I found the story to be intriguing and captivating. I just wish it had been longer. I wanted to learn more about the mother's family and what would happen next for the boy.

This is a book about monsters and men and what can happen when you deny your family and your history, but also how you might be able to change that history. Overall, I liked this book, though it was truly weird. Like, really, really weird. I feel like there were probably some underlying themes that I just did not at all pick up on, which made it feel even more weird. Maybe what added to the weirdness for me is that the narrator has no name. He's just referred to as 'boy' throughout the entire book, so in addition to weird shit happening, there was also a feeling of being disconnected from the story because the main character didn't really have an identity. It is a very short book, so there wouldn't have been time to expand a lot on the characters, but to not even give him a name felt very intentionally weird.

This book is basically weird all the way down.

This book was a quick read but I over all found it underwhelming with the ending being mediocre.therefore I gave it two stars.

WILD SPACES by @s_l_coney is a taut, devastating story embodying the loss of innocence and coming of age. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @tordotcompub and @macmillan.audio for the audio-ARC.

This story starts out ordinary enough as a young, eleven year old boy gallavants along the South Carolina wetlands with his trusty pup Teach and interacts with his loving parents. That is, until his mother's father shows up for an impromptu "visit" that turns into a long-term stay. The boy notices something about his grandpa then...when his grandpa smiles, no one else does. As the boy begins to change and devolve due to the influence of his grandfather, the family has to decide if all family is worth accommodating.

All right y'all, no spoilers except check your trigger warnings on this one - I cried! I described this one as devastating for a reason and my heart still hurts thinking about this story. There is discussion of loss of innocence, getting toxic family members out of your life, that not everything is exactly what it seems and that old family secrets need to be unearthed and laid bare.

I would probably give this one a 3.5 star rating today, but ask me tomorrow and it might change, I am so torn on this one!

This novella is short but definitely packs an emotional punch so read with caution. Lots of good cosmic and Eldritch horror vibes throughout the book too.

Coming of age is one of my favorite types of books but inevitably there will be some heartache afoot in those kinds of books - just a glutton for punishment, I guess!

“An eleven-year-old boy lives an idyllic childhood exploring the remote coastal plains and wetlands of South Carolina alongside his parents and his dog Teach. But when the boy’s eerie and estranged grandfather shows up one day with no warning, cracks begin to form as hidden secrets resurface that his parents refuse to explain.”

I expect, when reading horror, to be scared, or disgusted. I did not expect to be SO SAD.

For a novella, this book did its characters very well.

You loved the boy and his dog.

You were intrigued by the father’s work, and the mother’s history.

You needed a shower after spending too much time with the grandfather.

But really, it just boiled down to sadness.

It probably says something about me, that I’d prefer gore over grief, but here we are.

7/10

Thanks to NetGalley, DreamScape Media, and Tor Publishing Group for this wallop of an ARC.

Dear Wild Spaces,
For such a short story, you really packed a massive punch! The way that you wove magic and darkness into the small world of the boy and his dog was fascinating to me. I loved the fact that all of the characters remained nameless, which allowed them to be more abstract for me. I couldn't really place you in a time either, which gave you an ageless feeling. You were transformative and interesting for me.

Set in the wetlands of South Carolina, this coming-of-age story is short but has a lot to say. A young boy’s world changes when his grandfather shows up and his darker nature starts coming to the surface.

I ended up doing this one on audiobook, and I really enjoyed it. It’s not necessarily my usual bag, a coming of age story about a boy, but it’s Tor, so that’s never the only thing you get. I loved the sci-fi elements and the boy’s relationship with his dog. It’s a super short read, so if you’re into what Tor brings to the table, you probably won’t be disappointed with this one.

It’s out now wherever you get your books.

This was so interesting! The whole premise was very shrouded in mystery of what the grandfather was, what he was doing to the boy, the dogs role in all of it. It really took me by surprise!

This is one of my new favorite novellas for when I need something different or I’m in a book slump! This is part coming of age and part creature feature with a beautiful, aching prose I haven’t encountered before. I will totally be reading more from Coney in the future. And also…Team Teach!

Wild Spaces is beautifully written. The audiobook narrator was a perfect choice. This book feels like literary fiction horror. It's a coming-of-age novella about a young boy whose life is idyllic until one day his grandfather suddenly appears. There are dark family secrets and the family dynamic shifts irrevocably. Prepare to feel disturbed and unsettled. I would recommend this book if you like horror. The audiobook is a quick listen.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the ALC!

Just so fantastic. Great story and a brilliant audiobook production. I cried at the end. Highly recommended.

This was a quick listen- a creepy tale of a boy, his dog, and a grandfather that comes to visit. Reminded me a bit of Stephen Graham Jones in tension building. Enjoyable!

First off, many thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book as an audio ARC! I greatly appreciate it!

What a weird, wild, wonderful little book this is! The boy's struggle with what he's becoming is so well written, and his grandfather is so supremely creepy! His father is intersting, and his mother is fascinating, and Teach is such a good boy with such a great name! The atmosphere is dense and spooky, and there's a sense of dread that hangs heavy over everything. It's a fear of change. I've experienced that myself. And boy, does change come!

Spoiler, but also a necessary trigger warning: The dog dies, because of course he does. Horror hates dogs. As much as I love the story, it loses half a star for killing the dog. There are also human deaths, but those are always less traumatic in fiction than animal deaths.

I also wish it was longer! It doesn't feel complete. This feels like an introduction to a book, not a whole book by itself. That's the other half star it loses.

The voice performance was nice, though I think a younger-sounding narrator would have been a better fit. Still, it was well done, so it doesn't even take a star off.

4 stars out of 5 for Wild Spaces!

"Wild Spaces" by S.L. Coney is a Coming-of-Age and Lovecraftian Horror Story!

I'm more than a little torn about this novella...

A family of three lives a peaceful and quiet life in the South Carolina coastal wetlands. The eleven-year-old boy is deeply loved by his parents and his dog, Teach means just about everything to him.

Their family life together is almost perfect, until...

The boy's estranged maternal grandfather drops in for an unexpected visit that quickly turns into an indefinite and disruptive stay. Teach senses that something is off about this unwelcome guest, so much so that he growls whenever the grandfather is near the boy.

As the tensions run high between the three adults, the boy feels himself changing into something...different. Something that makes his grandfather smile and his mother afraid...

"Wild Spaces" is a story that's original, creative, and different. I love the author's evocative writing, the unique characterizations, and the audiobook narrator, Nick Mondelli's clipped narrative and skillful voicing talent. All combined, it's a wonderful package.

"Wild Spaces" is a novella that feels vague and allusive the further in you travel. The constant movement of the story is towards something unknown and you wonder where the heck it's leading you. The Lovecraftian Horror genre, I never knew had a name, makes my imagination smile and even turn a cartwheel or two.

However, there is one issue that tainted my experience. (view spoiler) [ The boy's sweet dog, Teach is senselessly killed in a gruesome scene. Yeah, I get it, this is Horror and that stuff happens. It just seem to me that Teach is of more value to this story alive than dead AND great Horror Fiction can be written without the inclusion of animal harm. (hide spoiler)]

"Wild Spaces" is a story I love listening to and was a winner for me up to the point I describe in the spoiler above. It's why I feel torn about this novella and the only reason for lowering my rating significantly.

3.25⭐rounded down!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and S.L. Coney for an ALC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

I was BLOWN AWAY by this novella. It was a debut and it was on the shorter side, but it packed a serious punch. I was instantly drawn into the atmosphere and the Boy's Life comp felt spot on.

The author did a nice job of painting a picture in my head and that really helped late in the book when things took that lovecraftian turn. I'm so impressed with this tiny, yet powerful book, that I'll be on the lookout for future works from Coney.

I listened to the audiobook and it was narrated by Nick Mondelli. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and this was my first experience with Mondelli. He did a great job and something about his voice was PERFECT for this book.

Thank you to the publisher and Dreamscape Media for providing an eAudiobook. All opinions are my own.

A dog arrives out of the blue in the boy’s front yard, when no one claims him the family keep him and name him Teach, soon he is the boy’s best friend. One day when his family are on a trip into town, they come upon his an old man … his estranged grandfather who comes to stay with them. Soon things begin to become strange, the boy’s parents are constantly on edge and there is clearly a secret in their perfect life, bubbling just below the surface, waiting to get out.

This poetic short story really fills the brief time it inhabits, a tapestry of immersive descriptors it winds you through the boys seemingly idyllic life, as it transforms into something sad and eerie. A folklore style tale of hidden monsters and curiosities. I really liked the writing style, but I can see how some people may find it a little too meandering.

