Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Little Eve by Catriona Ward

39 reviews

racl's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? No

4.25

Sundial again, but on the ocean this time!
Culty, unhealthy family dynamics, beautiful writing, I enjoyed it!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Pregnancy, and War

bethsiekierawalker's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Drug use, Miscarriage, and Murder

charlottesreadingweb's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Having read both Needless Street and Sundial, I would say this is the best Catriona Ward book I have read. What it lacks in plot complexity, it makes up for in reflection on what it means to "be the villain" and how the pain of women & children is often unrecognized or ignored. I found myself heart broken repeatedly throughout this book. I found the ending poignant and beautiful. Fans of Needless Street may find this book underwhelming when comparing it's twists and turns, but I think it is a good option for gothic horror fans looking for a book that will pull at your heart strings. Please check content warnings. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Incest, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Self harm, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, and War

readsandsuch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Self harm, Torture, Religious bigotry, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, and Toxic friendship

archaicrobin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

1.0

Honestly, I really didn’t like this book. It had the same excellent writing and dark atmosphere of Ward’s other novels but was lacking in every other element for me. 

The characters were all unlikeable and prevented me from connecting with any of them.  The story is told from two timelines, one in the past before the massacre on the island, and the other after from the perspective of the sole survivor. It’s written in first person for both perspectives but this did not help connect with the character, it just made things more tedious in my opinion. 

Along with unlikeable characters the pacing was far too slow and this book was a total slog to get through. I had to force myself to read this because most of the time nothing was happening but more abusive cult bullshit with no real purpose. Trigger warnings for rape, drugs, torture, starvation, child abuse, sexual assault, pedophilia, and violence by the way because no trigger warnings are given and this whole book is focused on this mini cult where all these abuses occur.   It was so tedious to pick this up and have another chapter about abuse but it’s ok because it’s for Adder, like I GET IT, they’re in a cult on this island for some reason. 

I know there’s a plot in this book I just honestly can’t find it. The twist was also just confusing, there were so many questions, all of them left unanswered. The narrator is a huge part of the twist and it lies in her changing her mindset and leaving the brainwashing but it was unbelievable how it happened. She just woke up on day and decided to not believe in it anymore, after being raised and manipulated and abused her entire childhood she just one day stands up and says “nah”. 

Overall, I would skip this earlier novel by Ward which was recently re-released on the states and read her newer works instead that have engaging characters, better pacing, and a clear plot line that doesn’t get muddled up in abuse and cult nonsense. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

box_wine_hero's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This book was deeply disturbing, I almost rated it lower because it was hard to read sometimes. However, it was an excellent  story; I couldn't put it down even when I wanted.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy

elle_e_d_light's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Really dark, but beautifully written. Pairs well with "We Have Always Lived in the Castle." I liked this so much better than "The Last House on Needless Street". On to "Sundial".

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Murder, and Gaslighting

Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Miscarriage, Rape, and Suicide

A major topic of the book is cults and cult behavior. Just assume that most of the usual cult-related behaviors and activities will probably be at least mentioned at some point in this book.

goldenas's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder

jenmcvay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Rape

tomatocultivator's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gore, and Rape

Minor: Self harm