This was dark and twisted. It was slow for me to get into it and I almost put it on my DNF pile.
I’m glad I didn’t because as I got into the story of it - I really enjoyed it.

I've tried. I've loved Catriona Ward before - her debut was stunning - but I couldn't get to grips with this and after seeing a lot of negative reviews from people I trust I am deciding not to continue.

Catriona Ward's Little Eve takes place in 1921 Scotland on the isle of Altnaharra. Two girls, Eve and Dinah, live a secluded life on an island that is cut off daily to the main road by tides. The opening of the story instantly takes a dark twist as a butcher delivering meat discovers the mutilated bodies of the houses residents and makes the discovery that all of the victims have their right eyes removed. The story then jumps back in time and we slowly untangle the truth as to what happened to the victims.

This novel did not disappoint and the twists and turns were fun to follow.

Catriona Ward DOES NOT miss! This was deliciously gothic and dark. If you’re already a fan you won’t be disappointed .

Little Eve by Catriona Ward (The Last House on Needless Street, Sundial)
Release Date: October 11th, 2022 (originally published in 2018, winner of The Shirley Jackson Award and the British Fantasy Award for Best Horror)
General Genre: Horror, Gothic
Subgenre/Themes: Doomsday cult/snake cult, patriarchy, multiple POVs, strong female protagonists, motherhood, pregnancy, murder-mystery, historical fiction
Writing Style: rich, dense, atmospheric prose

What You Need to Know: The book opens with a tale told from the end, a group of people killed in a seemingly ritualistic sacrifice is discovered when the local butcher makes his way out to an isolated fortress on the isle of Altnaharra somewhere on the coast of Scotland to deliver an order of meat. There is one survivor, Dinah.
He helps her back to civilization where she tells the tale of how her family came to be massacred, implicating one person. The details of the case attract the attention of Chief Inspector Black who begins to investigate, giving special attention to the man they call "Uncle" or "The Adder".
This crumbling, stone fortress on the isle of Altnaharra is only accessible at low tide, the path is covered by the sea and guarded by an iron gate most of the time. Inside this commune, Uncle oversees the lives of two adult women, two young teenage girls, and two children. They are ritualistically physically and psychologically tested by the strange and elaborate "rules" of Uncle's religion.

Long intervals of the book are narrated mostly by the one implicated as the killer, "Little Eve" or Evelyn, Dinah (the survivor), or Inspector Black. The tale is told from different periods of time (1917-1949).

My Reading Experience: Well, I hope you're in the mood to stay with me for a while. I have a lot to say. Right out of the gate, I'm going to say that this is my favorite Catriona Ward book by far. I enjoyed the other two, so it's saying a lot. Ward's storytelling voice for Little Eve is decadently rich with carefully constructed details that painted a vivid, cinematic picture in my mind. The story is immediately absorbing the way it starts at the end, and works its way back, capturing me with a compelling mystery to solve. It was all I could think about for an entire weekend. The atmosphere is peak gothic vibes the entire duration of the novel. I felt saturated in the landscape and the cold, dank, crumbling confines of Altnaharra.
Also, I'd like to applaud Catriona Ward for giving her audience all the inner workings of this cult. It is maddening to read a book where the characters are exhibiting harmful, destructive, unnatural behavior because they're in a cult but there aren't enough details given to satisfy the reader's curiosity or disbelief. Ward holds nothing back. This cult is fully exposed. I went through a wide range of emotions-a thrilling morbid fascination, heartache, frustration, anger, and that burning in my chest that happens when I want justice for cruelty and there is cruelty (trigger warnings at the end which could be spoilers so read with caution).

I loved this book. I read it on my Kindle with a NetGalley gift, I have a physical arc and I will be buying a hardcover for my library. I feel like I need to set some reader expectations here--I read this over a Friday-Sunday time period. I put headphones on and listened to "brown noise static" in order to have zero distractions because truly, the prose is lush; every word was obviously chosen with intention-it's a story that demands full attention and it's totally worth the extra effort.

Final Recommendation: This book is for readers who enjoy reading about cult practices, and murder mysteries, immersing themselves in a dark, luscious, gothic atmosphere to the point where life must be put on hold until the book is finished.

