Description

Product Description

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.

Review

Praise for Small Spaces:
★ ★ ★ Three Starred Reviews
22 State Awards
A Kirkus Best Book of 2018 – Middle-Grade
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2018 – Middle-Grade
A Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books of 2018
An Amazon Best Book – October 2018
A CCBC Choices List Pick – 2019
An ALA Notable Children’s Book – 2019

★ “Atmospheric horror at its best. Chillingly tender.”—Kirkus, starred review 

★ “With a tantalizing pace and palpable suspense, all nicely grounded in realistic emotions, this well-wrought spine-tingler is destined to be a hit (just make sure the lights stay on).”—Booklist, starred review

★ “Riveting…The story moves at a good pace with just enough clues to keep the reader intrigued and guessing.”—School Library Connection, starred review

“Is it a mystery? A fairy tale? A horror thriller? As the suspense gripped me, I just wanted to know one thing—WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Terrifying and fun.”—R. L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series
 
“The perfect book to be read by firelight during a chilly autumn evening—though you might find yourself inching closer to the light as the story nears its terrifying conclusion. Katherine Arden is a gifted storyteller with a wicked imagination!”—J. A. White, author of The Thickety series and Nightbooks

“This book scared the snot out of me. Fast-paced and spine-tinglingly delightful. I defy you to read the first two chapters without staying up the rest of the night to finish. You’ve been warned!”—Jonathan Auxier New York Times bestselling author of The Night Gardener

“This supernatural thriller [is] a page-turner, but it’s Ollie’s journey through grief and into friendship that makes it memorable.” –The Horn Book Magazine
 
“A winning combination of thrills, chills, humor, and heart. Hand to fans of Holly Black’s Doll Bones and readers who enjoy the works of Mary Downing Hahn and Jonathan Stroud.” –The School Library Journal

“Arden…shrouds her Halloween-time story in autumnal mists, introducing a…cast of ominous figures, from ghosts to shapeshifters and scarecrow minions. Ollie is a relatable heroine who finds strength through trusting in friendship, while her ghostly adventures lead her to learn an important truth: sometimes, the best way to honor the memory of a loved one is by moving forward, bravely, and with love.”—Publishers Weekly

” The novel’s menacing fantasy world of centuries-old ghosts and children being turned into scarecrows is provocative enough, but explicit references to Narnia, Wonderland, and Cerberus of Hades make for a smart and moving account of how stories may transport but grief and loss still take a lot from us.” —BCCB

“In her first book for young readers, the author of adult best-seller “The Bear and the Nightingale” offers a sublimely creepy tale with middle-school drama, spooky fairytale references, a heart-stopping finale – and a poignant tale of mother and daughter love at its heart.” —The Buffalo News

About the Author

Katherine Arden is the New York Times bestselling author of the Winternight trilogy and the Small Spaces quartet. In addition to writing novels, she enjoys aimless travel, growing vegetables, and running wild through the woods with her dog. She lives in Vermont.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

She pedaled hard past the hay bales in the roundabout on Main Street, turned onto Daisy Lane and raced past the clapboard houses, where jack-o’-lanterns grinned on every front porch. She aimed her bike to knock down a rotting gray rubber hand groping up out of the earth in the Steiners’ yard, turned again at Johnson Hill and climbed panting up the steep dirt road.

No one came after her. Well, why would they, Ollie thought. She was Off School Property.

Ollie let her bike coast down the other side of Johnson Hill. was good to be alone in the warm sunshine. The river ran silver to her right, chattering over rocks. The fire-colored trees shook their leaves down around her. It wasn’t hot, exactly—but warm for October. Just cool enough for jeans, but the sun was warm when you tilted your face to it.

The swimming hole was Ollie’s favorite place. Not far from her house, it had a secret spot on a rock half-hidden by a waterfall. That spot was Ollie’s, especially on fall days. After mid-September, she was the only one there. People didn’t go to swimming holes once the weather turned chilly.
Other than her homework, Ollie was carrying Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini, a broken-spined paperback that she’d dug out of her dad’s bookshelves. She mostly liked it. Peter Blood outsmarted everyone, which was a feature she liked in heroes, although she wished Peter were a girl, or the villain were a girl, or someone in the book besides his boat and his girlfriend (both named Arabella) were a girl. But at least the book had romance and high seas adventures and other absolutely not Evansburg things. Ollie liked that. Reading it meant going to a new place where she wasn’t Olivia Adler at all.

