SMALL SPACES was one of my most highly anticipated middle grade releases of 2018. Grief + horror + Katherine Arden's gorgeous prose? Sign. me. up.

In this novel, we meet 12-year-old Ollie, who has recently lost her mother and is struggling to find her place again now that she is "that girl" in school. Sick of sympathy smiles and condescending "I understands," she takes solace in books. Although she wishes there were more swashbuckling heroines, she manages to lose herself in books easily while staying on top of her school work and hanging out with her fun-loving, crafty dad.

One day, Ollie sees a crying woman trying to toss a book into a river and stops her--after all, she cannot let a book be thrown away! But this book, Small Spaces, is different: it tells the story of a woman, a smiling man, and two lost brothers. The book is eerie, for sure, but it also seems to have a peculiar connection to a local farm in Ollie's town...one that she'll be visiting with her class very soon.

Not surprisingly to horror fans, the farm and the book do indeed have an otherworldly connection, and it will be up to Ollie to use her booksmarts (literally!) to save not only herself, but her classmates and dozens of curious citizens who came before then. Arden populates her novel with clever horror scenes, but this is not your typical Halloween fare. Ollie is also propelled by her grief, which is all-consuming at times, and the way it has changed her. Arden does a remarkable job of intertwining the horror of grief with the terror of the farm so that readers will not be able to say which is really worse.

We all knew that Katherine Arden was a master of adult fantasy, but with SMALL SPACES she proves she is adept at writing for a multitude of audiences--and that she is quite the horror writer, too!

Katherine Arden's middle grade novel, Small Spaces, combines horror, paranormal, and thriller in a clever and enjoyable way.

I find it hard to review middle grade books since it is distinctly not written for my age group, nor am I reading with a member of the intended age group. That being said, I found this read to be appropriate for the intended age group, and still a lot of fun as an adult reader.

I enjoyed the fresh take on a classic sort of legend, and found that Arden managed to both develop her characters well and keep them accessible to young readers. Arden also balanced spooky with scary very well.

I would definitely recommend this book, particularly as a seasonal read for fall.

I never expected a middle grade book to scare me the way Small Spaces did. Katherine Arden, author of The Bear and the Nightingale, has crafted a wonderfully creep scary story that surprised me on each page.

In this book we follow Ollie, a super smart sixth grader, who is struggling with the loss of her mother the year prior. Ollie’s adventure begins when she runs into a crying woman by the creek, this woman has a book and is going to throw it in the water. Ollie ends up stealing the book and going home to read it. The book is an old scary story, but nothing is as it seems when Ollie goes on a field trip to Webster farm and discovers that the books she stole could possibly be related to scarecrow infested farm. On the way home the bus breaks down and she is warned by her terrifying bus driver that there are monsters in the mist and they are coming to get the kids. Ollie sets off with two friends to uncover what’s out there and to save their class.

Small Spaces builds tension in a way that makes you simultaneously afraid to turn the page but excited to. This constant sense of dread propels you forward in this downward spiral of fear. You know the horror is coming yet you keep going and when it fianlly unfolds in front of you a tingle will snake its way down your spine. I never knew that I was afraid of scarecrows until I read this book, the fact that they are around every corner and moving when they’re out of sight really creeped me out. Imagine that the monster trying to get you moved when you aren’t looking and can show up at any second.

The setting in Small Spaces is suffocating, but not in a bad way. You fly through the dark deserted woods and then into cramped farm houses, the book is littered with claustrophobia to really get your heart pumping. The imagery of where you are really shines through, I could see myself standing in the woods or carefully walking across rotten bridges. The story includes you in every step and you never feel like an outsider peeking in.

We are left with very clear descriptions of the horrors that stand before Ollie, one instance that really made me anxious was a description of the bus driver. Arden writes, “This time the driver turned to face her. Ollie got a terrible shock. His eyes had turned white, white as an egg, pupil-less. He might have been blind except he was definitely looking at her. His teeth were perfectly white too, sharp against red lips.” I found this so frightening because the contrast of white against red is so vibrant, and when most people think about bus drivers they don’t think of pupil-less hell demons. Arden takes the mundane everyday people and places and turns them into horrifying mechanisms to push the story onward.

