I have tried to read this both in print and on audio and i find it wildly confusing. The writing style is dark and intense but unfortunately I am not in the right frame of mind to process something so scattered. I'm sure there are folks who would love this, including me in another season, but it's not for me now.

Leave it to Catriona Ward to be weird as heck, but still make me scared and also emotional? Like how does this even happen in a horror book? Catriona Ward, that’s how.

I will say I was kind of initially worried about picking this up because it’s listed as historical fiction and I hate historical fiction, but I do love our castles horror macabre. And well CW duh.

It was a bit difficult to get into, but the cults really got me. I got sucked in about halfway and never felt up. Twists was jaw dropping as usual.

Little Eve is an intriguing gothic historical horror with a gloomy atmosphere and setting that initially drew me in. The plot navigates familiar territory while exploring different timelines, centered around a complex family history intertwined with a dangerous cult. However, I felt the characters could have been fleshed out. While the book includes many scenes of trauma and abuse, they begin to feel repetitive over time. I also didn’t find the cult as menacing or terrifying, despite the overarching bleak themes. I believe fans of gothic horror may appreciate the book for its ambience, but note that it delves into some very dark topics.

Dnf
I always heard about this writer and wanted to read something by her since I'm a huge horror fan. But it didn't work for me, I can understand why people love her. Ii wish I had.

Such a fun dark and twisty story! Perfect for spooky season and definitely will recommend this one to friends interesting in horror.

Another book where 1/2 or 1/4 stars would be good. I liked Little Eve by Catriona Ward. It’s not my usual genre but I read a lot of similar books and I do enjoy them.

This is a cult story that contains alot of triggers. It is definitely not for sensitive readers. The story takes place from 1917 to 1946 so it could be considered historical fiction, but it felt very contemporary.

A group of young ladies/women, along with a lone young man, live on a remote Scottish island with their “Uncle.” They are waiting for “Him” to come from the sea around them.

Occasionally babies are birthed but family is not a thing on this island. And the townspeople view the group very warily.

This is a pretty dark book. But I was expecting more horror than this book contains. It was more of a mystery to me than horror. It may have some characteristics of horror but it’s not scary. Just dark.

Overall, I enjoyed but I’m not adding Catriona Ward to my auto-buy/auto-read author list.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the advanced e-copy of #littleeve.

"'I would have made the same mistakes if I had never known you. And that would have been the sum of me.' He smiles. 'It is a kind of privilege, to witness the darkness.'"

Oh, what a sad story! This book has sat on my shelf for such a long time because I was afraid to read it. Catriona Ward is so hit or miss for me, I wasn't willing to take another miss, but this certainly left an impression.

Eve lives on a sort of an island that can only be reached during low tide. She lives there with Uncle, two women, Nora and Alice and three other children--Abel, Dinah and Baby Elizabeth. Uncle tells teh children they have come from the see and will return to it when the Adder wills it. In the meantime, they live sparse lives with Uncle controlling all aspects of it. But Eve doesn't mind, she loves her life and wishes for nothing more than to become the Adder. The story bounces back and forth between the past and present and contains a few different povs. This is not a fast read by any stretch of the imagination, and honestly I'm not sure if very much happens, but I did enjoy it. And I think that is all owed to Eve and her character and all the feelings that came with her story.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Little Eve is the cult book we never knew we needed. Spooky and atmospheric, this tells the story of Eve and what happened when the ceremony for power goes horribly wrong and brings the rest of the world into Altnarrah.

A great gothic horror from Catriona Ward. Definitely recommend it,

Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was hard to read, subject-wise. I hadn't previously realized that books about cults could be so triggering for me.

I picked up this book thinking it is a horror one but knowing and read Ward's previous novels before, this is her forte which is mystery/thriller one. I will always read anything from Catriona Ward!

Little Eve is a remarkable read by Catriona Ward. I was taken with The Last House On Needless Street as well. This one sinks deeper and darker. It weaves bits and pieces of the storyline in unexpected places for readers to take notice.

This is a great blend of gothic horror and psychological thriller, set in a remote Scottish island. The novel delves into the world of a strange cult, and leaves the reader to wonder which version of the story is actually the truth. The island setting is extremely well developed, and the character of Eve is vividly created. The depths of psychological trauma and unease will leave the reader thinking about this book long after the last page has been turned.

This is a DNF from me.

