BOOK REVIEW: Little Eve by Catriona Ward
A cold and twisted tragic tale.
I have loved the previous two books by this author that I’ve read, so I was so, SO excited to read this one. Unfortunately, it just didn’t live up to the expectations set by The Last House on Needless Street or Sundial. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but it was just not what I was hoping for.
From the very first page the setting is painted with exquisite detail. The gothic, atmospheric descriptions of Attnaharra, an Isle off the coast of Scotland, bring to life the eeriness that this isolated castle embodies. Attached to the mainland by a small causeway that disappears based on the tide, the castle is home to Uncle and his, hmmm, I honestly don’t know what to call them. His family? His followers? His brainwashed puppets?
Eve and Dinah are two of the girls that grow up on this island under the protection and teachings of Uncle. It is through their point of view that we hear the story and learn what life is like with Uncle. He teaches of the impure ways of the rest of the world and fills the minds of the girls and manipulates them into believing that he has the power given to him by the Adder; he has the eye. That the Adder is coming and the world will be coming to an end.
If you look up the definition of cult. This book could be right there as an example. How do I know? Because I looked it up. This is what I found regarding the characteristics of a cult:
Zealous and Unquestioning commitment to the leader - Check! (These girls & the lone boy Abel, worship Uncle, for the most part)
Questioning, doubt, dissent is severely punished - Check! (There are moments of questioning and dissent which has child-abuse level punishments. Beware there are triggers in this book.)
Mind-altering practices, such as debilitating work routines, to suppress doubt - Check! (Everyone has their chores and their roles to play on Attnaharra. And there are some other mind-altering practices that come to light as the story progresses.)
Leader dictates how members think, act and feel - Check! (through withholding necessities and rewarding with affection. He controls their actions, their schooling, what they do and when they do it.)
The group is elitist, special/exalted - Check! (This is clear through how Uncle presents his view of the outside world. As he uses it to rationalize his actions to protect them from an impure world.)
Leader is not accountable to any authorities - Check! (This is interesting, because everyone in the local community just leaves them alone for the most part. Viewing them as strange but more as just a weird guy who took in several orphans. That is until Inspector Black comes into the picture.)
Leader induces feelings of shame/guilt to influence and control members - Check!
Members are required to live with only group members - Check! (They all live in this creepy castle, locked in behind a gate that only has one key, on a creepy island.)
Leader teaches that the exalted end justifies all actions - Check!
This was probably the first book I have read that dived headfirst into the full impact of a cult. It was interesting to watch the ups and downs, the moments of doubt and the power that the brainwashing and manipulation played in Eve and Dinah’s lives.
The story itself starts with a bang. We start right off with Jamie, the local butcher, bringing a delivery to the island and walking into a death scene. From there, we follow a timeline that at points is confusing. We are sent back pre-death scene, then jump forward, then go back, then jump even further ahead. I’m a huge fan of multiple timelines and even multiple POVs, but this one, there were moments where it became more of a distraction than a successful plot structure.
The story was too much of a slow burn for me. I am all for having to stick with a story to learn and discover, but there were moments when I got a little bored even though I found the whole concept of the book fascinating. It’s also Ward writing, and I simply HAD to know what the massive twist was going to be at the end of the book! The conclusion effective answers the questions set out at the beginning surrounding how the murders occurred and who was responsible.
I’m a big character person. I love to analyze characters and track their development throughout a story. It’s a little weird, I accept that, but it is fascinating to see how characters drive the plot and how they are impacted and changed by everything from the setting, to interactions with other characters and the developing conflicts. I truly feel that Ward has a talent for character development. There is a depth and complexity to her creations that simply can’t be compared.
I loved watching these characters. I was surprised by Nora and Alice, and didn’t really expect their twists. Uncle was very much created as a one-dimensional character, and that is what he needed to be. He was the cult leader and had to embody that persona without any cracks to his beliefs. Elizabeth and Abel just made me sad. Then there is Eve and Dinah. You like them one minute and hate them the next. I will say that I did figure out the twist that involved Eve. I think partially because I knew there was going to be a twist so I was looking and second guessing every little thing, and it was want made the most sense.
However, it was Inspector Black and Jamie that really helped to propel some of the plot events. These outsiders served as a source of doubt and questioning for Eve and Dinah. Inspector Black, even as a secondary character, was given his own arc that was interesting to watch evolve. And try to figure out how he fit into the conclusion of the story which was all set with the backdrop of war in the early 1900s.
Where does it land on my bookshelf?
Middle shelf. It was an interesting story; it really delved into the aspects and life of a cult. It was just slow and a little all over the place with the timelines. The twists aren’t as dramatic as I have seen from Ward, but were still really effective. I love atmospheric plots and gothic toned settings. The characters were all diversely developed, even the supporting ones. You experienced the emotions and feelings with Alice and Abel. Even with Eve and Dinah, you could understand to some degree how and why they did what they did and felt how they felt. But, in the end there is much to be said about right and wrong, family and purpose, faith and the extent some people go to for what they believe in. It’s a different book. One that I recommend, but one that I feel you need to be in the mood to get through.
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