this is the second book i've read by Catriona and i have to say she's a great writer. this was a solid book and the story was amazing.

This one was weird to say the least. But it was just eerie enough and strange to keep me interested and figure out why it was a horror or frightening. I wouldn’t say it was really a horror in the scary sense but the characters did go through some horrors that’s for sure. It’s hard to give a star rating on it but since this is NetGalley I will. I want to still leave feedback that if slow burn eerie creepy is your thing then give this one a shot. In the end the twist wasn’t what I expected so that was good too. Overall decent.

This is my second book by Catriona Ward and it won’t be my last! I love the way this author writes and Little Eve was the perfect, gothic tale to usher in October.

The novels opens up with a bleak beginning and the story is told in two timelines split between the past and present. In the past, we see life unfold on Altnaharra, a small island off the Scottish coast that at times seems idyllic and others oppressive. Uncle, Alice, Nora and the children wait for Him to come from the sea and for the end times.

Little Eve took a bit for me to get into, but by the second half I was hooked by all the twists and turns.. Ward does such a great job of creating an atmospheric environment so that you feel transported to Altnaharra. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes cult-ish books with slightly creepy children.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the advance copy. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

With its disturbing plot, gothic atmosphere and well-developed sinister characters in “Little Eve”, the author Catriona Ward takes you on a journey full of twists and turns. I’m a fan of Ward’s style of writing and was not surprised to find out that this book had won the Shirley Jackson Award.

While it did take me a bit to get into the story and was confused at times, the creepy approach to storytelling won me over. It was dark, unsettling, and I couldn't stop reading!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for this digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Content warning: on and off page physical and emotional abuse, hints at sexual abuse, on page animal cruelty, child abuse, inappropriate behavior of adults with minors.

I LOVE the cover, it's what initially caught my interest, and the plot sounded like a book I'd enjoy. Unfortunately, something was missing for me. I found the time jumps in the narrative confusing and at times I wasn't sure what exactly was going on. I didn't really like any of the characters and some pieces of the plot didn't make sense. I struggled to finish this, but the last 20% was good - there were definitely moments within LITTLE EVE that turned me off and I wish they weren't there. I get why they were, but also don't think they needed to happen for the overall plot to continue.

As a side note, there is a place called Altnaharra in Scotland, but it isn't on the ocean, it's inland and near Loch Naver. I was hoping this would be addressed in an author's note since the actual location is not a wind-battered isle on the coast of Scotland and I was curious why the name of a real place was used but in a different geographic location.

A pet peeve of mine is to have unbalanced chapter lengths, LITTLE EVE was a mix of short chapters (20 min or less to read) and novella-length chapters (over an hour, sometimes over two hours to read). So for me that was aggravating.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and Tor Nightfire in exchange for an honest review.

Little Eve was amazing. It had darkness, gothic vibes, and mystery on who could be trusted.
I loved what each character brought to the story and how they were written.
It was clever and well thought out.

I just could not get over how well written every part was. The plot the people the settle. Gold!

This was actually Ward's second novel but was made available this year. I had a bit of trouble with this one. Very interesting story, however, because it took place on a Scottish isle, I was having a bit of an issue with the language. Totally my misunderstanding. But the way the story sort of drifted back and forth between characters and time periods, I was a bit confused.
The story of Eve and Dinah is told in 1917 and 1921. The girls are part of cult, run by Uncle, on the Scottish isle of Altnaharra. There is a murder mystery to the story and a lot of things aren't explained (or don't make any sense) until you get to the end of the story.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for this arc.*

In a remote part of Scotland, Eve other young girls are raised by "Uncle." In the early 1900's, their clan is really a cult. They believe they will usher in the end of the world and bring about a rebirth. When a brutal murder occurs, their planned ceremony is interrupted by the police and their investigation.

The story jumps around to reveal events that lead up to the opening catastrophe. It is very dark, and has a lot of disturbing descriptions of abuse, especially on children. Typically, I enjoy reading mysterious and at times dark, twisty suspense stories, especially occurring in the UK. However, this was not my cup of tea. It was way too dark and sinister.