Comps: Sounds weird but this is like the anti-version (the total opposite mood) of I Capture the Castle. I kept thinking of that book, so I'm adding it here. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

*triggers: animal cruelty (lab testing on dogs) the brutal murder of a horse, child abuse and death, motherhood trauma, miscarriage, SA, child SA

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2023 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2023/01/2023-reading-list-announced-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

I just could not get into this book from the beginning and did not finish reading it. I quickly lost interest. I enjoyed other books by the author, but I couldn't get into the story.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

This book is the third of Catriona Ward’s that I’ve gotten from NetGalley. The Last House on Needless Street was one of the best I read in 2021. And Sundial was delightfully disturbing. So, when I saw she had a new book out, I knew I had to read it. And wow, was this one excellent. Last House is still my favorite of hers, but this one was outstanding.

From Goodreads: 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.

This description doesn’t even begin to explain how insane this book is. Altnaharra’s secrets are plentiful, right down to the cellar where atrocities occur. The story jumps narrators and time periods, so it’s important to keep track and who and when you are in the story. I’m having a hard time explaining anything without spoilers because so much occurs that is better revealed as you read. But, like Ward’s other books, so much happens that you don’t see coming. She’s a master of writing the subtle plot twist. I absolutely recommend all her books. She’s a fantastic writer, and I can’t wait to read her next.

It was pretty challenging for me to finish this. Truly, incredibly dull. It's classified as Gothic horror, a subgenre I enjoy, but I couldn't relate to any of the characters or the authorial voice. There was no sense of fear or suspense.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Nightfire for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Little Eve by Catriona Ward

Little Eve is a historical fiction novel about a group of troubled and isolated children living on a tiny piece of land off the coast of Scotland in the early part of the 20th century. It also has elements of horror and mystery.

Little Eve is told in alternating POV’s between young Dinah and Evelyn (Eve) as they come into adolescence on Altnaharra, a small island with a crumbling castle headed up by “Uncle”. The children have a bare bones existence with very little food, constant punishment and only their trips to the village school as a connection to the outside world. Raised by Uncle to believe the rest of the world is full of “Impures” the children wait for the day a snake will rise from the sea and they become part of a new world. When their schoolteacher is murdered the children fall under further scrutiny and become more isolated. The reader, along with clever and curious Evelyn slowly begin to uncover exactly what is going on at Altnaharra and how Uncle created his own group of (mostly) young girls to subjugate and control.

Like Catriona Ward’s other novels Little Eve is told by unreliable narrators leaving the reader wondering what is real, what is a lie and what is paranormal. But when the book really gets going it’s hard to put down. Although it’s clear from the first handful of pages that most of the character’s lives will end tragically on Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) we don’t know exactly who survives and what lead to that terrible day. Little Eve is a dark and twisted tale of manipulation, abuse, isolation and eventually survival.

Although this story is brutal and unflinching there is also an element of hope. I recommend it to readers that enjoy dark gothic tales with elements of religious fervor and murder.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was unique, interesting, and fun to read. While I enjoyed reading it for personal reading, I will not be adopting it for my classroom. Thank you to the publisher!

*I was given access to an ebook to review by Tornightfire in exchange for an honest review*

So let me say, I’ve now read all three of Catriona Ward’s books published in the US and Ward can. Not. Miss. I have loved all three. There is always the concern with thrillers that they will begin to feel repetitive and overdone, but Ward always seems to circumvent this concern. Unlike her other books, Little Eve is based in the UK (in Scotland I believe? Don’t quote me on that) and is has distinctive cult behavior going on. The story itself is told through a dual POV that both move forward in time with each switch back. It centers around this pseudo “family” living on an island in a crumbling castle. They perform strange rituals centered around snakes and godlike worship of “Uncle.” The story begins with a murder of the entire family and we get to puzzle out what happened from Eve’s POV prior to the murder and working up to the event itself and from Dinah’s POV in the aftermath of the murder.

It took me a good long time to guess the twist. I literally made note at 87% that I had figured out the twist. Do I think that I should have recognized it earlier? Perhaps, but I was just having too good of a time reading to stop and try to puzzle it out. It was the kind of book that you just devour because the actions of the characters are just so bizarre and intriguing. Couple this with Ward’s immaculate use of descriptors. The scene is set beautifully, but it’s clear that the façade is cracked and you can’t escape the insurmountable dread. Even though you know what has ultimately occurred in the story, the desire to piece together how it went from point A to point B is intense.

Little Eve touches on themes of spirituality and the detrimental effect of blindly believing what you’re told despite being shown evidence to the contrary. It makes you pause to consider what you can really believe and if the truth they’re all being told really is the truth. You know that certain things aren’t true, but others were so carefully blended into the narrative that you don’t even stop to consider what they could really mean.

