Member Reviews
I loved the predecessor "Small Spaces" so much. This book fell a little short for me. It had just the right amount of scariness for young readers, but I would have liked to see Brian share his story firsthand like Ollie and Coco do. Overall, a great book for middle schoolers.
A great middle school horror! This series has been fun to read.
This is the second book (After Small Spaces) in the series of three friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian. This time the story begins as they are driving to a Vermont ski lodge that has just recently opened. As expected, the creepy adventures begins while they are still en route to the resort. As adventure only continues as they get settled in at the lodge. Many creepy things for middle school students to enjoy. Thank you, Net Galley, for the advance reader's copy.
This book was even better than the first book (Small Spaces) and that is saying A LOT! Small Spaces was my favorite middle reader book in 2018 so I had high expectations for this sequel.
Dead Voices finds us months later with the same wonderful characters of Ollie, Coco, and Brian. Still feeling the effects of their traumatic event, our group are hoping for some fun at a newly opened ski resort. Joined by Ollie's dad and CoCo's mom, the group drives during a tremendous storm up to the hotel only to find they are the only group who made the trip.
Nightmares, ghostly visions and the never-ending cold and dark leave readers feeling the chill in more ways than one. I can't tell you much more without spoiling the story, but the creep factor is still wonderfully high in this sequel. I can't wait to read more of their stories in books 3 & 4!
Highly recommend!
I LOVED this book! As soon as I was able to get my hands on a copy I devoured it! I absolutely loved Katherine Arden's debut middle grade novel, the first in this series, Small Spaces. I discovered today that there are going to be two more books in this series and I can't wait to read them. I would recommend not reading this one unless you've read Small Spaces first.
This story is perfect for winter because the setting is during a snow storm at a remote ski lodge. There have been some disappearances and this ski lodge may or may not be haunted. It has an interesting history. I simply adore these characters and I love Katherine Arden's writing. It's so atmospheric and the reader feels like they are living inside the story. Also, this book really made me want to eat a S'more.
I loved the friendship and family dynamics presented in this book. I love Ollie's connection to her mom. The idea that someone may be gone but they are never forgotten. I love the relationship that Ollie has with her dad. Even though it has some creepy elements, it is such a feel-good story. Needless to say, I loved this book from beginning to end.
I read this within a day and I didn't want it to end. It was such a delight to read. I read it partly at a coffee shop (Starbucks) while enjoying a Chestnut Praline Latte and it was such a perfect pairing. The remainder of my reading time occurred at home under a cozy blanket, with a fireplace going, and sitting next to my Christmas tree. It was the coziest reading time and this book is just perfection.
I can't wait to see what Ollie, Coco,and Brian get into next. If you haven't read this series yet, please do yourself a favor and pick it up. This series got me jump-started back into middle grade and it has been a great time!
This is the second book in the haunting series of three friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian. This time they are vacationing with their parents at a newly opened Vermont ski lodge. As expected the creepy adventures begin. A great middle school horror! This series has been fun to read. Thank you, Net Galley, for the advance reader's copy. Another solid 4 Stars!
Totally creeptastic!
This one was maybe even more terrifying than Small Spaces? More ghosts and mean ones at that. Plus the same creeping dread of inanimate things moving and watching you. The friendship has deepened and those kids are great. Loved to see more of Coco's POV. I assume there will be a 3rd for more of Brian's next. Great place setting too. Definitely will be forcing these on my 11 year old niece and nephew. Would recommend to 5th-7th graders. Maybe 4th if they are brave brave brave enough.
ARC from netgalley for an honest review.
This was an excellent ghost story for ages 10 through 14, but this over age 50 adult enjoyed it. I eagerly look forward to anything Katherine Arden writes. Arden's Small Spaces and Dead Voices are satisfyingly spooky without being excessively gory or too extreme.
My thanks to NetGalley for a digital advanced readers copy.
