Little Eve

by Catriona Ward

A heart-pounding tale of faith and family, with a devastating twist

“A great day is upon us. He is coming. The world will be washed away.”

On the wind-battered isle of Altnaharra, off the wildest coast of Scotland, a clan prepares to bring about the end of the world and its imminent rebirth.

The Adder is coming and one of their number will inherit its powers. They all want the honor, but young Eve is willing to do anything for the distinction.

A reckoning beyond Eve’s imagination begins when Chief Inspector Black arrives to investigate a brutal murder and their sacred ceremony goes terribly wrong.

And soon all the secrets of Altnaharra will be uncovered.

Genres: Horror, Gothic, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Cults

289 pages, ebook

First published July 26, 2018

About the author

CATRIONA WARD was born in Washington, DC and grew up in the United States, Kenya, Madagascar, Yemen, and Morocco. She read English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford and is a graduate of the Creative Writing MA at the University of East Anglia. Her forthcoming novel, Nowhere Burning, will be published by Tor Nightfire in the US and Viper Books in the UK this year. `Her last book, Looking Glass Sound, was a USA Today bestseller. Her fourth novel, the gothic thriller Sundial (2022 - Viper, Tor Nightfire) was Observer Thriller of the Month and a USA Today, CNN and Apple Books selection for best new fiction. Stephen King called Sundial ‘Authentically terrifying…. Do not miss this book.’

Ward’s third breakout novel The Last House on Needless Street (2021 - Viper, Tor Nightfire) won the August Derleth Prize and has been shortlisted for the Kitschies, the British Book Awards, the South Bank Award, and the World Fantasy Award. Esquire magazine listed it as one of the top 25 best horror novels of all time. Rights have been sold in twenty-nine territories, it was a Richard and Judy Book Club selection, a Times Book of the Month, Observer Book of the Month, March Editor’s Pick on Radio 4’s Open Book, a Between the Covers BBC2 book club selection and a Sunday Times bestseller. The Last House on Needless Street is being developed for film by Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish’s production company, The Imaginarium. Stephen King said of The Last House on Needless Street, ‘I was blown away. It's a true nerve-shredder that keeps its mind-blowing secrets to the very end. Haven't read anything this exciting since GONE GIRL.’

Ward’s second novel Little Eve (2018 - W&N, Tor Nightfire) won the 2019 Shirley Jackson Award, the August Derleth Prize at the British Fantasy Awards and was a Guardian best book of 2018. Nightfire published Little Eve for the first time in the US in 2022. Ward’s debut Rawblood (2015 - W&N, Sourcebooks) also won the 2016 August Derleth, making her the only woman to have won the prize three times. Her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and have been shortlisted for various prizes. She lives in London and Devon.

Her short story, The African Painted Dog, is part of The End of The World as We Know It, Tales from The Stand. Introduced by Stephen King, this anthology is the first time authors have been permitted to write in Stephen King;'s universe.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another bleak, dark and gothic Catriona Ward’s creative mind experience centered on two orphan girls’ lives within a cult, led by one man called himself “Uncle”. There are two other children, two women in their group living in poor conditions, ostracized by the public, at a mansion located in grey Isles of Altnaharra which seats in the black sea off the wildest coast of Scotland.

They keep practicing the rituals to get ready for the end of the world. All the events take place between 1917- 1921.

The opening of the story is blood freezing and shocking ( I don’t expect less from the author) Jamie MacRaith, the butcher of Altnaharra , reluctantly goes to the haunted mansion where the creepy lives to deliver their daily order, finding the door unlocked. He finds the entire family lying dead instead of two orphans. Dinah fights for her life, lying on the floor, one of her eyes is scratched and Eve is nowhere to be seen. She’s the one who is responsible of the massacre.

Then we move backward to find out the creepy dynamics, bizarre rituals of the family.

This gothic tale includes so many bloody murders, jaw dropping, heart throbbing moments and the story unfolds with a twist that you didn’t see it coming!

It’s a bloody fast pacing Northern Gothic for the horror fans and truly dedicated fans of the author like me! I recommend you to save it for Halloween which may increase its full impact!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/ Tor- Forge for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

[Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - why is GR broken? -_- · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Jordan Hanley at Tor/Nightfire, and Catriona Ward for an ARC of this book! Now available as of 10.11!**

If historical fiction is not normally the genre for me...I can now say that gothic-tinged historical fiction is DEFINITELY not the genre for me.

This horror-lite, gothic-heavy novel from Catriona Ward made me wonder if I was reading a book from an entirely different author...or if her writing has just evolved THAT much over time!

Eve and Dinah are part of a cult led by "Uncle," isolated from society in a remote part of Scotland. They are preparing for the coming of the Adder, where one of them will inherit mysterious powers. In order to prepare, they must keep their bodies clean and this involves performing some rather bizarre rituals. Eve is determined that she will be the one to obtain the powers, but things go awry (yes, even in this already bizarre situation) when a body turns up and the inspector comes a-calling. Are the secrets held at Altnaharra even more dangerous than any of the members of this group could ever predict? And will Little Eve get her wish...or will she rue the day she ever desired such dangerous powers?

It's hard to know where to start with this book. I'm very hit or miss with cult novels, and if I had known going in this essentially IS a cult novel, I probably would have skipped it altogether. However, I know Catriona Ward is a brilliant author and I have thoroughly enjoyed both other books I read by her, so I figured I had nothing to lose.

However, what I ended up losing most...was interest.

I had such a hard time following even the basic tenets of this plot and I am not entirely sure why. It reminded me of reading a book written in the 1800s (or a similar era) where an extra level of focus is required to get through meatier writing...but without any of the payoff. This was a long slog for me, and I am honestly stunned it is less than 300 pages, because I would have guessed it was closer to 500. The narrative felt clunky, repetitious, and all over the place. None of Ward's hypnotizing descriptions, fascinating characters, and dizzying mind puzzles leapt off the page for me as they did in Needless Street, or even in the more exciting parts of Sundial. I know authors tend to grow and change over time, but if you had presented me with this book and told me this was a completely different author, I wouldn't have questioned it at all!

