This was such a spooky, dark, atmospheric read. Craig did an amazing job building tension, distrust, and confusion throughout the story and highlighting the survival elements within the story as well. I was drawn into this mysterious town's life and wanted to know what was going on. I do think that there are some very predictable elements of the story, but there were also some surprises as well. Also, if animal gore/animal horror is a trigger for you, I would go into this with a word of caution. Overall, I adored this book and definitely recommend it if you're looking for a spooky read!

This book is sooooooooo good. I'm not surprised given her first novel was gorgeous but somehow this was even better. This story was well planned out the pacing was perfect moved along swiftly keeping that pressure on making us feel Ellerie's suffering and strength. The romance was sweet as honey, every single side character was well developed and interesting. It's rare to find a book that makes you feel so strongly as if this is your own community you are one of them and feel so invested watching as all the various traps she has set out through the story begin to spring and these characters become imperiled.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this in advance I’m exchange for an honest review. I didn’t think anything could top House of Salt and Sorrows for me but this one comes damn close. Honestly, even though it doesn’t come out for awhile I’m already predicting it will be my favorite book of the year. Erin Craig, you’ve done it again!

...this one definitely wasn't for me. Oh, Ellerie is a likable enough protagonist, but even her charms aren't enough to slog through the 400+ pages of this book. I just kept reading and reading and hoping that we would meet the antagonists. And you do. But not until the last 80 pages or so. But what's frustrating is is that you clearly know what's going on even though the characters don't. This book suffers from a major case of dramatic irony.

This book just doesn't know what it wants to be. It wants to be fantasy, but it also wants to be a fairy tale retelling. It also kind of wants to be The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It just doesn't know what it is. It's a book that doesn't have a clear setting. I spent most of the book wondering just when this book was set. Is it set in some far off fantasy land? But no, because it talks about England. So is it in America in the 1800s? But the way they talk and the things they describe don't really fit that time period. So it is some weird cult or are we in The Village? I don't know and the book I read definitely doesn't know that either. Don't even get me started on the lack of a resolution to the plot. I've complained about books just ending before, but whooboy. This one leaves so many questions left unanswered.

I loved House of Salt and Sorrows. This book though? I should have passed. I did myself no favors by reading it.

Ellerie Downing and her family live in the small town of Amity Falls in the Blackspire Mountain range. Their village is surrounded by a forest rumored to house strange and horrible creatures; creatures that have been seen once again at the edges of town. When the supply train goes missing, the town starts to fear for the coming winter. With their supplies running low, some of them turn desperate.

When the Downing family runs into some serious trouble of their own, Ellerie is left to fend for her younger siblings. Talk of strange creatures who grant even the simplest of wishes swirls through the village. Only the payments for those wishes aren't what you would expect, and they lead to dire circumstances.

This book was reminiscent of M. Night Shyamalan's The Village for me: A small, isolated town full of pious townfolk with sinister ideas running just below the surface. This one would be good for those looking for a creepy read. It starts out a bit slow, but Erin A. Craig will have your heart racing by the end. Who is the biggest threat, the creatures in the wood, or your neighbor?

Okay Erin A Craig has officially become one of my favorite authors. She writes something, I read it, I enjoy it immensely. It's that simple. Except its not because the stories she writes are so compelling and thrilling and a delightfully creep twist on the classic fairy tales we know and love. I love the characters in this book and the interesting magic or folklore she weaves into it. I also love the way she made beekeeping such a big part of the main character. I hope we'll get to see more of these characters. Do yourself a favor and pick up anything she writes.

Small Favors sucked me in so easily and so swiftly! From the very beginning, I got invested in the main character Ellerie and her family's fate. With such a light cover, I didn't expect this book to be dark. Don't get it wrong like I did. Small Favors has an atmosphere that chilled me at times. The more I read, the more I dreaded what was going to happen in this town where monsters were seen killing some of the men sent to get more supplies outside of the forest that separates them from the rest of the world. When strangers comes in, weird things start happening and I was hooked!

Of course, as a reader, you quickly suspect that these strangers are guilty. Of what, you're not sure exactly but they can't be innocent in all of this... And as the town gets crazier and crazier as the seasons pass by, you'll wonder if Ellerie and her family will manage to make it out alive.

Overall, I'm glad I got to dive into this book as this was my first Erin A Craig book and I'm excited to try her other one, House of Salt and Sorrows.


(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

Another creepy, but enthralling and unique fairytale retelling. Though the love story wasn’t completely believable for me, I appreciate the way Craig’s writing thrums with tension.

