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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-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
This wasn’t for me but it had a lot of qualities that would appeal to a ton of readers! Review to come!
Out now!
Little Eve is a gothic horror story featuring an isolated castle off the coast of Scotland, a cult, and a dual timeline and alternating points of view.
Nothing is what it seems on Altnaharra.
What worked for me:
•Incredible descriptive writing - truly immersive & atmospheric!
•Very gory. Lots of visceral scenes.
•An intriguing mystery
•The cult storyline was really interesting
What didn’t work for me
•The POVs & timelines really confused me. I was often confused and found this hard to follow. (This is a total me issue; I read this book in a very disjointed way - in 15 minute increments over the course of a month. It requires your focus!)
•The characters - I struggled with a few of them. But I did love the others - bit of a mixed bag!
I think I was hoping for something a bit scarier, but it really just dragged on and didn’t scare me at all.
Thank you to Macmillan Tor/Forge and NetGalley for my digital review copy!
Out now!
Little Eve is a gothic horror story featuring an isolated castle off the coast of Scotland, a cult, and a dual timeline and alternating points of view.
Nothing is what it seems on Altnaharra.
What worked for me:
•Incredible descriptive writing - truly immersive & atmospheric!
•Very gory. Lots of visceral scenes.
•An intriguing mystery
•The cult storyline was really interesting
What didn’t work for me
•The POVs & timelines really confused me. I was often confused and found this hard to follow. (This is a total me issue; I read this book in a very disjointed way - in 15 minute increments over the course of a month. It requires your focus!)
•The characters - I struggled with a few of them. But I did love the others - bit of a mixed bag!
I think I was hoping for something a bit scarier, but it really just dragged on and didn’t scare me at all.
Thank you to Macmillan Tor/Forge and NetGalley for my digital review copy!
"I don't know which is worse - suffering or the memory of it. Memory, perhaps, because it does not end."
I don't think it's possible for Catriona Ward to write something I won't love. This is the 3rd book by her I've read and it did not disappoint! Little Eve was creepy, and I loved that I didn't quite know what was really happening or what was just in a character's head. Although I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, I enjoyed not knowing exactly what was going on until the last 25% or so of this story. It kept me guessing and turning the pages!
I don't think it's possible for Catriona Ward to write something I won't love. This is the 3rd book by her I've read and it did not disappoint! Little Eve was creepy, and I loved that I didn't quite know what was really happening or what was just in a character's head. Although I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, I enjoyed not knowing exactly what was going on until the last 25% or so of this story. It kept me guessing and turning the pages!
Catriona Ward writing a gothic horror novel set on an island off the coast of Scotland? Yes!
Although this novel was written earlier in her career and was recently republished, it won the Shirley Jackson award and I can certainly see why.
Ward is probably my second favorite horror novelist at the moment and this book did not disappoint.
The story takes place in the early 1900s and follows a small family cult that worships a snake god called the Adder. The family is ruled by Uncle who has stolen young girls from their families and raised them in his own twisted vision. The opening of the book is a ghastly set of ritualistic murders of which there is only one survivor. The rest of the story is told from a couple different POV's going back to the beginning, through the opening murder and onward.
It's all very compelling and creepy and I just love the way Ward writes. Can't wait to see what she does next.
Although this novel was written earlier in her career and was recently republished, it won the Shirley Jackson award and I can certainly see why.
Ward is probably my second favorite horror novelist at the moment and this book did not disappoint.
The story takes place in the early 1900s and follows a small family cult that worships a snake god called the Adder. The family is ruled by Uncle who has stolen young girls from their families and raised them in his own twisted vision. The opening of the book is a ghastly set of ritualistic murders of which there is only one survivor. The rest of the story is told from a couple different POV's going back to the beginning, through the opening murder and onward.
It's all very compelling and creepy and I just love the way Ward writes. Can't wait to see what she does next.
This was very different than my favorites of hers, and moved at a snail’s pace.
Winner of the 2018 Shirley Jackson award!
This book is like The Wasp Factory with a flourish of cult craziness and a good helping of We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, then don’t bother reading any further. What a weird, wild, and wonderful book. I’ve never read anything quite like it.
The plot is a before and after: a fever-dream rendition of the past where young Evelyn describes her strange life on a secluded island in a damp castle with her domineering Uncle and siblings and what happens after, narrated by Dinah. The tipping point is a monstrous scene that opens the book—if you read that far, you’ll be hooked—but everything is not as it appears. Eve and Dinah see and remember things differently: whose version is correct, who is telling the truth?