This was a quick fun read that I think my middle school students would definitely enjoy! I didn't realize there was a previous book and I will definitely be nabbing that one to check out too! You didn't need to read the first book to enjoy this one, but it's always fun to follow along to see the progression of characters. The characters were likeable and the book was well written.
Thank you so much for providing me with this eARC to review. I have decided to put this book on hold for a while. I have not been able to connect with this one as well as I did with the first book. When I finish the book I will add my review. I will be purchasing this for my classroom because quite a few of my students read and enjoyed the first book.
Kind regards,
Brittney
What a fun supernatural adventure! Great for middle grades and adults alike. Just enough spook for a good thrill of a read! Great follow up after reading Small Spaces.
This sequel did not disappoint. It was creepy and spooky! I enjoy the characters and they are very believable, they each have their quirks. I think this is a great follow up to Small Spaces and readers will enjoy the title.
I thought Katherine Arden's first book "Small Spaces" was creepy but this one was even better! Ollie, Coco, and Brian are headed up to a ski resort but there are signs before they even get there that something isn't right. The kids are smart and resourceful. Their friendship is ultimately what saves them. They aren't perfect, they have weaknesses, but their friendship helps them fight the thing that's haunting them. It's a great message and a great spooky story. If you celebrate "All Hallows Read", this would be a good one to give to a middle grade reader.
Katherine Arden has done it again! Dead Voices was a delight for a spooky-lover like myself. I could not put this one down. I usually don't love younger/middle grade stories but Katherine has a way of making you feel a part of the story and never once did this scream "juvenile."
This series is shaping up to be a good creep-fest for middle school readers. While there were some plot points that were easily guessed by older readers, Arden does manage to pull some twists off that were delightful and clever. I'm glad there's going to be four of this series. Looking forward to the next one!
While a feeling of isolation and creepiness was well-established, many of the other-worldly occurrences in the book were telegraphed to the reader, and so things that should have been unsettling and even frightening were expected. I was not a fan.
Katherine Arden's prose is so rich and wonderful. I enjoyed this book and the previous installment as an adult. However, as a child, both of these books would have scared the bejesus out of me. While some of my students love a good scary story, I would hold off on recommending this to my more sensitive kids. This is more than goosebumps. This is more like vintage Mary Downing Hahn.
Katherine Arden does it again: an absolutely terrific horror for middle grades. Love her writing, her developing of the setting, characters and all their adventures. This would be a great addition to a middle school library. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this eARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Horror for kids is not an easy genre, but with this second book featuring Ollie, Coco, and Brian, Katherine Arden cements her place as the Queen of Shivers for middle grade readers. Picking up a couple months after the events of Small Spaces, we find our plucky trio trapped in a remote ski lodge by a doozy of a snowstorm. As the action progresses, the three find their courage and friendship tested again by the Smiling Man and a gaggle of ghosts.
Arden is adept at creating an atmosphere that will leave you shivering and glancing over your shoulder at every little sound. She makes this old ski lodge seem like the creepiest, scariest place ever, and that’s before she opens another dimension. The horror is countered by the solid friendship enjoyed by Coco, Ollie and Brian, and by the growing affection between Coco’s mother and Ollie’s father.
Arden also writes the action around the kids using their brains to think their way out of the scary situations. Coco and Ollie especially rely on deductive reasoning to ultimately defeat the Smiling Man.
Katherine Arden takes her place on my scary story bookshelves with Mary Downing Hahn, R.L. Stine, and Patricia Clapp. Recommended.
I didn't read the first book in this series, but found that this book was perfectly understandable and enjoyable on its own. Great adventure with several twists that I didn't see coming. Great story!
Love this second book Dead Voices by Katherine Ardin! It has a bit of fun, ghost stories, and a creepy setting. I have to say I like this better than the first, Small Spaces. This is great for kids who enjoy ghost stories but don't want anything gory or too scary. A quick read that is enjoyable and will keep your interest! Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC