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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
2024 update:
I still love this book with my all my heart. Reread and annotated before I pass it on to my reader group so they can also read and annotate it. I am excited to see what they think of it. The chilling atmosphere and unreliable narration at every turn is what makes this one a masterpiece.
Original Review:
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Favorite of the year for sure. Catriona Ward does it again and I need to get my hands on Rawblood so that I can claim to have read all her currently published works. She has quickly become an autobuy author for me and this book made that even more clear. The atmosphere in this story is an element in this story that is heightened to a spectacular level. Again her characters are ones that are fascinatingly flawed. The twists towards the end of this one made it come together phenomenally. I think on a reread this would be an even better novel since I would be able to pick up on even more details and foreshadowing. The story being told from both past and present was also utilized as a writing tool to keep the reader in suspense and reveal things at the most exciting moments. Can’t wait to for this author to write more in the future because I am clearly here for it.
I still love this book with my all my heart. Reread and annotated before I pass it on to my reader group so they can also read and annotate it. I am excited to see what they think of it. The chilling atmosphere and unreliable narration at every turn is what makes this one a masterpiece.
Original Review:
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Favorite of the year for sure. Catriona Ward does it again and I need to get my hands on Rawblood so that I can claim to have read all her currently published works. She has quickly become an autobuy author for me and this book made that even more clear. The atmosphere in this story is an element in this story that is heightened to a spectacular level. Again her characters are ones that are fascinatingly flawed. The twists towards the end of this one made it come together phenomenally. I think on a reread this would be an even better novel since I would be able to pick up on even more details and foreshadowing. The story being told from both past and present was also utilized as a writing tool to keep the reader in suspense and reveal things at the most exciting moments. Can’t wait to for this author to write more in the future because I am clearly here for it.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3 stars
Emotionally impenetrable, there are a few things working against Little Eve from being as enjoyable for me as Catriona Ward's later releases (this predates The Last House on Needless Street, originally published in 2018), some are simply personal preferences, while others are more technical. As a whole Catriona Ward's nebulous, nonlinear writing style is already in place, and I'm very happy to see how much it has matured since this early work.
Historical fiction and story about cult are not high on my reading preference, so immediately Little Eve has to work extra in order to maintain my engagement. Unfortunately, the dream-like, passive verbiage only acts to further distancing the reader; I was unable to form any emotional bond towards the cast, and it became a pain point later on when identity of multiple characters came into question (the reveal was more confusing than surprising). The non-chronological storytelling also comes across like a gimmick to over-complicate things, with the plot adding up to very little in retrospect.
Regarding the audiobook, while I appreciate Carolyn Bonnyman's polished narration, the overall format (no chapter numbers) and the way the novel is constructed (constant switching of perspective and timeline) is very ill-fitted in audio form—possibly compounded my disorientation throughout.
Still, there's no denying Catriona Ward's strength as a writer, as there is quite a collection of atmospheric, vividly described scenes in Little Eve, is just that as a whole package I came out quite neutral and uncaring about it all. I would highly recommend Sundial if you're still curious about Little Eve's synopsis, as there are quite a number of thematic overlaps between the two.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
Emotionally impenetrable, there are a few things working against Little Eve from being as enjoyable for me as Catriona Ward's later releases (this predates The Last House on Needless Street, originally published in 2018), some are simply personal preferences, while others are more technical. As a whole Catriona Ward's nebulous, nonlinear writing style is already in place, and I'm very happy to see how much it has matured since this early work.
Historical fiction and story about cult are not high on my reading preference, so immediately Little Eve has to work extra in order to maintain my engagement. Unfortunately, the dream-like, passive verbiage only acts to further distancing the reader; I was unable to form any emotional bond towards the cast, and it became a pain point later on when identity of multiple characters came into question (the reveal was more confusing than surprising). The non-chronological storytelling also comes across like a gimmick to over-complicate things, with the plot adding up to very little in retrospect.
Regarding the audiobook, while I appreciate Carolyn Bonnyman's polished narration, the overall format (no chapter numbers) and the way the novel is constructed (constant switching of perspective and timeline) is very ill-fitted in audio form—possibly compounded my disorientation throughout.
Still, there's no denying Catriona Ward's strength as a writer, as there is quite a collection of atmospheric, vividly described scenes in Little Eve, is just that as a whole package I came out quite neutral and uncaring about it all. I would highly recommend Sundial if you're still curious about Little Eve's synopsis, as there are quite a number of thematic overlaps between the two.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I listened to the audio while following along in ebook ...
I truly wanted to love this, as I found the blurb interesting ...
However ...
I just could not get into the characters or the plot.
I loved the mystery, suspense, and magic ... but considering I want to be able to follow the plot and at least like a character, I could not get into this.
I see reviews raving that they loved it, but I guess this one was not for me. 🥹
I truly wanted to love this, as I found the blurb interesting ...
However ...
I just could not get into the characters or the plot.
I loved the mystery, suspense, and magic ... but considering I want to be able to follow the plot and at least like a character, I could not get into this.
I see reviews raving that they loved it, but I guess this one was not for me. 🥹
I listened to the audio while following along in ebook ...
I truly wanted to love this, as I found the blurb interesting ...
However ...
I just could not get into the characters or the plot.
I loved the mystery, suspense, and magic ... but considering I want to be able to follow the plot and at least like a character, I could not get into this.
I see reviews raving that they loved it, but I guess this one was not for me. 🥹
I truly wanted to love this, as I found the blurb interesting ...
However ...
I just could not get into the characters or the plot.
I loved the mystery, suspense, and magic ... but considering I want to be able to follow the plot and at least like a character, I could not get into this.
I see reviews raving that they loved it, but I guess this one was not for me. 🥹
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Gore, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-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