This book was great! I loved seeing how the friendship between Brian, Ollie, and Coco. Though I liked Small Spaces better, I still loved this book and can't wait to recommend it to kiddos!

I read Small Spaces by Katherine Arden and could not wait to read this book. Dead Voices did not disappoint! I love the three main characters in this book (and small spaces) they have a friendship that keeps getting stronger with twist and turn of their lives. It is very endearing. I will be telling all my younger patrons that this is a MUST read!

I loved the first one and was super scared by it (especially for middlegrade! That's definitely the spook level I can handle, where the author has to get creative rather than gory and it works so so well), but I also know fall is my favorite month and scarecrows give me a little extra fright than most people, so I was interested in seeing if this second book was as scary as the first. It is set in winter with ghosts as the theme, and focuses more on Coco as the protagonist although Ollie is still very involved (I suppose there will be a spring set book that focuses on Brian next). Yup, it is still very scary. The action is a little more focused, we can jump in a little bit easier since we already know the characters, and Arden maintains the little interpersonal dramas alongside the big terrifying battle for your soul stuff. <spoiler> I have to admit that this book only being set two months or similar after the first leaves me a little squeamish about the Ollie's dad/Coco's mom relationship. Ollie's mom has only been dead a year? I don't blame Ollie for feeling like this is fast and he is painted as being a sensitive loving dad otherwise so I am surprised he would be publicly holding hands in front of her and all. Maybe I need that sympathy for Ollie to deal with her saying mean things to Coco when Coco never knew her dad, and Ollie had most of her life thus far with two loving parents. </spoiler>

One of the strengths of this book is that I didn't know if the evil/supernatural would be at all connected to the first book. It could have been that they are just connected to the otherworldly somehow, or their one brush with it left them "open" to it or something. <spoiler> I kept an open mind about the evil and therefore didn't guess some things that weren't hidden too muchand was left with more suprises. </spoiler>

Even though this story hits different tropes/psychology behind the scares, the same skill in writing tension remains and I remain a big fan of this series and this author.

I LOVED Small Spaces and I love this one just as much.  Great creepy read for middle grade.  The friendship of Ollie, Coco and Brian is very realistic and I really cannot wait for the next book!

I was a really big fan of the first book, so I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, I was a bit let down -- but this is still a good pick for kids who like creeps and spooks! Actually, it'll probably even appeal to kids who were a little bored by the first one. 

Dead Voices starts out as a pretty uncomplicated ghost story, and we get some good basic hauntings before a major twist is revealed halfway through. So, unlike the first book, the first half of this one isn't just building tension in the form of increasingly unsettling details; instead, it goes for a more straightforward, traditional style of scares. Seeing people that aren't really there, shared nightmares, a big old building with a history of misery... it's all pretty run-of-the-mill, but it's also written deftly enough to still be spooky for readers who are very familiar with ghost story tropes. The atmosphere of the setting was really good, and I loved the survival element that being trapped in a ski lodge without heat or power during a lasting blizzard added -- not only was there a paranormal threat, but there was a very real danger that they might freeze to death even if the evil ghosts are defeated. Watching the grown-ups get progressively more worried about that while the kids were dealing with the ghosts was a great detail that gave a solid explanation as to why they were on their own even though their parents were there too. Sure, it could have been a little more prevalent; I'm not sure your average middle-grade reader will pick up on it, especially if they've never been in a similar situation, but the portrayal of Ollie's dad and Coco's mom hiding how scared they were and trying to make it seem like a fun adventure for their kids was absolutely spot on for me.

The main action really starts around the halfway point when the twist is revealed. And I very much enjoyed this twist: it was fun, added a layer of complexity to the spooky scenario, and unexpected (although if I had known there was a twist I think I would have guessed it). Since there wasn't as much focus on slowly building tension, I didn't find the main action here as delightful as the first book. It was still spooky and creepy, there was still really good payoff from an element that had been sort of overtly hinted at earlier, and a few moments were particularly memorable (Coco in the staircase! Brian and the hallway of closets! Ollie in the bunk room!). The scary monster in the first run-and-hide scene was revealed in some of the earlier scares and that ruined some tension for me, so it wasn't as good as the woods sequence from the first book. But it was different enough that I wasn't constantly reminded of how much more I liked the first one, so it was still very fun. 

I did find myself wishing that this was more of a spiritual successor than a literal sequel. The tension-building in Small Spaces was so masterful that I genuinely didn't feel sure they were all going to make it out of the situation they'd found themselves in. (Although, like, it's a middle-grade novel, so it was pretty much guaranteed to end up okay. BUT STILL.) But Dead Voices is still about Ollie, Coco, and Brian, and they all had enough plot armor (pretty much by virtue of making it through the first book, but it was heightened by the knowledge that there are more books planned) that I just didn't find myself holding my breath and eagerly flipping to the next page to see if they would escape the ghosts. I knew they would, so the danger felt less immediate.

