I really loved The Last House on Needless Street, so I was ready to give Little Eve a shot. It is a totally different type of book and while that is not a bad thing, it was not for me. If you like gothic/horror books, this one is for you.

Oh, how deeply I wish I liked this book. I loved The Last House on Needless Street - although I thought it was slow and dragging at parts, the ending made the wait worth it. Well, turns out this is a perennial problem I have with Catriona Ward’s books - it was magnified with Sundial and even more so with Little Eve.

Despite the entrancing, evocative, and foreboding atmosphere and the intriguing premise of a cult-y ritual sacrifice Gothic mystery, I found myself struggling to follow even the basic plot points of the book. As another reviewer aptly put it, this brings the mental strain of reading a “classic” novel - you have to pay double attention to digest the complex and meaty writing. This isn’t something I would typically want to slog through, but knowing that Ward is renowned for her left-field third acts, I wanted to keep going. But perhaps because my interest and investment in the story flagged, this third act was not the satisfying payoff I was hoping for.

I left both Sundial and Little Eve with an appreciation for Ward’s ingenuity, very original forms of storytelling, and ability to set a transporting atmosphere. I also feel that maybe I’m not in the right mindset or headspace to read these books, and that they’re not a good fit for audiobook format. So perhaps I’ll give this another try, but this is where I’ll leave it for now. Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC via Netgalley.

Didn’t realize this was previously published. Mysterious and creepy. Loved the family dynamics and the sibling relationships. Setting was perfect. Loved it!

This dark and haunting, gothic novel is the second one I've read by this author. It took me a little while to settle into the flow of the story, but once I did, I found the storyline to be delightfully twisted and clever.

The setting for this story is Altnaharra, off the Scottish coast. It centers around what appears at first to be a small family headed by their uncle. After you learn more, it becomes clear that they are in fact a type of cult instead with the man who calls himself "uncle" as the leader. They believe that their group alone knows what is right and proper and that all others are impure. They prepare themselves continually for the end of time. As the story progresses, you see how confused and delusional they were.

The story is told in alternating timelines and from two different viewpoints. It helps to give the reader the appropriate snippets of information at just the right time. I really enjoyed how the author developed the characters and gave insight into their thought processes. It's interesting and heartbreaking to see how others can be brainwashed so completely.

One thing I've learned about this author is that she writes books that are inventive and very much "outside the box."

AUDIOBOOK: I also tried to listen the the audio version as well but struggled with it. With this story, it was simply too difficult for me to follow it without actually physically reading the book itself. I liked the accents employed in the narration, but just couldn't follow the story well enough. I'm sure it will probably work well for others, it just didn't for me. For this reason, I'm still going to give the narration 4 stars because I didn't find it to be a bad one, I think it was a matter of personal opinion and I won't bring the review down based on my opinion. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Today has been a doozy but I cannot let it pass me by without telling you about LITTLE EVE by @catward66 which hit shelves today. Thank you to @netgalley and @tornightfire for the e-ARC.

This is the perfect spine-tingling, eyebrow raising read for spooky season. It is set in a closed-in community on an isle off the coast of Scotland in which Uncle, the ruthless patriarch, claims to be acting on the authority of The Adder who will soon bring the end of the world. Uncle's rules must always be obeyed and his consequences are fierce when someone is found lying or being derelict in their duties to the group.

Eve has only ever known Uncle's world and desperately wants to be the one that gains the Adder's powers upon it's arrival. She keeps her own secrets in an effort to bring this desire to fruition but a chance encounter with one stranger after another from the mainland invokes questions and doubts in Eve's worldview.

There is SO MUCH MORE that happens in this book but I don't want to give anything away. It is dark and twisty and the desolate wilderness of the setting adds to the desperation and terror. It carries loneliness, love, fear, heartache, and self-actualization all together to create a memorable, brutal portrait of an unravelling.

💀AVAILABLE NOW!💀

Have you read any of Catriona Ward's books yet? Which ones? If not, what are you waiting for?!?

