Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!!

This is so much more than what I was expecting even though my expectations were pretty high because I loved The Last House on Needless Street by this author.

After reading the author's note at the beginning and upon finishing this unsettling gothic horror, I feel like this is somewhat the author's horror love letter to Scotland... if there can be such a thing. I say that because I felt like much of this story represented different aspects to Scottish folklore so I have a hard time imagining this taking place anywhere else and having the same effect.

The story begins with a local butcher finding the "family" at Altnaharra dead except for one survivor. The story is continued in segments between Eve and Dinah leading up to that day. The father figure, "uncle", kept the children and young women in thrall with this very chilling religion that also included the Adder, a role the "uncle" would take on. Through starvation and mind games he had control until the spell was broken.

This is so twisted, super dark and absolutely chilling. Not to mention that I simply could not stop reading!

Out October 11, 2022!

Content Warnings for Sexual assault, abuse, fanaticism, gore, violence, suicide

Another amazing read by Catriona Ward! Her books dazzle and surprise and I always love them! The people, the places, the story. All superb.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the author for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: October 11, 2022
Catriona Ward, best-selling author of “The Last House on Needless Street”, returns with a new gothic thriller, “Little Eve”.
Eve and Dinah are inseparable, most of the time, living with the man they call Uncle and several other children, in a very remote house off the coast of Scotland. The group is anxiously preparing for “His” Coming, ensuring their bodies are virtuous and their home is pure, so “The Adder” will protect them during the Coming. Although Uncle swears that the devastating rainstorm that hits their island is part of The Coming, things continue to go drastically wrong when a young woman winds up dead on their shores, and a police inspector comes calling.
I never got around to reading “Needless Street”, although I desperately wanted to, so this one was my first of Ward’s. Having little to no background on her work, except seeing the rave reviews for “Street”, I was not sure what I was getting into when this one come into my hands, and, to be honest, I’m still not sure.
Eve and the rest of her “sisters”, as well as Uncle, have a completely disturbing and epically uncomfortable cult-type relationship going on. The girls, who have been abandoned by their birth parents or abducted by Uncle himself, must obey Uncle’s every command, in order to keep their bodies and spirits safe for when “He” Comes to them. Right from the beginning, it was obvious that there was going to be an epic twist, and I kept trying to guess throughout, hoping to be wrong. Luckily, Ward provided the unsuspecting ending I was waiting for.
The writing style is challenging, and it took me some time to acclimate to it. The story is written in the first person, and each chapter is labeled so we know who is speaking, but the style is confusing in places. I still don’t know how to describe what it was about Ward’s writing in this novel, but it took some adjustment before I was able to get into a good groove.
“Little Eve” is hella creepy, and there is more than enough on every page to fully immerse a reader into the dark, lecherous life of Uncle and his “girls”. I wanted to know how this one ended, and once I got into the right groove, I was full-on creeped out. Not being familiar with Ward’s other works, it’s hard to make a comparison, but “Eve” is definitely going to have a huge fan base, in new readers and life-long followers alike.

Reading SUNDIAL this summer made me seek out all other Ward novels available. When I saw her earlier title, LITTLE EVE, up on NetGalley for it's reissue, I pounced. This gothic-like tale of a family living and breathing the life of a cult (a small unit, mind you, headed by their "uncle") has a wonderful premise, as well as an overflow of potential. Unfortunately, I had trouble connecting in a way that made me naturally want to continue reading. I found the writing to be lacking, the "exciting" sequences overwhelming downplayed, and the mystery unsatisfying. Though a handful of characters meet their demise in this novel, not one felt impactful. Several came and went in a sentence or two. I felt cheated, as a result. And though Eve has depth to her, the character still felt hollow to me. They all did, actually. I think this is just a case of preference, though - for whatever reason, this one didn't speak to me. Will that deter me from hunting down Ward's other novels? Not at all. I loved SUNDIAL too much to let this small disappointment keeping me wanting more of Ward.