This book won the Shirley Jackson award upon its original UK release in 2018, and I have no doubt the honor is deserved. There are plenty of readers who have devoured this one and have appreciated Ward's craft in this particular story. I personally prefer the psychological horror path she has tread AFTER this book and I hope she will continue to travel down THAT path...leaving any further forays into the past both out of sight AND out of mind.

3 stars

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catriona Ward has knocked my socks off again!!!!

Gothic, dark and mesmerizing. I did not want to put this book down!

The book opens with a horrible, horrible discovery....

Little Eve lives with Uncle and her 'family' on the grey Isle of Altnaharra, off the Coast of Scotland. Eve loves it there. It is all she knows save for the memories of a woman singing. She and her 'sister' Dinah are close, and Eve hopes one day to inherit Uncle's power. Dinah hopes for something else.

As war breaks out, things change drastically. Eve begins to question the things and people in her life. Then one night there is a terrible, terrible storm....

Who is telling the truth? What can be trusted?

Woohoo! Ward is on her game in this book. It is equally disturbing and gripping! It is always brilliant!

This was such a clever and perfectly plotted book. It is atmospheric, gothic and oozing with tension. The characters were interesting and while you might root for some; others are quite nasty, and you will want to boo and hiss at them. There are quite a few twists and turns throughout this book and as the layers are pulled away, the book becomes more and more gruesome. Don't let that hold you back, as this book is riveting and so well done.

If you have read Ward before you know she is creative and adept at writing vivid and brilliant scenes. I felt as if I was a fly (or shall I say bee) on the wall, watching as the events unfold at Altnaharra.

Ward fans will be delighted.

Gothic, well written and atmospheric!

Highly recommend!


#LittleEve #NetGalley.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Hot off the success of The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial, Catriona Ward's 2018-novel, Little Eve was rereleased earlier this month.

I was super impressed with Ward's most recent releases, so was very excited to check this one out as well. The synopsis sounded just as WTF as I would expect and the story itself didn't disappoint in that regard.



This novel starts out with a bang, as the brutalized bodies of a family are discovered off the coast of Scotland, on the remote island of Altnaharra. The scene appears be ritualistic in nature.

The rest of the story fills in the pieces of the events that preceded that horrific event.



The narrative follows a few different perspectives and jumps around in the timeline as well. You mainly follow Eve and Dinah, who are two of the girls living on Altnaharra with the mysterious 'Uncle'. Through their words you begin to understand what their life was like on the island.

There's also the perspective of Chief Inspector Black, who becomes involved in Eve's life. His view, from an outsider's eyes, really helps to highlight the horrors of Altnaharra.



For the first quarter of this, I was well and truly confused. It is revealed later in the story why that might have been and I did come to understand why Ward would have written it that way. It made sense if you were seeing the world through the mind of these characters.

The tension and pace picks up at the story goes on. I had no idea who I could trust. I was loving so many of the reveals as the puzzle pieces began to fall into place.



Towards the end, it started to get a bit chaotic again and I was finding it a bit more difficult to track what was going on. In fact, I listened to a couple of the last chapters at least three times, trying to capture it all.

That is another thing, I did listen to the audiobook and I'm not sure, that could have added a bit to my confusion. The accent was a little tough for me, with my dumb foreign ears, so some names and words were hard to differentiate.

I think if I would have read a hard copy, maybe I would have had a slightly easier time keeping track of everything.



With this being said, the story itself was absolutely captivating. The atmosphere was rich and creepy as heck. I enjoyed the mystery of it all and finding out the truth.

While the ending wasn't perfect for me, this was definitely a memorable one. Ward is unique and we love that. Each novel I have read from her is totally different from each other and also like nothing else I have read. That's a gift.



Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I enjoyed this one. It's dark content and stunningly-cold atmosphere is perfect for the Spooky Season.

I cannot wait to see what Ward comes up with next!!!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The world changes at night. Bad things from the beginning of the earth roam in the dark. We must always be safe on the isle by the time the sun falls into the sea."

And that darkness permeates throughout Little Eve. Things that look in their natural state may well not be. Little Eve will certainly not be for everyone. Know that full-out going in. The language and the panoramic setting are tightly knit emulating life at the turn of the last century hugging the jagged coast along the cliffs of Scotland.

There is an ancient stone castle there that houses the likes of a handful of young girls and the limping old man known as "Uncle". Uncle promises them a profound future....something they've never had before. He tells them that they are children of the sea and to the sea they shall return. But these girls must heed his warnings and stay close to the source of power in Altnaharra. If not, they suffer consequences and abandonment.

But village life of the "Impure" edges closely to the confines of this castle. School and supplies are a reality. And so is the son of the school master, Jamie. Uncle fears this closeness and Eve and Dinah desire it most. In time, Chief Inspector Black sets his sights on this life in the stone castle. Will he ever be able to crack through these walls of stone?

Little Eve is a remarkable read by Catriona Ward. I was taken with The Last House On Needless Street as well. This one sinks deeper and darker. It weaves bits and pieces of the storyline in unexpected places for readers to take notice. Much is yet to come and much is expected from Ward. It can be confusing at times and readers have closed the book with a DNF. But stick with this one and the genius of Ward will twist its way into the conclusion. Have patience with Little Eve. The curling of your toes is yet to come.....guaranteed.

[John Mauro · Rating 4 out of 5]

My complete review of Little Eve is published at Grimdark Magazine.

Gothic horror comes to northern Scotland in Little Eve, Catriona Ward’s terrifying second novel. Originally published in 2018, Little Eve is winner of the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel and the British Fantasy Award for Best Horror. Little Eve has recently been republished by Tor Nightfire.

Catriona Ward chose the perfect setting for horror: the foreboding Isle of Altnaharra off the coast of the Scottish Highlands. Altnaharra is connected to the mainland only via a gated causeway which is exposed during low tide.

The novel opens in 1921 with the discovery of five mutilated bodies arranged in a circle, heads radiating outward in the style of a compass. Even more disturbing, the right eyes of the victims have been gouged out, apparently as part of some occultist ritual.

There is one survivor, Dinah, who points the finger of blame at fellow cult member Evelyn as the killer.