I am willing to give Catriona Ward another chance with her other novels. Her writing style is enigmatic, painting vivid pictures. Little Eve just did not leave a great impression on me.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the digital ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

After seeing the author’s name and books everywhere on social media I knew I had to at least try one for myself.
It was a hard read from so many pov. I always knew that Scottish names and places are harder to pronounce or even remember if you’re not used to them, and honestly that’s not even half of what I found hard in here.
The writing felt too much for me. I’m nowhere near anything academic or such skilled person, but this was a hard story to even keep up with. The cult factor set up the whole story and expectations. There are so many unconventional and “weird” things happening here. From the way they interact to each other, to the so called power they must get in one night celebration. I’m not even sure what happened in the last chapter. Why would you even go back?
There are a few characters that made the story a bit more believable and intriguing. But my overall experience is that unfortunately this one is definitely not for me.
Will I try another book if the author in the future? Maybe , but not too soon probably.

Very grateful to the publisher for my Read Now review copy through NetGalley

I liked this book! I was eager to read this book since I really enjoyed the last two books that I read by this author. Now that I have finished this book, Catriona Ward has earned a spot on my list of must-read authors. It did take me a minute to really get into this book but once I did, I was hooked. I loved the creepy atmosphere and couldn’t wait to see what was really going on.

Eve lives in a castle with her “Uncle” and other members of their group. They lead an isolated life and her “Uncle” has all of the power in the cult that they live in. We learn early on in the book that this was not going to have a happy ending and I was anxious to see how everything would play out. As much as I wanted to be amazed by some of the things that happened on this small Scottish island, I know that cults can be just as cruel in the real world. Eve, Dinah, and the rest of the characters have known nothing else but this life so they don’t question the way things are.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Carolyn Bonnyman did a great job with the story. I loved the voices that she used for the cast of characters. I thought that the accent that she used was perfect and added a lot to the story. I thought that her delivery of this story really helped to bring the somewhat creepy atmosphere to life. I do believe that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of this story.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a very well-done story that had all of the twists and turns that I had hoped to find. The more that I read, the harder I found it was to set this book aside. I cannot wait to read more of Catriona Ward’s work.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Tor Nightfire/Macmillan Audio.

The story begins with the butcher making a delivery to a castle on a remote island of the coast of Scotland. Usually he just drops off the order and leaves, but this time the door is left open and he interprets that to mean bring it inside. There he finds a gruesome discovery... the whole family murdered in an apparent ritual.
Going back a few years to the workings of "Uncle" and the children which you quickly realize is a cult, they are trying to bring about the end of the world and its rebirth. But when the constable arrives during an important ceremony to investigate a murder everything starts to fall apart.
This is a Gothic horror whose religion was very strange and hard to follow. There was a sinister vibe throughout starting with the gory first scene. This isn't the kind of book I usually read, but I like how descriptive it was about the setting and the writing style pulled me right into the story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book, and it had some great twists, especially at the end. I’ve been on a huge gothic horror kick lately, and this one fit perfectly with that. I definitely Italy found a new favorite author, and I definitely plan on reading everything else she has written

Little Eve contains masterful storytelling and surprising twists. It’s a strong telling of the strength of the human psyche and how it can be bent to another’s will. The characters are unique and compelling. It will be hard to put this book down. I am thrilled it’s getting a second run in the United States.

I was a huge fan of The House on Needless Street, so of course I was so excited to find this one! And after reading it, I'm just as fascinated with Ward's mind as I was with the last book.
Little Eve gas a Gothic, mysterious vibe to it.
I won't lie, I did spent a good majority of the book a bit confused, because so much is kept back until the end. That was also part of the fun of it, though! Great twists and turns. I'll definitely be reading anything I can find by Catriona Ward!

I had a much different expectation for this book. After hearing great reviews for Ward’s last book, The Last House on Needless Street, I was eager to read Little Eve. I figured spooky season was the perfect time for it. But it was not for me. I think this one appeals to a certain audience and I am not a part of it.

I would recommend this if you like gothic novels and welcome the weird and creepy and wordy language. ,

I just finished Little Eve by Catriona Ward and here are my thoughts.

