A fast-paced and vivid young story of 3 unlikely friends who encounter other worldly dangers when their school trip to a farm turns terribly wrong.

This is a good novel that really sets up a series. I can see this becoming a TV show or movie. I enjoyed reading it and I’ve already put in my request for book #2.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy for my review.

This arc was provided by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Katherine Arden for adding scarecrows to my never-ending list of things I am afraid of. Good thing there are no scarecrows around Lisbon!

Small Spaces is a horror middle grade that follows Olivia “Ollie” on her school trip to the local farm. Ollie is disconnected from her school and her classmates, preferring the company of her books, despite her teacher’s and father’s encouragement.
There is a lot to unpack about Ollie as the story goes on. She is dealing with grief and depression after the loss of her mother, whom she reminisces about as the pages go on. Her pain is very palpable to me since I experienced something similar when I was her age, and books were the thing that saved me.
Compared to The Bear and the Nightingale, the writing style is very simple, with no flourishment in the descriptions which I think soothes the overall eerie ambiance. The horror side of this story was creepy but not as scary as I thought it would be. I think the idea is brilliant but the ending was underwhelming for me.
Nevertheless, I can’t wait to see what Ollie, Coco, and Brian get up to in the next book. I also hope their friendship will develop as well.

This book was so CUTE!!! I loved the writing style, and I found the story genuinely creepy. I love Ollie and Coco so much and I’m so excited to read the sequel “Dead Voices”!!! This book was so fun and if you’re looking for a fast read with an engaging and spooky plot, this is definitely it.

This novel will be a great read-out-loud to middle-grade classes during the fall. A great story with just a little bit of spooky thrown in for fun!

Great YA book! I had fun reading it and it kept me on the edge of my seat! I knew right away I wanted to keep reading it from the first page. It kept my interest and held my interest which is hard to do. The writing was also very well done, if it wasn't I wouldn't have read past page 2. I'm excited to read the next book in the series! Arc given to me by Netgalley. Review also on Goodreads.

As an adult reader I really enjoyed Small Spaces. The characters are well developed and I appreciated Ollie’s balance of maturity and age-appropriate reactions. I loved how the world was created, it felt realistic, believable, and so autumnal. The descriptions made it easy to imagine every action and the tone was well crafted with short sentences and quality language.

This book reads like a young adult novel which I think young readers will appreciate. The plot was great, nicely developed with good twists, and I definitely loved the deeper plot points, especially regarding Ollie and her mother and how that shaped her relationship with friends at school.

This book has depth. On the surface it’s about Ollie and her independent nature, but as the story progresses it becomes more about family and friendship, and how tragedy can make these areas of life difficult to navigate. There’s plenty of adventure and some spooky situations, all done in an age appropriate manner.

I would recommend this book to young readers who may enjoy spooky reads that also illustrate friendships, family, and how adventure can help solidify and support these relationships. As someone who doesn’t read middle grade often and struggles with popular middle grade titles, after reading this one I’m interested in picking up more middle grade in a similar genre.

This was a quick young-middle school read. I was intrigued by the premise, however the storyline had extremely little to do with “keep to small spaces”. That aspect didn’t really jive with the trajectory the story took on. Despite this, it had lots of action and creepy aspects.

The Winternight Trilogy is Katherine Arden’s main claim to literary fame, but Small Spaces proves that’s she just as adept - and perhaps even more so - at penning Middle Grade horror.

Like the very best MG horror authors throughout history, Arden understands that young readers want to be scared and are more willing to push themselves to cross the line into fear than most adults are. She executes the blend of terror and quiet moments perfectly, creating an end result that’s every bit as good as a John Bellairs novel.

Why did Ollie find a crying adult trying to get rid of an old book? What will Ollie find within its pages? And can she move past her grief enough to become a hero? These are the main themes of Small Spaces, and readers are certain to enjoy getting answers.

This book has a delightfully creepy vibe in some sections that stands above many moments of creepiness in adult horror. A good read for horror fans of all ages. As a MG book, there’s no gore, profanity, or sexual content. Instead, readers are treated to a story that needs none of those things to deliver on its scary premise.

This book grabbed me from the first page and I was totally hooked! A great middle grade read, perfect for fans of Mary Downing Hahn or R.L Stine. If you love spooky tales, this one is right up your alley! The main character had layers and showed kids they can get out of tough situations by making the right decisions, even when things are hard. Highly recommend this title to all ages and can't wait for the next installment. I bought this title for my library I loved it so much.

I simply loved this book. I received an ARC from Netgalley after I was drawn in by RL Stine’s endorsement that promised scares reminiscent of my childhood Goosebumps days. Even though this is a middle grade book and I’m middle of my thirties I throughly enjoyed this book! And yes, it did give me the chills! Ollie is a kick ass heroine that is perfect for young girls to step into her world and journey along this path of mystery and terror with. I loved it!

Awesome middle grade read. Just the perfect amount of spooky for young readers. Great pace and believable characters.

The grey and cold weather we are facing down here was the perfect backdrop for Small Spaces, a story that it set close to Halloween and gives off that creepy and dark October vibe. Although it shows that Small Spaces written for younger middle graders, it's probably still a fun read for the older half of the target group as well. The key is in the story giving off the right horror vibe with the help of the descriptions... Although I wish there would have more dept and development in both the worldbuilding and characters, I really liked the idea behind Small Spaces. Ollie is without doubt an interesting character, and it's understandable why she has the leading role in this first book of the series. It's true I would have loved to see her character more developed, but she did grow over time and I enjoyed learning more about her relationship with her parents. The writing is engaging and makes you fly through the pages... I did find some of the dialogue to be too childish and not all that natural, but overall Small Spaces was still an interesting read. The story in the book Ollie snatched from the mysterous lady, the mist, the disappearances, the situation Ollie, Coco and Brian find themselves in afterwards... They all give off that paranormal horror and ghost vibe that is both properly creepy while still being appropriate for the target group. Small Spaces is without doubt a story that would be perfect addition for your Halloween month TBR.

Three and a half
This is a well written spooky story set near Halloween. It features twelve year old children whose bus breaks down at what is commonly known as a haunted farm. It was easy to read and indeed I actually read it in one sitting but because of the creepy content I'm honestly not sure if a child in middle grade would be able to sleep at night after reading this ! There's a strong protagonist who is going through a crisis of her own following the recent death of her mother but I really liked Ollie. She's brave, resilient and considers others feelings. This was quite atmospheric and I loved the growth that the central characters went through. Best of all though is that for all the angst and terror good prevailed against evil so maybe I will be able to sleep tonight after all !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden.
A fantastic read with some great characters. Creepy and eerie.
I liked Ollie. I liked the ending too. I liked the cover. 4*.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved this middle grade book! It didn't feel childish at all and was really well written. I loved the book from the 1800's that had the haunting story to tell and how that started everything. The school trip gone wrong was such a neat idea. I LOVED the world building the author creates for this book. It's so descriptive and creepy and everything about it was perfect for the story. Spooky smiling scarecrows? Such an awesome idea. This was an awesome book and everyone who enjoys creepy books should add this to their TBR!

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.