Small Spaces (Small Spaces Quartet)

“You might get to know characters in books, Ollie thought, but getting to know a human was an entirely different thing.”

Small Spaces is Katherine Arden’s debut middle grade novel and I loved it so very much friends. Many of you know that The Bear and the Nightingale is one of my favorite books of all-time, and even though these stories are nothing like one another, the beautiful writing, amazing characters, and important themes shine through. I went into this expecting a fun and spooky read (which it was), but what I also got was such a beautiful love letter to grief, depression, and trying to live in a world that has taken away someone who you feel you cannot live without.

In a small town in Vermont, our main character is riding her bike home from school one fall afternoon, when she notices a woman attempting to throw an old book in the water. Ollie, being the book lover that she is, feels obliged to stop and see what’s going on.

➽ Olivia Adler - But she mostly goes by Ollie. A twelve-year-old, sixth grader, who loves to read and is trying to live her life while grieving a terrible loss. And the only way she truly knows how to cope is the escapism of books. (Also, there is a brief mention of her mom having brown skin, but I am not 100% sure of Ollie’s race.)

➽ Coco Zintner - The tiniest child in Ollie’s class. She has a somewhat famous mother and has recently moved to the school. But her innocence and eccentricities constantly make her a target for bullying.

➽ Brian Battersby - Jamaican and your typical middle school jock, who Ollie has known her entire life. And Ollie learns very quickly that you should not stereotype people, because they might surprise you.

And their paths truly cross unexpectedly once Olivia begins to read the book that was almost abandoned. She learns of a farm, and a girl, and two brothers, and a missing persons case that was never solved. And now Ollie and her friends are going on a field trip to a farm that is very reminiscent of the story she has been reading about.

And yes, friends, this is a spooky book. I mean, it’s nothing too scary or too much, but Katherine Arden for sure paints an eerie atmosphere and some extremely creepy monster like characters. And I truly think this will make the perfect Halloween read this year, for so many ages, but this book was also so much more than that.

This is a book about healing and friendship and learning to let go while simultaneously never letting go. This book is about escapism through books and how books carry some of the most powerful healing magic imaginable. And this is a book about healing at your own pace and in your own time.

“Maybe, she kept thinking, when she came back from one of those other worlds, when she woke up from book dreaming, she would come back to a world where […] wasn’t dead.”

Ollie is really dealing with some very serious depression and grief throughout this book. Like how we give up things that make us happy, just because those things remind you of the person who made you happiest. How sometimes the world feels too heavy, too loud, too empty, all because it’s missing someone who was your entire world. Yet, this is also a love letter to how the ones we lose will never truly be lost; they will always remain with us. Always.

Overall, I loved this book more than words. I wasn’t expecting it to make me feel everything that it did, and when I closed the book it truly felt like a cathartic experience. I recommend this book to any and every person, but especially during the autumnal season. I read this in a single sitting, I never once wanted to put it down, and I fell so deeply in love with it.

"Wherever you go in this big, gorgeous, hideous world, there is a ghost story waiting for you."

Such is the wisdom of Katherine Arden’s eerie middle grade novel Small Spaces; she doesn’t know it, but she has written the words that will one day go on my tombstone. Perhaps I’ll add a small engraving of a scarecrow to give ghost hunters an extra fright…

But I digress. Small Spaces is the story of Ollie Adler, a sixth grade math whiz and fierce feminist who has withdrawn from her friends and dropped all school activities in the wake of her mother’s death. Her only solace is in books, so when she finds a woman trying to throw a book in the river one day, she steals the book from the woman in order to rescue it. When Ollie reads it, she finds that the book is a diary of horrific events that happened in the very place where her class will soon be taking a field trip…and that history may be about to repeat itself.

This is one of the creepiest books I’ve read this year. Don’t scoff just yet — I know I review a lot of cute board books on this site, which aren’t really all that terrifying, but I also review books for adult horror fans on my other blog, so when I say that this book scared me more than almost anything I’ve read all year, you know it’s legitimately creepy. There’s a sense of dread that seeps slowly throughout the book, and once we get to the action (hinted at by that glorious Halloween-y cover), Arden demonstrates that she understands exactly how frightening scarecrows truly are. They’re always staring at you. They seem to move as soon as you turn your back on them. I’ve been convinced for my entire life that one of these days I’d catch a scarecrow moving before I’d even had a chance to turn away, and Arden has finally confirmed my suspicions.

But enough of my nightmares! In addition to Ollie’s feminism, I appreciated Arden’s characterization of Ollie’s classmate Coco. She’s a very pretty, feminine young girl who cries quite often, but as Ollie discovers: “Coco didn’t cry because she was weak. Coco cried because she felt things.” Differentiating feeling from weakness — and differentiating femininity from weakness — is an important distinction to make, particularly in a middle grade book. The earlier you can teach kids this vital lesson, the better.

