who liked Ward's previous work, especially The Last House on Needless Street.

I knew I wanted to read more of Catriona Ward after I tore through The Last House on Needless Street earlier this year, and this book did not at all disappoint. At its heart, it tells the story of a young woman growing up in a very small apocalypse cult on a small island in Scotland, and the ways that this childhood, and its attendant trauma, have shaped her.

The writing is gorgeous, the characters are wonderfully realized; the plot, which is half-mystery and half-horror, unfolds beautifully as you read on. The twist at the end is *extremely* well-executed; I didn't manage to predict it until just before it was revealed in-text, but the clues are absolutely there along the way, and once you realize it, everything slots easily into place. And, just as she did in Needless Street, Ward handles the psychological aspects of this book with sensitivity and deftness.

Can't say enough good things about this one, and I really hope to see much more from Catriona Ward in the future. Enormous thanks to Tor and Netgalley for an advance copy of this title!

This book was amazing. This is my third novel by Catriona Ward and every single one has been a five star. I loved the dark, twisty tale told of a castle by the water and a cult like family of sorts slowly going mad. It was a complex creepy read. Give me more!

4.5 stars rounded to 5. Trigger warnings include gaslighting, abuse, drugging of minors, etc. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Little Eve is a local legend; she killed her while family before sinking into the sea where she preys upon naughty children and wayward drunks. But what if the truth is something more sinister all together? Find out the truths and lies in this spooky tale of faith and power.

Man, I have read a lot of books surrounding cults and men lording over women but this one is haunting. Eve lives on an island with Uncle and her family of sisters & one brother where they are preparing for the emergence of an eldritch being from the sea. Of course as our tale unfolds and horrific truths beging to be brought to light Eve finds herself lost and desperate to help her family. The author gives us few chapters that alternate characters/timelines that allow the reader to piece more together without spoiling big reveals. I didn't see the massive reveal coming, perhaps because I was so invested in how everything played out with certain characters or simply because this author is a master at what she does. I totally get why she won awards for Little Eve and look forward to seeing what she has to offer us in the future.

Overall, 4.5 rounded to 5 as I have been overwhelmed with cultish stories lately, but this one is not to be missed. Trigger warnings for drugging of minors, sexual abuse(off page), body gore, gaslighting, and abuse. Recommended for readers 15+ due to some of the mature content.

Thank you to NetGallely, Tor Macmillan, and most especially Catriona Ward for the opportunity to review this e-ARC.

First thing first - content warning: This book does contain child abuse and gore that some may find upsetting.

That said, it's a fun read and Little Eve is a master class in dialogue and a Spooktacular gothic dive into eclectic character development and exploration. A fun read indeed!

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

No, thank you. I didn't get sucked in like I want to from a thriller. I want to be immersed and be terrified to go to sleep because I feel like I'm in the story myself. I often don't enjoy any type of "gothic" thriller, so that may be the cause for this. For me, this wasn't my type of spooky and creepy, but others may very well enjoy it.

Thank you, Macmillan, I guess, for an ARC of this horror ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Don't read this one before bed! Not so much horror, although there are horror elements. Not for nothing did it win the Shirley Jackson Award. It's more creepy/atmospheric like Ward's bestseller, The House on Needless Street. This one has a compelling narrative that sucked me right in and made me want to put it down due to how dark and bizarre it was, although I kept compulsively picking my Kindle back up after I recovered, and stayed up late to blast through the final 150 pages. Then I had a nightmare. You'll want snacks.

This is an older U. K. novel from 2018 soon to be published in the U. S. Little Eve features an incredibly sick and twisted family in a castle on a remote Scottish island of Altnaharra where, cut off from reality, they have created their own weird little world and religion. It will surprise no reader that this religion favors the powerful lord of the manor at the expense of the other inhabitants, including Little Eve/Evelyn. She and her sister Dinah have a strong bond and rely on one another to survive their own fervent, unquestionable beliefs. There's a Detective Black who is obsessed with the family and would like to pin a crime on somebody, and he keeps turning up in Evelyn's life to question her and break the hold that her family has on her mind. The injection of a mystery element reminded me of Piranesi by Susannah Clarke.

A couple of great twists at the end are very satisfying, and the psychological fallout from the experiences of the island are very believable.

I wasn’t familiar with Catriona Ward when I saw this title. I loved the artwork and I’ve never been disappointed with a Tor book. I love the 1920’s gothic, horror, cult aspect. It almost hit my Lovecraft nerve, which is a good thing. There things in the story that made me feel really uncomfortable (the point of reading horror) that I’m still thinking about (no spoilers).
I look forward to more books by Ward and will definitely be added a physical copy to my self.
Thank you Tor and NetGalley for this wonderful book.

