The #Spooktober reading this year has made me feel quite gruntled. That said, however, I'm glad I read Sundial first among Author Catriona's work...the domestic-horror vibe, added to the all human all the time cast of horror-bringers, made me feel comfortable with her voice. I had no additional hill to climb to get past the cosmic-horror tropes I wouldn't necessarily choose to read.

But psych the cosmic-horror tropes I was expecting, given that this is a story about a cult whose organizing principle is the end of the world, "cleansed" by sea-serpent, were absent. Instead this was an historical fiction with seriously gothic overtones, set at the end of World War One and containing the usual gothic elements. It wasn't a *bad* surprise. It was, however, definitely a surprise.

Author Catriona received the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel in 2018 for this story. I think that's one helluva great accolade to get for one's second published novel. That we in the US are getting it only now suggests someone fell asleep at the switch back in 2018. I can't say I felt this was a perfect novel, it relied a wee bit too heavily on ghastly punishments for its unsettling-bordering-on-scary stuff and its cult aspects felt worn out pretty quickly. What I found to enjoy was Author Catriona's word-sorcery:
<blockquote>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.</blockquote>
The opening of the book...we know the Dark Sorceress Catriona has rattled her bone-bag of words and will be casting irresistible spells soon. And she does.

Just not the ones I expected.

The manner of unfolding the story was intriguing. The setting was wonderfully gothic. The characters weren't as fully realized as the ones in <I>Sundial</i> were, but that is entirely understandable and was not unexpected...a second book isn't going to have the same polish as a fourth one does. At least, if the writer is developing authorial chops, it won't; and she most definitely is a writer developing fast and well. What that meant to me, as I read along, was that I could see details that were not the ones I think Author Catriona would emphasize now (eg, some of Delilah's behaviors, and Uncle's almost mustachio-twirling one-note-ness). I will say that this is why I landed on the four-star key instead of a fraction higher. The four stars are, however, fully merited based solely on the plot's cohesiveness and its appropriately increasing pace. A headlong rush would not have served this story the way it did Rob's story in <I>Sundial</i>.

While the ending is, I've tried to think of a different word but no other one fits, condign, it isn't necessarily the one you-the-horror-reader are thinking it will be. That, above all things, was the reason I recommend this story to my horror-reading friends: It's good not to know.

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Hot off the success of The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial, Catriona Ward's 2018-novel, Little Eve was rereleased earlier this month. I was super impressed with Ward's most recent releases, so was very excited to check this one out as well. The synopsis sounded just as WTF as I would expect and the story itself didn't disappoint in that regard.

This novel starts out with a bang, as the brutalized bodies of a family are discovered off the coast of Scotland, on the remote island of Altnaharra. The scene appears be ritualistic in nature. The rest of the story fills in the pieces of the events that preceded that horrific event.

The narrative follows a few different perspectives and jumps around in the timeline as well. You mainly follow Eve and Dinah, who are two of the girls living on Altnaharra with the mysterious 'Uncle'. Through their words you begin to understand what their life was like on the island.

There's also the perspective of Chief Inspector Black, who becomes involved in Eve's life. His view, from an outsider's eyes, really helps to highlight the horrors of Altnaharra.

For the first quarter of this, I was well and truly confused. It is revealed later in the story why that might have been and I did come to understand why Ward would have written it that way. It made sense if you were seeing the world through the mind of these characters.

The tension and pace picks up at the story goes on. I had no idea who I could trust. I was loving so many of the reveals as the puzzle pieces began to fall into place. Towards the end, it started to get a bit chaotic again and I was finding it a bit more difficult to track what was going on. In fact, I listened to a couple of the last chapters at least three times, trying to capture it all.

That is another thing, I did listen to the audiobook and I'm not sure, that could have added a bit to my confusion. The accent was a little tough for me, with my dumb foreign ears, so some names and words were hard to differentiate. I think if I would have read a hard copy, maybe I would have had a slightly easier time keeping track of everything.

With this being said, the story itself was absolutely captivating. The atmosphere was rich and creepy as heck. I enjoyed the mystery of it all and finding out the truth. While the ending wasn't perfect for me, this was definitely a memorable one. Ward is unique and we love that. Each novel I have read from her is totally different from each other and also like nothing else I have read. That's a gift.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I enjoyed this one. It's dark content and stunningly-cold atmosphere is perfect for the Spooky Season. I cannot wait to see what Ward comes up with next!!!

I loved The Last House of Needless Street and Sundial by this author, but Little Eve just wasn't for me. It almost seemed as if it was written by another author, but I understand she wrote this several years ago before the other novels. Parts of it confused me, and I wasn't sure exactly what was happening. I also have a fear of snakes, so I admit to skimming through those parts.

