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A review by bookandcoffeeaddict
Little Eve by Catriona Ward
5.0
Little Eve is a dark, gothic tale of two sisters raised in a small secret doomsday cult off the coast of Scotland, on the isolated isle of Altnaharra, and the events leading to, and aftermath of, a bloody reckoning that leaves only one survivor on the island.
On the morning of January 2, 1921, the bodies of the inhabitants of the island are found ritually murdered. Dinah is the only one who manages to survive the brutal slaughter, just barely, and Eve, who wielded the knife, is missing.
The story unfolds across two alternating timelines. Dinah writes from the aftermath, living with the trauma of her upbringing and the horror from the night of the murders. Through Eve, the events leading up to that bloodstained day uncoil, revealing the true circumstances guiding her hand.
Despite the body count, the horror of Little Eve is more literary and psychological than blood and gore (though there is some of that). The island snake cult is dark, creepy, and twisted, a feeling perfectly mirrored in the crumbling castle and isolated landscape of Altnaharra. Eve, despite, or maybe as a result of, being a product of her environment, comes off as a sympathetic character, especially when you realize she’s only about 17 at the time of the murders.
The brief description of this book did not do it justice. When I tell you I could not put this book down, I’m not even exaggerating. I was turning pages, biting my nails, and gasping out loud. The author uses unreliable narrators artfully and skillfully to tell a twisted story that keeps the reader on edge and hooked.
Little Eve is a hidden gem of a literary gothic novel with the same gloomy, isolated vibes as The Others or The Woman In Black. The atmosphere, the characters, the twists and turns, the tension, the reveals - Little Eve is my favorite kind of gothic novel. The author’s been making a name for herself in the gothic horror/thriller genre and I’ve heard good things about her other books, so I'll absolutely be checking those out soon.
*thank you to the publishers for a review copy
On the morning of January 2, 1921, the bodies of the inhabitants of the island are found ritually murdered. Dinah is the only one who manages to survive the brutal slaughter, just barely, and Eve, who wielded the knife, is missing.
The story unfolds across two alternating timelines. Dinah writes from the aftermath, living with the trauma of her upbringing and the horror from the night of the murders. Through Eve, the events leading up to that bloodstained day uncoil, revealing the true circumstances guiding her hand.
Despite the body count, the horror of Little Eve is more literary and psychological than blood and gore (though there is some of that). The island snake cult is dark, creepy, and twisted, a feeling perfectly mirrored in the crumbling castle and isolated landscape of Altnaharra. Eve, despite, or maybe as a result of, being a product of her environment, comes off as a sympathetic character, especially when you realize she’s only about 17 at the time of the murders.
The brief description of this book did not do it justice. When I tell you I could not put this book down, I’m not even exaggerating. I was turning pages, biting my nails, and gasping out loud. The author uses unreliable narrators artfully and skillfully to tell a twisted story that keeps the reader on edge and hooked.
Little Eve is a hidden gem of a literary gothic novel with the same gloomy, isolated vibes as The Others or The Woman In Black. The atmosphere, the characters, the twists and turns, the tension, the reveals - Little Eve is my favorite kind of gothic novel. The author’s been making a name for herself in the gothic horror/thriller genre and I’ve heard good things about her other books, so I'll absolutely be checking those out soon.
*thank you to the publishers for a review copy