Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - Little Eve

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

savvyrosereads's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

Out October 11, 2022 [Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

On the island of Altnaharra lives a clan preparing for the end of the world and the rise of The Adder. But things aren’t exactly what they seem and terrible tragedies will have deadly consequences.

I love Gothic horror, so I when I saw glowing reviews from two of my most trusted book recommenders, I immediately suspected this one would be right up my alley…and I was definitely right. Little Eve has everything you could want out of a horror novel setting—it’s grim, dreary, tense, and haunting while still feeling just mystical enough for me to understand the lure. It’s also historical fiction that manages to feel both of its time and outside of time, borderline surreal while still entirely grounded. Setting can really make or break this kind of novel for me, and Catriona Ward absolutely nailed it here.

If the setting isn’t enough, the plot here is just as rich, smart, and nuanced. It’s culty without being campy, gory without being gratuitous, and surprising without being over the top. I felt like I was peeling back layers of an onion as I read, and even though I saw the end reveal coming, I was still on the edge of my seat in the final pages.

In short, the takeaway: this was my first Catriona Ward read, but it absolutely will not be my last.

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: Gothic horror; cult-based suspense; intricate settings

CW: Death/murder/blood; suicidal thoughts/suicide; sexual assault/child molestation; confinement; physical and emotional abuse including child abuse; animal cruelty/death; pregnancy/miscarriage.

Content Warnings

bookishbrenbren's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

Him and the benison, and the honey, the truth about Uncle's past, the ceremonies, Dinah's betrayal, about her mother! twice!,

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

Abel has killed himself

, 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!

Content Warnings

sorcha_rosa's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

More...