Best friends Olivia “Ollie” Adler, Coco Zintner and Brian Battersby head to a Vermont ski lodge called Mount Hemlock Resort. (Their parents should have known better than to spend winter break at a place with a literally poisonous name.) Be that as it may, the newly opened ski lodge was once a dreadful orphanage complete with a terrifying black-clad nun named Mother Hemlock. Unless Ollie, Coco and Brian prove resourceful and clever, the brave trio may well be Mother Hemlock’s next victims!

Author Katherine Arden has penned a pretty good middle-grade horror story, bound to appeal to middle-schoolers, even though, at times, the action dragged a bit and only the three main characters were fleshed out. Those new to the series will be just fine, as I was, even though I had not read Small Spaces before tacking this sequel. Arden’s young fans, I’m sure, will feel blessed that they have a second chance with Coco, Ollie and Brian, and, despite the limited characterization, Arden’s plot proves so suspenseful that even adults will be glued to the book’s second half!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a DRC for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

This was an AMAZING follow up to Arden's earlier novel Small Spaces . As far as middle grade horror goes, this was pretty much perfect: spooky, scary, a few moments of "jump out of your seat", and also great character development and a good storyline. This is a fantastic, first purchase type of story for all collections serving grades 5-8.

Coco, Ollie, and Brian are headed to a remote ski lodge for a quick vacation after Ollie's dad wins tickets for them. The resort is being reopened after being an abandoned school, and everyone is excited. But, on the day they are heading out, a snowstorm blows in making the drive treacherous. Once they get there, it becomes clear that the snow has kept the other guests away and knocked the power out. The next day, after a night full of nightmares, they are all surprised by the arrival of a new and unexpected guest: a man who is a journalist, interested in scoping out the resort and the rumor of all the ghosts. According to him, it used to be an orphanage, and the residents did not live peacefully. Now Coco, Ollie, and Brian are going with on a "ghost hunt" and wondering if their time in the corn maze is really behind them after all.

Like I said, this was spooky, scary, and fun. Highly recommend.

Just like driving in snow can put one to sleep, the beginning  of Dead Voices seemed to lull me to sleep, but that didn't last long. For starters, our characters, who we met in Small Spaces #1, are the only ones who are able to drive and slide  through the storm to arrive at the newly reopened ski lodge, which just happens to be a former orphanage. The snow does not stop, and just keeps piling up. The heat and lights slowly go out, the generator won't come on, and the building becomes increasingly cold.  There are stuffed wild animals in the lobby, and strange as it seems, they relocate throughout the lobby. There was a guy in a blue ski jacket on the road, but no one saw him but one of the girls, and sleep is disturbed by eery dreams. Finally, even though the road became impassable during the night,  a man somehow arrives for breakfast, and announces he is a journalist specializing in ghosts. The plot is now in high gear! Although this is the second installment of Small Spaces, but don't worry, it stands alone.

Although this book is classified for younger readers, it was thoroughly enjoyable for an adult reader.  It was creepy, suspenseful, and smart with excellent writing.  It was a pretty quick read but a full story.  It was fun to see the three friends again and. more of .Coco this time.  My only dislike was the use of a ouija board.  I don’t feel that they are appropriate for any age, especially kids.  Overall it was a well-written and entertaining book.

I received a copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

Wouldn't it be exciting if your dad won a trip to a ski lodge for the winter break? Ollie sure thinks so! When her dad wins a trip for five to Mount Hemlock Lodge, Ollie and her best friends, Coco and Brian, her dad, and Coco's mom head out for the trip of a lifetime... but first they have to make it there. They are driving in a blinding snowstorm at night and things are going okay until Coco screams for them to stop because someone was standing in the middle of the road. As they skid to a stop, they get out and no one is there. Who did she see? When they finally make it to the lodge, crazy things start to happen, Ollie and Coco both have scary nightmares, a stranger shows up out of the blue, the power goes out, and the generator quits working. As the sun goes down, the ghosts come out and things go from bad to worse. Ollie gets trapped on the opposite side of the mirror from her friends, Brian gets lost from Coco, and if they don't figure out a way to get Ollie back before dawn, they will all go to sleep and never wake up. Ollie, Coco, and Brian have been in a similar situation just a few months before when they had to battle The Smiling Man and his scarecrows. Can they work together again to get out of this horrific situation, even after being separated? Who is doing this to them? And can the ghost be trusted or should they not listen to the dead voices? Read this super scary, edge-of-your-seat book to find out if they survive or if they become one of the dead voices!!

Katherine Arden knows how to write a spine-tingling book that you will love to read in the dark! Dead Voices is the second book to Small Spaces and it is just as exciting and scary as the first one. Ollie, Coco, and Brian are three friends that will always look out for each other and stick together no matter what. In book one, these three seem like the most unlikely people to ever be friends, and now they are inseparable. I am so hoping that this is not the end of this trio's adventures!! Do not miss Small Spaces and Dead Voices!!!