#bibliophile #booknerd #booksta #littleeve #tornightfire #catrionaward #netgalley #ARC #bookreview #bookrecommendations

Little Eve was the third book I have read by Catriona Ward. The other two being The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial. Both the other two I have given 3 stars to because they were heavy on dark themes without a balance of light and shade, but I enjoyed both of them and thought the writing was strong. In Little Eve, I just couldn't get engaged with the story. I am not a big fan of storylines that revolve around a cult. In this book that theme meant there was plenty of sexual abuse and mental abuse thrown around. Add to that a bit of horrifying animal abuse and I was just really put off.

I realized just recently that Little Eve was actually released a while ago and is being re-released in 2022. Given that I have liked her more recent releases better than this one, I will definitely give her next novel a try as I do think Catriona Ward has potential to be an addictive author.

This was an excellent book by Catriona Ward and the first book I've read by her. I thought it was creepy, spooky, and fantastic and made me want to pick up all of her other books. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this early!

One wonders what must go on inside the mind of Catriona Ward, author of The Last House on Needless Street. She is able to write the most macabre yet imaginative, horrific stories.

Take Little Eve for example. This was a story actually written prior to her success with Needless Street. At the time Little Eve not only came out to accolades, but awards as well. So, it was only fair that it should be re-released for those Needless Street fans who had never heard of it.

In a dilapidated castle on an island named Altnaharra near Scotland lives the most messed up group of women, children and one man. Saying this clan is some sort of cult would be putting it mildly.

Adder, the male leader is the master who makes all the decisions, eats the best and most leaving crumbs for the rest and punishes the others with incredible cruelty as they all await Adder’s claim that the end of the world is near.

Little Eve, one of the young children, looks at Adder and sees his power. She wants that title. She will stop at nothing, endure all the torture thrown at her in order to make that happen.

Known as the outcasts in the town due to their dirty appearances and potato sack clothes, the children are incessantly mocked and tormented by the other children at their school. And when a school leader is murdered, it’s the family of Altnaharra who are blamed for instigating.

Which then brings Chief Inspector Black into the picture. He takes a liking to Little Eve as she reminds him of his sister who passed away at a young age. He seems to understand the mess on the island and tries to make her see there is a world outside of the pain and suffering she endures. She does begin to see through a different set of eyes but feels hopeless as to what to do about her situation.

Adder will not tolerate this kind of thinking and abuses the others as well as Eve for even questioning him about the outside world and how they actually all ended up where they are now. He tells them they will be given a reward when the end comes.

But curiously the story opens to all at the castle being dead and Eve missing. Through a series of horrific flashbacks, we see the horrible abuse and physical violence brought on by an unwell man to others who know no other way. We see the despair they live in on a daily basis. As the story progresses, we finally come to a simple conclusion, but there are so many unsettling questions.

Who killed them? Where is Eve? Where did this group come from? The twisted conclusion which is seen through their eyes will send chills down your spine.

Thank you #NetGalley #TorNightfire #LittleEve #CatrionaWard for the advanced copy.

Looking for gothic horror for this spooky season ? Look no further, Little Eve is definitely filling that category. This book had me hooked right from the get go and I kept reading even when I should have been working, it was so compelling and intriguing, I had to find out what was going on.
I loved the concept of a cult like commune in a dilapidated castle on a remote Scottish island. The isolated setting added an additional gothic horror element to the story which was at once highly visual and super spooky .
The isolation and claustrophobia of being imprisoned in this setting was a fantastic element to the book, the cultish bits were well done and actually portrayed so convincingly how things get out of hand.
The characters were so well rounded and complete - they made sense in their deficiencies - believable if horrible.

This book actually was published in the UK in 2018 and won the Shirley Jackson Award in 2019 but it was only published in the US last Tuesday October 11th ! Thank you to @netgalley and @torbooks for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review !

🏰Book Review🏰
*
Summary: On the wind-battered isle of Altnaharra, off the wildest coast of Scotland, a clan prepares to bring about the end of the world and its imminent rebirth.

The Adder is coming and one of their number will inherit its powers. They all want the honor, but young Eve is willing to do anything for the distinction.

A reckoning beyond Eve’s imagination begins when Chief Inspector Black arrives to investigate a brutal murder and their sacred ceremony goes terribly wrong.

