In the small mountain town where Ellerie lives it is an idyllic life, until slowly things start to change. Suddenly neighbors aren't speaking, things go missing, and accidents start happening all around town. A dark Rumpelstiltskin retelling. Fans of Craig's first book will surely be delighted. I liked how the book highlighted that everyone can be a little greedy and selfish at times and that it doesn't take much to flip over to paranoid and protective. A great read for fans of fairytale retellings that are a little creepy.

A house of Salt and Sorrow is one of my favorite books so when I saw this book appear on netgalley I had to get it! It was good, but not as good as the latter.

I struggled to get into this book but once I was hooked I couldn’t put it down. This is one I have already begun recommending to fellow fantasy fans.

Craig has done it again. Small Favors seems to be cut from the same cloth as House of Salt and Sorrows (one of my favorite 2019 reads!). The writing is lyrical and absolutely gorgeous. I found myself wrapped up in the characters, the town, and the unseen mystery lurking around every turn. Craig has easily become one of my favorite authors, thanks to her atmospheric writing and the fresh and ingenious stories she winds. I cannot wait to read more from this author. Please pick up this book as soon as it is released-- you will not be disappointed!

Erin Craig did it again with this book! She mixes creepy and happy fantasy so damn well. I loved our mc so frickin much her arc with dealing with her family, the town that was slowly going crazy, bee keeping which I've always loved so seeing it featured in a book has me so excited! plus the mysterious man that we want to love, but are also cautious of. This plot twists in this book kept you guessing until the end like I simply cannot recommend this book enough for fans of thriller, mystery, or fantasy!

This YA horror has everything I love: The Village vibes, talk of monsters in the woods, and a mysterious love interest we can’t quite trust. I knew it was a fairy tale retelling going into it, so I enjoyed trying to guess how that would all factor in. The prose is gorgeous, the atmosphere is fantastically creepy, and the protagonist’s predicament is thoroughly engaging. I read it all in a weekend because I had to find out what was going on! Can’t wait for the next Erin Craig book! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader.

Are you ready for a dark fairy-tale retelling with M. Night Shyamalan and Twilight Xone vibes because that is totally what you're getting when you read SMALL FAVORS, at least in my humble opinion. You might be thinking, what, does she LIKE Shyamalan and Twilight Zone or she is being facetious? The answer is, I LOVE Shymalan and old school TZ and if you throw in a bit of retelling, family drama, creepy-arse woods, and an isolated town that holds so many secrets that it's bound to implode on itself, you've got a fan for life.

Amity Falls has had its own set of rules for as long as Ellerie can remember. She lives on a farm with her mom, dad, and two sisters, and brother. When sudden sightings of strange creatures and a lost supply party begin circulating around town, things start to get a little weird. Amidst all of this is a drama within the family. Sam, Ellerie's brother, ends things with his girlfriend, Rebecca, when he suspects her of cheating and conceiving a child, which is clearly his. In the meantime, a strange boy shows up that intrigues Ellerie. The culmination of all these things comes to a head when a tragedy befalls Ellerie's mother and her father is forced to take her to the city for medical attention. Now left with the farm and the oncoming winter, Ellerie, and her sisters navigate a shortage of food and a town that's side-eyeing everyone else.

But the strangeness doesn't stop there.

Ellerie begins to see a strange woman, and her brother Sam starts acting out of sorts, even more than before. The newcomer, Whitaker, helps her keep her bees alive by losing her sugar during the winter after Sam hoards the honey, but his help comes with a price Ellerie could ever imagine. Soon, the entire town is distrusting of one another, pointing fingers and doling out judgments without proof. Their fear of the things in the woods makes them act out like cornered animals.

The tension throughout the book explodes in a climax fit for such a thrill ride. It was like watching a movie; unsure of who to trust. Ellerie is the perfect heroine: determined, resourceful, brave. Her love for her family overshadowed everything. She'd do whatever it takes to see them safe.

I loved every second of this book. I went to "bed" early a few times just so I could have more time to read before I fell asleep. I soooooo want to pick the author's brain about her inspiration and process in writing this book. It's pure and utter genius the way she weaved the mystery and the creepiness in with the themes of love and family. I cannot wait for this book to release because I know it's going to EXPLODE.

Love, love, loved it. Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher!


SPOILERS AHEAD




My only gripe was the ending. It felt...strange. After the confrontation with the Dark Watchers, Ellerie's last word is, "Wait." But then it cuts to her at home (if memory serves me correctly. I might be wrong, but my kindle is in my car and I'm not getting up :p) But anyway, the abrupt scene change jarred me a bit, and then we have Ellerie running through town trying to find her sisters and Sam who returned and is now in jail? I don't know. It was all so rushed and gave me a bit of whiplash.