A detail about this story that I enjoyed was Ollie’s watch. Her watch was dead prior to this field trip, only a memento of the past, but beyond the mist of the woods it starts aiding her on her journey to the truth. It tells her where to go and gives her a countdown to nightfall (when the horrors come out to play), and it added to the mystery of the story. The watch gives Ollie’s history depth and makes you want to learn more about her. The twist about the watch is a tad predictable but heart warming none the less.

My only squabble with Small Spaces is that it is a little bit predictable. No one is who they seem but they do stick to common character tropes that litter horror stories. You can mostly see where the books is heading and the ending, while different, still fits the typical scary story model. It resolves too perfectly in my opinion.

I give Small Spaces a 4/5 stars because it is a fantastic middle grade horror story with depth and fear inducing scenes. I knocked off a star for predictability only.

I just want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read the free uncorrected copy of this book for my blog.

Be sure to check out Small Spaces by Kayherine Arden and keep your eyes peeled for the next book in the series titled Dead Voices expected to release on August 27th, 2019.

Ollie is 11 years old. She reads books constantly when free. Why? Her mother is dead. Her father is a great baker and cook making meals and bake goods everyday. Upon getting up one day Ollie knows that she must meet whatever punishment the principal for hitting the back of a boy’s head. The boy had to get stitches. However when she arrives at the principal’s office, the boy, Brian is sitting there explaining what happened saying Ollie didn’t do it. However she has a book in her bag which she can’t stop thinking about. It’s actually a journal. What is written in it? She rescued the book from a woman who was going to throw it in the local swimming hole. As Ollie had escaped with the book, she called out to Ollie saying “beware large spaces, stay in small spaces.” Of course Ollie didn’t understand what she meant. Ollie and her class are going on a field trip to see a farm that is a success financially and more. On the way back to school, the bus breaks down. The bus driver has a sprained ankle so he can’t walk back to the farm to call for help. Why doesn’t the teacher use his cell phone? As the students wait for the teacher to come back, Ollie decides to leave the bus before it gets dark. She thinks if she stays something bad will happen. She tells her classmates but they don’t believe her. She leaves with one classmate and later Brian joins them. Will something bad happen? Will they survive it? Will they get home?

The author has written a story that involves loss, friendships, and being able to stand up for what is the right thing to do (at least in the long run). This is an adventure book that is fast paced with twists and turns making me want to know what was going to happen next. It also has a little horror to it. I would recommend this book who wants something different and special.

After the unexpected death of her mother, Ollie is just struggling to survive day by day. She certainly doesn't want to make any new friends, or solve any mysteries. But one day her path crosses with a sobbing woman, and Ollie leaves with a strange book detailing a sinister, supernatural "smiling man."

On a field trip with her sixth grade class, Ollie and two classmates learn that the "smiling man" is real, and he wants to take all the children away in a devilish trade.

I really enjoyed this scary middle grade novel. Ollie's broken wristwatch is a bittersweet memento of her mother's, and I loved how it helped guide the kids through the strange world of Smoke Hollow farm. There were some genuinely creepy scenes, and the children's desperation to just go home was palpable.

I can't wait to read the sequel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy.

Definitely a book for YA mystery readers, and I can’t wait for more in this series to read how the mystery continues. Fans of RL Stone books will really enjoy this series.

Delightful middle grade horror story. I enjoyed the characters and how a friendship came to be among them. The plot twists and turns in all the right places. The story continuously pulls you in. Quick charming read.

Perfect for fans of R.L. Stine, this book will draw readers in long past bedtime. Small Spaces brings all the delightful, squeamish, hide-under-your-blankets feelings that I remember from childhood. Wonderfully done, beautifully descriptive, Katherine Arden has written a great story for the younger crowd. Would definitely read a sequel. Thank you Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book.

Somewhere I had read someone review this book as such: "I would read Katherine Arden's shopping list." How true! Though I've purchased her Winternight Trilogy because they are so highly recommended, I haven't gotten the chance to read them yet. That's been my loss if those are anything like Small Spaces." Arden's a wonderful writer--Ollie's voice is full of heart; I loved her.

Small Spaces begins with eleven-year-old Ollie, who is heartbroken over a recent loss and who finds comfort through her books. When she finds a terrified woman at the river threatening to throw one into the water, Ollie steals it and runs away. This sets off a wonderfully creepy adventure.

Your middle grader will find this one hard to put down, especially if they are fans of R. L. Stine. The pace, voice, and chills all make for the perfect package. I'm eager to read the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this free copy to review.