Loved this sequel to Small Spaces. It did a great job of continuing to develop the friendship between the three main characters, while also providing an exciting and haunting mystery. Will Ollie, Coco, and Brian be able to figure out why nothing seems to be working at the lodge they are trapped in (due to a major snowstorm?) Can they trust anyone or anything? This is an excellent read, especially for anyone who enjoyed the first book.

I really enjoyed this spooky middle grade book! I was thinking it was a stand alone but really the first book (Small Spaces) should be read first. I was able to follow the storyline with out it, but there were a lot of references to the first one. I will be going back now to catch up!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

Unlike most sequels,. Dead Voices is even better than its predecessor Small Spaces.   Arden has turned the idea of a cozy winter ski getaway into a truly terrifying entrapment.     Everything about this novel seems sinister and threatening from the creepy journalist to the taxidermied animals.   Snow has never felt so evil!

This is a fun book for tweens who enjoy ghost stories. Certain parts read like The Shining for kids: a large looming ski lodge with a past, taxidermied animals who may be changing poses when you’re not looking, and plenty of creepy hallways and mysterious rooms. The strength of the novel is the strong friendship shared by the three children, Coco, Ollie, and Brian. I appreciate that the kids are written as normal kids. They go through feelings of jealousy, self-doubt, and fear but by believing in themselves and in their friendship they are able to work through even the creepiest situation. Dead Voices is a fun Halloween read for kids who can handle some scary situations.

Katherine Harden write my favorite middle grade horror books. Always atmospheric with just the right amount of spook for young readers, I highly recommend Dead Voices for readers who like lots of emotional depth with their scares.

This is a great scary book!  It is a sequel to "Small Spaces."  We continue to learn about the characters we met in the first book, but this book is considerably scarier.  I highly recommend it.

I highly enjoyed Dead Voices. It was an excellent sequel to Small Spaces. Not all sequels can live up to the first book but this one did an awesome job of just that. It was spooky and funny. The friendship between the three main characters was great to read. So often books with kids as main characters make villains our of adults and  parents but this books emphasizes their importance and not keeping secrets from them. Highly recommended as a middle grade read but can also be enjoyed by  older readers.

This book spooked me even more than the first in the series! Ollie, Coco, and Brian are back after their school-trip-turned-otherworldly-experience resulted in them and their classmates going missing for two days and developing a healthy fear of scarecrows. This time, the trio is supposed to be enjoying a weekend getaway after Ollie's dad wins a trip for five to a ski resort. But things are not quite as they seem, and Ollie and Coco start having dreams that seem to be related to the ski lodge's past as an orphanage. I got chills reading about Ollie, 
Coco, and Brian's adventures while snowed in at the old ski lodge, where the taxidermied animals seeming to move around at night were the least of their worries.

Who doesn't love a ghost story? This book will grab middle grade students from the first few pages, much like Mother Hemlock grabbed Gretel's arm. For those who have read Small Spaces, the Smiling Man returns to play games with Ollie, Coco, and Brian, that have dire consequences. Checkmate!!

Dead Voices is the second book in this pre-teen series by Katherine Arden.  The first, Small Spaces, was a spooky story about the smiling man turning children into scarecrows.  New friends Ollie Adler, Coco, and Brian worked together to escape with the help of a very special watch of Ollie's.  Dead Voices picks up at Christmas when the friends, Ollie's widowed father and Coco's single mother are driving through a snow storm to Mount Hemlock, Vermont's newest ski lodge.  Mr. Adler won 5 tickets for a weekend stay, so off they go.  The kids are beset by odd dreams on the long ride and Coco is sure she sees a man in a ski parka on the side of the road, pointing back the way they came, but they arrive safely.  Mount Hemlock is an odd place, decorated with an assortment of dead animals mounted in goofy positions.  The kids are understandably creeped out especially when strange noises and images appear once they head upstairs.  The power goes out, the generators fail, and a new person stumbles into the lodge.  Coincidentally, as Mr. Voland arrives, the storm increases making it impossible for anyone to leave.  Mr. Volandis not a guest, but a reporter, investigating ghost sightings - apparently Mt. Hemlock is full of them.  The three children soon become embroiled in a ghost investigation that is not at all what it first appeared to be.  Ollie is communicating with her mother by using the watch that saved them in Small Spaces, the watch Ollie's mom was wearing when her plane crashed. As Mr. Voland teaches the three to use the Ouija board he just happen to bring with them, trouble hits and the kids are fleeing from and searching for some pretty scary ghosts.  Coco, the most timid of the three, is forced to overcome her fears and use her excellent mind and her superior chess skills to help the other two.

This was an intricate, scary tale.  Middle school kids are going to love this!  I already recommend Katherine Arden to my students and have bought several copies of Small Spaces.  I can't wait until they can read Dead Voices.  The next installment is on my wish list!!