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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I spent most of this book lost, and it only got more and more confusing. I didn't mind being lost for the most part. I unfortunately didn't like the main character, and the ending of the book was just ok. I had fun reading though. I appreciate that the author didn't go into details for any graphic parts.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i cannot lie that was pretty bonkers and that atmosphere was perfect
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
While a lot of people loved The Last House on Needless Street, I enjoyed Little Eve much more both in tone and in plot. This story follows two narratives set in different times. One follows Eve, a young girl growing up in an isolated doomsday cult on the Scottish Isle Altnaharra. The second follows Dinah, another member of the cult and follows her life in the aftermath of what occurs on Altnaharra.
I would consider this more of a literary horror in the vein of Shirley Jackson (which makes sense that this won a Shirley Jackson Award). If you like the tone of We Have Always Lived in the Castle, I would suspect that you would also enjoy this book. I think the thing that kept this from being a 5 star read for me (other than me being stingy with 5 star ratings) comes down to personal preference. I think I prefer stories dealing with cults that come from a newcomer's perspective, as we then get the discovery and the growing dread that comes with them discovering it is a cult. However, because the story is told from the perspective of children raised and indoctrinated in the cult, the abuse they face on a daily basis is evident from the beginning even if they see it as a normal part of life.
I would consider this more of a literary horror in the vein of Shirley Jackson (which makes sense that this won a Shirley Jackson Award). If you like the tone of We Have Always Lived in the Castle, I would suspect that you would also enjoy this book. I think the thing that kept this from being a 5 star read for me (other than me being stingy with 5 star ratings) comes down to personal preference. I think I prefer stories dealing with cults that come from a newcomer's perspective, as we then get the discovery and the growing dread that comes with them discovering it is a cult. However, because the story is told from the perspective of children raised and indoctrinated in the cult, the abuse they face on a daily basis is evident from the beginning even if they see it as a normal part of life.
I am a ride or die Catriona Ward fan. Months after I finished Sundial, I still have nightmares about it. That's impressive. So impressive, in fact, that I will read anything else you put in front of me by Catriona. Enter Little Eve.
Little Eve is set on the Scottish isle of Altnaharra in the early 1900's. The story follows Evelyn and her "family" as they're being indoctrinated by "Uncle", the family patriarch and a self proclaimed deity of sorts. The book opens with a gruesome tragedy and walks the reader back in time through the journey the family took to reach such a climax.
The way Catriona is able to unravel the threads of a plot and slowly weave them back together into something entirely new multiple times over is truly what sets her apart. I am such a fan of the dark and atmospheric backdrop the book had. I felt several times like I had "figured out" what was going on, only to be completely shocked several times. I thought the book started off slow and it took me some time to truly grasp the plot, but I came to appreciate that as it lent an even starker contrast to the ride I felt like I was on by the end. Once again, Catriona has left me thinking of a book over and over even after the last page.
Thanks so much to Tor Nightfire as well as Netgalley for the opportunity to read this and share my thoughts ahead of the US release.
Little Eve is set on the Scottish isle of Altnaharra in the early 1900's. The story follows Evelyn and her "family" as they're being indoctrinated by "Uncle", the family patriarch and a self proclaimed deity of sorts. The book opens with a gruesome tragedy and walks the reader back in time through the journey the family took to reach such a climax.
The way Catriona is able to unravel the threads of a plot and slowly weave them back together into something entirely new multiple times over is truly what sets her apart. I am such a fan of the dark and atmospheric backdrop the book had. I felt several times like I had "figured out" what was going on, only to be completely shocked several times. I thought the book started off slow and it took me some time to truly grasp the plot, but I came to appreciate that as it lent an even starker contrast to the ride I felt like I was on by the end. Once again, Catriona has left me thinking of a book over and over even after the last page.
Thanks so much to Tor Nightfire as well as Netgalley for the opportunity to read this and share my thoughts ahead of the US release.