Small Spaces

Written by Katherine Arden

Narrated by Renee Dorian

New York Times bestselling adult author of The Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story destined to become a classic.

After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie who only finds solace in books discovers a chilling ghost story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man"—a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.

Captivated by the tale, Ollie begins to wonder if the smiling man might be real when she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about on a school trip to a nearby farm. Then, later, when her school bus breaks down on the ride home, the strange bus driver tells Ollie and her classmates: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.

Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed these warnings. As the trio head out into the woods—bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them—the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small."

And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
• Release date: Sep 25, 2018
• ISBN: 9780525638773

Reviews for Small Spaces

[kalliegrace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

this is scary done really well for middle grade. it's heartfelt and quick and great for a spooky fall read.

[momalwaysreads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Small Spaces is a fun and spooky middle grade book that can be enjoyed at any age. I enjoyed this book and didn't find it to be too scary for a young audience to enjoy. That said, there are themes of death and kidnapping, so it's best to be sure your kids are mature enough to handle that and discuss with them as appropriate.

[clamairy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Extraordinarily creepy for a YA book. I enjoyed this one, and plan to keep going with this series. I felt so much kinship for Olive, and the world she and her friends get sucked into was full of terrors and chills.

[cmbohn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good and creepy. This one is a perfect read for autumn. Watch out for scarecrows!

[treebeard_404 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well-drawn characters, although many of the plot points are well-trod. But I enjoyed it nonetheless and will likely read the next in the series.

[lynnmpk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A bit creepy, but ultimately underwhelming. I thought the Smiling Man was too nice and reasonable?

[jonez-6 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.25

I was feeling nostalgic and was looking for something light that gave both fall vibes and Goosebump feels. This adequately did both.

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Small Spaces Quintet. I borrowed this as an audiobook from the library.

Thoughts: I ended up really enjoying this; I listened to it on audiobook and the audiobook was very well done. This is an incredibly creepy read about a group of middle school students who get trapped somewhere…other. Ollie’s back story is really well done and I loved her as a character. She has an excellent family and I loved watching her build friendships with a couple of her classmates while dealing with a terrifying situation.

This story is definitely more creepy than gorey; really no gore here. I really enjoy my horror stories with more creepiness and less gore, so this was right up my alley. There are a lot of fantasy elements to this story as well and I enjoyed the pacing and the super creepy “smiling man”. If you hate scarecrows, well you will probably hate them even more after this book.

This is a quick read but I thought it was very creative and engaging. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this and how quickly I was sucked into the story. The beginning of the book goes back into some historical eeriness and I was really impressed with how the whole story came together. I am eager to see what the next three books in this series bring!

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a very creepy and creative horror story that I enjoyed. It leans more towards creepy, eerie, and mysterious than gorey and I really enjoy those types of horror stories. I definitely plan on picking up the next book in this series. This is appropriate for middle grade and older readers, it will most likely be too scary for younger readers.

[mutantpudding · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dealing with grief, middle school, and horrifying monsters trying to capture your soul. Scary but funny and sweet as well.

[ftbooklover · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Olivia Adler loses interest in almost everything after the death of her mother until she comes upon a crying woman holding a book over a pond. Ollie grabs the book called Small Spaces and runs away. Over the next few days, she reads about a girl who lives on a farm and is loved by two boys. The farm is also inhabited by something scary called the Smiling Man who grants wishes but demands something in return. Ollie continues reading the story even as she and her schoolmates visit a farm that eerily resembles the one in the book. On the way home from the field trip, the bus breaks down and becomes surrounded by a creepy mist - just like in the book.

Small Spaces is a chilling story filled with adventure and mystery. Ollie and her friends must use their skills to figure out how to save themselves and their classmates. Themes about liking the person that you are and finding happiness in what you have are also a part of this story. Although the first half the book is a bit slow setting up the story, overall, Small Spaces is a very good middle grade book that is not only scary and fun but also includes valuable life lessons.

[quondame · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A middle school story which moves well and has decent characters, but doesn't quite pull the whole save yourself from devil plot off with the necessary panache.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

children's horror fiction.
Really fun, well-told scary story. Better than Coraline. Highly recommended.

[MaxNetza · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

HOLY HEAVEN, I loved this book like crazy!
It is a reading suitable for all ages, from those who fear the dark to those of us who fear household bills.
It all begins with a little girl who, like many of us, buried her head in books until she found, by the whims of fate and dangerous decisions, one that would change the souls of more people than one could imagine.
Escaping from monsters and visiting Death in her house, accompany this little girl back home. (Translated from Spanish)

[stephanie_m-868484 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is not a bad novel, for YA. It had me just a little spooked a couple of times there, listening to it in the dark. I’m going to have to find the second novel in the series, IF the library has it now.
Renee Dorian is the narrator, and she held me,spellbound throughout the novel. I enjoyed her characterizations a lot.
Do yourself a favor. If you haven’t already read this novel or listened to the audiobook, please do so. You’ll be happy you did. I am.