Most of the novel is told from the first-person perspectives of Dinah and Evelyn, allowing us to unravel the beliefs and rituals of their cult while understanding the events leading to this appalling mass murder. The cult members worship a snake deity known as the Adder, who will pass along its powers to one worthy follower as they prepare for the end of the world and its eventual rebirth. Young Evelyn will do anything to inherit these powers.

The chapters narrated by Evelyn are especially disturbing, detailing the cult’s snake-worship, blood sacrifices, and other horrific practices, as Evelyn learns the power of violence.

To help unravel the true workings of the cult, Catriona Ward also writes from the more objective perspective of Inspector Christopher Black, who is investigating the case and takes particular interest in Evelyn.

Underneath its layers of mystery and horror, Little Eve explores the meaning of belonging and family. The cult members—including girls separated from their biological families—are led by a charismatic, snake-handling patriarch whom they call Uncle. The novel spans from 1917 to 1946, covering the backstory of the cult members and the long-lasting impact of its violence.

Catriona Ward’s writing is dense but absorbing, with a hypnotic quality akin to staring in the unblinking eyes of a giant snake. I felt, at times, that the narrative was treading water. But everything came together at the end, with an immensely satisfying conclusion. All in all, Little Eve is a mesmerizing Gothic horror depicting the ease at which young minds can be steered toward insanity and violence.

[JaymeO · Rating 5 out of 5]

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!

“What has happened here? A terrible thing.”

Written in 2018, Little Eve is the second novel written by Catriona Ward. In 2019, it won the Shirley Jackson award for best novel as well as the British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel.

Despite its notoriety, October 11, 2022 is the first time the book will be published in the U.S.

On a personal note, I devoured Ward’s last two books, The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial. She has easily become one of my favorite psychological horror writers. So naturally, I couldn’t wait to read the book that won two of the most prestigious awards.

…And this book is Golden!

Part Historical Fiction, Gothic, Horror, and Mystery, Little Eve is the the cult plot that outshines them all.

What is power? Who has it and how do they use it?

Ward explores emotions such as love and yearning in relation to what it means to belong to a family symbiotically attached to a place.

The characters feel isolated, trapped, but also reliant on each other due to their isolation. Despite these feelings, characters also forge a deep sense of sisterhood.

In 1920, while delivering meat to the castle on the isle of Altnaharra, Jamie MacRaith finds five people dead inside a stone circle, each with their right eyes removed.

But where is Eve? She is not among them.

Alternating between then and now, characters detail the history of the cult of Altnaharra, founded by John Bearings.

The lifelike characters, haunting setting, chilling suspense, and brilliant twists I did not see coming, set this book apart from all other cult mysteries.

Ward explains, “Little Eve made me into a writer. That award changed the fortunes of this book and my career.”

Bravo, Ms. Ward! These awards are 💯 well-deserved! I hope more are to come with the new release of this book in the U.S.

This book deserves all the praise and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy dark, disturbing, and twisty cult mysteries.

Trigger warnings: Animal abuse, cults, cutting, talk of rape, abuse

5/5 stars
Expected publication date: 10/11/22

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC of Little Eve in exchange for an honest review.

[L.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Gothic thriller will ultimately have you jumping through hurdles of horror! Not sure how to categorize it. I enjoyed the thrill of The House on Needless Street and thought this author is brilliant but this one didn’t quite live up to that one.
The opening scene is horrifying enough and I couldn’t get that out of my mind. It opens with brutal murders laid out in a sacred ceremony. It is very atmospheric off the coast of Scotland in a huge castle during The Great War. Women had their place in the world limiting them to the home. In a house full of girls there are disturbing scenes and they encounter abuse by a manipulative uncle with complete control.
I didn’t even like the characters as they prepare for the end of the world and take over powers. It is suspenseful and an impeccable twist. This was released in 2018 overseas and now in the US by this talented author. Some of you Gothic horror lovers are going to enjoy it.
Thank you NetGalley and Nightfire for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since Catriona Ward blew me away with THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET, and then she doubled down with SUNDIAL, I knew I had to read LITTLE EVE as soon as humanly possible. Now that I've read it, I feel comfortable in saying that soon, if not already, Catriona Ward will be a household name.

Off the coast of Scotland there is an isle inhabited by a clannish family. There, where the island is only accessible at the whim of the sea, they worship the Adder. The family isolated there believes all of the outside world will soon be gone, and only those familiar with the Adder shall survive and therefore rule. A small contact with the outside world leads to an investigation, which brings inspector Black to come calling. Nothing is ever the same on their isle again. Will the family survive? You'll have to read this to find out!

I'm being deliberately vague here because I don't want to spoil anything. However, I do love me a good cult story and this one is a doozy. I'm fascinated with cult psychology-specifically those led by one man, (because it's always a man, isn't it? Why is that?) In this book it's easy to see how the isolation of the family makes it easier for the leader to make his followers believe...well, whatever he wants.

Another part of cult psychology that interests me is the vying among the followers to be the most favored. Even though this group is a real "family," that doesn't stop the children from competing among themselves for attention and that hard-won favor.

Ms. Ward covered these subjects thoroughly; she sewed them all up in feelings and characters, framed it all in beautiful writing and use of language, and then presented them in a tidily wrapped package that holds its secrets until nearly the final page.

Once again, Catriona Ward shows herself as a force to be reckoned with, and I am here for whatever she decides to write next.

Highly recommended!

*Thank you to Tor Nightfire for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

[Vicki Herbert - Vacation until Jan 2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere Beyond the Sea...

LITTLE EVE
by Catriona Ward

4 stars. Legend says the residents of Altnaharra castle opened their barred gates by the light of the autumn moon and ran wild over the moors...

Looking for souls to steal...

Local lore was that those people were long dead, and now the isle's population were ghosts...

Jamie MacRaith didn't believe the legends...

Altnaharra could only be reached at ebb tide by a stone walkway but was submerged in the sea the rest of the time...

Jamie, the local butcher, was summoned to the castle to deliver a side of beef for a pagan celebration by the strange family...

When he reached the gates after traversing the partially flooded stepping stones, Jamie found the gates unlocked...

Entering the grounds...

Jamie knew immediately that the inhabitants were all dead...

