Small Spaces (Small Spaces Quartet)
New York Times 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. Now in paperback.
After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie who only finds solace in books discovers a chilling ghost story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who 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.
Captivated by the tale, Ollie begins to wonder if the smiling man might be real when she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about on a school trip to a nearby farm. Then, later, when her school bus breaks down on the ride home, the strange bus driver tells Ollie and her classmates: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.
Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed these warnings. 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.
After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie who only finds solace in books discovers a chilling ghost story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who 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.
Captivated by the tale, Ollie begins to wonder if the smiling man might be real when she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about on a school trip to a nearby farm. Then, later, when her school bus breaks down on the ride home, the strange bus driver tells Ollie and her classmates: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.
Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed these warnings. 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.
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Community Reviews
Arden's handling of Ollie's grief is subtle and gentle; she slowly tells us more and more about what happened to Ollie's mother and how Ollie has dealt with (or denied) the loss. Despite a slightly rushed ending, Small Spaces is a deliciously suspenseful tale of loss, survival, and friendship.
When I read this book, I thought the setting is pretty coolâthis book is set in Autumn, then the next one in winter, and so on. I like it with 4 different books set in different seasons. And the story goes like a thing or tells the lead the clue and the story goes on. I think Vermont is a nice place because it is filled with natural landscapes. I realized that book was set in October and I thought about reading this month too!
I liked the story ends. It still with happily ever after and like the lead of the story defeats the evil ones and the antagonist. It's a fast-paced book which I liked because the story was direct and not slow. But there are some chapters of the book which I didn't understand as they hide in the cave and that scarecrows suddenly moved and feel and that stuff. And that's it. I count the advantages and the disadvantages of this book and I think it's a lot of advantages so I would give it 5 stars.
I think I'm going to read the next series of this book cause I enjoyed this a lot! I found this interesting and catchy and omg, I followed this author
When I read this book, I thought the setting is pretty coolâthis book is set in Autumn, then the next one in winter, and so on. I like it with 4 different books set in different seasons. And the story goes like a thing or tells the lead the clue and the story goes on. I think Vermont is a nice place because it is filled with natural landscapes. I realized that book was set in October and I thought about reading this month too!
I liked the story ends. It still with happily ever after and like the lead of the story defeats the evil ones and the antagonist. It's a fast-paced book which I liked because the story was direct and not slow. But there are some chapters of the book which I didn't understand as they hide in the cave and that scarecrows suddenly moved and feel and that stuff. And that's it. I count the advantages and the disadvantages of this book and I think it's a lot of advantages so I would give it 5 stars.
I think I'm going to read the next series of this book cause I enjoyed this a lot! I found this interesting and catchy and omg, I followed this author
This was EVERYTHING I want in a middle grade ghost story. It was Perfection.
Cannot wait to read the sequel.
Cannot wait to read the sequel.
My gosh I love Katherine Arden. This YA story is scary and fun, and a bit disturbing. And lucky us, there's a sequel too.
This book was so. freaking. good.
The characters were realistic, the plot was interesting, and the writing style was fantastic.
Small Spaces is a fast-paced middle grade horror novel jam-packed with suspension, fright, and fun. The character's are relatable, making the story that much more enjoyable.
Ollie Adler was a great main character. She showed bravery, selflessness, cleverness, and compassion, while also being a little sarcastic and rude. She had her flaws, but she's definitely a better main character than Harry Potter could ever be.
The side character, Coco and Brian, were contrasting characters, which I absolutely loved. There's really not much to say about them other than the fact that I loved them.
And the plot twists? Top tier. I'm the type of person who can predict any plot twist, sniff out a twist villain, see foreshadowing in even the smallest things. But for this book, everything is so cleverly placed that it makes for a few shocking reveals that are hard to see coming.
All in all, I'm giving this book a 9/10 stars. My only critique is that the writing did get a bit confusing at times, but it wasn't confusing enough to completely lower my rating. I'm very excited to read the 2nd book in this series, Dead Voices. I'm very glad I chose this as my first horror novel. It did not disappoint.
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