Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

Little Eve by Catriona Ward

11 reviews

thecozyintrovert's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Great book. There was not even one dull moment in the entire thing. I was intrigued and thoroughly entertained the entire time. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Rape, Murder, Incest, Miscarriage, Suicide, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, and Kidnapping

erinbarr13's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Rape, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Child abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Murder, Emotional abuse, Death, Confinement, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Animal death, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

lizreaderhold's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Abandonment, Animal death, Body horror, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Torture, Abortion, Child death, Chronic illness, Gore, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Addiction, Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Infertility, Confinement, Slavery, and Toxic relationship

mwass'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? It's complicated

3.5

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. The story itself was excellent, 5 starts! There were moments I was on the edge of my seat, suspense, plot twists, everything you want from a thriller! However, I found the story telling to be very dense and hard to get through. I was considering DNFing this until about 60% through the book, when I had no choice but to finish because I needed to know what happened. This could be because I’m generally just not very into historical ficition and this was my first gothic horror. So it’s feels more like this writing style just isn’t my personal jam, but the plot and characters were strong enough that I pushed through it! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Self harm, Murder, and Body horror

Moderate: Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Pedophilia and Rape

_bxllxe_'s review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-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

3.5

Trippy. Gothic. Salty. Vicious. Alluring. Slow-paced, but rewarding. Some twists were predictable, some were surprising. I liked this one a lot. The House on Needless Street is better. Catriona Ward will always be an author I automatically purchase, though. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and War

Minor: Rape and Pedophilia

mickeyzbookz's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Murder, Miscarriage, Torture, Suicide, Death, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Rape, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, and Blood

herasrevenge88's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Torture, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Miscarriage, Violence, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Drug abuse, Death, Body horror, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Pedophilia, Drug use, Confinement, Child abuse, and Blood

_teoeo's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Violence, Child death, Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Blood, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Murder, Rape, Suicide, and Torture

rachelunabridged's review

dark 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? Yes

5.0

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC!

~ ~ ~

On the isle of Altnaharra, Uncle and his young acolytes await the coming of Him, the snake from the sea.

~ ~ ~

My mind has been blown by Catriona Ward yet again! I've loved everything by her that I've read so far and had a hunch that this read would be equally fantastic. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this book exceeded all of my expectations. Even though I've been absolutely swamped with college classwork, I found myself sneaking in as much of this read as I could. Every time I had to put it down, the story stayed stuck in my head until I picked it up again.

Additionally, this book has one of the best opening chapters I've ever read. It hooked me right from the beginning, and Ward did a fantastic job building on that intrigue as the plot progressed. This was one of those reads where I found myself completely immersed in the events of the story and desperate to see how it was going to turn out. Unlike the other works I've read by this author, I was able to guess where this book was going, but it didn't make the experience of watching it unfold any less enjoyable, in a messed up kind of way.

When I started this review, I thought about not including a summary of the plot at all. I think that this book is best experienced with as little prior knowledge as possible, which is why I ultimately settled on the single sentence above. I will, however, let you know that this is a cult book. There is murder. There is intrigue. And it's a hell of a ride from start to finish. If any of those things sound enticing to you, you should give this a read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Suicide, Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, and Violence

Moderate: Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Torture

Minor: Kidnapping and War

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

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

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