The bodies were lying positioned as spokes on a wheel. Each body had one eye gouged out...

Yet...

One person was still clinging to life...

The piecemeal family living on Altnaharra Isle and in Altnaharra castle were worshipers of the snake from the Garden of Eden...

They also had an affinity for the sea...

Somewhere beyond the sea, somewhere waiting for me...

This was more of a whodunit mystery than a horror story. If you are triggered by child abuse and cults, consider yourself warned about this novel.

Like most of Ms Ward's novels, this one has a high level of prose and poetry. I believe that you can take a poetic license a bit too far, and I find that this was the problem with this story. It was so drenched in flowery prose and sleight-of-hand that literally half the story was confusing to follow.

It's not a bad novel but problematic in parts. LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS by this author was much better.

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

IS THAT A SPOOKTOBER IN YOUR POCKET OR ARE YOU JUST SCARED TO SEE ME?

[Natalia Luna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una historia de manipulación extrema.
En una pequeña isla frente a las costas de Escocia viven varios niños tutelados por un hombre al que llaman "tío" y algunas mujeres.
Según vamos leyendo nos adentramos en una historia escalofriante. "Tío" maneja las vidas de todos los habitantes de la isla, los castiga y premia según sus deseos.
Estamos ante una pequeña secta, formada en su mayor parte por niños a los que manipulan hasta límites insospechados.
Un día aparecen todos muertos menos uno, la pequeña Eve. El libro nos cuenta su historia principalmente.
Con un tono onírico, la autora crea un ambiente sofocante y aterrador donde el destino de estos niños parece el peor.
Como nota negativa decir que la lectura por momentos se me ha hecho algo pesada, repetitiva. Pero remonta bien el vuelo hacia el final.
Como nota positiva, la intriga. Saber la realidad de la historia hace que sigas adelante sin problemas.

[Mª Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha gustado. La primera novela de esta autora no terminó de convencerme. Esta sí. Me ha tenido enganchada de principio a fin.

Dice la sinopsis:
«¿Dónde está Evelyn? Ah, ya me acuerdo. Nos quitó los ojos.»
Día de año nuevo, 1921. Siete cuerpos mutilados aparecen en un antiguo círculo de piedras en Altnaharra, una remota isla escocesa. Son "los Niños", miembros de un culto gobernado por una sádica figura a quien llaman "el tío". La única superviviente, Dinah, afirma que los ha asesinado Eve, que se habría ahogado al intentar escapar. Sin embargo, a medida que nos adentramos en la historia de Eve y Dinah hasta la masacre, va surgiendo una verdad más oscura y extraña.
La isla es todo lo que los Niños conocen, el tío no permite ningún contacto con el mundo exterior. Pero el mundo está en guerra y alcanza incluso a la solitaria comunidad de Altnaharra.

Mis impresiones

Catriona Ward desarrolla una trama a caballo entre la novela gótica y la de intriga. Dos van a ser las narradoras, Dinah y Eve. A través de sus voces vamos a reconstruir todo lo que acontece en la isla, desde 1917 hasta la noche de los asesinatos en 1921. Entremezclados, encontraremos algunos capítulos situados con bastante posterioridad a los hechos, en 1931, para terminar la novela en 1946.

Es interesante como nos plantea todo lo que acontece. El ritmo es ágil, maneja bien los tiempos y la intriga. Durante buena parte del libro anduve completamente despistada. A través de la narración de Evelyn vamos conociendo como era la vida de esos niños en Altnaharra, a manos de su "tío". Esa era la parte fácil. En cambio los capítulos en los que intervenía Dinah, me tenían completamente desconcertada. Las discrepancias entre las narraciones de ambas y las averiguaciones del inspector Black están ahí, y sí, se me ocurrió lo que al final fue. Sin embargo, para casar lo que nos cuenta Dinah y el porqué, hay que esperar a que nos deje la Ward.

La ambientación tiene entidad propia, es un personaje más. La atmósfera que crea es opresiva y agobiante. Si una imagen vale más que mil palabras, baste mirar la portada del libro. Más representativa no puede ser. El castillo sombrío en una isla despacible. Los acantilados, el mar inmisericorde, el clima, la oscuridad y sobre todo lo demás, el aislamiento en el que viven. Un aislamiento compuesto de hambre, cansancio, castigos y lavado de mente. Un aislamiento asfixiante, pergeñado por el "tío" sí, pero también por el entorno que los rechaza y se desentiende. Nadie quiere saber lo que pueda estar pasando allí. La guerra no ayuda precisamente. Como le dice el inspector Black a Eve "Él podría mataros a todos y nadie se daría cuenta"

Me ha llamado la atención la forma en que se describen las dinámicas de comportamiento entre los niños de Altnaharra. Por un lado, su completa dependencia emocional del líder, por otro, el deseo de huir, que la mayoría desarrolla antes o después. Es la dinámica enferma de una secta. ¿Y cuál es el miembro perfecto de una secta? El que se cría en ella sin lazos familiares sin más sentimiento de pertenencia que a la secta en sí.

"��Los apartan de sus madres cuando son pequeños —me cuenta la niña—. Los atan a un lugar, los matan de hambre, les dan golpes con un gancho curvo, afilado, hasta que se olvidan de que son elefantes. Se pasan el resto de su vida con miedo al gancho. Si no, ¿por qué iba a vivir Betty con nosotros? ¿Por qué iba a levantarse sobre las patas traseras en la pista? "

Los personajes bien trazados, Eve, la que más evoluciona. Dinah y Abel, quieren escapar cada uno a su manera. Alice, que huirá una cárcel para caer en otra. Nora, tan solapada y esa encarnación de pura maldad que es su líder, la Víbora. Junto con ellos, secundarios también buenos, como Jamie, Sarah, Mary, Rose y el inspector Black.

El desenlace acorde con el tono de la novela, a la altura y coherente con los hechos. Con sorpresas hasta el final.

En conclusión. Una novela con tintes góticos y de intriga. Bien pensada y con una atmósfera bien construida. Recomendable.

