Little One

This book opens with rage, denial, self-loathing, and a Funfetti birthday cake. You know something is off kilter.In LITTLE ONE, Catharine isn’t an easy narrator to like. She can be manipulative and frustrating. But the more you learn about her past, the more those contradictions start to make sense. It’s the kind of book where your feelings about the character keep shifting—and that’s exactly what makes it compelling.As the story unfolds, the truth about Catharine’s life under her controlling father’s thumb in his insular cult builds until you can’t look away.

I have become more than irritated by the new trend of writing in present tense throughout a novel. It is off-putting to me and when I see a book written that way, I avoid it Unfortunately Little One is in present tense....

Catherine is a freelance writer who doesn’t appear to have any family. Told in the past and in the present, Catherine may not be thriving, but she is surviving. Until a journalist reaches out and turns her whole world upside down. He knows who she is and wants to talk.Catherine grew up in a cult. Believing her father’s propaganda and lies. So where is he and why is Catherine now all alone in New York?As the chapters from the past shed new light on who Catherine was and is now, I was furiously flipping pages trying to guess what happened to her family. Some of my guesses were correct, but I totally missed the biggest reveal. And the ending. Well, there were at least two things that I interpreted one way, though I am sure other readers will see them in a different light.Sad, tragic, and hopeful are the three main words that first popped into my head when I finished. A book that I could not stop flipping pages. 4.5 stars.I received a DRC from Little Brown and Company through NetGalley.

Most of us have secrets we’d like to keep buried. But when an investigative reporter knocks on your door, you’re forced to decide: do you keep running, or do you finally face the truth? In Little One by Olivia Muenter, Catherine West has to decide if the truth is more dangerous than the lie. The truth about being raised by a charismatic cult leader might be better left off at the tomato farm.What I Liked About Little One:The Setting:Set in the sweltering Florida fields, Muenter excels at sensory detail. I could practically feel the humidity on my skin and found myself wanting to swat away bugs while I read. She perfectly captures the slow decay of the farm and the claustrophobia of the old buildings.Cult Life:Muenter’s portrayal of cult life feels hauntingly authentic. She highlights the tragic irony of the farm: what starts as a sincere search for a simpler way of life becomes a cage built by a charismatic leader. It’s a powerful exploration of how a ‘God-complex’ can turn a patch of Florida paradise into a psychological prison.Sisterhood:I loved reading about the relationship between Catherine and Linna. Although they are a found family, you could feel the love between them through most of the story. I kept cheering for both of them to succeedThe Ending:I didn’t see the ending coming, and that is my favorite way for a book to end. It made me want to talk about it with someone else. I thought it tied up the book perfectly and was brilliantly done.

This was a great read. Story went quick and was very engaging. Well paced and enjoyed the dual timeline narrative.