4 stars, and highly recommended to all.

[linyarai · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was surprisingly creepy, and very good. It was a simple, easy read for all audiences and I look forward to book 2.

[acargile-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Small Spaces, a 2020 Lone Star novel, is a horror story.

Ollie takes a book away from a crying, crazy woman who is trying to throw the book into the river. Ollie reads the book. To survive, stick to small spaces. A field trip from school takes everyone to the farm where the events from the novel took places many, many years ago. Ollie discovers the crazy woman owns the farm. Their normal bus driver mysteriously gets sick and the farm provides a weird man to transport the students whom Ollie does not trust. It's on the drive back to school when the bus breaks down that everyone learns what happens to people who disappear.

Only Ollie realizes that staying on the bus brings only horror, so she and two others leave. Ollie knows to find a small space when night falls. They hear the cries of the students on the bus and run. As Ollie and her friends survive each night, you learn more about what happened in the past and why the book carries so much significance.

I can't say anything else because I would give everything away. It's a smaller book and would be a horror-filled few hours away from the real world.

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ollie is dealing with the loss of her mom - something frequently hinted at in the narrative - and she's left a lot of her usual activities. She's an independent spirit with a strong sense of justice. When she finds . a lady crying over a book, she takes the book and discovers a story of scary "smiling man". When I met him in the story, I had no idea it was him! Making a deal with the smiling man is tantamont to a deal with the devil. Ollie's class on a field trip soon finds themselves in the crossfire and it becomes up to Ollie, Coco, and Brian to save themselves and everyone else. A scary thriller.

[khal_khaleesi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

(This review will be on my blog All the Ups and Downs soon.)
--
I love creepy books, so when I came across Small Spaces by Katherine Arden, it immediately caught my attention. I don't normally read middle grade fiction, but I do make an exception for middle grade horror, and I'm really glad I had the chance to read Small Spaces.

Olivia, or Ollie as she prefers, is in middle school. She loves reading and books, so when she comes across a sobbing lady getting ready to throw a book in a river, she steals it before the woman has a chance to do so. Ollie thinks the book she stole is just a creepy ghost story, but she soon realizes it is anything but fiction! When her class goes on a field trip to a farm, Ollie realizes just how true the book is. When the field trip bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere, Ollie and two friends decided to leave the bus fearing that they may be in even worse danger if they stay on the bus. With the help of her broken watch from her deceased mother, Ollie must be very careful if she wants to return home unscathed.

I did enjoy the plot of Small Spaces. I felt like I was reading a R.L. Stine novel! Katherine Arden did such a fantastic job with this story in keeping it interesting. There were a few times were the story felt a little disjointed with what was going on as it sometimes seemed as if Small Spaces wanted to be more of a ghost story other than what it actually was. However, it was still a great plot! There was one plot twist I didn't see coming which I thought was great considering I'm an adult, and this is a middle grade story. Usually I can figure out the plot twists, but not this time! One thing that got me wondering is how all these 11 and 12 year old kids each had their own cell phone. I know it's not impossible for a whole class of junior high children to have a cell phone, but it just seems improbable. While most of my questions were answered, I was left pondering over the ending as to why more questions weren't asked by the police or the parents. Another question I had, I won't go into detail because of spoilers, but it pertained to the kids and the water. I'll just leave it at that. Although Small Spaces is a series, it can be read as a standalone as there is no cliff hanger ending.

The pacing for Small Spaces starts out a bit slow, but it picks up quickly to a fantastic pace a few chapters in. It stays at a decent pace for the majority of the book until it slows a little bit towards the ending. I wouldn't say the pacing lets the book down in any way though.

I felt all the characters in Small Spaces were written very well especially as the main characters were written as middle schoolers. I felt every character was solid. I didn't really care for Ollie's personality though. For the first half of the book, especially, she came across as a bully. As this book is aimed towards kids that are impressionable, it kind of irked me that the main character was a little mean to others. I liked Brian. I thought he seemed like he'd be a great kid in real life. I admire how he wasn't ashamed to show his emotions at certain times. My favorite character was Coco. Coco had just moved from the city to Ollie's middle school. She seemed really vulnerable, yet Ollie was mean to her a lot of the time. I just wanted to hug and protect Coco. She was such a sweet girl to everyone unlike Ollie. Coco came across as a happy go lucky girl.

Trigger warnings in Small Spaces besides being a scary story include death, minor violence, a minor profanity (one of the characters says hell), ghosts, and bullying.