Ollie braked her bike. The ground by the road was carpeted with scarlet leaves; sugar maples start losing their leaves before other trees. Ollie kept a running list in her head of sugar maples in Evansburg that didn’t belong to anyone. When the sap ran, she and her mom would—

Nope. No, they wouldn’t. They could buy maple syrup.

The road that ran beside the swimming hole looked like any other stretch of road. A person just driving by wouldn’t know the swimming hole was there. But, if you knew just where to look, a skinny dirt trail went from the road to the water. Ollie walked her bike down the trail. The trees seemed to close in around her. Above was a white-railed bridge. Below, the stream paused in its trip down the mountain. It spread out, grew deep and quiet enough for swimming. There was a cliff for jumping and plenty of hiding places for one girl and her book. Ollie hurried. She was eager go and read by the water and be alone.

The trees ended suddenly, and Ollie was standing on the bank of a cheerful brown swimming hole.
But, to her surprise, there was someone already there.

A slender woman, wearing jeans and flannel, stood at the edge of the water. Her jeans were nice, her flannel soft, but her boots were muddy and worn, the leather cracking across one heel.
The woman was sobbing.

Maybe Ollie’s foot scuffed a rock, because the woman jerked upright and whirled around. Ollie gulped. The woman was pretty, with amber-honey hair. But she had circles under her eyes like purple thumbprints. Streaks of mascara had run down her face, like she’d been crying for awhile.

“Hello,” The woman said, trying to smile. “You surprised me.” Her eyes looked—stretched—the way a dog looks, hiding under the bed during a thunderstorm. Her white-knuckled hands gripped a small, dark thing.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Ollie said cautiously.

Why are you crying? she wanted to ask. But it seemed impolite to ask that question to a grown-up, even if her face was streaked with the runoff from her tears.

The woman didn’t reply; she darted a glance to the rocky path by the creek, then back to the water. Like she was looking out for something. Or someone.

Ollie felt a chill creep down her spine. She said, “Are you okay?”

“Of course.” The woman tried to smile again. Fail. The wind rustled the leaves. Ollie glanced behind her. Nothing.

“I’m fine,” repeated the woman. She turned the dark thing over in her hands. Then she said, in a rush, “I just have to get rid of this. Put it in the water. And then—” The woman broke off.

Then? What then? The woman held the thing out over the water. Ollie saw that it was a small black book, the size of her spread-out hand, with a cloth cover, its pages stained deep yellow.

Her reaction was pure reflex. “You can’t throw away a book!” Ollie let go of her bike and jumped forward. Part of her wondered, Why would you come here to throw a book in the river? You can donate a book. There were donation boxes all over Evansburg.

“I have to!” snapped the woman, bringing Ollie up short. The woman went on, half to herself, “That’s the bargain. Make the arrangements. Then give the book to the water.” She gave Ollie a pleading look. “I don’t have a choice, you see.”

Ollie tried to drag the conversation out of crazy town. “You can donate a book if you don’t want it,” she said firmly. “Or—or give it to someone. Don’t just throw it in the river.”

“I have to,” said the woman again.

“Have to drop a book in the river?”

“Before tomorrow,” said the woman. Almost to herself, she whispered, “Tomorrow’s the day.”

Ollie was nearly within arm’s reach now. The woman smelled sour—frightened. Ollie, completely at sea, decided to ignore the stranger elements of the conversation. Later, she would wish she hadn’t. “If you don’t want that book, I’ll take it,” said Ollie. “I like books.”

The woman shook her head. “He said water. Upstream. Where Lethe Creek runs out of the mountain. I’m here. I’m doing it!” She shrieked the last sentence as though someone besides Ollie was listening. Ollie had to stop herself from looking behind her again.

“Why?” she asked. Little mouse feet crept up her spine.

“Who knows?” the woman whispered. “Just his game, maybe. He enjoys what he does, you know, and that is why he’s always smiling—” She smiled too, a joyless pumpkin-head grin.

Ollie nearly yelped. But instead, her hand darted up and she snatched the book. It felt old under her fingers, gritty with dust. Surprised at her own daring, Ollie hurriedly backed up.

The woman’s face turned red. “Give that back!” A glob of spit hit Ollie in the cheek.

“I don’t think so,” said Ollie. “You don’t want it anyway.” She was backing toward her bike, half expecting the woman to fling herself forward.