Thanks for approving me for this title. Although this one wasn't for me, it certainly won't prevent me from reading future titles by this author.

Another great title from Catriona Ward. It is much different than her other books. It s dark and twisted and in some spots difficult to read due to the content. Catriona Ward is the best current horror writer out there. She is the queen of gothic horror. Definitely read this!

I was excited to be able to read an ARC of "Little Eve" by Catriona Ward. I had enjoyed "The House on Needless Street" and "The Sundial" by this author as well.

Each of these books is quite different from the others, although they all share supernatural and creepy factors.

Little Eve lives in a cult led by a sexual predator, a man known as The Adder. Eve and the other young people-- all female except for one young boy-- are starved, overworked, and punished horrifically by him. They think about escaping and sometimes try. Most of these attempts are solitary because these victims cannot trust one another. The Adder has taught them to report any irregularities to him.

All of this must erupt one day and that is where the story leads us. "Little Eve" is scary and revolting in turns. The characters are well-drawn. The story moves quickly and gradually answers questions about how this dreadful cult developed.

I recommend this book and the two mentioned above. Creepy/scary is a niche where Catriona Ward excels.

Little Eve, originally released in the UK in 2018 but being rereleased now, is a gothic horror book.

I keep reading books from this author just waiting to be wowed like I was with The Last House On Needless Street. Unfortunately, this one just did not do it for me. The writing is beautiful and very atmospheric. But there’s just something about cults that instantly has my mind wandering. It just doesn’t hold my interest.

The narration of the audio was fabulous though! I could feel the emotion of the characters and could vivdly picture the creepy setting of the story. It’s just a shame that the story itself was a bit too slow for me and the first 25% actually had me a bit confused.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Tor/Forge, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Having read "The Last House on Needless Street" I was excited to give this re-released book a go, having an idea of an uneasy atmosphere that Ward should provide, and provide she did! Little Eve was a very uncomfortable book, but in a good way! I love books surrounding cults and I find there's so much to go wrong within them. I find the structures of the cult in Little Eve to be fascinating and really enjoyed the tension that was thick throughout. I did get a bit muddled on the small time jumps, so that kept it from being a full 5 stars for me. Just when I thought the reveals were at a peak, here comes another gruesome detail, ready to shock and turn my stomach.

I would recommend this for those that like dark, gothic tales with shocking events. It's quite a ride!

So, unfortunately, I think maybe Catriona Ward's books just aren't for me. I have no idea what I just read. I normally like creepy books. Especially if the setting is Scotland and bonus points if there’s a cult. This sounded really good. All the boxes checked. But, I’m just confused. I was confused from the very beginning and never really got straightened out. It was very atmospheric and the descriptive setting was amazing. But the characters? I don’t even know for sure which character was actually which character - they seemed to just swap names randomly. Or were they actually always just one person? I don’t even know. I felt similarly confused when reading The Last House on Needless Street, but everyone else loved both books, so…here I am, just lost. I think if you like her other books you’ll probably like this one? It’s getting tons of rave reviews, so I think I’m just an outlier. I did alternate between the e-book and the audiobook and often found myself re-reading / re-listening to different chapters to try to make sense of things, but it just didn't work for me. The narrator of the audiobook was great, I thought, and I did have some favorite characters. I also think Ward is very imaginative and creative. 3 stars - for imagination, atmosphere, descriptions of setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Favorite of the year for sure. Catriona Ward does it again and I need to get my hands on Rawblood so that I can claim to have read all her currently published works. She has quickly become an autobuy author for me and this book made that even more clear. The atmosphere in this story is an element in this story that is heightened to a spectacular level. Again her characters are ones that are fascinatingly flawed. The twists towards the end of this one made it come together phenomenally. I think on a reread this would be an even better novel since I would be able to pick up on even more details and foreshadowing. The story being told from both past and present was also utilized as a writing tool to keep the reader in suspense and reveal things at the most exciting moments. Can’t wait to for this author to write more in the future because I am clearly here for it.

Another amazing Catriona Ward book! I have read Sundial and Last House on Needless Street, and I have to say, this is definitely a departure in story-telling from those modern takes, and I loved it. The Scottish cult angle gave me chills, and I was able to perfectly picture the island and the small details of their colony. Eve and Dinah were great characters I could empathize with. The scenes with the snakes and talking about "the Adder" were ominous and always left me feeling uneasy. The cover of the book was perfect (as all Catronia Ward books are). All in all, loved this one, can't wait to read more.

LITTLE EVE
Catriona Ward

I really struggled initially to get into LITTLE EVE. I tried reading an ebook copy but I could not get into a reading rhythm and kept picking it up and putting it back down.