Thanks to NetGalley & MacMillan for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an unusual book for me. It brought back echoes of early S.J. Bolton with its raw history on an unforgiving landscape. Eve lives on Altnaharra, a Scottish island apart from the main town, on which she is part of a group of followers who believe that a snake living in the sea is their God, and means to confer powers onto them after he comes to Earth and destroys the unbelievers. Uncle leads them, and secures their loyalty. He also punishes their misdeeds.

The opening paragraphs set the stage for what is to become local legend - Evelyn, "Little Eve," murders everyone in her tiny cult family, and then leaps into the sea, there to haunt children for eternity. The reality is somewhat different, and it's a damn good read. I don't usually do gothic horror, but this was great and I will definitely be recommending it to people.

Now off to get more Catriona Ward books ...

Thank you NetGallery and Ms. Ward for giving me an opportunity to review this book.
This is the third book that I have read by Ms. Ward. What is unique about Ward's writing is that she easily changes the narrative voice to fit the setting and characters of the book. Giving each of her books a distinctive feeling that draws the reader into the story;"Little Eve"is no exception. Going into the book, I was expecting a spine chilling tale, though it can be labeled as a horror novel, it is more of a "The Handmaiden's Tale" type of horror. Where the horror lies in the abuse the characters experience rather than the supernatural. There is a lot of timeline jumping,which causes some slight confusion but overall it is a decent read.

This one is not for me. The beginning is just so sluggishly slow and I can’t make myself continue. I did love The Last House on Needless Street but her other books have all been misses for me.

Little Eve by Catriona Ward follows a group of individuals who live on an isolated area by the sea called Altnaharra. in Scotland. The members of the group, including children Eve, Dinah, Able, and Elizabeth and adults Nora and Alice, along with their leader known as "Uncle", spend as little time as possible within the nearest town and consider outsiders to be impure.

This novel is a dark, twisted tale that follows a few different timelines and characters. The majority of the story follows Eve as she navigates life on the isle and her small interactions with the outside world.

I found this novel to be deeply engaging and engrossing. Though at times I was confused about what exactly was going on, I still felt immersed in this odd and creepy atmosphere and therefore enjoyed the reading experience even when I was unclear on the exact nature of the plot.

What I found most fascinating about this book was the exploration of the psychology experienced by these individuals as they are kept isolated from the "real world" and filled with beliefs from Uncle (AKA John Bearings). Many of the characters go through periods of extreme belief, questioning, realizations, denial etc. when thinking about their beliefs and their life on the isle. It was interesting to see how these periods of thought affected their actions within their own and the outside community.

There were several twists throughout the novel that I did not see coming, and I enjoyed seeing the before and after scenes as we swapped between several timelines as the book progressed.

Overall, if you're looking for an all-encompassing dark gothic story, give Catriona Ward's Little Eve a try!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Set in 1917, adopted sisters Eve and Dinah live in a crumbling castle on the coast of Scotland with their family and serve the mysterious, snake-charming Adder as they await the day when a great serpent will rise from the sea. But prodding from Inspector Christopher Black causes Eve's faith to swing from overly devout to questioning, and her choices lead to a tragic ritual that leaves Dinah as the sole survivor.

Apparently, this was Ward's second novel, and though it is not as breathtaking or extreme as "The Last House on Needless Street" or "Sundial", it has all of the hallmarks of her writing: a deeply unreliable narrator, child abuse, unflinching violence, and a neat twist at the end. The buildup is slower, and the twist is much easier to guess, but what "Little Eve" lacks in psychological thrills, it makes up in gorgeous writing and a strong sense of place. Ward's descriptions of early 20th-century Scotland are sure to captivate.

Give this, as always, to fans of intense psychological thrillers, but don't be afraid to pass it to readers of historical fiction, too.

Little Eve is yet another mind-boggling story from Catriona Ward. I thought that I had it all figured out, but I was wrong as, like always, there was an unexpected twist. I had to reread several sections to confirm what I thought I had read.