The woman was staring at Ollie as if really seeing her for the first time. “Why—?” A horrified understanding dawned on her face that Ollie didn’t understand. “How old are you?”

Ollie was still backing toward her bike. “Twelve,” she answered, by reflex. Almost there . . .

“Twelve?” the woman breathed. “Twelve. Of course, twelve.” Ollie couldn’t tell if the woman were giggling or crying. Maybe both. “Its his kind of joke—” She broke off, leaned forward to whisper. “Listen to me, Twelve. I’m going to tell you one thing, because I’m not a bad person. I just didn’t have a choice. I’ll give you some advice, and you give me the book.” She had her hand out, fingers crooked like claws.

Ollie, poised on the edge of flight, said, “Tell me what?” The stream rushed and rippled, but the harsh sounds of the woman breathing were louder than the water.

“Avoid large places at night,” the woman breathed. “Keep to small.”

“Small?” Ollie was torn between wanting to run and wanting to understand. “That’s it?”

“Small!” shrieked the woman. “Small spaces! Keep to small spaces or see what happens to you! Just see!” She burst into wild laughter. The animatronic witch sitting outside the Brewsters’ next to a cauldron of dry ice laughed like that. “Now give me that book!” Her laughter turned into a whistling, shrieking sob; her hands reached out, snatching.

Ollie heaved the Schwinn around and fled with it up the trail from the creek. The woman’s footsteps scraped behind. “Come back!” she panted. “Come back!”

Ollie was already on the main road, her leg thrown over the bike’s saddle. She rode home as fast as she could, bent low over her handlebars, hair streaming in the wind, the book lying in her pocket like a secret.
 

Product information

Videos

Upload video

Related posts

1. Home Office Furniture + Follow Williamspace modern and stylish nesting coffee table, Wooden Round End Table Circle side Table is suitable for many occasions such as living room, bedroom, balcony and so on. Unique design makes your home more advanced. There are also squares and other colors for you to choose from!

   See more
2. POWERSTONE® + Follow Power Lift Recliner Chair for Elderly with 8 Positions Massage & Heating

   See more
3. Bring Your Ideas to Life + Follow AMHANCBILE Bedside Table with Charging Station, Nightsand With 2 Drawer and "X"Shape Style

   See more
4. ODK + Follow @genthebookworm A New Home Office Space for 2022!

   See more
5. WEI GLOBAL + Follow 66” L-Shaped Computer Corner Desk, PC Laptop Gaming Desk with CPU Stand, Space-Saving Large Writing Workstation Table for Home Office

   See more
6. GYMAX + Follow Looking for a comfortable chair for gaming, working or study? Check out GYMAX adjustable office chair! Wide Back and fully customized seat for you! 6 Colors available!

   See more
7. WEI GLOBAL + Follow 66” L-Shaped Computer Corner Desk, PC Laptop Gaming Desk with CPU Stand, Space-Saving Large Writing Workstation Table for Home Office——This L-shaped design computer desk is easy for fitting in any cramped corner of your room or office and make your limited space maximization. Comes with a free CPU stand that places freely underneath. #HOME# #OFFICE#

   See more
8. GYMAX + Follow Looking for a comfortable gaming/working chair? Check out GYMAX multipurpose gaming chair. Fully adjustable chair offers a customized sitting experience.

   See more
9. TANGKULA + Follow small computer desk

   See more

Reviews with images

---

Top reviews from the United States

Melanie (meltotheany)5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase 5/5 Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2018

“You might get to know characters in books, Ollie thought, but getting to know a human was an entirely different thing.” Small Spaces is Katherine Arden’s debut middle grade novel and I loved it so very much friends. Many of you know that The Bear and the... See more “You might get to know characters in books, Ollie thought, but getting to know a human was an entirely different thing.”

Small Spaces is Katherine Arden’s debut middle grade novel and I loved it so very much friends. Many of you know that The Bear and the Nightingale is one of my favorite books of all-time, and even though these stories are nothing like one another, the beautiful writing, amazing characters, and important themes shine through. I went into this expecting a fun and spooky read (which it was), but what I also got was such a beautiful love letter to grief, depression, and trying to live in a world that has taken away someone who you feel you cannot live without.

In a small town in Vermont, our main character is riding her bike home from school one fall afternoon, when she notices a woman attempting to throw an old book in the water. Ollie, being the book lover that she is, feels obliged to stop and see what’s going on.