[La loca de los libros · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Vamos con la primera conjunta del año con Devoradora de libros! 📚❣
Y... ¡nos ha encantado a ambas!.🔝

En esta, su segunda novela traducida a nuestro idioma, Catriona Ward nos sumerge en una atmósfera muy oscura y opresiva. Más oscura si cabe que en su anterior novela que también leímos el año pasado en conjunta y nos cautivó, La casa al final de Needless Street.
No me extraña que le hayan caído dos premios, por un lado un Shirley Jackson y otro August Derleth a la mejor novela de horror de los British Fantasy Awards 2019.

Es Hogmanay, en antiguo gaélico palabra que los escoceses empleaban para referirse al último día del año, Nochevieja.
Ese día el joven Jamie MacRaith tiene un pedido que acercar a Altnaharra, esa fortaleza apartada en una isla escocesa donde viven los "niños" con su "tío".
Allí descubrirá algo espantoso, y la verdad tras ese hallazgo será incluso más aterradora.
Esos niños no se comunican con el exterior salvo para ir a comprar o ir al colegio, para no "contagiarse" de la forma de vivir de lo que ellos denominan los "impuros", es decir, el resto de la sociedad.
Bajo antiguas creencias, severos castigos desde que se desvían de los cánones estipulados por el tío (esas partes en La Mengua son tremendas), pasando hambre y muchas miserias, la pequeña Eve y el resto se verán abocados a competir continuamente por el amor de quien las tiene cautivas.
Solo quien la Gran Serpiente elija será digno de el y tendrá su consiguiente bendición.
A pesar del tema religioso que aborda no ahonda en detalles pesados o que no se entiendan, aunque sí tiene una gran parte onírica en forma de pesadillas y alucinaciones, solo nos muestra la forma que tienen ellos de ver e interpretar el mundo que les rodea.
La prosa de Catriona es muy cercana y de fácil lectura.
Por otro lado, la narración no es lineal, hay continuos saltos en el tiempo, por lo que hay que estar muy atentos. Así como distintas voces narrativas que nos harán conocer la historia desde otros puntos de vista, tal y como hizo en su anterior novela.

Todo gira y está muy centrado en el maltrato infantil con el consiguiente peso que tales traumas tienen sobre nuestra vida y que marcarán nuestros actos.
Si a esto le sumamos el fanatismo religioso el novelón está servido.

¿La única pega? Lo encontré lento y repetitivo en algunos tramos. Algo lógico por otro lado, teniendo en cuenta la vida rutinaria tras esas paredes ruinosas.
En resumen, el comienzo es muy potente, te invita a no parar de leer, hacia la mitad es cuando el ritmo se ralentiza para volver a coger fuerza en su tramo final. Estos pequeños bajones en el ritmo no son impedimento ninguno para disfrutar de este tormentoso viaje a Escocia, es algo que solventa muy bien por la gran ambientación que logra crear. Llegas a sentir que vives allí, bajo la piel de cada uno de los protagonistas, te traslada a otra época, con las desgracias propias de la segunda guerra mundial como telón de fondo.
Es por todo esto que finalmente me decanté por la nota más alta.
El adjetivo que mejor la describe es asfixiante, en esa isla apartada, unido a las penurias por las que tienen que pasar esos niños.

🔝Una historia muy dura, deliciosamente retorcida y bellamente escrita que anidará en tu corazón como si de una culebra se tratara aún habiendo cerrado la última página, y una autora a la que no dudaré en recomendar.

☇"No sé qué es peor: el sufrimiento o el recuerdo de ese sufrimiento. Quizá el recuerdo, porque no termina nunca."

☇"La duda es como la podredumbre. Destruye todo lo que toca.

☇"Hubo muchas preguntas sobre lo que hice aquella noche. Pero nadie me ha preguntado lo que me hizo aquella noche a mi."

📖 Próxima lectura:
"Uzumaki" - Junji Ito.

📚 https://www.facebook.com/LaLocadelosL... 📚

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Eve by Catriona Ward (The Last House on Needless Street, Sundial)
Release Date: October 11th, 2022 (originally published in 2018, winner of The Shirley Jackson Award and the British Fantasy Award for Best Horror)
General Genre: Horror, Gothic
Subgenre/Themes: Doomsday cult/snake cult, patriarchy, multiple POVs, strong female protagonists, motherhood, pregnancy, murder-mystery, historical fiction
Writing Style: rich, dense, atmospheric prose

What You Need to Know: The book opens with a tale told from the end, a group of people killed in a seemingly ritualistic sacrifice is discovered when the local butcher makes his way out to an isolated fortress on the isle of Altnaharra somewhere on the coast of Scotland to deliver an order of meat. There is one survivor, Dinah.
He helps her back to civilization where she tells the tale of how her family came to be massacred, implicating one person. The details of the case attract the attention of Chief Inspector Black who begins to investigate, giving special attention to the man they call "Uncle" or "The Adder".
This crumbling, stone fortress on the isle of Altnaharra is only accessible at low tide, the path is covered by the sea and guarded by an iron gate most of the time. Inside this commune, Uncle oversees the lives of two adult women, two young teenage girls, and two children. They are ritualistically physically and psychologically tested by the strange and elaborate "rules" of Uncle's religion.

Long intervals of the book are narrated mostly by the one implicated as the killer, "Little Eve" or Evelyn, Dinah (the survivor), or Inspector Black. The tale is told from different periods of time (1917-1949).

My Reading Experience: Well, I hope you're in the mood to stay with me for a while. I have a lot to say. Right out of the gate, I'm going to say that this is my favorite Catriona Ward book by far. I enjoyed the other two, so it's saying a lot. Ward's storytelling voice for Little Eve is decadently rich with carefully constructed details that painted a vivid, cinematic picture in my mind. The story is immediately absorbing the way it starts at the end, and works its way back, capturing me with a compelling mystery to solve. It was all I could think about for an entire weekend. The atmosphere is peak gothic vibes the entire duration of the novel. I felt saturated in the landscape and the cold, dank, crumbling confines of Altnaharra.
Also, I'd like to applaud Catriona Ward for giving her audience all the inner workings of this cult. It is maddening to read a book where the characters are exhibiting harmful, destructive, unnatural behavior because they're in a cult but there aren't enough details given to satisfy the reader's curiosity or disbelief. Ward holds nothing back. This cult is fully exposed. I went through a wide range of emotions-a thrilling morbid fascination, heartache, frustration, anger, and that burning in my chest that happens when I want justice for cruelty and there is cruelty (trigger warnings at the end which could be spoilers so read with caution).

