Review: Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

Title: Small Spaces

Author: Katherine Arden

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Son's Books for Young Readers

Publishing Date: September 25th, 2018 

Pages: 218
Audio Length: 5 Hours and 16 Minutes

Genre: MG Horror 
TW: N/A

Series: Small Spaces

Source: Audio

 

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.

Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn't have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: "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, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.

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.

What made me pick this book up: 

The cover was beautiful and eerie.

What did I like about the cover: 

Literally everything. 

The colors are beautiful I love the blues and purples. I love the pop of the yellow bus. 

I love the creepy scarecrows and the trees. 

What made me read this book: 

The story is very creepy. I think this is one I needed to read and review for either Netgalley or Edelweiss. 

Anyway.

It looked and sounded very creepy. I mean the cover itself is enough to make me want to read it. 

What did I like the most: 

So let's start with the story.

This girl finds a lady who is trying to throw a book in the river. She decides to steal the book and read it. 

The next day she goes to a farm, with her school, where she meets a creepy bus driver, a creepy farm hand. Oh and the lady who was going to throw the book in the river.

So things start to get weird. 

The bus breaks down, the teacher goes to look for help. 

The bus driver tells her that she needs to hide or else they will take all of them once it gets dark. They being the smiling man. And whoever his minions are. 

So she decides to leave. When she does Ollie and... This other girl who's name I cannot remember, go with her. It starts to get dark.

Then the creepy stuff happens. The other students are taken away by... you guessed it! Scarecrows.

So let me just tell y'all scarecrows are creepy. They have always freaked me out. And this book DEFINITELY DID NOT HELP THAT FACT.

I was literally reading this book, well listening to it, at 2 A.M. saying "nope nope nope nope" out loud. I woke my husband up. Whoops.

It's seriously freaky.

(Oh yeah and then they have to do a bunch of stuff to save the students and try not to die.) 

Which leads me to my next point.

The writing is awesome. It gave me goosebumps. Even though this is a middle grade book, man is it good. Seriously. I couldn't sleep that night. I kept closing my eyes and pictures scarecrows.

Also the characters. The MC's mom died. It's just her and her dad. She has had a hard time since. She doesn't play sports, have friends, or be part of any clubs or groups anymore since. So she's alone.

Then when this happens she finds out that she does actually have friends.

She isn't really whiny. She is actually pretty grown up for being like 12.

Also her dad is awesome. He's sweet, caring, and he cooks a lot. Also he knits socks. 

What didn't I like: 

There isn't really anything I didn't like. I would probably rate this a 4.5. Not quite a 5, but better than a 4.

Would I read the rest of the series/more from this author?
YES YES YES YES. The next one comes out this year and I. CANNOT. WAIT.

This book is 100x better than I ever thought it would be. And it gave me the creeps. AMAZING.

“Best get moving. At nightfall they’ll come for the rest of you.” 
― Katherine Arden, Small Spaces

Born in Texas, Katherine studied French and Russian at Middlebury College. She has lived abroad in France and in Moscow, among other places. She has also lived in Hawaii, where she wrote much of The Bear and the Nightingale. She currently lives in Vermont.
Website: http://katherinearden.com
Twitter: arden_katherine
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
URL: https://www.goodreads.com/arden_katherine