mangofandango's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I was eager to read this after reading the author's "The Last House on Needless Street" and really loving it. This one didn't blow my socks off in quite the same way, but it was still very very good, and had similar qualities and a similar twisty ending (or really, final third probably) that reframes the whole story. It's a Gothic story for sure, with all the elements thereof that you might expect, including broody atmosphere for miles. It's worth a content warning - the child abuse in this book is intense (but very matter-of-factly explained by the characters, for whom it is normal and a part of their "religion", which is all they know) and CSA is alluded to but never described.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Child death, Injury/injury detail, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Adult/minor relationship
keenanmaree's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/injury detail, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Drug use, and Murder
sorry_imbooked's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Violence, Confinement, Self harm, Torture, Miscarriage, Injury/injury detail, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death, Child death, and Animal death
Moderate: Child death and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Rape
soobooksalot's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's the sign of an amazing author that we will go wherever she takes us.
Thank you to Tor Nightfire for my gifted 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!
Thank you to Tor Nightfire for my gifted 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!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Murder, Injury/injury detail, Blood, Death, Adult/minor relationship, and Animal death
enchantressreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Little Eve uses alternating timelines through alternating characters to tell the story of a small cult on the island of Altnaharra. John Bearings landed there in 1898 with young women Alice and Nora in order to properly worship the Adder. I thought the history of Altnaharra and their relationship with the mainland was very interesting and really added to the plot. I also enjoyed seeing John go downhill over the years as he went further into his delusions.
One of my problems with this story, which there aren’t many, is that there’s so many characters, and with the flip-flopping chapters, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with who we’re following. We follow Evelyn and Dinah, two of the young women of the cult, as they tell the story of how the cult ended. We also see adult Dinah discuss some of the past. A few times we even meet the detective on the case, Christopher Black. When I was properly following the storyline, it was a good read. I enjoyed the setting and the characters, and the cult/John was super creepy.
This novel takes place in the late 1910s and early 1920s, with later reflections from the 30s and 40s. I’m not sure if this really helped the story; I think it could have taken place in any time period. I’d actually love to see this story written in more modern times with cell phones and better forensics.
I recommend this book for people who love twisty-turny stories, and probably more for people who take notes (especially for the characters). The twist at the end was pretty predictable, but not necessarily unenjoyable. I really enjoy Catriona Ward’s writing, and even though I wasn’t as big a fan of Little Eve as I was of Sundial, it’s still worth the read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for this advanced review copy. While Little Eve is already available in the UK, it comes out through Tor on October 11th.
CW for death, injury, vomit, miscarriage/stillborns, domestic violence, suicide, alcoholism, animal death, animal cruelty, sexual assault/violence/ambiguous reference to rape
One of my problems with this story, which there aren’t many, is that there’s so many characters, and with the flip-flopping chapters, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with who we’re following. We follow Evelyn and Dinah, two of the young women of the cult, as they tell the story of how the cult ended. We also see adult Dinah discuss some of the past. A few times we even meet the detective on the case, Christopher Black. When I was properly following the storyline, it was a good read. I enjoyed the setting and the characters, and the cult/John was super creepy.
This novel takes place in the late 1910s and early 1920s, with later reflections from the 30s and 40s. I’m not sure if this really helped the story; I think it could have taken place in any time period. I’d actually love to see this story written in more modern times with cell phones and better forensics.
I recommend this book for people who love twisty-turny stories, and probably more for people who take notes (especially for the characters). The twist at the end was pretty predictable, but not necessarily unenjoyable. I really enjoy Catriona Ward’s writing, and even though I wasn’t as big a fan of Little Eve as I was of Sundial, it’s still worth the read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for this advanced review copy. While Little Eve is already available in the UK, it comes out through Tor on October 11th.
CW for death, injury, vomit, miscarriage/stillborns, domestic violence, suicide, alcoholism, animal death, animal cruelty, sexual assault/violence/ambiguous reference to rape
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Injury/injury detail, Sexual assault, Death, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Alcoholism
Minor: Vomit
bookishbrenbren's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Evelyn is raised in a mysterious, reclusive family unit on a secluded isle in rural Scotland. Along with other adolescents Dinah, Abel, and Elizabeth, there are three adults: Nora, Alice, and Uncle. Uncle is the Adder, an intimidating leader imbued with powers by the ocean-deity they worship and serve. The story begins with a shocking act of violence that has left everyone on the island except Dinah dead.
This was an awesome ride. I have never read anything by this author before but I have heard good things and wanted to try this one even though horror/thriller is not my typical genre. And I am so glad I did! This is a strong book, well-written, with excellent scenery, leaning a little gothic although I thought she could've committed more to the house-as-a-character vibe, but what really stands out is how engrossing the story-telling is. I well and truly felt like I was being read a ghost story or watching a spooky movie, I could feel the rain falling and the stonework crumbling around me. Even though you know (from chapter 1) more or less how the characters' stories will end up, there is still a great sense of mystery, foreboding, and feels like a big 'reveal' is coming. Perfect for spooky season!
On the down side, I felt the story dragged a bit after the 50% mark. It definitely slowed down in pace and I was more likely to put the book down and pick up my phone. I also wish there had been a bit of the actual "big reveal" feeling written into the characters' narration (does that make sense?). A lot of really shocking things happen we, along with Eve, find out that the truth about but our narrator delivers most of this information in a flat affect, letting their sadness and mourning wash over us, but none of the shock. Even when , she sort of gives us this information in a way that makes it feel as though it was an inevitability. I'm torn on this subject because I like the way it was given to us, in this slow-moving gothicky sort of tone, rather than in earth-shattering revelations, but looking back on it, it feels untrue to the character and I think is part of what made the story drag a bit.
Also, this is just a personal preference, but I kind of wish we had been left with one or two questions about Eve's character/motivations at the very end. I would like a hint that perhaps things did not go exactly as she has said they went... perhaps she is hiding something, in the end? But anyway the ending was nice and neat and can't complain about that. A good book and a great story!
This was an awesome ride. I have never read anything by this author before but I have heard good things and wanted to try this one even though horror/thriller is not my typical genre. And I am so glad I did! This is a strong book, well-written, with excellent scenery, leaning a little gothic although I thought she could've committed more to the house-as-a-character vibe, but what really stands out is how engrossing the story-telling is. I well and truly felt like I was being read a ghost story or watching a spooky movie, I could feel the rain falling and the stonework crumbling around me. Even though you know (from chapter 1) more or less how the characters' stories will end up, there is still a great sense of mystery, foreboding, and feels like a big 'reveal' is coming. Perfect for spooky season!
On the down side, I felt the story dragged a bit after the 50% mark. It definitely slowed down in pace and I was more likely to put the book down and pick up my phone. I also wish there had been a bit of the actual "big reveal" feeling written into the characters' narration (does that make sense?). A lot of really shocking things happen we, along with Eve, find out that the truth about
Spoiler
Him and the benison, and the honey, the truth about Uncle's past, the ceremonies, Dinah's betrayal, about her mother! twice!,Spoiler
Abel has killed himselfAlso, this is just a personal preference, but I kind of wish we had been left with one or two questions about Eve's character/motivations at the very end. I would like a hint that perhaps things did not go exactly as she has said they went... perhaps she is hiding something, in the end? But anyway the ending was nice and neat and can't complain about that. A good book and a great story!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Body horror, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Injury/injury detail, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Grief, Pedophilia, Self harm, Gore, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Classism, Car accident, Body shaming, and Addiction
Minor: War, Vomit, Colonisation, Drug use, Death of parent, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia
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