Trigger warnings for: [child abuse, domestic abuse, cults, teenage pregnancy/sex, pedophilia (hide spoiler)]

I’m just grossed out in every imaginable way right now. I’m not enjoying myself. I’m not really intrigued by the plot, and frankly it opens with the ending so you sort of know where it’s going and I just don’t care how we get there.

There are too many books on my shelf right now that I am more interested in to suffer through this. I do not see myself revisiting. I made it to 36%.

If the triggers I mentioned don’t bother you, and you like very dark, gothic horror books set on Scottish islands, by all means, pick this up. It seems there’s some mindblowing twist at some point I just couldn’t make it to.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

5/5 stars for this book by Catriona Ward!! This was my first read by her and will definitely pick up more. Thank you netgalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

Truthfully, I should’ve given this book one star, but the gothic creepiness of the story deserves an extra star., and that’s about all I liked. I don’t mind an extreme slow burn with an unreliable narrator as long as the burn leads to a satisfying payoff and the narrator doesn’t confuse the crap out of me. After I finished this book, I spent an hour googling spoilers to figure out WTF (not WTF in a good way) I had just read, so yeah, a SUPER underwhelming two stars.

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Catriona Ward’s books and this was no exception. It was atmospheric and eerie and full of twists and I sped through it quickly! The end wasn’t 100% of a slam dunk for me because I did guess at several of the twists but regardless I enjoyed the heck out of this read and it was everything my mood reader self wanted just then!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of <i>Little Eve</i> in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

<h4 style="margin-top: 84px;">The Gist</h4>

<i>Little Eve</i> by Catriona Ward is a novel that promises much but ultimately falls short in its execution. While the premise of the story is intriguing – a gothic horror set in a remote Scottish village – the novel struggles to deliver on its potential, leaving readers feeling disappointed and unsatisfied.

<h4>The Details</h4>

One of the main issues with <i>Little Eve</i> is its pacing. The narrative unfolds at a glacial pace, with long stretches of exposition and introspection that do little to advance the plot or engage the reader. The story meanders aimlessly, lacking the tension and momentum necessary to keep readers invested in the outcome.

Additionally, the characters in <i>Little Eve</i> are thinly drawn and unlikable. Eve, the protagonist, is difficult to empathize with, and her actions often defy logic or reason. The supporting cast fares no better, with most characters feeling like mere caricatures rather than fully realized individuals.

The novel's attempts at suspense and mystery also fall flat. The plot twists and revelations are telegraphed from a mile away, robbing the story of any genuine surprises or shocks. As a result, <i>Little Eve</i> fails to deliver the thrills and chills that readers expect from a gothic horror.

Furthermore, the writing in <i>Little Eve</i> is often clunky and awkward, with awkward dialogue and stilted prose that detract from the overall reading experience. It feels as though the author is trying too hard to be literary, sacrificing clarity and coherence in the process.

<h4>The Verdict</h4>

Overall, <i>Little Eve</i> is a disappointing read that fails to live up to its potential. While it may appeal to fans of atmospheric thrillers, most readers are likely to find it lacking in both suspense and substance.

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book ! I was so excited to read this book and It definitely did not disappoint! I really would love to read more by this author because this is the first book by Catriona!

In the early 1900s a small “family” takes possession of Altnaharra Castle, a mess of ruins on an island off the western coast of Scotland. This group, or perhaps we should call them a cult, consists of the leader, John, called “Uncle” by the children; the women, Alice and Nora: and the children: Dinah, Eve, Elizabeth, and Abel. They worship a snake that lives in the sea and will one day come to destroy and cleanse the world. John can become one with the snake and thus needs more food than the others, and they all must obey his commands. The women and children are underfed, underclothed, overworked, tortured, regularly bitten by an adder, drugged, and thoroughly brainwashed.

The story is told in alternating chapters by two of the children, before and after a sacrifice to the adder. The reader learns early on that all but one cult member dies in that way. Which is the survivor? And should the reader trust the narrators, mentally ill and confused as they are? Little Eve won the British Fantasy Award for Best Horror novel, and it is well deserved. This is a gripping, white-knuckle, totally creepy story that will keep you guessing.

Ward’s prose is gorgeous; her descriptions of the sea and the storms, the hallucinations, and imprisonment, are utterly amazing. Her characters and character development are frightfully realistic. If you enjoy horror, you will love this novel. I'm giving this four stars only because horror isn't my genre of choice.