Such a delightfully creepy story! Craig knows how to make character's descriptions so creepy and relatable, but not overly ghoulish. Another amazing read! You definitely wouldn't guess the creep factor from the front cover & I think that's what gave the book its charm!

Review to be published on my blog on 6/24/21 **
**3.5 STARS**

Likes:
*This book cover is so absolutely beautiful and oh so deceptive! I like that about it.

*World Building ~ This author knows how to write books that are tinged with creepiness and loaded with suspicion. I suspected everyone, I couldn’t trust anyone – not even our main character, Ellerie! The story had me hooked with the setting, the tone, the silver eyes in the woods and I just imagined if I lived there, I’d die right away. Haha…of fear! The story is set in a historical atmosphere, during the time of settlers in America. People settled in a valley surrounded by pine trees and wilderness, they farm for their livelihood and live far from the city. They ride horses and make their own clothes, so you can imagine the kind of life they live.

*Characters ~ Ellerie and her twin Sam are the eldest of four children but certain events come to pass in their village of Amity Falls and they are left without parents. It’s a hard life in Amity Falls but a good one. The neighbors are friendly and help each other out until mysterious deaths and incidents take place around the village. Then we see everyone get suspicious of one another and their tight community start to unwind. We meet a lot of characters in this book, but Ellerie is our main storyteller.

*Plot ~ Ellerie and the townspeople need to survive the winter without a ration run because of the creatures in the woods. But they start turning on one another. What are these fast creatures with silver eyes in the woods? For most of the books I guessed they were werewolves, because what else could they be? But it was something else preying on the people of Amity Falls. It’s a mystery.

Random Notes:

*Triggers: Violence, blood

*I was impatient with the lack of information we got about the creatures by the middle of the story but most of our information about the creatures in the woods come at the latter part of the book. The story builds slowly and then really picks up as the situation in Amity Falls gets worse but the ending feels a little bit rushed, like that’s it ~ the problem is neatly solved.

*Creep factor ~ there is blood, gore, deformities, eyes play tricks on people, and what every horror novel needs, a doll.

*There is a romance but one that left me suspicious of Ellerie’s love interest, Whitaker. So I wasn’t too invested because there were too many red flags.

Final Thoughts:
Overall, I was on the edge reading this book as the mystery surrounded me like the wilderness and pines in Amity Falls. I love the beautiful writing, the atmospheric setting, the creepiness that edges into the story as tempers flare and blood flows in Amity Falls and everything seems…wrong. The ending was a little abrupt for me but this one is perfect for mystery, paranormal and suspense lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this eARC to me, all opinions are my own.

I loosely follow CAWPILE created by Book Roast (https://www.youtube.com/c/BookRoast/videos) to organize my reviews.

Erin A. Craig became an instant favorite author after I completed her other novel, House of Salt and Sorrows. There were so many components I absolutely loved, I instantly put her on my radar and kept an eye out for future books.

Small Favors follows Ellerie Downing who lives in Amity Falls with her family. When strange things begin to happen around town, the townspeople begin to turn on each other.
Most of the characters were pretty likable. Ellerie is the oldest and cares for her younger siblings. As bizarre occurrences begin in the town, she focuses on trying to keep them safe. Her twin brother, Sam, isn’t necessarily “likable”, but has a bit of mystery surrounding him. As well as her love interest, who doesn’t even provide a name, but she begins to call Whitaker.
This story is very atmospheric and set in a village surrounded by woods. It is a week-long trip to get to the nearest city and for the village to collect provisions. There is also a section of the forest called “The Bells” because the founders of the town placed bells in the trees to deter mystifying creatures from entering the village.
I enjoy Craig’s writing style altogether. She always has a hint of horror and mystery in her books that set up the scenes for the reveal and conclusion. This always provides a sense of intrigue for me as the reader and I usually can’t put the book down because I NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
I gave Small Favors four out of five stars because I enjoyed the overall story, the characters, the intrigue, and the horror aspects of the book. I felt the ending was missing *something*, but it appears I’m in the minority. I still definitely recommend picking up this book and anything else Erin A. Craig writes because she’s amazing!

Erin Craig has created a very unique story that is engaging and haunting. The main character, Ellerie Downing, is resourceful and brave while keeping her younger sisters save in a town that is slowly going mad. Evil forces are bringing out the bad in people of Amity Falls. Monsters lurk in the woods surrounding the town and it is hard to know who to trust. A good read that keeps you guessing. Thank you for the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an eARC of this second novel from Erin, whose prose I fell in love with after also receiving an ARC of her debut book-- House of Salt and Sorrows. Let me just say right up front that if you enjoyed that retelling, you will LOVE Small Favors. Erin has a penchant for taking fairy tales and unraveling them, taking the bones hidden inside and building a whole new beast out of them; not unlike the twisted creatures encroaching upon Amity Falls. I would not have even known this was a Rumpelstiltskin re-imagining until the climax of the novel if I hadn't seen hype for it on Twitter. THAT'S how effective and unique this author is. She has crafted a stunning world all her own in this work.