I loved this book. Some books (I call them beach reads) you can just breeze through without really thinking about. They are still fun to read, but don’t offer a lot of substance or anything for your mind to sink its hooks into. This is a book you have to grapple with, really read and think about as you’re reading, but if you’re willing to put in the effort, it’s so worth it.
I recommend this one.
I will definitely be seeking out Ward’s first book, Rawblood, which has not only been recommended to me by some readers I trust but sounds just as intriguing and gothic as this one.
This book is like The Wasp Factory with a flourish of cult craziness and a good helping of We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, then don’t bother reading any further. What a weird, wild, and wonderful book. I’ve never read anything quite like it.
The plot is a before and after: a fever-dream rendition of the past where young Evelyn describes her strange life on a secluded island in a damp castle with her domineering Uncle and siblings and what happens after, narrated by Dinah. The tipping point is a monstrous scene that opens the book—if you read that far, you’ll be hooked—but everything is not as it appears. Eve and Dinah see and remember things differently: whose version is correct, who is telling the truth?
I loved this book. Some books (I call them beach reads) you can just breeze through without really thinking about. They are still fun to read, but don’t offer a lot of substance or anything for your mind to sink its hooks into. This is a book you have to grapple with, really read and think about as you’re reading, but if you’re willing to put in the effort, it’s so worth it.
I recommend this one.
I will definitely be seeking out Ward’s first book, Rawblood, which has not only been recommended to me by some readers I trust but sounds just as intriguing and gothic as this one.
slow-paced
A historical thriller featuring a cult and hints of supernatural elements. I honestly have no idea what happened in this book. I know that it has unreliable narrators on purpose, but my goodness what a chore to read.
Little Eve was a mixed read for me. The atmosphere was wonderful, and I liked a lot about the writing, but I never quite connected with the book.
The book is set on Altnaharra, an island off the coast of Scotland, where a small cult is led by a man the children call Uncle. The book begins with the discovery of a series of murders on the island -- all of the cult members are dead, with a missing eye, except for Dinah. She tells the authorities that Eve, a teen girl, is the one who did it. The novel then flashes back to life in the cult from Eve's perspective.
I had a hard time connecting with either Eve or Dinah, our two narrators, both girls in the cult. The individual sentences were lovely, and I really enjoy Ward's writing from an aesthetic perspective, but the book as a whole didn't fully engage me. One character I enjoyed a lot was Chief Inspector Black, and I found myself rushing through the girls' sections to get more of him. The cult felt fairly generic as well, and the writing was disconnected from the abuse and fear the children were experiencing. However, I loved the setting and the atmosphere and felt immersed in life on the island in a way I didn't with the characters. I could almost smell the sea while reading.
I read and loved Ward's The Last House on Needless Street (easily a 5-star read for me), and a big part of what I loved was that emotional connection. I cared about the characters, I was terrified in places, and the ending made me cry. So it's surprising that Little Eve left me so cold. Still, I'm curious to see what Ward comes out with next and if it will recapture the magic of Needless Street for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for my review copy of this book
The book is set on Altnaharra, an island off the coast of Scotland, where a small cult is led by a man the children call Uncle. The book begins with the discovery of a series of murders on the island -- all of the cult members are dead, with a missing eye, except for Dinah. She tells the authorities that Eve, a teen girl, is the one who did it. The novel then flashes back to life in the cult from Eve's perspective.
I had a hard time connecting with either Eve or Dinah, our two narrators, both girls in the cult. The individual sentences were lovely, and I really enjoy Ward's writing from an aesthetic perspective, but the book as a whole didn't fully engage me. One character I enjoyed a lot was Chief Inspector Black, and I found myself rushing through the girls' sections to get more of him. The cult felt fairly generic as well, and the writing was disconnected from the abuse and fear the children were experiencing. However, I loved the setting and the atmosphere and felt immersed in life on the island in a way I didn't with the characters. I could almost smell the sea while reading.
I read and loved Ward's The Last House on Needless Street (easily a 5-star read for me), and a big part of what I loved was that emotional connection. I cared about the characters, I was terrified in places, and the ending made me cry. So it's surprising that Little Eve left me so cold. Still, I'm curious to see what Ward comes out with next and if it will recapture the magic of Needless Street for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for my review copy of this book