Fun, twisty gothic story. Based on publication date (Oct '22) this is a perfect spooky, Halloween read. Primarily, the scariness in this one is psychological but be warned that there is definitely some gore + (CW) animal mistreatment. It's engaging and well paced, and the twist made me audibly gasp. Definitely worth a read.

Thank you to TorNightfire and Catriona Ward for an ARC of Little Eve

Little Eve follows the story of two close sisters, Evelyn and Dinah and their life in a cult in remote northern Scotland. Worshipping the Sea, they follow the strict rules of their "Uncle" and cult leader, claiming that one day He will come and wash the world of the Impure and they will all be reborn in the ocean.

There are two things I have come to expect when reading Ward.

One: You are in for a smart ass read.

Two: Trust that Ward is about to take you on. a. ride.

Because this is so much more than a cult story. It is a story about two sisters at its core but add in a lot of mystery and a hard look about what defines a persons reality and ones sense of self is a taste of what Little Eve touches on.

Ward delivers an atmospheric, creative read that I promise you won't leave you once you finish this book.

This book has a lot of things that I hate. Gothic atmosphere, a cult, and child abuse. I was also not a fan of the writing and the overall story.

Catriona Ward is a master at rivetting inner dialogue. She has a gift for creating troubled characters that hook us as much by what they don't know about themselves as by what they reveal through their thoughts, dreams, and hopes.

Little Eve follows a doomsday cult on an isolated and dismal Scottish island, led by the mysterious and ruthless "Uncle". One of the young children victimized by the cult, Evelyn/Eve, lets the reader into a chaotic world of ritualistic abuse, manipulation, fear and wonder. By the time the final twist is revealed, we are so caught up in the madness and brutality of her experience that it is difficult to be shocked. Instead, murky relationships become clear and the sequence of events leading to a horrific act seem inevitable. Much like The Last House on Needless Street, Little Eve takes us into the darkest places of a protagonist's mind, where not everything is as it first appears.

Haunting and deliciously gothic, Litte Eve is beautifully crafted horror that bleeds into literary fiction. I would recommend this title for fans of Shirley Jackson and psychological mind bends. This was an easy 5-star, two thumbs up review!

If I can have one word for Catriona Ward’s books it would be memorable. Whether you like the book or not, she will write the hell out of a book and you will not forget it. These aren’t your classic thriller books where you go from A to Z in a nice and neat set up. Good lawd the creativity, the depths of the mind she goes to, and the story itself is just other worldly. I. Am. A. Fan.

This book. I don’t like to give too much details for her books because going in blind is part of the thrill and the ride. Initially I was skeptical because it is written in the 1920s 30s era and I wasn’t sure if the time travel would hit right. But oh it did. I was sucked in and swallowed into the characters and their way of life. The synopsis is really all you need. You hear the story and chaos from different point of views that are blended so beautifully yet horrific. The authors note at the beginning really stuck with me - she said “I love my family. That love remains one of the strongest forces in my life.” I resonate with this so much. The power of family and the clutches it has on a soul can be so powerful and she has written this so graphically.

What another gold shining star for Catriona Ward once again. Read it!!

Thank you Macmillan-Tor/Forge and netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I'm reeling from how good this book is. Catriona Ward is a game-changing author. If you aren't reading her yet start now!

I was really excited about this book after reading Last House on Needless Street. Unfortunately this one fell a little flat for me. I felt it had a lot of potential when reading the synopsis but felt the plot was slow and slightly scattered. It just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Little Eve by Catriona Ward is an atmospheric horror novel that is being published in the US for the first time! The story revolves around Eve, who lives with her terrifying uncle in a home of neglect. Her uncle leads a cult-like family of orphans and believes that the end of the world is coming to an isle off the coast of Scotland. When Chief Inspector Black arrives, Eve is taken in by the kind stranger. Is this the start of a new life for Eve? Or is the horror just beginning?

Here is a captivating excerpt from the opening chapter, which is from Dinah's perspective:

"My heart is a dark passage, lined with ranks of gleaming jars. In each one something floats. The past, preserved as if in spirit. Here is the scent of grass and the sea, here the creak of wheels on a rough path, here a bright yellow gull’s beak. The sensation of blood drying on my cheek in the wind. Abel crying for his mother, Uncle’s hand on me. Silver on a white collarbone. The knowledge of loss, which comes like a blow to the heart or the stomach. It does not reach your mind until later.
She is there, too, of course. Evelyn. Somewhere along the rows, behind glass, she floats in the dim air. I do not seek her out. My survival depends on that."

Overall, Little Eve is a creepy horror novel that will appeal to fans of Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House or its sequel series. One highlight of this book is the silent terror that occurs in the book's setting. If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would say that there isn't as much action as in the author's newer books, like Sundial. That is completely understandable though, since this book was written before Sundial. I'm sure many readers will appreciate the atmospheric horror in this book. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes in October!