We are introduced to Ellerie Downing and her family. They live in a small, rule-driven town surrounded by forests and completely cut off from civilization. The Downings' role in this town revolves around their bees-- her father is an apiarist, and her mother creates treats and other crafts with the wax and the honey. They are closely tied (for better or for worse) to the other families in the town, and adhere to the restrictions set by the Elders of the settlement. However, things start to fall to pieces quite quickly-- the author wastes no time bringing in the conflict while still showcasing the characters and their personalities. A supply run is laid to waste by strange animals with deformities, hunters come across impossible game that they can't explain, and all the people in Amity Falls start to feel mistrust towards their fellow man as things go missing, are destroyed, or are revealed.

After a horrific accident, Ellerie is left in charge of her two sisters. Even with the crippling weight of seeing her family through the hardest winter she's ever seen-- Ellerie starts to fall for a mysterious trapper who opens her eyes to the luck (both good and bad) surrounding her. As things escalate in the town, Ellerie has to summon all of her strength and ingenuity to figure out what supernatural forces are at work before all of Amity Falls goes up in flames. It is a thrilling roller coaster ride, and has so much to offer. It's a story about family, love, and aplomb. In addition, it is a STUNNING dark fantasy-- guaranteed to make your hair stand on end and look for silvery eyes staring back at you from the forest, and the absolute body horror will bring the utter devastation and unheard of malformations in your nightmares; Erin is a master of description, bringing stags with too many horns and colts with exposed spines to life in haunting detail.

Honestly, I am already foaming at the mouth for Erin to release another novel in this vein. It hits so many particular story-telling kinks for me, and in a time where it's been a struggle to make myself relax enough to enjoy reading-- this book was something I always looked forward to at the end of the day. It really and truly transported me to the tainted atmosphere of Amity Falls, and it was hard for me to put it down. These books (including House of Salt and Sorrows) fill a specific niche in the YA community that I consider sorely missing-- because though there are an infinite amount of retellings, (art is either plagiarism or revolution) most are not as imaginative and intrepid as I find these. I want so much more YA horror, and I hope we are lucky enough to get more of it from Erin.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Erin A Craig returns with her small-town horror Small Favors. Readers follow Ellerie Downing, eldest daughter of one of the founding families in Amity Falls. Amity Falls is a small village where neighbors must support one another. The village typically gets two supply runs from the city a year, but when one of the supply runs fails it is the start of all manner of misfortunes for the village.

Craig has a talent for creating an atmosphere of dread. Not necessarily spooky or creepy, but just generally that something-bad-is-about-to-happen vibe. There is also a constant introduction of gradually more questions, the answers to which only spawn more questions. There are questions of possible supernatural issues, possible betrayal, and lots of who is this person really. Combine with a sense of being trapped by the seasons and building tensions in the village. Craig was really very successful in creating a big build up for the climax of the novel.

My biggest complaint, and really only complaint, is that everything was resolved so quickly and cleanly. Once the objective of how to fix things was discovered, it was carried out and new goals for moving forward were made with potential for a happily ever after. Happily ever after with need for extensive therapy maybe, but still. It was simply too easy, too quick, too tidy for all the tension and build-up.

I have enjoyed both of Craig's works so far, and have no issues recommending them. I eagerly look forward to her future works as well.

Small Favors is a beautifully written tale about the human condition, reminiscent of the fairytales of the past. When I say fairytales I don’t mean Disney. No Small Favors is actually a loose retelling of Rumpelstiltskin and more aligned with the blood soaked versions from the Brothers Grimm.

Set in a quaint Valley, the pioneer town of Amnity Falls is concluding their end of summer preparations and getting ready for another winter. The story follows Ellerie Downing, the towns beekeepers oldest daughter, as she tries to keep those she loves safe when chaos descends on their town, and the monsters of legend haunt the pines beyond the towns borders. The world is beautifully crafted, drawing you into this idyllic town and family.

Ellerie is an 18 year old girl trying to find her place in the world now that she is no longer a child, but an adult ready to move on to the next phase of her life. Ellerie is so well written and relatable. The fears and insecurities she has when she perceives her best friend and her twin are leaving her behind while they race off into the next phase of their lives together without her feels so authentic. The hopelessness and inadequacy she feels when she finds herself thrown into a role she isn’t prepared for and doesn’t think she can bear is easy to empathize with. Through it all she remains kind and courageous. Risking herself for just the glimmer of a chance that it would save not only her family but the town she loves.