I loved this book. I read it on my Kindle with a NetGalley gift, I have a physical arc and I will be buying a hardcover for my library. I feel like I need to set some reader expectations here--I read this over a Friday-Sunday time period. I put headphones on and listened to "brown noise static" in order to have zero distractions because truly, the prose is lush; every word was obviously chosen with intention-it's a story that demands full attention and it's totally worth the extra effort.

Final Recommendation: This book is for readers who enjoy reading about cult practices, and murder mysteries, immersing themselves in a dark, luscious, gothic atmosphere to the point where life must be put on hold until the book is finished.

Comps: Sound weird but this is like the anti-version (the total opposite mood) of I Capture the Castle. I kept thinking of that book, so I'm adding it here. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

*triggers: animal cruelty (lab testing on dogs) the brutal murder of a horse, child abuse and death, motherhood trauma, miscarriage, SA, child SA

[Indieflower · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gothic tale with a mystery at its heart. the story of a cult, led by one man and consisting of two women and four children, who live in a remote Scottish castle two hours from the nearest village, slow burning, intense, atmospheric and beautifully written, full of interesting characters, none of whom you entirely trust. The story was somewhat convoluted but extremely compelling, growing ever more disturbing as it progressed and the mystery became more twisted. I really enjoyed this, it's one of those books you get completely caught up in, my second by Catriona Ward, now I really need to read her first novel, Rawblood. 4.5 stars.

[LolaF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro perturbador, un tanto especial, de esos que no van a gustar a todo el mundo.

Un grupo de gente formada por un hombre al que llaman "tío", dos mujeres y varios niños viven aislados en una fortaleza en ruinas frente a las costas de Escocia cuyo acceso depende de las mareas. Intuyes que ocurren cosas raras casi desde el principio.

Es un libro con saltos temporales, que al principio cuesta un poco centrarte, pero tiene algo que te atrapa y a pesar de la dureza no lo puedes soltar. Tiene un estilo un tanto peculiar, no voy a desvelar más. Quien haya leído La casa al final de Needless Street, ya conocerá el estilo de la autora.

En general, me ha gustado.

Valoración: 8/10
Lectura: julio 2022

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like Catriona Ward and you are looking for a cult book, good news is she wrote one. Bad news is it’s Sundial - NOT Little Eve. While I wasn’t blown away like everyone else when it came to The Last House on Needless Street (I still stand behind the fact that a bunch of readers who typically don’t pick up dark material listened to their pals and went in to that one blind as the reasoning behind the crazy high ratings), I really dug Sundial and snatched this from NetGalley lickity split. Now that I’m finished all I have to say is if I were a DNF’er I would definitely have DNF’d this one.



I’m not a fan of these previously released books getting a second printing without disclosing the fact that they are old material. Generally there’s a reason why they weren’t big hits the first time around and Little Eve is certainly no exception to the rule.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

[Theresa Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever read a novel and wondered about the mental health of the writer who could come up with something like this? This book is all kinds of creepy, but major points for originality.

Set on an isolated island off Scotland starting in 1917 (but it bounces between a few characters points of view in different years), the man Dinah, Eve, and their other siblings and the man they call “Uncle,” the Adder is coming to bring a chosen one powers, and they will do anything to earn the distinction. The book calls this a clan, but it read like reading about a cult from the point of view of cult members who are absolute believers. I’ve read books on cults before, but that’s always from the point of view of a member who escaped a cult. This setting is important in this book, and it unfolds in a way that is fascinating.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES OCTOBER 11, 2022.

[Repix Pix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cuesta entrar y es lentísimo pero sorprende, algo que ya es poco habitual.

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Publisher Says: From Catriona Ward, author of The Last House on Needless Street, comes the Shirley Jackson Award-winning novel Little Eve, a heart-pounding tale of faith and family, with a devastating twist

STARRED reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist! A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Pick! Winner of the (2018) Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel!

“A great day is upon us. He is coming. The world will be washed away.”

On the wind-battered isle of Altnaharra, off the wildest coast of Scotland, a clan prepares to bring about the end of the world and its imminent rebirth.

The Adder is coming and one of their number will inherit its powers. They all want the honor, but young Eve is willing to do anything for the distinction.

A reckoning beyond Eve’s imagination begins when Chief Inspector Black arrives to investigate a brutal murder and their sacred ceremony goes terribly wrong.

And soon all the secrets of Altnaharra will be uncovered.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: The #Spooktober reading this year has made me feel quite gruntled. That said, however, I'm glad I read Sundial first among Author Catriona's work...the domestic-horror vibe, added to the all human all the time cast of horror-bringers, made me feel comfortable with her voice. I had no additional hill to climb to get past the cosmic-horror tropes I wouldn't necessarily choose to read.

But psych the cosmic-horror tropes I was expecting, given that this is a story about a cult whose organizing principle is the end of the world, "cleansed" by sea-serpent, were absent. Instead this was an historical fiction with seriously gothic overtones, set at the end of World War One and containing the usual gothic elements. It wasn't a *bad* surprise. It was, however, definitely a surprise.

Author Catriona received the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel in 2018 for this story. I think that's one helluva great accolade to get for one's second published novel. That we in the US are getting it only now suggests someone fell asleep at the switch back in 2018. I can't say I felt this was a perfect novel, it relied a wee bit too heavily on ghastly punishments for its unsettling-bordering-on-scary stuff and its cult aspects felt worn out pretty quickly. What I found to enjoy was Author Catriona's word-sorcery:

My heart is a dark passage, lined with ranks of gleaming jars. In each one something floats. The past, preserved as if in spirit. Here is the scent of grass and the sea, here the creak of wheels on a rough path, here a bright yellow gull’s beak. The sensation of blood drying on my cheek in the wind. Abel crying for his mother, Uncle’s hand on me. Silver on a white collarbone. The knowledge of loss, which comes like a blow to the heart or the stomach. It does not reach your mind until later.