The central character in this story is a girl named Ollie who is still grieving after the death of her mom. The story follows the adventures of Ollie and her friends during a school trip to a local farm reputed to be haunted. An interesting book for middle schoolers.

Thank you to Katherine Arden, NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Small Spaces took me back to my middle school reading years. The book is enjoyable and features fun protagonists sure to engage a young audience.

I enjoyed this book as a quality reading experience for youth — it’s a title I would place in my classroom with no hesitation.

A creative balance of adventure and youthful suspense.

A unique storyline. I think my kids will enjoy that it has chills but not blood and gore. It was a quick read for me.

Olivia—who prefers Ollie--was different a year ago before she lost her mom. Since then, she quit chess club and most social activities and has retreated into books. On her way home one day after an incident at school involving another girl being teased and a rock thrown well and true at one of the purported instigators by Ollie herself, she stumbles upon a distressed woman in the woods. As the woman holds a small black book over Lethe Creek, Ollie snatches the endangered tome from her and brings the mysterious book home. The story it tells is a strange one involving someone known as the Smiling Man, an entity that makes deals with those who are desperate in exchange for service. The fantastical tale seems to follow her on a class trip the next day, and when the bus breaks down on their way home and the world starts to turn sideways, Ollie, accompanied by her classmates Coco and Brian, needs to use all of her knowledge, wits, and cleverness to get her and the rest of her classmates back to their own world and out of the grip of an entity that seems to have jumped right from the pages of the book she rescued from a watery grave.

I truly loved Arden’s first foray into children’s fiction. I found the team of young preteens to have some serious moxie and I loved how they got to know one another and use their hidden strengths and talents to survive in a mysterious world where they were hunted by scarecrows that turned out to be more than that. It was a story of love and acceptance and moving forward through grief. The characters had depth and Ollie was my spirit animal and is exactly the kind of kid I hope for someday. Ollie’s dad was also such a cool character with his love of crafts, baking, color, and amazing and corny dad jokes. I really grew to love Ollie’s companions, Coco and Brian, as well. Their adventures take them from being three very different acquaintances to three members of a survival team who grow to care for one another as friends. The alternate world that they slide into is interesting and well built, and the ending is very surprising.

I truly recommend this book to all young girls as a reminder that being smart and brave can make all the difference and to never let anything take their spark or make them go against their moral compass.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Penguin Group in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a great chapter book. If you enjoy goosebumps series. You will enjoy small spaces. This is going to be a book that I will be recommending to all my chapter readers

So good! The story was excellent! Katherine Arden's descriptions are amazing and the book just grabs you and won't let go. I loved the plot and that the story has a happy ending. Definitely will give you a few goosebumps along the way also. I finished the book in a few hours because it was hard to put down once you start. Highly recommend this book and the author!!!

Middle grade students never seem to tire of scary stories and this one fits the bill beautifully. Sixth grader Ollie is dealing (or not) with the death of her mother by immersing herself in the other worlds found in books. When she comes across a book that seems to be about the nearby farm her class is going to visit, fantasy and horror suddenly invade her world. She must come to grips with the meaning of friendship and bravery, finding unexpected companions in Coco, the irritatingly cute new girl, and Brian, the hockey star with a surprising literary side. Not too scary, not too sweet -- just right for middle grade readers,

I love corn mazes. I would love to have helped Coco, Ollie, and Brain through the scarecrow infested maze. Be aware of the scarecrow the next time you enter a corn maze! A great fun thriller you must read! When's the movie coming out?

In the past year Ollie has isolated herself from all the things she loved to do. Slowly, the story reveals why. When her school bus breaks down on it's way back home, Ollie must open her heart to new friends to defeat the smiling man who makes bargains with the living.
This is a heart warming and scary read. I will never look at scarecrows and not think of this story. And will recommend to my grandchildren.

I adore this novel! It's nonstop wonderful, exciting, suspenseful, heartwrenching, and spooky! The villain is so otherworldly evil I certainly would never wish to encounter: a trickster in disguise, sneaky and cunning. Young Ollie is as strong and brave and determined a heroine as a reader could ask. I so anticipate the sequel: DEAD VOICES.

This was a decent middle grade book, but I didn't like it as much as I expected to. I felt like the world building and the explanations for the supernatural events were a little weak, even for a kid's book.