SMALL FAVORS is the spooky, magical Rumpelstiltskin retelling you never knew you needed. I loved this book. Amity Falls is the perfect setting for this fairy-tale retelling. Everything about the town set me on edge -- from the dark pines lined with bells, where no one dares step past, to the burning "Our Ladies" that light the darkness. Things get progressively more dark and chaotic as unknown forces wreak havoc on the once idyllic town and all the people in it. There were great breadcrumbs dropped along the way to tie the story together, but it was never obvious. I was totally shocked by the ending.

DNF - 11%

The slow burn on this one just isn't holding my attention. I loved House of Salt and Sorrows, so I'm hoping to pick this up another time in a better mindset and enjoy it more.

This was a very interesting book! The blurb gives a few subtle hints as to what lurks in the pages but honestly, there were many surprises and it was darker than I had ever expected.

Ellerie Downing lives in a smaller town named Amity Falls. Visitors are few and far between. There are founding families and three make up the council for this town while also holding votes for certain circumstances. All of this makes for an interesting dynamic when it came to the setting and plot.

When a supply run caravan never comes back besides a horse with enormous gashes, things take a dark turn that left me with many questions, speculations, and being afraid to sleep at night, haha.

If it wasn’t for being tired and not wanting stay up past 11pm, I would have finished this in one sitting. Although it was a bit of a slow start and has parts that make it a tad bit slower, once it ramps up it really ramps up! The pacing does even out the farther you get into the book as it is split into seasons to help the readers understand the circumstances and give a bit of a backstory before crazier events take place.

There is a lot I can say about Ellerie. She is loyal to her family and wants what is best for her sisters. She has a twin brother who is debatable at times and her opinions of him do change over time. I do think even though he makes questionable choices, she wants to see him thrive. I also like that she manages bees with her father and enjoyed the moments we read about them. I honestly wasn’t sure how the bees would play into the overall theme of the story but it does make sense by the end.

My one complaint about Ellerie would be how trusting she is of newcomers. I understand the pull to them as you don’t get many visitors but trust should not be freely given. This one issue did make for the romance to be very instant and that wasn’t for me. I did like the love interests character and they do have fun banter but it just wasn’t believable enough for me.

When it comes to the plot, I can’t say too much because it’s better to go in not knowing much about it. It can be quite dark at times but I did like the use of human nature and the things we hide deep in our hearts. It shows that the world can be a cruel place. There is also magical realism tied into it and it added that extra spice!

The ending was the only other issue I had with the book. It is quite open-ended and I am left with questions that have no answers. These types of endings are hard for me to like because I just want everything to feel complete by the end.

Overall, this was a book I really enjoyed and lived up to my expectations from this author. As always, her writing is incredible and I can’t wait to see what else she writes.

This reminded me (a bit) of Stephen King’s Needful Things.

It’s a slow burn with a dark atmosphere.

It’s fun to read, but I do think it could’ve been shortened up a bit.

Also, the ending kinda left me wanting. I wasn’t happy with the conclusions. And I had some questions remaining as well.

3.5 stars

This is a slow burn story for sure. It takes place over a year and events slowly build up to a crescendo at the end. If you've read the author's other book, you'll see the similarities in pacing and how small things grow into a full on catastrophe. I didn't mind the slower story, I just didn't love how it all came together at the end.

We begin at the end of summer, with silver eyed creatures attacking people from the town of Amity Falls and terrible things starting to happen around town. Ellerie's parents have to leave town and suddenly she's in charge of her younger sisters and the family farm. She tries to hold things together but struggles as people in the town become violent and angry, accusing each other of misdeeds while starving through winter.

I liked that Ellerie worked so hard to help her family and took on responsibility even when she wasn't ready for it. She gave Sam chance after chance, even when he didn't deserve them and tried to be kind to everyone. I did think she was naïve and couldn't see what was in front of her. It bugged me that she couldn't put the pieces together and so blindly trusted others.

I thought I knew what the creatures were but I was way off. I didn't mind being surprised and there were some interesting aspects of the magic. The ending wasn't my favorite and part of it seemed too easily resolved. I was hoping for a different outcome and I felt like the story cut off a bit.

The break up of seasons was a good idea and I had no problem reading this in one sitting. If you liked House of Salt and Sorrows, you'll enjoy this book too.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ellerie Downing lives in Amity Falls- a small, quiet town that doesn't see many visitors. Shortly after the book begins, strange things start happening. The townspeople blame monsters in the woods. As winter sets in, Amity Falls is cut off from other towns and mistrust between neighbors sets in. Ellerie must fight to keep her family safe. Small Favors is eerie and atmospheric. It's a bit of a slow burn as tension in the town builds, but totally worth it. It felt like this could have been an M. Night Shyamalan film. 😉
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an E-ARC to review.