The opening of the book...we know the Dark Sorceress Catriona has rattled her bone-bag of words and will be casting irresistible spells soon. And she does.

Just not the ones I expected.

The manner of unfolding the story was intriguing. The setting was wonderfully gothic. The characters weren't as fully realized as the ones in Sundial were, but that is entirely understandable and was not unexpected...a second book isn't going to have the same polish as a fourth one does. At least, if the writer is developing authorial chops, it won't; and she most definitely is a writer developing fast and well. What that meant to me, as I read along, was that I could see details that were not the ones I think Author Catriona would emphasize now (eg, some of Delilah's behaviors, and Uncle's almost mustachio-twirling one-note-ness). I will say that this is why I landed on the four-star key instead of a fraction higher. The four stars are, however, fully merited based solely on the plot's cohesiveness and its appropriately increasing pace. A headlong rush would not have served this story the way it did Rob's story in Sundial.

While the ending is, I've tried to think of a different word but no other one fits, condign, it isn't necessarily the one you-the-horror-reader are thinking it will be. That, above all things, was the reason I recommend this story to my horror-reading friends: It's good not to know.

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Eve was first released in the UK in 2018. The book was a hit overseas and even won the Shirley Jackson award for best novel in 2018. After learning this, my interest was immediately piqued. I read and enjoyed both of award’s prior works, The Last House on Needless Streer and Sundial so I was very excited to read Little Eve.

Little Eve on a small island called Altnaharra that’s off the coast of Scotland. A small group consisting of 8 people live in a castle on Altnaharra and they are preparing for what they believe is the end of the world. The group is led by ‘Uncle’ who speaks through and sees visions from the great ‘addler’ who will save this clan from the demise of the world. Among the clan is little Eve who will do anything to stand out to the addler. But after a sacred ceremony goes terribly wrong little Eve’s and all of the secrets hidden on Altnaharra will be brought to light.

The book is told from Evelyn and Dinah’s point of view with alternating timelines.

Since Little Eve was written several years before The Last House on Needless Street so it was interesting to see how Catriona award’s writing has evolved. There are a few darker parts but I wouldn’t classify this one as horror. Instead, Little Eve is more of a gothic thriller.

This one wasn’t a hit for me but it wasn’t entirely a miss either. I enjoyed the creepy atmosphere and the twist was well written. I also was very satisfied with the ending. But there are a lot of very slow parts that were a bit redundant, I even contemplated not finishing it a few times. However, I do think readers who enjoy thrillers about cults or any of Ward’s prior works will love Little Eve.

Little Eve by Catriona award will be available in the United States on October 11, 2022. Many thanks to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Tammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Eve, a dark/horror book, was a 4 star read.
The book centers around main characters Eve and Dinah-two young girls living as sisters in a cult-like environment. This cult, led by a man named “Uncle”, consists of (women) Nora and Alice and (children) Eve, Dinah, Abel, and Elizabeth who reside in a castle in rural Scotland. The book details their daily lives and their beliefs within this cult-like environment.
I fully admit that it took me a bit to get into Little Eve; it’s a little on the slow side; but make no mistake, it’s a highly atmospheric and a well-written book. Full of twists and turns, makes this a must read. Highly recommended to fans of horror, gothic and crime books. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Bibliotecario De Arbelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leí por primera vez a Catriona Ward con La Casa al Final de Needless Street y quedé encantado con la historia, con su forma de narrar y de sorprender. Así pues, el listón con La Pequeña Eve estaba muy alto pero he de decir que ha cumplido con las expectativas.

La Pequeña Eve nos narra la historia de Eve. Y hasta ahí puedo leer porque el resto es mejor que lo descubráis vosotr@s mism@s.

La atmósfera fría, húmeda y oscura te acompaña durante toda la trama. Me encanta como Catriona consigue hacerte calar el ambiente como si realmente estuvieras allí.

Los personajes están muy bien llevados y el hecho de estar narrado en primera persona le da un plus.

He disfrutado como, durante toda la historia, los datos están ahí si miras bien, pero la autora va jugando contigo y el desenlace sorprende (al menos, a mí me sorprendió).

Si buscáis una novela oscura, dura y que os sorprenda no dudéis en leer La Pequeña Eve.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is the jar with its pale contents. It is yours now. I hope it haunts your nights. I think it will.

This book was such a wild, unpredictable ride that won my heart over from the very beginning—if I hadn't been convinced that Catriona Ward is an auto-buy author for me before, I certainly would be now. I'm a sucker for this sort of cold, misty seaside setting in gothic tales and Little Eve delivers that in spades with its melancholy descriptions and isolated, claustrophobic feeling. Every page of this story is unsettling and tragic, full of complex characters whose motives are rarely entirely forthcoming.

I began this as an exorcism but it is also a summoning.

Little Eve herself is such a fascinating protagonist. The story begins at the end and then goes back, so we're immediately given a particular viewpoint of Eve as a villain, and then we're treated to the origins of how she came to her breaking point. The entire book is such an interesting ride because, despite knowing from the start that she has committed a terrible crime, it was impossible for me not to love her and feel compassion for her when I saw the cult-like setting she had been raised in and the terrible treatment that she and her siblings had undergone.

In unguarded moments fear runs through me. Will He be terrible when He comes from the ocean?

There's so much going on within this story, yet somehow, it never felt like too many moving parts; Catriona Ward juggled them all so fluidly that I never wanted Little Eve to end. Every time I read a Catriona Ward novel, I'm utterly captivated, and immediately crave another of her books the moment I finish the final page, so this was no exception. Not only has Ward become an auto-buy author for me, she has also become one of my favorite authors of all time and I cannot recommend her work highly enough.