Now, even the best books have their problems and this one isn’t immune (although Ward could publish her grocery list and I’d still be surprised to see what’s waiting at the bottom). My initial problem with the way the book is set up is that Eve’s chapters felt too long, especially at the beginning. I’m talking chapters that would span like 15-20% of the book without stopping. It made it hard to take a break. Then, Dinah’s chapters would only span like 2-5%. It made the narrative feel unbalanced and sometimes it dragged. Like I said, this was mostly a problem at the beginning, as it really picks up at the end. Another issue I had was that, even though I appreciated the twist and the Killer’s identity, it felt like a cop out. I’ve read both The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial and they both felt so carefully done, like intentional misdirection. This one felt more like the killer was chosen out of convenience more than for their actual vendetta. Elements of it felt forced and less purposeful than I’m used to with Ward’s writing. (Though my understanding is that this is one of Ward’s early works, so it makes sense that her style has only developed)

In all, just read this book. If you like thrillers with a historic bend and have a thing for cults (even in passing), this book will check all your boxes. It’s just such a sharp, engrossing story that it’s hard to put down. This book will be in my top 5 for 2023, I can feel it already.

A great read by this author. I definitely recommend checking this one out!
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Little Eve will do whatever it takes...

An end-of-days clan living on an isolated isle in Scotland diligently prepares for the return of the Adder. They desperately try to prove themselves through dangerous acts of faith and cruel practices. When a sacred ritual goes horribly wrong, an investigation ensues and the hunt is on for Eve, the most devious member of the family and perhaps the most power hungry...
I was so excited to read this novel as I loved the first Catriona Ward novel that I read, but this one just was not for me. The writing was impeccable but I wasn't invested in the story, mostly because of the time period this novel is set in. I can see how others would enjoy this book a lot, and I will say that I found the conclusion thrilling. I will still be reading more of Catriona Ward's work as I absolutely love her writing.

Catriona Ward does not miss. She is a master storyteller and her twisty, twisted horror novels are expertly constructed. The characters, the plot, the language, and the pacing work so well together and Little Eve is no exception.

I love Catriona Ward and as always expect lots of plot twists. I really enjoy that the author sends the reader down one train of thought only to sweep it out from under your feet and send you spiraling down a whole new terror. As always Ward writes excellent characters that feel real, and her settings are always written so detailed that you feel a certain familiarity with it. I loved the gothic undertones, and could not put the book down!

Gothic horror comes to northern Scotland in Little Eve, Catriona Ward’s terrifying second novel. Originally published in 2018, Little Eve is winner of the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel and the British Fantasy Award for Best Horror. Little Eve has recently been republished by Tor Nightfire.

I have read two books by Catriona Ward previously, and absolutely loved them! I was expecting to love this one too but felt detached from everything.

It has the same atmosphere as I’ve come to expect, so I appreciate that. It wasn’t very surprising, and I managed to guess everything that happened.

I enjoyed the book, but it has not been my favorite from this author.

“Little Eve”, by Catriona Ward, is a creepy cult novel. I am always desiring a good cult story.

“Little Eve” is about a ‘clan’ that lives in a castle on the island of Altnaharra. This island is off the coast of Scotland, which connects to the mainland via a causeway.

The book’s opening was great. It set up the mysterious aspects of Altnahara. Then the book turned into a slow burn. I normally enjoy slow burns, but those one felt a bit disjointed. That failed to capture my attention.

The characters did not come to life for me. Eve, the main character, paints a very atmospheric picture of her time on this island. She was the one who popped off the page a little. I followed her as the narrative moved between the past, with Eve managing the cult and the present where she is suspected of the cult member murders. The timeline jumping was hard to follow.

Although the novel was well written and had its creepy moments, I could not get my bearings in the first half of the work. The story came together for me at the 60% mark. Ward’s books have a way of throwing the reader off until the end. Her endings always does an impressive job at bringing the book together. Gothic horror fans might enjoy this one.

2.5
Super sad to have this be the second Catriona Ward book that didn’t work for me.
I found this to be an extremely typical and predictable cult book.
I guessed the twist very early on, which made the experience a little less exciting.
The writing is confusing at times, some things are never clarified or even expanded upon, which left me feeling underwhelmed.
Most of the book is very repetitive and that came across as boring and was a drag to get through the majority.
I think there is definitely an audience for this type of horror story, but I am not that audience.