Following a strong debut Erin A. Craig hits another home run in her sophomore novel forever cementing her in the top tier of my favorite authors list.

“Small Favors” sounds simple enough when striking a deal but when it comes time for the debts to be paid the town of Amity Falls finds that the cost may be too high.

I’m curious to find out when the creation of this book began as there are notes that speak the the isolation and confinement many of us felt during quarantine as well as the sense of foreboding as the seasons changed and the level of threat increased. The wrongness that overtakes Amity Falls starts small almost innocent to where you don’t notice it at first but quickly find that it is a spark that leads to a much greater blaze that cares not for who may lie in its path.

There’s a lot I wish to discuss but first and foremost it’s not lost on me the timing in which I find this book and how the main villain within its pages is simply a whisper from one who stands back to watch. There is power in words and when one is at their most vulnerable you can make them do just about anything especially if they think they have been wronged and the promise of justice is tempting enough to break a few rules to get it.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Ellerie and those around her whether it be her sisters or the boy with no name and I rooted for her from beginning to end as she did her best to provide and remain strong despite the world falling apart around her. There’s a few things and additions that didn’t quite work but overall it didn’t affect my love for the story and it’s almost fairytale like quality pulling from at least two that I can guess but I don’t want to name them and risk giving anything away.

I really loved this story and I am beyond excited for everyone to read it when it comes out but maybe a little more excited to see what comes next for Craig!

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Small Favors by Erin A Craig
Review

I'll be honest, when I had requested a review copy of Small Favors I really had no idea what I was getting into.
All I knew was that Craig's previous book, "House of Salt and Sorrows" was a stand out debut novel and I was excited to see what else she could come out with.

After completing Small Favors my very first thought was "wow! Erin A Craig has really outdone herself with this new novel!"

Her books are darker then the typical YA book. She isn't afraid to shy away from death, betrayal, and gruesome depictions. And despite the bright sunny cover, this book was DARK! There is a lot of death, both human and animal, deformities, and the monsters are TERRIFYING!

There were many points while reading I had to put the book down for a second and check the darkness behind me for Craig's monsters.

But besides her horrifying creatures, Craig wrote about the scariest thing of all- The human mind/human nature, how all it can take is an idea, a little push and the minds paranoia can cause a chain reaction that destroys everything.

Plot: Ellerie lives the simple life in a secluded village with her parents, 2 sisters, and twin brother. This happy little town prides itself on its faith and neighbor helps neighbor community. But when a supply run gets attacked, with no survivors, they start to believe the stories of monsters in the wood may have been based on fact. Malformed animals are spotted, crops start to rot, and private stores looted, discord sets into this happy little town. With winter just around the corner, what lengths will Ellerie go to keep her family alive? What if she was given an offer? Salvation for just one small favor?

There is so much I'd like to say about this book, but I fear spoilers.

Ellerie is a phenomenal protagonist. She's strong, smart, loving. The bond she shares with her sisters is a main focus, while the bond with her twin brother dwindles. Which is interesting because normally in books, the bond between twins is stronger than anything.

I think that Erin A Craig is an upcoming author to watch. I could easily see her work evolving into bestselling Adult fiction. I look forward to what she comes up with in the future and I'll certainly be purchasing myself a copy of Small Favors in hard copy when its released!

Thank you netgalley, Erin A Craig, and Delacorte Press for the gifted E-ARC

And be sure to pick up your copy of this delightful horror on July 27, 2021!!

SPOILERS.

I liked this book but didn’t love it. I felt the pacing was very slow and it wasn’t as spooky as I was expecting. Rather than creepy, it felt like a slowly unraveling puzzle. I think I would have enjoyed the story more if it hadn’t been touted as a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, because I kept looking for that angle, and it doesn’t reveal itself until around the 90-percent mark. I was completely mistaken in who Rumpelstiltskin was in the story. For me this was a lot more Little House on the Prairie and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman than a fairy tale. I like those things in small measure but don’t intentionally seek them out. The day-to-day life of the main character’s family seemed dull at times, and those scenes of domestic chores dragged. I enjoyed the overall plot, but it just felt like it took the story ages to actually get anywhere.

The writing is so, so good and you can see the meticulous detail that went into weaving the plot by the time you reach the end. But a large portion of the book is taken up by neighbors arguing over who killed whose chickens, who stole whose tools, and who ransacked whose pantry. I understand the place those events held in the overall scheme of things, but they took up the bulk of the story so the romance was a little bit of a letdown. I wish more time had been devoted to the main character and her love interest. He disappears for months at a time, and while I do enjoy the air of mystery, Whitaker and Ellerie spend so little time together that I can’t even remember how they went from suspicious strangers to being completely in love. I think Whitaker’s absence throughout much of the Spring section of the book hurt the story because by then I had kind of stopped caring about his relationship with Ellerie.