➽ Olivia Adler - But she mostly goes by Ollie. A twelve-year-old, sixth grader, who loves to read and is trying to live her life while grieving a terrible loss. And the only way she truly knows how to cope is the escapism of books. (Also, there is a brief mention of her mom having brown skin, but I am not 100% sure of Ollie’s race.)

➽ Coco Zintner - The tiniest child in Ollie’s class. She has a somewhat famous mother and has recently moved to the school. But her innocence and eccentricities constantly make her a target for bullying.

➽ Brian Battersby - Jamaican and your typical middle school jock, who Ollie has known her entire life. And Ollie learns very quickly that you should not stereotype people, because they might surprise you.

And their paths truly cross unexpectedly once Olivia begins to read the book that was almost abandoned. She learns of a farm, and a girl, and two brothers, and a missing persons case that was never solved. And now Ollie and her friends are going on a field trip to a farm that is very reminiscent of the story she has been reading about.

And yes, friends, this is a spooky book. I mean, it’s nothing too scary or too much, but Katherine Arden for sure paints an eerie atmosphere and some extremely creepy monster like characters. And I truly think this will make the perfect Halloween read this year, for so many ages, but this book was also so much more than that.

This is a book about healing and friendship and learning to let go while simultaneously never letting go. This book is about escapism through books and how books carry some of the most powerful healing magic imaginable. And this is a book about healing at your own pace and in your own time.

“Maybe, she kept thinking, when she came back from one of those other worlds, when she woke up from book dreaming, she would come back to a world where […] wasn’t dead.”

Ollie is really dealing with some very serious depression and grief throughout this book. Like how we give up things that make us happy, just because those things remind you of the person who made you happiest. How sometimes the world feels too heavy, too loud, too empty, all because it’s missing someone who was your entire world. Yet, this is also a love letter to how the ones we lose will never truly be lost; they will always remain with us. Always.

Overall, I loved this book more than words. I wasn’t expecting it to make me feel everything that it did, and when I closed the book it truly felt like a cathartic experience. I recommend this book to any and every person, but especially during the autumnal season. I read this in a single sitting, I never once wanted to put it down, and I fell so deeply in love with it. 39 people found this helpful Helpful Report Serena5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Mazes & Meetings Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2019 I got a copy of this from NetGalley and also bought my own ebook copy from Amazon Kindle too. I wasn''t sure what to expect but I love how Katherine Arden writes so I wasn''t too worried. Ollie, hurting from the loss of her mother, finds herself thrust into a... See more I got a copy of this from NetGalley and also bought my own ebook copy from Amazon Kindle too. I wasn''t sure what to expect but I love how Katherine Arden writes so I wasn''t too worried.

Ollie, hurting from the loss of her mother, finds herself thrust into a adventure she didn''t bargain on. It starts with saving a book from being ruined and the story in the book creeps into her life until it''s real and happening to her and her bus full of classmates, stuck on a road with a eerie bus driver and something coming for them all. Brian, a book lover and hockey player - and Coco, a city girl who loves chess and is a bit artsy and clumsy but should probably be in gymnastics, follow Ollie off the bus and into the smiling man''s world of ghosts, deals and mazes.

I enjoyed it all very much, similar in theme perhaps to the cartoon "Over The Garden Wall" which has a pair of brothers exploring a otherworldly world, or the scarecrows that remind me of Doctor Who''s Weeping Angels who move best in the dark and when you aren''t looking. I think the smiling man reminded me of either the devil or a sorcerer like DC''s Klarion. It''s a wonderful mix of strange things that simply somehow work in the best of ways.

I did get to read the first chapter of the next book and also looked at the author''s Twitter and so look forward to the winter/spring/summer books following each of this group of friends. One person found this helpful Helpful Report mojo jojo 5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Wow! Creepy fun Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2019 Keep in mind I’m 20 yrs old, and this novel is certainly not targeted at my demographic - however, I knew that going in, so I was not let down. This is excellent middle grade horror! I loved Goosebumps as a kid and this is right up there with those - but more... See more Keep in mind I’m 20 yrs old, and this novel is certainly not targeted at my demographic - however, I knew that going in, so I was not let down.

This is excellent middle grade horror! I loved Goosebumps as a kid and this is right up there with those - but more sophisticated. The characters are 6th graders, but the writing is mature and well thought out. The main characters were wise beyond their years. It was a pleasure to read about them.

I loved the writing style. I just had a clear feeling about all of the scenes described. Beware! Maybe don’t read this book on an empty stomach. Graphic depictions of delicious food are involved! Lol.