So I requested an audiobook copy to see if that format would help me get into the story.

It did not.

The entirety of my reading experience felt trying. I recommend you look up content warnings if that’s something you do or even if you normally don’t. There is a lot that happens to the characters in the book that may be triggering to readers.

That was not the problem though.

The very first problem I came across was the way this book is written. Ward highlights a lot of people, places, and things and it’s difficult to tell what is important and what can be filtered out. There is an excess of pointed information.

Or at least that’s what it feels like. And it feels like that because a lot of what’s written is indecipherable.

There are descriptions that are metaphors. Turns of phrases, creatures, and places I’m unfamiliar with. No sentence is clear and says what it means. Everything has a few meanings and I got stuck repeatedly in that muddy water.

It felt like work!

If we look at the characters they are constructed haphazardly in fragments. It is entirely up to you how the picture of your character comes out all Ward is doing is giving you the paint.

And for almost every reason I've stated as making it difficult is exactly why I liked it.

There are more than a few things that I liked in fact.

There are little Easter Eggs embedded within the text. Little treats to consume that help to keep your attention. It's structured like a sequence of parables and the text feels otherworldly. Almost written in a different language.

If you've never read Ward I don't suggest you start here. This book is not for everyone but if you are already a fan of Ward and her creativity, you will enjoy this book and these exploits.

Overall, I liked LITTLE EVE but did not love it. It felt arduous at times, and a little rough around the edges.

LITTLE EVE...⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire for the advanced copies!

Little Eve is out now!

Catriona Ward's horror novels are always SO heavy hitting. Therefore, I try not to miss one – even when they touch upon heavier subjects that I generally try to avoid. Enter Little Eve, her latest terrifying read.

We've all heard tales of sacred ceremonies accompanying the death and rebirth of the world. Some people take these stories to be nothing more than children's tales, while others take them more literally. Eve has spent her whole life believing the tales to be true. Now it is time for The Adder to arrive, and her clan has to help prepare for this time.

However, Eve and her people were not prepared for one significant interruption. An investigation by the Chief Inspector of the area. Though in hindsight, it makes total sense that somebody of his rank would investigate a murder in the area...

“It is a kind of privilege, to witness the darkness.”

Well, I said that Catriona Ward always writes heavy books – and I wasn't wrong. In many ways, Little Eve is a kick to the gut. It's well-written, but it is also seriously intense and isn't afraid to touch on more sensitive subjects (TWs include: rape, pedophilia, self-harm, child abuse/neglect, animal death, and miscarriage).

If you're a fan of gothic horror novels with an edge of something serious other and eerie, then you'll love Little Eve. Ward's writing and style so enchanted me that I could power through the parts that would normally make me put down a book. I hope that tells you something!

Honestly, this book does a little too good of a job portraying certain elements. It made my stomach churn – not in a "this is spooky" sense. It felt too real and too awful, which was then compounded by other horror elements.

Once again, Catriona Ward has successfully written a novel that will haunt me for days, months, and years. There's no getting Little Eve out of my head anytime soon.

Catriona Ward does horror so well. Little Eve has everything I look for in a book. It's set on a creepy isle where a strange cult lives.
Eve has been living on the Isle her whole life after she was found near the sea. She is one of 4 children on the isle where the Adder rules with an iron fist. The book is told in multiple perspectives in two timelines. The truth of what happened on the isle is so well plotted and had me so invested in these characters and what happened to them.

Catriona Ward can write a twisted book for sure.

Eve and her unconventional family are preparing for the end of the world. They live in an estate on a quiet island off the shore of Scotland. When their quiet and remote lives are threatened by a detective investigating a murder things start coming to light that shake their foundation and brings truths to light. And throws other truths into the shadows.

I'm not even sure how to summarize this book so that's my quick take. This gothic horror has the perfect setting to put you right into the story. The story is intriguing, hear breaking, and even hopeful at times and Ward does a wonderful job of really taking you on a journey with these characters. The way the book is laid out between past and present/future and between multiple points of view made the unfolding of the story interesting.

Though I enjoyed the story itself I can't say I enjoyed the whole experience of this book. It took me far longer than expected to read and I found certain parts too drawn out. While the multiple view points and switching between past and future helped the story it also made me confused at times as it wasn't necessarily past and present. It skipped between multiple decades in a non linear way. About mid way through I was ready to put it down and was a 2 star read but because I loved Ward's other book I kept with it which I'm happy I did. The ending really wrapped the story up nice and while I called the ending it was done very well.

With all of that being said, I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction, which could have been my issue. If you enjoy historical fiction, gothic horror, and can stomach the TW's than this would be a great read for you.