The narrator is great, softly spoken with the right intonations for this style of book. 3.75 rounded up.

An eleven year old boy lives a picturesque life exploring South Carolina with his parents and dog named Teach. When his estranged grandfather shows up out of the blue, hidden secrets come to light and his parents refuse to explain. As tension grows, the boy feels something changing inside him, something his grandfather welcomes but his mother fears.

For such a short book, it packs quite a punch. I was not at all expecting to feel emotional but oh did I. Wild Spaces is emotional, unsettling, and frightening. But also magical for a horror novella. I wish the book was longer because it’s not one I wanted to end as quickly as it did. I listened to this as an audiobook and it was over far too soon. I enjoyed the story and the narration, and I highly recommend you give this one a read or a listen.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC and the opportunity to listen and review if honestly.

First off, I urge you to try and read Wild Spaces without spoilers. I had no idea where the story was going, and was completely blown away.

Wild Spaces is a unique coming-of-age story. Our narrator is an eleven-year-old boy, who lives happily with his parents, and his extremely loyal dog, Teach. When the boy’s maternal grandfather shows up, the happy family dynamic is disrupted, and things get very tense. The boy’s mother has always been very tight-lipped about her early life, and when secrets start to emerge, things get very weird indeed.

I absolutely loved how Coney built up the mystery and tension throughout this short tale. The unwanted visitor in the form of the grandfather, and Teach’s aggression towards him, provided the perfect catalyst for the implosion of weirdness that ended the story. There were enough seeds planted that the incredibly shocking denouement didn’t completely out of left field.

I feel Nick Mondelli’s delivery could have been a little more dramatic; his tone didn’t really vary too much throughout the short audiobook. Luckily, the story itself was interesting enough to hold my attention.

An exciting debut from S.L. Coney; weird and strangely heart-warming.

5/5 stars

“Father was wrong, he tells him. Sometimes, being related is all it takes.”

As I do for any coming of age novel that includes a dog, I tried to steel myself for heartbreak. Yet Wild Spaces still managed to hit me on so many emotional levels that I was absolutely powerless to the aching sense of loneliness it left me with.
Succinct, intimate and yet (dare I say it) cyclopean in scope, this debut novella combines the supernatural horror of Lovecraftian beasts, with the true monsters that live within the ones closest to us.

Wild Spaces tells the story of an eleven-year-old boy living an idyllic childhood exploring the remote coastal plains and wetlands of South Carolina alongside his parents and his dog Teach. That all changes one day when his estranged grandfather, mums dad, shows up and wrenches himself forcefully back into their lives. The longer grandpa outstays his welcome and the greater the tension between the adults grows, the more the boy realizes his granddad hides a monstrous nature beneath his human appearance. Something abyssal from the depth, that threatens to spill through the façade of normalcy and devour the family whole.

Full discretion: I have a strong soft-spot for this highly specific subgenre of coming-of-age-horror, where our child/teen protagonist uses monstrous-imagery and/or paracosm to make sense of an event that is otherwise too traumatic for a child to grasp. It’s a delicate balance to strike, portraying this in a way that is heartfelt and compassionate ánd strikes terror in the reader. Not many authors nail it on the first try, but Coney absolutely did so.
Her character work is perfectly weighed too. At first I struggled with the fact that our protagonist is never called by name, and only referred to as “boy”. It created a sense of distance, that had me worried I wouldn’t be able to feel attached to him. Instead, Coney’s short but striking descriptions of every-day domestic life, perfectly establishes not only “boy”, but his family and their bonds too. In the end, his lack of a name only added to my deep sense of sadness and loneliness when the ending comes around…

Needless to repeat: I highly recommend this novella, especially to fans of Laurel Hightower, Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and maybe even Strange Creatures by Phoebe North. As far as debuts go, this is close to perfection, and I cannot wait to see what this author has in store for us in the future.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Tor and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an (audio)ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Coney’s haunting coming-of-age horror story/fantasy is mesmerizing. The story begins with a young boy living an idyllic life in coastal South Carolina with his parents and his dog. Everything changes when his paternal grandfather arrives on the doorstep, looking for a place to stay. The grandfather has a secret, and he watches the boy as he sleeps, and tells his secrets to the ocean tides. But to what end? Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes came to my mind when reading this incredible story