This author really depicts grief and loss in an authentic way, without info dumping on the reader, or being overly morose and dramatic. I was also impressed with the clever backstory and original villain. Very spooky!

I like these middle school horror novels because they’re usually not terribly scary (to me) and I can still appreciate the creepiness and suspense. Really well done! Will consider buying the sequel when it comes out! 2 people found this helpful Helpful Report Spooky KidLit & We Who Walk Here, Walk Alone5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase An Eerie Middle Grade Novel Perfect for Halloween Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2018 "Wherever you go in this big, gorgeous, hideous world, there is a ghost story waiting for you." Such is the wisdom of Katherine Arden’s eerie middle grade novel Small Spaces; she doesn’t know it, but she has written the words that will one day go on my tombstone.... See more "Wherever you go in this big, gorgeous, hideous world, there is a ghost story waiting for you."

Such is the wisdom of Katherine Arden’s eerie middle grade novel Small Spaces; she doesn’t know it, but she has written the words that will one day go on my tombstone. Perhaps I’ll add a small engraving of a scarecrow to give ghost hunters an extra fright…

But I digress. Small Spaces is the story of Ollie Adler, a sixth grade math whiz and fierce feminist who has withdrawn from her friends and dropped all school activities in the wake of her mother’s death. Her only solace is in books, so when she finds a woman trying to throw a book in the river one day, she steals the book from the woman in order to rescue it. When Ollie reads it, she finds that the book is a diary of horrific events that happened in the very place where her class will soon be taking a field trip…and that history may be about to repeat itself.

This is one of the creepiest books I’ve read this year. Don’t scoff just yet — I know I review a lot of cute board books on this site, which aren’t really all that terrifying, but I also review books for adult horror fans on my other blog, so when I say that this book scared me more than almost anything I’ve read all year, you know it’s legitimately creepy. There’s a sense of dread that seeps slowly throughout the book, and once we get to the action (hinted at by that glorious Halloween-y cover), Arden demonstrates that she understands exactly how frightening scarecrows truly are. They’re always staring at you. They seem to move as soon as you turn your back on them. I’ve been convinced for my entire life that one of these days I’d catch a scarecrow moving before I’d even had a chance to turn away, and Arden has finally confirmed my suspicions.

But enough of my nightmares! In addition to Ollie’s feminism, I appreciated Arden’s characterization of Ollie’s classmate Coco. She’s a very pretty, feminine young girl who cries quite often, but as Ollie discovers: “Coco didn’t cry because she was weak. Coco cried because she felt things.” Differentiating feeling from weakness — and differentiating femininity from weakness — is an important distinction to make, particularly in a middle grade book. The earlier you can teach kids this vital lesson, the better.

Arden deliberately breaks down racial and gender stereotypes in this book, as Ollie’s classmate Brian, who is Black and immigrated from Jamaica at a very young age, is a star hockey player, and Ollie’s dad knits and bakes. Arden does this in a positive, organic manner that supports the already well-drawn characterizations. Ollie’s dad in particular is such a nurturing figure that I can’t imagine him not having a project on the needles or something delicious in the oven. And Ollie’s mom was a bold adventurer, a strong athlete, and a fierce protector. We don’t see much of her interacting with Ollie, but what we do see is heart-wrenching. 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. Katherine Arden’s prose is gorgeous, filled with dreamy, lyrical asides. The story alternates between eerie and pulse-pounding; when we can’t see any monsters, dread still rolls in like fog. Whether Ollie is running from scarecrows or denying her own grief, Arden has a message for her: whatever demons you’re trying to avoid, you can’t hide forever. 19 people found this helpful Helpful Report Kathy5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Scarecrows are scary. Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2021 I enjoyed the creepy adventure as Ollie, Brian, and Coco found their way into and out of a dark realm of the smiling man...and found great friends along the way. Never focus on what is lost...but on what is there. Love is always there. Hockey players sometimes... See more I enjoyed the creepy adventure as Ollie, Brian, and Coco found their way into and out of a dark realm of the smiling man...and found great friends along the way.
Never focus on what is lost...but on what is there. Love is always there.
Hockey players sometimes read.
Sometimes those who stumble on the ground, merely have to climb. Helpful Report Sara Codair5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Cute, spooky adventure Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2020 This was a cute story with a classically spooky atmosphere. I loved that it was set in Vermont in the fall. It did a good job showing how stereotypes can be wrong, and friends can show up when you least expect them to but need them the most. Helpful Report Dallas K.5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Mystery keeps the child''s interest Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2020 This was a good book for my 7th grader to do a book report on. She kept wanting to read more because it was interesting. Great book. Helpful Report Katie D5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Excellent book for all ages Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2019 I love this author but wasn''t sure what to think when I saw she was writing books aimed for a younger audience. I loved it though! Stayed up all night to read it and then got freaked out by any little sound I heard. Fantastic book and can''t wait for more! Helpful Report

