Leanne Olson

by Catriona Ward

Released October 11, 2022 from Tor Nightfire

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.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for my review copy of this book