Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

I am not completely sure I understood this novel, it was well-written, and interesting, it is just the last part of the book that had me scratching my head, the "evolution" of the boy and his dog into "new beings" or "Wild things" if you will.

An unusual book, if my review intrigues you, excellent, give it a read, I would love to hear your interpretation!

I would give it a 3.5 if I could...

Until next time, dear readers, remember, "things are not always what they initially appear to be".

I liked this story but didn’t love it mainly because of the description. I don’t see this as a coming-of-age. The boy didn’t really overcome any obstacles unless I missed something. I also thought it was a stretch to compare it to Boy’s Life or Lovecraft. . It didn’t have the emotional connection that I get from Boy’s Life and it doesn’t have the creepiness that Lovecraft provides.
Otherwise it was a good short story but it sets you up to be let down when you start comparing it to those giants.
You will enjoy this as long as you calm your expectations.

Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Nick Mondelli
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars

Wild Spaces is a novella about an eleven-year-old boy, his family, and their dog, Teach, living in South Carolina. After his estranged grandfather, one day, appears on their doorstep, more and more family secrets emerge. However, this is not all. From family drama, this story takes a turn to a more eerie novel. It slowly turns to cosmic (Lovecraftian) horror.

Beautiful, lyrical prose and very good narration. The prose and style of writing reminded me a little of Lenny by Laura McVeigh, although the genre and the overall theme are very different.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the narration on this book as it perfectly embodies the characters! It is short, creepy, and to the point! The story is about a young boy that lives in the woods with his parents and grandpa. Some creepy stuff starts happening and he’s not sure who to trust. I don’t want to give anything away so that’s all I’m going to say about it but I would definitely recommend if you like creepy and suspense!

I wanted to like this so badly!

But sadly, I only found the last 10% interesting and compelling. This is one of those stories where most of it felt like the setup stretched on way too long. Most of the time, I wondered when we'd reach the sci-fi/fantasy horror part.

I didn't mind the quiet and idyllic, yet slightly ominous family dynamics setup, but I wanted more by the midpoint.

While this novella didn't deliver for me, I'd still love to read more of the author's work. You can tell that they have a talent for writing. At no point in the story did I want to DNF the audio arc.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this arc.

4.5⭐️

<i> 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>

Don’t let the short length of this novella fool you. Coney packs quite a punch into its scant pages. Watching a happy loving family transform overnight when an estranged grandfather brings a toxic legacy to town is absolutely devastating. I finished this audiobook, feeling completely gutted and unprepared for it to end (and nevermind HOW it ended), and then turned right around and listened through the whole story a second time, only to be devastated yet again.

The audiobook was perfectly narrated by Nick Mondelli.

Thank you S. L. Coney, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

A boy and his dog, Teach, share secrets and an unrelenting, profound friendship. The introduction of an odd and estranged grandfather upends the boy's happy life, particularly straining his relationship with his mother, who fears an impending change she knows all too well. A whirlwind of dark family secrets, a preteen boy's journey through unfamiliar and strange new feelings, and bumps in the night, blend into a nostalgia-filled coming of age tale with a dash of cosmic horror. The ending left me devastated, yet hopeful.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio e-arc.*

Rating: 3.5
This was ok, but I found it hard to focus on it. I didn't really like the way that the story was told, but maybe it would be better if I was reading instead of listening to it.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for an audio ARC of Wild Spaces for an honest review.

This surprised me, in a good way. Usually, novellas don't do it for me. But let me tell you, this little book packs a punch. I loved it from start till end. I thought it was beautifully and expertly written.

A very emotional cosmic horror coming of age tale. The way the family dynamics are portrayed are extremely realistic. A lot of story packed into a small page count.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sending me an audiobook arc of this title.

I got approval for this one from Tordotcom today, and it was a quick binge read for me. I am so thankful to all of the lovely people at Tor Publishing Group, S.L. Coney and NetGalley for allowing me access to this coming-of-age, horrifically-told sci-fi novella. Wild Spaces is set to publish on August 1, 2023, and I can't wait for more of yall to check this baby out!

Our 11-year-old main character lives the good life alongside his parents and trusty sidekick dog, Teach (named after his favorite pirate, Blackbeard), in Coastal South Carolina. His father is vastly invested in the biology that their oceanside town offers and regularly takes his family on excursions to investigate its beauty.

One day, the day that set their family's expiration date, the boy's mother's father (his grandfather) comes waltzing up their driveway, looking for a place to crash. Right off the bat, the boy and Teach can sense that something is severely off with this long-lost family member. He's never around during parts of the day and clashes with everything his parents do, not to mention catching his grandfather lurking in on the boy's slumber with empty stares.

Sure enough, the Grandfather IS hiding a deep, dark secret that can only be unearthed in proximity to the tides of the ocean's pull. This secret is genetic and happens within the boy's ever-changing pubescent body. Tentacles and all, the Grandfather and our MC square off, to top it off, as the most effed-up generational trauma ever.

I liked the (audio)book very much! I liked the pacing in which the story was told and the whole way S. L. Coney built his world through language. Everything starts so calm and slow, yet it is immediately made clear to the reader that it will not stay that way - and not only between the lines. You are literally prepared for the protagonists‘ lives to go down the drain. You might think that this takes the tension out of the story, but firstly, you already know from the summary that this is not a comforting story and you certainly don’t expect what happens next. I certainly didn’t.

I loved all the relationships between the characters and how the mood changed so much over time. S. L. Coney did a wonderful job of writing and building suspense. His descriptions of the horror were not too heavy-handed or unpleasantly graphic ... but somehow ... just atmospherically „beautiful“ and a little eerie. Somehow I had the feeling of being safe all the time and yet just not - everything was ... like a strange dream.
I don’t feel I can say much at all without giving too much away ... but I often have a hard time with written horror, (although I LOVE horror) but this book totally picked me up. I liked the length, liked the writing style, liked the story and characters and the ENDING. I LOVE the ending and that’s magnificent. In the horror genre, the ending can ruin so much, but Coney just rocked it!

The audiobook was good - the speed at which Nick Mondelli read was pleasant and appropriate to the story. Unfortunately, I found his voice a little monotonous and would have liked more variety to evoke even more atmosphere.
His pronunciation is very clear, so even people who don’t speak English as their first language can understand him well.

I love the cover, which was chosen for both the book and the audio book. It shows this familiarity of the boy with his dog and yet promises ... that something is wrong - tentacles are never okay, after all :‘D
It’s quiet and atmospheric and just classically lovely <3

Wild Spaces was a very quick treat of a listen. I really enjoyed the inflection given by the narrator, and the story unfolded easily. The writing was beautiful and atmospheric while also having depth. Overall, the themes written in this novella are interesting and will have me thinking for days to come. I would love to read more by this author, and would have loved even more in this story!