Based on previous books, I went in with great expectations and was not disappointed. I don’t think I will ever tire of reading Ward’s beautifully haunting tales and will be patiently waiting for what’s next.

Voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of NetGalley, the Publisher, and the author, Catriona Ward.

Book Review Yall!

Thank you @netgalley and @tornightfire for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED Last House on Needless Street, it was a 5-star psychological thriller for me. Sundial had missed the mark, so I wanted to give another one of Catriona Ward's novels a try.

Little Eve is a haunting Gothic tale that was published overseas in 2018 and is now getting a US release. I am so excited to report that this was a hit for me. Taking place in a dilapidated castle in Scotland, we have a story of a small, religious patriarchal family that believes that there is a serpent in the sea that is a god. The figurehead has gathered children, and as the story unravels, you are drawn into the twisted nature of this dynamic. Separated from the village, the children are raised in these pagan beliefs, until one day, they are all discovered dead, except for one. This had it all: a dreary and bleak setting, cultish dynamics, intrigue, and mystery about how all of them died. I highly recommend it if you like a slow-burn Gothic story with cult vibes.

Out 10/11/2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

#bookreview #littleeve #netgalley #catrionaward #horrorbooks #gothic #gothichorror #horrorcommunity #cultbooks #booklover #bookstagram #giftedcopy #booklover #reading #bookrecs #igreads

Catriona Ward is a great author and her stories are unique. This time was no different. The way she writes is completely captivating, utterly creepy, and always keeps me guessing until the very end.

Little Eve is a re-release of the award-winning work that put Catriona Ward on the map as an author, despite the polarizing House on Needless Street making her a commercial success. And as someone who has loved the twisty, bizarre most recent releases from her I went into this novel with a grounded sense of optimism. Maybe speaking to Ward’s growth as an author since Little Eve’s release in 2018, I’m coming away from this older work not necessarily underwhelmed but definitely disappointed by a story that was incredibly disjointed I’m not sure I could pitch a synopsis for it despite having read every page.

This is a short book that feels very long. I think this mostly derives from the story having multiple plotlines with frankly too many indistinguishable characters with monosyllabic names. It’s trying to do too much in less than three hundred pages and the effect is one that left me going “Oh… who is she again?” when the big reveal is uncovered in the end. The horror elements are strong in visceral, a fair warning for anyone squeamish of body horror or sensitive to casual depictions of child abuse. But that’s in part what makes this whole story feel slightly stilted. The opening hook is so shocking and fundamentally disturbing it makes everything after seem like an uphill slog to get to the ending to explain the questions the first chapter presents.

Catriona Ward’s works are purposefully disorienting, and Little Eve does this to the greatest extent of the three novels I’ve read from her so far. As easy as it is to criticize thrillers for being too “commercial” this book leaned so heavily away from that direction into the realm of dark, flowery literary fiction that I just couldn’t seem to follow. Maybe if you like your horror novels with a little more big brain energy this may really resonate. But I think I’ll prioritize following Ward’s newer releases instead of working through her backlist instead.

Thank you to the publisher Tor Nightfire for providing an e-ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

This gothic horror novel was plentiful with the chills! The story was intriguing and creepy, usually right up my alley. However, I found it confusing many times along the way. There were times when I did not know who was speaking, or what time period we were in.

I really didn’t enjoy the last house on needless street by this author but I figured I’d give another book a try. This book was a very slowwww burn. The beginning started off with a bang but after that i was honestly bored.

Little Eve is a gorgeously written gothic horror novel set against the backdrop of The Great War. “Uncle” is the cult leader of a clan of women and children who reside on an derelict island home, isolated from the neighboring villages and townsfolk.

