"Small Favors"- 4 out of 5 stars

This book was GREAT! I read it so fast because I had to know what was happening in the town of Amity Falls. So much mystery and suspense- a great thriller-like fantasy.
Ellerie Downing was a great protagonist- she was smart, relatable, and easy to read. Her thoughts about what was happening in Amity Falls made you want to solve the mystery even more. Her sisters were fun to read about too- both unique in their own ways. And Whitaker- he was something special. I could see why Ellerie liked him. She was drawn to him from the beginning- a new attractive person in her small town- it's understandable why she would be drawn to him!
The small town of Amity Falls was described perfectly. Erin A. Craig really knows how to build a setting. This town was full of rules and secrets. It seemed like a nice place to be, a place where everyone knew everybody else but once something bad happened, it was scary how easily they turned on one another. And how they were taken advantage of.
The only things that bothered me about this book was that it left some mysteries unanswered.
(SPOILERS)
Like Ellerie's parents never came back- do they ever come back? And where there really monsters in their woods or were they creatures of the imagination? And what happens with Ellerie's brother, Sam? It felt like even though the ending was happy (in a way), a lot of things were left unanswered.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed "Small Favors" and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery with a small town in the middle of the forest and with a little magic mixed in.

A charming story is hinted at from the very first pages of this book when we are introduced to a small family who lives off of their own land and the goods that their neighbors grow, a secluded village that sees very few unknown faces, a father who keeps bees, and a mother who makes heavenly cakes with the precious honey that is set aside from bottling and selling. What's not to love about Ellerie Downing and the life she lives in Amity Falls? At first, everything seems picture perfect, but slowly a little bit of darkness begins to seep in around the edges, and that's when the story really begins.

Amity Falls is a close-knit community that supports each other through the good times and the bad. It seems as though the town has had a stretch of good luck lately, and life is good for the townsfolk. Every so often, a group of people get together and go on a supply run to the nearest city to purchase food and medicine that they can't grow or make themselves. The journey can be treacherous, even in good weather, and the most recent group to make the trip never returned, leading people to believe something must have apprehended them on their trip there or back. Then rumors surface of gigantic wolves living in the surrounding forest, striking fear into even the bravest of the local men.

Tragedy begins to strike from all sides when a fire destroys several buildings on the Downing farm and other strange and devastating happenings occur. Suddenly, Ellerie finds herself left at home with her older brother and younger sisters while their parents travel to the nearby city to seek urgent medical care. With supplies running low and the responsibility of taking care of beekeeping duties and much of the housework on her shoulders, Ellerie begins to doubt her ability to keep her family safe and fed until their parents return home. Of course, this is the perfect time for a mysterious (and handsome) young trapper to emerge from the woods and help Ellerie in her time of need.

I can't believe that I almost missed out on this book because the cover just didn't catch my eye. Now that I've seen it and looked at the cover more closely, I'm not sure how missing it was possible, as the cover art is quite intricate and beautiful. The story inside is just as good as the cover, if not better. It appeased my love for fantasy/magical realism and had a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure. I can definitely see myself re-reading this book in the future and enjoying it just as much.

Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy

Ellerie Downing lives a simple life with her family in Amity Falls. The town is a close-knit community where neighbors depend on each other to survive.   As Ellerie transitions from a girl to an adult, her journey is marked by incredible changes- she starts to realize she barely knows her twin, her closest friendship is threatened, and the people of her town start to unravel. Anyone that ventures into the woods isn't making it out alive.  Disfigured, unnatural animals start to appear. As neighbors begin to turn on each other, she fears that the monstrous creatures in the woods aren't the real danger. Sounds exciting?  This isn't even the best part- Mix in a mysterious, handsome stranger in the woods, and you have a dangerously, exciting read. You have to read this one! Small Favors out July 27,2021.

A slow burn of a small town mystery, with fantastical monsters thrown in and a somewhat Rumplestiltskin-esque element thrown in - I have to say I adored it!

The story centers around the town of Amity Falls, surrounded by woods and mountains, where strange things have begun to occur, beginning with the deaths of the trading party who recently set off for other cities. Is the cause wolves, other creatures? Something more mysterious and sinister? As things begin to go wrong even in the center of town, and people seem to change in an instant, it seems so.

Ellerie, our main character, and her sisters were so authentic and likeable, and I loved the addition of the mysterious trapper and stranger to town - Whittaker. Ellerie and Whittaker's seemingly instant romance felt a little much, a little less than believable - but honestly not unbelievable enough to drop my rating of the book.

I loved the dark tension, the slow burn, the small-town atmosphere, and the wondering who was going to turn next. All in all, I definitely recommend this book!

Dystopian society. Ellerie and her close-knit family live within a small community. When this town was founded, the elders described strange beasts in the woods. Although no one had seen these beasts for decades, the bells on the outskirts of town and the tales told throughout the years were fair warnings to all citizens--stay within the town's boundaries. So, when silvery eyes begin to appear within the woods, caravans ravaged, citizens murdered, and strange occurrences begin to occur, then fester--Ellerie and her community are crippled with fear, anger, and indecision. How will this community move forward--much less survive?

As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

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.