Little Eve - Catriona Ward

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Nestled in the savage arms of the Black Sea off the coast of Scotland lies the Isle of Altnaharra. 
Nestled in the wilderness of the grey isle are the Children, locked away in their castle under the care of Uncle. 
Nestled even deeper yet, something sinister lurks beneath the surface of Little Eve's seemingly perfect family.

Just when I thought that Catriona Ward couldn't possibly get any better--I discover "Little Eve," winner of the Shirley Jackson award for best horror novel after a quiet debut in the UK, about to be published in the US. 

"Little Eve" is a true, literary gothic masterpiece. Wrought with unsettling, deeply-atmospheric prose, it's both gorgeously-written and undeniably-captivating. Gothic fiction is a genre I long to love but find myself bored with; here, Ward blows the doors of conformity off of their hinges and delivers a literary tale that breeds terror and twists unlike anything I've read in a long time. 

The beginning of the story beats with a steady pulse of dread as she builds the world of Altnaharra, and once the story gets going, it is so very worth the wait. Not a slow burn, but a masterfully-paced march into the unbridled horror of a Scottish Isle's wildness and the dark secrets it holds. 

Eve, Uncle, Dinah, and the others each carry their own, somber histories, and somehow Ward weaves them seamlessly into the story while creating a crescendo of utter madness that comes together perfectly at the end. 

Read this with a steaming hot cup of earl grey alongside a crackling October fire as a thunderstorm batters the windows, just as long as the doors are locked.

Rating: 5 Stars
Publication Details: Out Now, Macmillan-Tor/Forge

*Huge thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing my review copy!*


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