As with all good fairytales Small Favors is riddled with commentary on humanities virtues and flaws alike. Throughout the book you see how a few well placed favors, a lie here, a seemingly meaningless token there could topple a community turning friend to foe and neighbor to executioner. All it takes is desperation and pressure and all civility and even humanity seems to get stripped from the townspeople. Through it all Ellerie looks to her families bees for strength and inspiration.

Small favors is one of those books that leaves you changed when you flip that last page. The true horrors that lie within its pages don’t belong to the monsters in the woods but in the hearts of those they watch. But even with all the ugliness that is humanity love and hope can survive.

I was given a review copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an eARC of Small Favors in return for my honest review...and here it is.

4.5/5
This book was so utterly different than any other YA book I have read. The entire time I was reading it, I was trying to fully understand what was going on, but Craig's writing kept me beautifully in the shade, making me wonder if <i>I</i> was the one going crazy. Every single time I thought I had figured something out or predicted the ending, everything changed and I was very very wrong.

The writing is incredibly captivating, spinning a tale that reminded me of The Village.
The characters are each deep and I was always trying to find out everyone's true intentions.
The Plot was stellar. Like I am actually considering rereading it right now.

The only issue I found was that the ending was just so abrupt. I kept flipping the pages looking for an epilogue or <i>something</i> to give me just a little bit <i>more</i>. I might come back and make it a full 5/5 stars after I've had more time to cool down, but I can't help that I loved this world so much that I wanted more.

Now i'm off to read Erin A. Craig's other book, [book:House of Salt and Sorrows|39679076] because if it is anywhere near as good as Small Favors, I'm already in love.

Thank you to the publishers, author, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

Small town rivalries reach a boiling point in Erin Craig's spooky sophomore novel. Amity Falls, the perfectly named remote valley town, finds itself unraveling when neighbors begin to turn on one another as threats from the forest pin them in and a lack of supplies rots them from the inside out. Our guide through the madness comes in the form of Ellerie Downing, the eldest daughter of the local beekeeper who is trying to find her place in the town (before the ill-fated supply run).
I was not expecting this to be a loose retelling of Rumplestiltskin, but Craig's eerie prose was undoubtedly a skilled one spun from something better than straw.

This was a mixed bag for me. I had high hopes going in (though I hate 'The Village'), and about halfway through, it had hooked me completely. I read it in one day. However, in the end I didn't think the plot came together well (everything was explained a bit too neatly/in a way that didn't really make sense), and I really disliked the love interest plot. (I'd've hoped that YA as a whole would have moved away from this toxic relationship trope by now, but I guess not.) Also, when the synopsis compares this to Stephen King's 'Needful Things,' take that seriously. It is VERY similar to that novel, to a fault by the end. It was kind-of amazing (and over-the-top perversely hilarious) to see that done in a YA book, but I do wish there had been some variation with that plot.

Small Favors is the next book I so desperately wanted to read from Erin Craig. House of Salt and Sorrows is such a spectacular book and I just knew that whatever Craig came up with next would be at the top of my MUST READ list.

Craig leans into her forte of using older stories or myths to craft a new tale of darkness. Small Favors takes place in an unknown time, in an unknown place, and this absolutely works for the story. WIth mood and tone immediately set, the pacing then pulls the reader through mystery and love without a whole lot of time to catch a breath. Much like her first book , readers should expect to carve out some time to binge read these pages; it demands to be read and will not let go easily.

I found the characters believable and quickly fell in love with Ellerie and others. There are a few places where I wish I knew more and others where I was a bit confused or saw what was coming, but I was so wrapped up in story and this world that I really didn't care. And I think a lot of readers will feel the same way. I find myself anxiously ready for her NEXT book; it can't come soon enough.

After finishing this book I needed some time to marinate in the story line and to sort out my feelings. I have come to the conclusion that this is a really good, spooky story that is based more in the tension and physical pull then relying of scary aspects; and I really think that makes this a much more enjoyable read.

The story has a slower telling to it, it creates tension, pull, angst in the reader. This has the reader in a certain state that helps the mystery of the story feel more potent. I loved the characters and their vulnerable aspects as well as the unique town/setting the story takes place. There is so much just under the surface in this story that a re-read might be in order to full appreciate it.

I liked the plot and the ending and I think that this is one of those stories that is going to be for readers who have a appreciation for writing as a craft and storytelling as a form of art, more so then those readers just looking for a fun ride. I very much enjoyed this and hope others do as well. I received an ARC via Netgalley and Random House Publishers and I am leaving my honest review. 4.5 stars.

In Amity Fall, there’s something terribly wrong. I enjoyed every minute of the town’s crawl toward doom. The characters were all memorable, and Ellerie and Whitaker’s was the perfect salve to all the terrible things happening. The ending is open-ended but enjoyable. Pick this up if you’re into mayhem and character’s questioning their sanity.