---

Top reviews from other countries

Emma5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase 100% reccomend 🙂👍 Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 17, 2019 ☆ Small Spaces by Katherine Arden. ☆ 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 ☆ ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ☆ Having read The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden already I couldn''t wait to try her middle grade book when i saw this pop up on...See more☆ Small Spaces by Katherine Arden. ☆ 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 ☆ ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ☆ Having read The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden already I couldn''t wait to try her middle grade book when i saw this pop up on netgalley. ☆ I read this in one sitting. I loved the growing friendship dynamic between the main characters, Ollie, Coco and Brian. Especially the character arc that Ollie goes through. This was engaging and I could not put it down. I recommend this to children and adults alike. This takes you on a whirlwind of a ride and is up there with one of my favourite middle grade stories ever!! ☆ I bought the hardback to support the author and have pre-ordered the second book in the series which is called Dead Voices. ☆ 100% reccomend 🙂👍 ☆ 3 people found this helpful Report G. Noble4.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Fairly short read (just over 200 pages) but with lots packed into those pages Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 14, 2020 Eleven-year-old Ollie (Olivia) lost her mum in a tragic accident and has been withdrawn from everyone around her. When out for a walk, Ollie happens upon a woman about to throw a book into the river. Ollie rescues the book and starts to read about Beth, the two brothers who...See moreEleven-year-old Ollie (Olivia) lost her mum in a tragic accident and has been withdrawn from everyone around her. When out for a walk, Ollie happens upon a woman about to throw a book into the river. Ollie rescues the book and starts to read about Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and the sinister ''smiling man''. On a school trip to a farm, weird things start to happen and the book could be Ollie''s best hope of surviving. I thought this was a rather good book. Obviously it is aimed at a young audience, so it was fairly short (just over 200 pages), but there was a lot packed into those pages. The growing friendship between Ollie, Coco (the new girl), and Brian (classmate and hockey player) developed slowly and realistically. It wasn''t particularly chilling to me, but then I''m older than the target market. I do recommend it though. One person found this helpful Report Lis4.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Creepy but clever read Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2019 This was way creepier than I expected it to be but so good too. Ollie was a great character and she made a really good lead. I liked the portrayal of her a lot and she never annoyed me once. The story itself was intriguing and while I did guess the identity of the smiling...See moreThis was way creepier than I expected it to be but so good too. Ollie was a great character and she made a really good lead. I liked the portrayal of her a lot and she never annoyed me once. The story itself was intriguing and while I did guess the identity of the smiling man I still enjoyed it a lot. I now have a fear of scarecrows though. Katherine Arden''s writing style is wonderful, she has an incredible talent for bringing a world to life. 4.5 stars 3 people found this helpful Report Chrissie Muldoon5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Amazing book! Read it in a day Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 13, 2019 I read Katherine Arden''s Winternight Trilogy and loved it. Even thought this is a kid''s/young adult book, I loved it just as much. The suspense, the mythology, characters and the journeys they go on---both personal and overarching--- were compelling and well written. Great...See moreI read Katherine Arden''s Winternight Trilogy and loved it. Even thought this is a kid''s/young adult book, I loved it just as much. The suspense, the mythology, characters and the journeys they go on---both personal and overarching--- were compelling and well written. Great for any kid who likes a bit of horror. One person found this helpful Report Laura4.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Really atmospheric Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 6, 2020 While this is classed as a middle grade book, I enjoyed it none the less. The author creates a great sense of atmosphere and spooks with the writing, I got the creeps reading about the scarecrows (probably didn''t help that I read this late into the night). A great read for...See moreWhile this is classed as a middle grade book, I enjoyed it none the less. The author creates a great sense of atmosphere and spooks with the writing, I got the creeps reading about the scarecrows (probably didn''t help that I read this late into the night). A great read for all readers imo, regardless of age, and can be read in one sitting depending on reading speed. Report

---

See all reviews

---

How customer reviews and ratings work

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.