Small Spaces
by Katherine Arden
(Small Spaces #1)
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
on September 25, 2018
Genre: Children's, Horror
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
on September 25, 2018
Genre: Children's, Horror
Length: 218 pages
Ages: 10 - 14 years
Bestselling adult author of The Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle-grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story destined to become a classic.
After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn't think--she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man," a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish but only for the ultimate price.
Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver's warning. As the trio head out into the woods--bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them--the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small."
And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.
My Thoughts:
This was the perfect read to get me in the mood for Autumn! For middle-grade, I thought it was surprisingly spooky!
This was the perfect read to get me in the mood for Autumn! For middle-grade, I thought it was surprisingly spooky!
Ollie has lost someone very close to her and withdraws into the only thing that can keep her thoughts at bay; books. When she comes across a panicked woman about to toss an actual book in the local swimming hole, she grabs it and runs. She reads the story of a girl, the two brothers that loved her, and the 'smiling man' that they made a mysterious deal with. The next day she goes on a field trip to a local farm and stumbles upon the gravestones of the characters in the book she is reading. Just as strange, there are too many scarecrows at this farm. Ollie is happy to leave but when they do, the bus breaks down and it quickly grows dark. When the bus driver, a strange man from the farm, issues an odd warning that "they'll come for you at nightfall," Ollie decides to make a run for it. She is followed by only two of her classmates and they quickly escape the fate that awaited them. But not for long. Something is after them and the only way they can stay alive is to stick to the small spaces.
I really loved the character growth in this book.
Olivia Adler, better known as Ollie, is estranged from her peers by the death of a loved one and not too keen on making new friends. She has lost interest in her social hobbies and instead finds solace in books but when two of her classmates follow her into the dark at the farm, she soon learns she's not always better off on her own.
This ended up being so much more than I thought it would be! It starts out as a ghost story and then takes a twist into terrifying territory! There's suspense, a need for survival, and a lot of supernatural elements to this story! I will definitely never look at scarecrows the same way after this! I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel, Dead Voices, which comes out later this month!
I really loved the character growth in this book.
Olivia Adler, better known as Ollie, is estranged from her peers by the death of a loved one and not too keen on making new friends. She has lost interest in her social hobbies and instead finds solace in books but when two of her classmates follow her into the dark at the farm, she soon learns she's not always better off on her own.
This ended up being so much more than I thought it would be! It starts out as a ghost story and then takes a twist into terrifying territory! There's suspense, a need for survival, and a lot of supernatural elements to this story! I will definitely never look at scarecrows the same way after this! I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel, Dead Voices, which comes out later this month!
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