A review by lovelymisanthrope
Little Eve by Catriona Ward

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

After reading and loving "Looking Glass Sound", I was excited to read more from Catriona Ward's backlist. 
"Little Eve" follows Eve, a young girl who will do anything for her clan and their beliefs. The clan is preparing for the end of the world and its rebirth, but when during the ceremony they are interrupted, everything starts to go awry. 
Overall, I was very disappointed in this novel. This story lacked the magic that I loved from "Looking Glass Sound". There was just something about the narrative and the characters that I could not connect with, and because of that, I could not get into the story. This ended up being one of those novels that I had to force myself to finish. 
Eve was a highly complex character that had an interesting character progression. On the one hand I did not appreciate where her character ended up going and the decisions she made specifically in the second half of the book. However, I did empathize with her because this is the only world she has ever known, and it has to be difficult to know and do any different. 
Truthfully, I am not a big end of the world trope fan. So, that alone could be why I struggled to get into this story. I also think some of the scenes were a little too difficult to read because they depicted child neglect and confinement in such vivid detail. 
I do think Catriona Ward is a talented wordsmith, and she is able to craft a complexly interesting story. Her characters are flawed and relatable, and she is able to paint a vivid depiction. 
I am sure this novel has its audience, and I would still recommend it to someone who thinks the premise sounds interesting. Additionally, I will still be reading from Catriona Ward in the future. 
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