I didn’t like that the story got more religious as it went on. I understand that Christianity is often portrayed as one of the most important things to small town people, since their social lives basically revolved around church, especially in a certain era, but I honestly did not like reading about it one bit. The high and mighty attitudes, the guilt trips, the way the whole town was bullied into attending a revival rubbed me the wrong way. I’m not sure I was really sorry when the whole town went up in flames because everything just felt totally out of control, none of the characters was likable outside of Ellerie’s family, and there were just so many side characters that I couldn’t keep anyone straight or remember who was who unless their title (parson) appeared beside their names. I understand why there was a list of characters in the beginning of the book, but it was tedious to flip back and forth to reference, so I just didn’t.

I think I was more interested in the monster main plot and romantic subplot than what I really got: bickering, faceless townsfolk. Again, I understand the purpose of all the in-fighting and domesticity but I feel like those scenes needed to be padded with a lot more. I didn’t really feel scared or threatened by the supposed monsters, and I lost interest in the romance because there just wasn’t a lot of meat to those scenes. The book felt long but I don’t think it would be hurt by the addition of more scare and swoon.

I have mixed feelings about the ending. There was no way I could have guessed what Rumpelstiltskin’s real name was, but I think its reveal was written in a very clever manner. I liked the happily-ever-after ending for Ellerie and Whitaker, even if it wasn’t as exciting I wish it had been. But I didn’t like how open the ending was. Where are they even going? Are they going to the city to meet up with their parents? How are they going to pay the medical bills for their mother? What occupation will their father have, now that his land and hives have been laid to waste? I feel like I need an epilogue. I’m not really satisfied with the conclusion.

On the whole, I did enjoy reading the book, but I feel like I kept hoping it would be more than it ultimately was.

Thank you to Random House Children's publishing and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I LOVED Small Favors! I had the pleasure of reviewing House of Salt and Sorrows last spring as one of my very first reviews so I was excited to read another book by Erin A. Craig. It didn't disappoint. There's bees and wild things in the woods and things are just not what they seem. There's a strong main character named Ellerie who readers are going to love and all the weirdness of the book takes place in a town so deep in the middle of nowhere it sets everything into perfect motion. A stranger comes to visit in Amity Falls and nothing will ever be the same again. If you like weird stories with evil mythical creatures and backwoods settings with strong female leads don't miss Small Favors next July!

This was a super slow burn with lovely writing and a fun story! I really liked Whitaker and the mystery behind him and the bee aspect was pretty unique!

5/5 stars

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Small town that has creepy legends about when it was founded? A woods full of deadly monsters? A witty and mysterious love interest? Mysterious happenings, death, and it's a Rumplestiltskin re-telling? What more could I ask for in a book?

Ellerie Downing lives a rather quiet and peaceful life in Amity Falls, a small town bordered by a mysterious and dangerous woods. The early founders claimed that monsters lived within the woods and left rules for the town meant to protect them. The current residents stopped believing in the monsters a while ago, but when a supply run ends very badly, the old fears start to resurface. As the winter comes and supplies start to run low, the residents start to turn on each other. As the town heads toward its demise, Ellerie is determined to find a way to save her family from the evil forces.

Eerie, ominous, and haunting--I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. The book had me hooked from the first page. The creepy things happening in the town and the mysterious creatures had me desperate to figure out what was going on. I loved that the book was told in different seasons to follow the progression of the weird occurrences happening in town. It was also interesting to see how the high tensions of trying to survive the winter led the residents to prioritize their own wellbeing over the town as a whole. The monsters aren't the only sources of evil and darkness in this book...

This book had so many things that I loved. The creepiness of the story, setting, and characters was definitely the highlight, but there were so many other great things. The romance is pretty much an insta-love, but this is one of those cases where it was incredibly well-done. Ellerie is too preoccupied with taking care of her family and her own survival to worry about love; she's not one of those heroines who gets all lovey-dovey and puts the love interest above everything else happening in the book. Ellerie was one of the best things about the book in general. She's determined to take care of her family, but she's still just a young girl burdened with responsibility. She struggles a lot, and she's terrified. But she just keeps going and doesn't let love or fear stop her from doing what needs to be done.

This book had me spooked, swooning, and cheering all at once. It was not your traditional scary story--this was so unique in so many ways. Also, I was not aware this was supposed to be a Rumplestiltskin re-telling until I finished it, but it's woven into the story so well. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a spooky read with a bit of romance.