Eve, a girl of a clam that has some wild beliefs, spends her time on the isle of Altnaharra, a place off the coast of Scotland.

Her cult is preparing to bring about on the ending of this world and usher in the rebirth/

The adder will pass its powers to one honored member and Eve, she wants that honor/

Everything goes wrong when a brutal murder has an inspector come and investigate. The interruption has the ceremony going terribly wrong…..

I am not going to lie, I had really high expectations for this book and I found the story to be a little sloppy in places and wasn’t cohesive at all. The switching between timelines was a little confusing too and often didn’t sit well in the narrative.

The plot was excellent. I found the whole idea of this cult and the adder being worshiped really clever but the execution was there for me. It was jumbled in places and I found my attention slipping sometimes. I really wanted to love it but it was just ok for me.

Loved the location and the descriptive narrative but there was so much that missed that mark, that I had to really sit down and push myself to finish in a few places.

3.5 stars but rounded to 4 because it really wasn’t a 3 so I didn’t feel rounding down was the way to go.

Thank you to #netgalley and #mcmilliantorforge for my review copy.

Ahoy there me mateys!  This book won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel (2018) and the British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel (2019).  It is being republished by Tor Nightfire.  I have to admit that I enjoyed this book at lot more than the last house on needless street.

The focus of this book is a small cult on the island of Altnaharra in Scotland.  The story begins with the discovery of the cult's demise with only one survivor and slowly works its way towards the hows and whys and whos.  The majority of the events take place from 1917 to 1921.  Though I guessed the twist early on, I was engrossed in finding out how it all went down.

I found Eve to be fascinating character.  She desperately wants Uncle, the cult leader's, attention.  She is both creepy and sympathetic.  The slow unfolding of the history of the cult and its practices were the highlight for me.  I actually enjoyed learning and reading about all the characters in this one.  The inspector ended up being a surprising favorite.  Ward's writing is evocative and compelling.  The non-linear timeline was fantastic in maintaining suspense and curiosity.  Highly recommended.  Arrr!

Little Eve is a chilling tale that slowly unveils layer after layer of intrigue. This novel focuses primarily on two things: a distinctly unique cult and the power of sisterhood. Dinah and Eve's relationship is nuanced, believable, and heartbreaking. Their family's religious beliefs are deeply unsettling and unforgettable. The remote island of Altnaharra and its rugged surrounds resonate so strongly throughout Little Eve that the island eventually proves to be its own terrifying character. Overall, this novel is a truly original and fascinating look at a very one-of-a-kind family.

Catriona Ward has proved herself (yet again) to be a master of the literary thriller. Little Eve is a must read for fans of dark fiction!

I knew a book by Catriona Ward would be perfect for October and I was not disappointed. This gothic story was mesmerizing and creepy. Once I got into the story I found myself glued to the book - unable to focus on anything else until every last page was devoured. A small clan living on an isle called Altnaharra prepares for the end of times and the coming of the ocean. The leader a man they all call Uncle has mystical connections to the isle and promises one of them will gain his powers.. They all want them but none more than Eve who is desperate to prove herself. I don’t want to go too far into the story for fear of spoiling anything, but if you like gothic horror, cults, and a hint of the magical you will not be disappointed with this one.

It's the sign of an amazing author that we will go wherever she takes us.
Thank you to Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for my copy for review!
Author Catriona Ward may be best known to us for her books Sundial and The Last House On Needless Street.
Little Eve was actually her second novel, released in 2018 only in the UK. It is now for North American release on Oct. 11.
This beautifully atmospheric novel is not a straightforward tale, instead full of the eerie narratives we have come to know from Ward.
The book opens with the discovery of several dead bodies, apparently murdered.
Chapters alternate between Dinah and Evelyn (Eve), from the late 1910s to the early 1930s, providing backstory prior to the murders, and after. A strange grouping of people ruled by Uncle live in a grand yet austere Scottish mansion known as Altnaharra.
There is tension throughout, and some disconcerting imagery.
Little Eve is perfect for spooky season, as are all of Ward's books. Recommended!