Buddy read with the lovely Ashley! 💖

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

✨ Representation: Evelyn is missing an eye; vague depictions of a sapphic relationship

✨ Content warnings for: child abuse (sexual, physical, mental, emotional) and neglect; rape (all implied); miscarriages; infant loss; child loss; grief; self-harm; graphic violence; gore; murder; occult; pedophilia; animal death

———
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[jenny✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was definitely atmospheric—but also circuitous and ultimately underwhelming.

little eve is the third book i've read by catriona ward this year, and for the third time i'm left to mull over my ambivalent feelings. like the house on needless street and sundial, things are not what they initially seem in little eve—which definitely had me intrigued. the book opens with a man stumbling upon a series of brutal, ritualistic murders that have taken place on altnaharra, a desolate isle off the coast of scotland that served as home for a ragtag "family" (read: cult). yet with each subsequent chapter, things become more and more muddled; why do we jump between the years leading up to the murder, and then many years later? were there paranormal influences on altnaharra? how does an enigmatic chief inspector come into play?

as the book bounced between different perspectives and years, i found myself increasingly uninterested in the unfolding events. for one, the cult felt weirdly... bland? (a sentence i never thought i'd write!) and what i mean by this is that it's so archetypal—a patriarch exerting his so-called power over women and children by peddling vague doomsday prophecies and gaslighting the shit out of their realities. but honestly, that's whatever—i wasn't here for the cult. i was here to forge an emotional connection with the characters, which unfortunately never happened for me. besides the fact that none of the characters were particular standouts, i got so lost in tedious descriptions of the minutiae of their lives that each chapter blurred into the next without much of an emotional impact left on me. by the time i reached the big "reveal" at the end of the book, i was already feeling so detached from the characters that i found the climax incredibly underwhelming.

tldr; little eve had promise but flatlined for me fairly early on; i didn't feel connected to any characters or their stakes, and the lore was too underdeveloped for me to get real chills.

many thanks to netgalley and tor nightfire for this ARC in exchange for an honest review~

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

After loving her memorable debut Rawblood, particularly the hallucinatory brilliance of its climactic chapters, I knew I would want to read whatever Catriona Ward wrote next. That turns out to be Little Eve, a gothic tale of two girls' lives within an isolated cult. It begins in 1921 with a scene in which Jamie, a butcher in the small town of Loyal, takes a delivery to the Castle of Altnaharra, reached from the Scottish mainland by a causeway which the sea swallows at high tide. The gate is open, and Jamie ventures inside to find a horrific scene: four corpses – each with an eye cut out – and a girl barely alive. This survivor is Dinah. From there, the story flips back and forth between 1917 and 1921 to reveal how this gory sacrifice came about, honing in on the conflicting accounts of Dinah and Evelyn.

Evelyn and Dinah grow up in the castle. Led by John, aka 'Uncle', the group on Altnaharra also includes two women, Alice and Nora, and two more orphan children, Abel and Elizabeth. Knowing no better, the children subscribe to the dubious religion peddled by Uncle: worshipping snakes, performing the ritual known as 'benison', regarding outsiders as 'impure'. Yet you may come to wonder whether these beliefs are quite as ridiculous as they seem. In particular, Evelyn's accounts of inexplicable visions make it difficult to entirely discount the possibility of some otherworldly influence.

Catriona Ward has a wonderful way with words, and her distinctive style suits these eccentric characters perfectly. There's not a moment of this book that drags or a scene that doesn't propel the story forward. But then again, there's nothing powerful enough to match the most striking scenes from Rawblood, and I guessed every twist way ahead of its reveal. I enjoyed Little Eve a lot while I was reading it, but having come to the end I find myself wishing Ward had written something more innovative – something as thrilling as the best bits of her debut, as unique as her way with language – and I doubt I'll remember it for very long.

The front cover declares that this is 'The Loney meets The Girls' (interestingly, this just seems to be a marketing tagline and not an actual quote). I can understand why these books have been used as reference points, since most people will be at least vaguely familiar with what they're about, but Little Eve is nothing at all like The Loney, and not much like The Girls either since that book was barely about life within a cult. Rather, it strongly resembles Jess Richards' Snake Ropes – the two share similarly isolated settings off the coast of Scotland, an idiosyncratic 'religion' observed only by those on the island, and a story told mainly from the viewpoints of two young women. I'd also compare it to Foxlowe by Eleanor Wasserberg and The First Book of Calamity Leek by Paula Lichtarowicz, both of which focus on girls who have been so thoroughly assimilated into cultlike communities that they refuse to reject their practices. There was something about the tone that reminded me of Hannah Kent's Burial Rites, too.

Ultimately, this is material that many other novels have explored, and I can't help but feel a little let down by the lack of originality. Ward's writing elevates it, though, and it is rarely less than exciting. I wish I'd read Little Eve in more suitable conditions; a heatwave doesn't really lend itself to tales of wild imaginings in a rain-lashed, water-bound castle. My advice is to save this one for a dark and stormy night and read it under the covers.

I received an advance review copy of Little Eve from the publisher through NetGalley.

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[Raquel Estebaran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novela gótica y criminal con una muy buena ambientación, oscura y opresiva, que narra las vivencias y dinámicas de control de un culto -más bien secta- formado por un adulto y varios críos que al principio se me ha hecho liosa por la alternancia de tiempos y de narradoras, en este caso dos de las adolescentes.

La trama es perturbadora, la atmósfera siniestra y los personajes están bien desarrollados, te hacen cuestionarte cuánto de lo que perciben y cuentan es real.

Muy bien narrada.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
Maybe it's me because I just don't think Catriona Ward is for me. This is my third book and the stories she writes just work for me. At least compared to The House on Needless Street, I did not actively dislike it. Instead I simply felt different. I never connected with the characters or their stories which made it hard to get invested in the narrative.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.

[Joanne Harris]

Another magnificent example of Northern Gothic, with all the winning elements of her previous novel RAWBLOOD: the fille fatale; the mysterious cult, the ritualistic lifestyle, the isolated house, the creeping menace. The author handles language beautifully, sustaining the mystery throughout, and the whammy is nicely satisfying. There are shades of Shirley Jackson here, and shades of THE LONEY; my only (small) complaint is that, as in RAWBLOOD, the reader is given no inkling of which actual religion or cult we're dealing with - I'm sure this is intentional, to avoid upsetting genuine pagans (or Christians, or believers, or cultists of one kind of another) who may not approve of the way in which the ritualistic family environment is depicted, but to sidestep any mention of religion in a story about toxic cultism seems to me a weakness, a hole in the heart of the story. A compelling read nevertheless, which lingers in the memory.