The story opens with a horrific mass murder and then follows the characters through a series of flashbacks to the events leading up to the murder and following. Although I loved the plot line itself, I had a difficult time following with the character and time changes within each consecutive chapter. The women all seemed alike and although that may have been intentional, the distinct lack of personalities between Nora. Alice, Dinah, and Eve left me feeling disconnected from them. I am also very sensitive to themes of child abuse which is a prominent feature in this novel and struggled to get through some scenes.

As a huge fan of The Last House on Needless Street, I appreciate Ward’s writing and gothic imagery, but Little Eve was just a bit too disjointed for me to fully enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Catriona Ward, and Tor Nightfire for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

How far would you go to keep the ones you love together and safe from the outside world?

I found that the characters were well developed, the scenes were perfectly eerie, and the idea behind the book was very unique.

I really wanted to love this book, but it was very slow-paced for me. Some parts seemed a little repetitive and there was a huge build up to the end that seemed to wrap up rather quickly after trenching through the book for so long.

On a positive note I will say that it was beautifully (almost poetically) written which had me feeling like I was right there with the characters going through their ups and downs.

I want to thank McMillan and netgally for the chance to read this book as an ARC.

I have loved all of Catriona Ward’s books they are strange yet so creepy. This book is no exception. I will say it took me a while to get into it but once I did I flew thru it. I just had to have more.

There were times I thought I had it figured out but I did not have it all figured out and the ending was perfect.

If you liked or lived her other books do not sleep in this one!

Final Rating: 4.5

This book was originally written in 2018, but this is the first time it will be published in the US and I’m so happy that I was provided a copy to review! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Little Eve follows two girls Eve and Dinah, who are members of a cult living on the Isle of Altnaharra off the coast of Scotland. Eve wants desperately to be the heir to the power that her ‘uncle’ has as the Adder. Eve starts to question everything surrounding her, which leads to tragic events that not even the Adder could see coming.

This book was wild! I always find cults fascinating, mainly because I cannot fathom not only how someone gets into such a headspace that they will go along with everything their leader says, but how the leader themselves gets into such a position. You have to be truly evil to bend other people to your will, and in this case, knowingly abuse them.

That’s kind of the one thing I wish was explored a bit more – the backstory of the Adder. It’s mentioned briefly a few times, but I wanted more! I did really enjoy though how the Chief Inspector tried to put things into perspective and discussed the cult beliefs with Eve, the psychology behind how your beliefs can twist everything you witness and experience is so fascinating.

The way this ‘family’ interacts with one another and how they will willingly throw each other under the bus if it means becoming the Adder’s favored member was both interesting and frustrating to read, but in a good way. Reading about cults always frustrates me because all I want to do is take the characters by the shoulders and shake them until they snap out of it!

The setting of Scotland was perfect for this book, the dreary and stormy weather on the isle fit the mood and mysterious vibes of the cult so well!

At the beginning of the book, I struggled to tell if the characters had magic or if they were just suffering from hallucinations and delusions, and I did end up getting my answer, although I don’t really want to say here just in case you also cannot tell while reading, I think figuring it all out was part of the fun of reading this book!

You do get some chapters that are told after the events from the synopsis that make you second guess what has happened in the chapters from the past, and piecing everything together was really what kept me engaged with the story and wanting to read more! On top of all this, the writing was great, and I’m relived that I enjoyed this since I have both Sundial and The Last House on Needless Street on my TBR to read soon!

I liked The Last House on Needless Street, so I was excited when I saw this on NetGalley. This is its first publishing in the U.S., but it won a Shirley Jackson Award for best novel when it was originally published.

If you’ve read any Catriona Ward, you’ll know there will be disturbing elements. It starts with murder, then goes into the past to the years and events that led up to it. Eve and Dinah are raised isolated in a small cult. The story goes back and forth between their perspectives. You feel the tension of their lifestyle and what a misstep in the eyes of their “uncle” would lead to.

It’s very descriptive and engrossing. I couldn’t put it down. I was completely drawn into the story. I highly recommend it! It comes out October 11. Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, Tor Nightfire, and NetGalley for my copy.