And soon all the secrets of Altnaharra will be uncovered.
*
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
*
My thoughts: thank you @netgalley and @macmillanusa for the advanced copy this released last week! Overall not my favorite of wards writing. This was her first book and I found it really all over the place. It was hard to keep track what was happening and I just didn’t love any of the characters. A really cool and creepy concept but ultimately fell flat for me 🤷🏼‍♀️
*
#littleeve #catrionaward #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bibliophile #booknerd #bookobsessed #bookish #bookworm #bookwormsunite #bookwormsofinstagram #bookreviewer #readersofinstagram #readersofig #readmorebooks #readersgonnaread

Genre: Historical Fiction/Gothic Fiction
Publication Date: 10/11/22 (US)
Synopsis: Dinah and Eve are part of a cult led by their Uncle and live isolated on an island in an extremely remote part of Scotland. Their days are ruled by preparations for the coming of "The Adder", where one of them will be granted mysterious powers. Their plans go awry when a body turns up, and an inspector starts to ask questions.

Thoughts:
- The setting in this novel was extremely creepy, perfect for spooky season.
- Our main character, Little Eve turns out (quite unexpectedly - to me at least) to be an extremely complex person - and we see her grow and evolve as a character throughout the novel in ways that I found really unexpected. She is malicious and extremely selfish at times, but others gentle and supportive.
- The letters in the novel were an interesting touch, but I did find things hard to follow because of the back and forth as well as timeline jumps from present day to past.
- If you don't like graphic descriptions...you may want to skip this one. While it isn't too bad, there are some pretty detailed accounts of things that happen at the isolated island.
- Overall I'd say this novel was pretty disturbing on multiple levels, specifically from a psychological perspective, it really dives into the psychology of cults, neglect, trauma, and emotional abuse.
- Things did miss the mark for me a bit with the Inspector and 'love interest' storylines, and while a lot was happening in theory all at once, I had a hard time staying interested by the middle of the novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review!

Little Eve is Catriona Ward’s first novel that has been republished after her success from The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial. The book showcases her ability to write different sub-genres of horror.

“What has happened here? A terrible thing.”

Little Eve takes place on an isolated isle in Scotland called Altnaharra in the 1920’s. While delivering meat, Jamie MacRaith finds five dead people with their right eyes removed. The story then unfolds by alternating between Evelyn and Dinah during different time periods.

“A great day is upon us. He is coming. The world will be washed away.”

Dinah and Evelyn are “sisters” who are a part of a family led by their “Uncle” where they are preparing for the coming of Adder, the end of the world. This family is actually a cult who performs strange ceremonies and rituals to prepare for the end of the world but also inherit special powers to survive. A lot of what they have to do is gruesome and disturbing but they will do what they must for honor.

"A screaming begins. The cacophony of a hundred thousand voices shouting instructions in an alien tongue. I have no choice; my blood and nerves have become the voices. If they told me to fly into an open fire I would do it. I am not one but many, feeding the great, combed entity of the hive."

Chief Inspector Black is sent to investigate the murders and the families life is turned upside down. The story is definitely atmospheric with a very dark, gothic and gloomy feel to it. Our characters feel hopeless and trapped but also rely on each other as they are all they have. You can feel the dread and horror within each page as the characters go through the events that take place. Catriona Ward excels in keeping the twists hidden and unraveling them slowly throughout the story. The twists will leave you surprised up until the very end.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

How does Catriona Ward continue to write such amazing dark twisted stories? This one was another winner. Set on a remote isle off of the coast of Scotland young Eve is willing to do anything her “uncle” asks of her. She and her sisters blindly follow his rules and strange beliefs. A brutal murder uncovers secrets and leads the reader on a journey full of twists and surprises that you will not expect.

Like her other books it is best to just dive in and hold on for an unforgettable story that you cannot put down. There are not many authors out there that can deliver a consistent stream of psychological horror like Catriona Ward can. I will read anything she writes!!


4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #LittleEve #CatrionaWard

I didn't really know what to expect going into this. I enjoy Gothic novels and this one was dark and atmospheric. The cult aspect was very interesting however I had a hard time getting into this story. It was very slow going and honestly difficult to follow at times.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a DNF for me. I could not get into the story and the narrator was very difficult to understand.