All in all, Small Spaces is a fantastic scary read despite some minor flaws. It's got such a great spooky plot and characters that feel realistic. I would definitely recommend Small Spaces by Katherine Arden to everyone aged 10 who love to be spooked! R.L. Stine better watch out; Katherine Arden could give him a run for his money judging by this book! Even though Small Spaces can stand on its own, I will definitely be reading the next book in the Small Spaces series.
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(Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an eBook of Small Spaces by Katherine Arden in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)

[librarianryan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a lovely chilling surprise of a book. I was not expecting a MG horror novel at all based on the cover, but the cover fits the story quite nicely. This is the story of Ollie. While she is happy to be left alone by everyone, she can not help but stand up to the bullies at school when they set their eyes on the new girl. But this isn’t the traditional story of a bully. Instead it is the story of the Smiling Man.

Adults might recognize the character of the Smiling man, known by other names such as the CrossRoads demon, or the Devil that went down to Georgia. He is man who makes deal. You get your hearts desire, but the Smiling Man will ask for a favor later, which you have no choice but to give. It’s this exchange over 100 years ago that starts this modern story or a girl grieving for her mother.

Ollie and her 6th grade class are on a field trip to a local farm. But things are off, things are weird, things are just a bit spooky. The bus driver is a new entity and gives weird warnings to Ollie. And her mother’s broken watch has started to talk to her. When the bus breaks down on the way home, Ollie knows she must leave the bus to protect herself. She does not know why, just has the secret message of “stick to small space”, a watch telling her to run, and an internal sensibility telling her to listed. So Ollie runs. But she does not run alone. She is joined by Coco, the new girl who is not prepared for life in the wild, and 6th grade heartthrob Brian. Can they survive the nights, save the students, and break the curse all brought about by a smiling man and a book. Or will the history repeat it self, and the staling scarecrows win in the end.

A fantastic read that was perfectly atmospheric for October. It had chills, adventure, and daring. Once started it was hard to put down. While the book does not need a sequel, I can not wait to read the one that just came out so i can see what these kids will do next.
#MountTBR
#NancyDrewChallenge #Garden

[sandrabrower · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I was 12 years old I read Firestarter and Cujo by Stephen King. I never wanted to be around a barn or go near big dogs after reading those books. I actually swore off King's books until I was 29 years old. At 12 years old the psychological thriller was taken to heart and internalized. The thrill was fantastic until I walked out the door.

Every so often you come across a book that you expected to be one way, such as Small Spaces where this is for young kids and can't be that scary, and then it becomes something even better than you thought. This is that book. Let's talk about how a Middle-Grade book can scare the living daylights out of an adult and still be appropriate for 11, 12, 13 and 14 years old. Yup, this is that book. This book is perfect not only during the fall season but all year long. Let's talk about a girl who has lost her mother in a plane accident who loves to read and comes across a frightened woman and steals her book. That is this book. A thriller, a book with a strong female protagonist, and a budding friendship even when one wasn't looked for or wanted because of a brave choice to follow one girl who everyone thinks has had a breakdown and is nuts. That is this book. This book is also a book to scare you out of your wits at night. It is a book that is well written, the characters are people you know. It is a book that not only your middle-grade age child will like but you will too. I'm glad as an adult I don't have to get on another school bus ever again after reading this book. Psychologically, I might have to think hard about whether I would step up into that a big yellow vehicle ever again! This thriller is that good.

I want to thank Netgalley and Katherine Arden for the opportunity to read this book. It was wonderful.

[jrlibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a perfect fall story for reading as the night comes earlier, the weather is crisper and neighbours put out their pumpkins and scarecrows. From the very beginning, when ten year old Ollie stops a woman from throwing a book into the water, I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. Small Spaces is a tightly crafted, fast paced story perfect for that young reader who says they want something scary. Great to have on your shelves near Halloween, I predict most readers will devour it in one sitting.

[grgenius_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A dash of Children of the Corn, a helping of Jeepers Creepers, and a WHOLE lot of heart, make this one PERFECT read for the season. What? You don't think SCARY stories can have heart? Well, think again!

Ollie is a keep to herself, bookish, yet rough and tumble girl, not afraid to speak her mind, but preferring to stay outside the limelight. I loved her from the moment we met! She stood up for someone she didn't even particularly care for (yet!), laid claim to literature that was about to be destroyed (though if it had, I wonder how the outcome would have been affected?), lived her life truly and fully in spite of her recent loss, and was just all around one smart cookie...and trust me, she HAD to be with what she's about to encounter! Don't get me wrong, she wasn't perfect...but really, WHO IS? It's those faults, those missteps, those miscalculations that make us HUMAN...something that some only WISH they could be. The challenges she faces are made a bit easier as she shares the load with unexpected friends, and a watch that has mysteriously taken on a life of its own (weirdness...but in a good way!), but don't think it's a stroll through the cornfield because yeah, no...DANGER!