TW's with possible SPOILERS BELOW:



TW's: cults, religion, child abuse, sexual abuse, pedophilia, starvation, animal abuse, animal death, infant death, abandonment, kidnapping, manipulation, drug use, body horror, blood

I am 100% a Catriona Ward fan. Sundial and The Last House on Needless Street are two of my favourite books from recent years, so I was excited to read the republished edition of Little Eve and although it definitely gave me all the feels, it seemed lacking somehow. I did read this while I was on holiday and I think my concentration levels were a little off, so I would like to read this again to see if my rating changes. Positives were the setting and the ambience; I was enthralled by the lives this found family (or cult if you like) were living and the effects of the beliefs and descriptions of the sea were beautiful. I don't think I fully connected with the characters, I felt like I was being held at arm's length, but you can clearly see from this early writing that Ward would go on to have some amazing ideas for her books. the ending had me gripped though and I did not see it coming.

This is certainly a me problem, I'm aware! Lots of people loved Catriona Ward's "The Last House on Needless Street", and it was not for me. I decided to give this one a try as I thought I had to be mistaken since so many readers love her! Unfortunately, we just don't jive.

So this was my first go with Catriona Ward. I’ve seen a ton of great reviews for her other books so I grabbed this one when NetGalley had it available as a read now.

But unfortunately this was not a great first impression? I was looking for something gothic and atmospheric and this… was not. This was just confusing and bland? I didn’t connect with the characters. I didn’t connect with the story. I had to force myself to pick this up and keep reading. It just was not a fun time.

The writing was also very strange and this felt like a chore to read. For such a short book, it took me a lot longer to read it than it should’ve. It was super confusing and all of the “horror” (which there wasn’t much?) was lost in the weighty writing.

Plus this whole book just felt very muted? Like there were so many things that could’ve been truly terrifying if they would’ve just been handled differently. This book is about a cult (I think???) but very little of it was actually explained. The reader is left to guess and infer and that just didn’t work for me. As it was, I didn’t find this book scary nor any of the twists surprising.

Overall, I was just very meh about this and honestly wish I would’ve just skipped it. There are so many other books I would’ve rather spent my time with. So unfortunately this just was not for me. I might pick up some of Ward’s other books in the future but, at this point, I’m not really in a hurry to do so.

But I have seen a few good reviews for this one so if you’ve enjoyed her other books, you might have better luck with this. I’m just not a huge fan of a slow burn for very little pay off and, unfortunately, for me, that’s what this was.

Anyway, thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Catriona Ward, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Catriona Ward is decidedly not to my taste. I can't say if she writes well because I'm so distracted by how dark and bizarre the story is to think of mundane things like pace and structure. I can say it's not a book you want to read (or listen to) when you're only paying half attention to it. With the POV and time switches on top of the weirdness, you'll get lost easily. I know from experience; between 30 and 40 percent I wanted to DNF because I'd gotten lost and confused and wasn't into it. But I kept on and gradually made more sense of the tale.

It's full of triggers, so if you're extra sensitive to cults, rape, snakes, hallucinogens, suicide, animal cruelty, child abuse, pedophilia, homocide--steer clear. But if you're a fan of true crime documentaries and are fascinated by people who are just plain evil or how people can get sucked into cults and doctrines, then you'll probably love this book!

But yeah, between this book and Needless Street, I think I've had my fill of Catriona Ward. Don't misunderstand, I'm not saying these books were bad, I just prefer my leisure reading to be a bit more entertaining and feel-good.

It's Catriona's distinct ability to make you question your understanding, constantly check-in with your logic, and triple-doubt your conclusions that has me coming back to her work. It's for the terrifying twists that you never see coming but have you flying back through the pages to see where hints were dropped. This one was no different and delivered on all of those fronts.

Little Eve is part of her very early work, so I didn't find the writing to be as tight as her recent narratives, but the caliber of storytelling and stunning atmospheric vibes was consistent with what Catriona is known and loved for. I also had a hard time telling some characters apart, but the pain and urgency they felt came through so clearly–the claustrophobic and tension-filled grip of the cult aspects so specific in its discomfort.

It was a slow-go, and sometimes repetitive, but I still felt the desperate need to know what was going to happen to the characters–to see what fresh hell Catriona was going to thrust them, and us, into knowing, and LET ME TELL YOU...you're not prepared...

Unfortunately I had to stop reading this one around 60%. I was struggling to get into it snd I was confused. I really love this author though snd her last two books were favorites of mine so I won’t be giving up on reading her next. The writing style was great; I just couldn’t get into the story. But I talked with a friend who finished snd loved it and once she explained it to me and told me the ending I was super impressed. This is likely a case of it’s not you it’s me.