On Altnaharra off the coast of Scotland in 1917, a group is sure that the Adder is coming to end the world and restart it over again. One of the group will inherit his power, and Eve will do anything to ensure she's the one that does. A brutal murder interrupting their sacred ceremony leads to an investigation, so all of the island's secrets are being revealed.

This is the American reprint of this novel, so the style might be a bit different from what others are used. The language is very straightforward and lulling, and switches between perspectives and time periods, but still deals with family secrets. Eve is sure that she's meant to take care of the others. The "family" that stays on the isle is all she knows, and they follow Uncle's directions. Whether that's having very little to eat, shunning the one that disobeys or displeases Uncle in some way, or getting shut away in the dark as a punishment, his word is law. Police are involved as a welfare check, but Eve staunchly resists and tries to stay in control of the clairvoyance she's sure she received as a gift from the Adder, as well as the income keeping their group afloat. This family sticks together, but resentment and secrets still run deep between them, and the outside world wants to intrude on their way of life.

The lulling way it's written pulls me into the story, into Eve's or Dinah's POV. The surety they have in Uncle and the Adder is nothing short of a cult, and turn-of-the-century isolation ensures that the rules are rarely questioned. The question of identity and family, of hiding the past versus exploring it, and the nature of power are themes that have come up in other Catriona Ward novels. Here, it's a very Gothic atmosphere, haunting and ultimately sad when we learn what actually happened on that fateful day on the island. The legacy of the Adder had a long reach so that even the future had a shadow cast over it.

Little Eve is beautifully written and will linger long after the last page.

Gothic novel of everyones dreams! Not for the easily squeamish or frightened. This was pretty dark, had a touch of horror, and surprise, surprise: I loved it.

This story is told in multiple viewpoints fluctuating between past & present, so be sure to take note at the chapter’s start so you’re not confused. There are many twists and turns in this book and you’re never quite sure who is telling the truth and who can actually be trusted.

Gear up for an incredible ride filled with atmosphere and tension. This was incredibly well written and I’d recommend to anyone especially with spooky season upon us

Little Eve is a spine-chilling, dark story about two girls, Eve and Dinah, living with a group of other children and their ‘Uncle’ in a remote castle on a bleak isle off the coast of Scotland. The novel opens with a horrible scene of a mass murder that looks very much like some terrifying ritual, and things only get more haunting and creepy from there.

This book was exactly what I wanted to read in October - a spooky, gothic tale that wasn’t too scary, but was so fascinating and mesmerizing that it kept me up reading nonetheless. I loved the creepy atmosphere and I loved the final plot twist - it wasn’t groundbreaking, but it fit perfectly and was so well executed that that didn’t matter. It’s a slow burn story and I did feel that some parts dragged a bit, but that’s honestly the only thing that I can criticize. If you like stories about cults, frightening events, and atmospheric locations, this one’s for you!

I really struggled with Little Eve by Catriona Ward. I loved The Last House On Needless Street and Sundial was a solid story even though the subject matter with puppies was a bit disturbing.

Little Eve follows a family/group of individuals that are in a cult in remote Scotland. This book did the opposite of cover flap blurbs. If the description of the book hadn't elaborated enough the actual plot would've left me completely and utterly confused.

Relationships were confusing. Who is young? Who is an adult? Who has John fathered? What is an Adder? The opening sequence was incredibly creepy. Bodies on the shore? I was so up for this. But lack of character clarity left me reading without being fully engaged.

Due to my low review I did not post a review on GoodReads. I'm assuming the publisher would prefer that I refrain.

If you like Catriona Ward and you are looking for a cult book, good news is she wrote one. Bad news is it’s Sundial - NOT Little Eve. While I wasn’t blown away like everyone else when it came to The Last House on Needless Street (I still stand behind the fact that a bunch of readers who typically don’t pick up dark material listened to their pals and went in to that one blind as the reasoning behind the crazy high ratings), I really dug Sundial and snatched this from NetGalley lickity split. Now that I’m finished all I have to say is if I were a DNF’er I would definitely have DNF’d this one.

BORING!

I’m not a fan of these previously released books getting a second printing without disclosing the fact that they are old material. Generally there’s a reason why they weren’t big hits the first time around and Little Eve is certainly no exception to the rule.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!