Small Spaces
Hello Neighbors,
Let’s talk about Small Spaces and why I gave it 4 stars.
After having experienced the tragic loss of her mother, Ollie finds her young world less colorful and herself changed because of it. She is no longer the care free girl but instead has become introverted and sullen, wanting only to be left alone to read. We can all understand this on some level. Whether because of our own losses or seeing those close to us go through it.
Smart cast of characters. The main three kids are all very clever in their own ways. But these differences are what help them work together to navigate the strange and scary world they’ve entered. They all found ways of trusting each other even when they didn’t exactly want to go along the direction presented.
The spooky setting that Katherine Arden created against the back drop of fall in Vermont was perfect! It was easy to be transported into the woods with the smell of damp earth and the crunch of leaves under foot as described by the author. I enjoyed the chill of the environment that had me reaching for something cozy to warm up with.
The Smiling man was sufficiently creepy. I don’t ever want to experience this thing in my nightmares. No thank you!
The execution of the story arc was well done. It took you on the journey with the characters, never being left behind wandering around any plot holes. I appreciate that.
Back cover
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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