Trust me, once things start rolling, you're not gonna want to put this one down...though perhaps you shouldn't read it at night...in the dark...all alone...near any cornfields or mazes. *-* Seriously though, SUCH A GREAT READ! Ollie, Coco, and Brian are my new besties, as they are to each other...at least, if they make it through the mist...and passed his servants...and passed the smiling man... *gulp* A great pick for any season, and a high recommendation for Middle Grade fans of all ages.


**copy received for review

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Legitimately terrifying and this is a kids book! Small Spaces slowly draws sets the scene, develops the characters, and then drops them into a slow boil of terror. I loved it. I couldn't put it down. When Ollie goes on a field trip to a local farm with her 6th grade class, she begins to find the parallels with the farms history and the creepy book she's reading unsettling. Ollie had stolen the book the day before from a distraught, crying, woman who was hell bent on destroying it. Ollie couldn't abide for a book to be damaged so she ran off with it and the more she read from it and the more she sees at the farm, she realizes that she could be in serious danger. Scarecrows ring the farm and seem to be keeping a special eye on her. As they're leaving the bus breaks down in the mist and Ollie knows she has to act fast before whatever is happening to the farm happens to her. Genuinely amazing. The characters are wonderful, the threat real, the scarecrows scary as hell, and the friendships precious. I can't wait to read the next one! I'll recommend this to everyone. It would make a great movie!!

[lycomayflower · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A middle-grade novel about a sixth-grade girl who finds a strange book and then realizes that the events in the book parallel the history of a farm to which her class is taking a field trip. And then the scarecrows start to come alive, and the girl and her classmates have to survive and solve the mystery of the supernatural whatnots going on. I really enjoyed the characters and the writing here and appreciated the creepy but not scary elements (NB that for younger readers, my creepy might well be their scary), but the action was a little too “one adventure we have to survive after another” for me to fully fall in the love with the story. And it dragged a bit for me in the middle. But, I did read the whole thing in one sitting, and I liked the bits I liked well enough that I’ll likely try the sequel someday.

[salsabrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Narrated by Renee Dorian. Weird things begin happening after Ollie reads a book that a strange woman was going to throw into the river. But during a class field trip to a farm, Ollie sees gravestones in a cemetery with names matching the people in the book. Is the book true? The bus driver is very odd himself; when the bus breaks down, he warns the kids that "they'll come for the rest of you." This might have been a scarier read than as an audiobook; Dorian is rather chipper in her presentation throughout.

[deslivres5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Middle-grade suspense/horror story which has themes of loss, grief, friendships, courage and the power of books. I enjoyed the creepy tale and my 11-year old self would have loved it too!

[carolesrandomlife · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this middle-grade book quite a lot. After finishing The Winter of the Witch, I was in a bit of book hangover so I decided to see what else Katherine Arden has written because I needed more of her writing just as soon as possible. When I found out that she had recently published a middle-grade novel, I was really quite eager to get my hands on it so I put in a request at my local library and waited for my turn with the book. I am so glad that I decided to check this book out.

I liked this book as an adult but I am pretty sure that as a child I would have absolutely loved it. I found this book to be a really quick read, reading it in its entirety on a single morning. I don't think that I put it down even once which says a whole lot about the book. The writing had a really wonderful flow as I would expect from this author.

Ollie is a rather spunky girl who has been through a whole lot. When she sees a woman throwing a book into the water, she feels like she needs to save it so she does. Her class takes a field trip to a local farm the next day where she runs into the same woman once again. That is when things really start to get strange.

I loved the atmosphere in this story. This is a really spooky story which could at times be rather intense. As the story progressed, we learned more about what Ollie has been through and I fell in love with her character. She really was a very brave girl. Two of her friends are with her and I really liked seeing how they worked together and grew close over the course of the story.

I would recommend this book to fans of middle-grade stories. This book featured a wonderful group of characters making their way through a difficult and often spooky situation. I loved how hopeful the book's ending was and enjoyed some of the more touching moments along the way. I definitely plan to read more of this series once it is available.

[susangeiss · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great creepy middle grade story! Filled with mystery and fun! Couldn't put it down!

[lillibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this fast-paced, suspenseful and spooky tale! Reminded me a little of Neil Gaiman's Coraline. There's also a nice message about not judging people too quickly. Strong setting, great characters, and a plot that will have readers sprinting through the pages--tucked somewhere in the safety of their homes, far from corn fields and scarecrows!

[al9g · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book! Well written with a smooth flow, good characters that are believable and relatable (even though I am not the target demographic), and a compelling plot make this a page turner of a horror/fantasy novel. Ollie has, in some ways, lost herself since the death of her mother, but the Smiling Man would like for her to lose her life into his service. But Ollie and her friends may not be ready for that. How do they find themselves, save themselves, and save their friends from the "older than old" Smiling Man? This book will keep you enthralled as the three friends make a stand to reclaim their lives in more ways than one.