Arden deliberately breaks down racial and gender stereotypes in this book, as Ollie’s classmate Brian, who is Black and immigrated from Jamaica at a very young age, is a star hockey player, and Ollie’s dad knits and bakes. Arden does this in a positive, organic manner that supports the already well-drawn characterizations. Ollie’s dad in particular is such a nurturing figure that I can’t imagine him not having a project on the needles or something delicious in the oven. And Ollie’s mom was a bold adventurer, a strong athlete, and a fierce protector. We don’t see much of her interacting with Ollie, but what we do see is heart-wrenching. Arden’s handling of Ollie’s grief is subtle and gentle; she slowly tells us more and more about what happened to Ollie’s mother and how Ollie has dealt with (or denied) the loss.

Despite a slightly rushed ending, Small Spaces is a deliciously suspenseful tale of loss, survival, and friendship. Katherine Arden’s prose is gorgeous, filled with dreamy, lyrical asides. The story alternates between eerie and pulse-pounding; when we can’t see any monsters, dread still rolls in like fog. Whether Ollie is running from scarecrows or denying her own grief, Arden has a message for her: whatever demons you’re trying to avoid, you can’t hide forever.

It's been awhile since I've read a middle-grade reader book and I forgot how enjoyable they are. A lot of readers will not even take a second glance at a book when they realize it's a middle-grade reader. But, anyone remember Harry Potter? Nuff' said.

Again, this turned out to be such a fun read. And with Katherine Arden at the wheel? The best written scarecrow zombie pre-teen book ever. I just love how she creates her people and makes them shine. And she has a way with words that makes each person, each scene, each picture indelible and memorable.

A horror story that combines coming of age, grief, friendship and zombies, Small Spaces focuses on Ollie, an eleven year-old girl. A year ago, Ollie suffered a tragedy that affected her so badly she dropped out of her extracurricular activities, stopped hanging out with friends, and did not enjoy life like she once did. The reader is given clues along the way concerning the tragedy and it is really sad.

Ollie has a math brain and loves to read. She a power chess player and has deadly aim when she throws a rock. She sticks up for other people, even if they aren't her favorite humans. She doesn't fall in love with anyone in the book. And, she refuses to back down when faced with freaky, spooky, ghosty scarecrow zombies.

She's pretty kickass.

Truly enjoyable.

1st Line: "October in East Evansburg, and the last warm sun of the year slanted red through the sugar maples."

Review: A re-read of Katherine Arden's middle-grade debut, in preparation for reading the entire quartet now that book four is out - and what a joy to find I liked book one even more the second time around. Ollie Adler is a quiet, sad eleven-year-old girl with a chip on her shoulder, still grieving the death of her mother the year prior in a tragic accident. Highly intelligent and good-natured at heart, she's grown introverted and sullen, nose often buried in a book - which makes it irk her like crazy when, one day, she comes across a semi-hysterical woman about to throw a book in a river. The woman, making no sense to the young girl, claims she must destroy the book, but book-lover Ollie ends up swiping it instead, escaping on her bicycle. The small, very old book, Small Spaces, tells the very creepy story of The Smiling Man, who seems to exchange souls for favors - and when a field trip the next day finds Ollie's class in serious trouble, sinister happenings too similar to her book to be coincidence, Ollie must band together with two of her classmates (the flighty Coco, and hockey champ Brian) to find out what's going on. Especially when Ollie's broken watch - which belonged to her mother, and hasn't worked since she died - starts sending messages to the girl, warning her of danger.

Creepy, fun, and solidly plotted, this is such a terrific spooky read for anyone of any age, featuring a fast-paced writing and three classmates who grow into great friends, whom I can't wait to finally follow in the remaining books. 4.5/5 stars

Keep in mind I’m 20 yrs old, and this novel is certainly not targeted at my demographic - however, I knew that going in, so I was not let down.

This is excellent middle grade horror! I loved Goosebumps as a kid and this is right up there with those - but more sophisticated. The characters are 6th graders, but the writing is mature and well thought out. The main characters were wise beyond their years. It was a pleasure to read about them.

I loved the writing style. I just had a clear feeling about all of the scenes described. Beware! Maybe don’t read this book on an empty stomach. Graphic depictions of delicious food are involved! Lol.

This author really depicts grief and loss in an authentic way, without info dumping on the reader, or being overly morose and dramatic. I was also impressed with the clever backstory and original villain. Very spooky!

I like these middle school horror novels because they’re usually not terribly scary (to me) and I can still appreciate the creepiness and suspense. Really well done! Will consider buying the sequel when it comes out!

This is the first book in the series. Ollie is 11 and has recently lost her mother in a tragic accident. She lives with her dad in a house they call “The Egg” and he does his best to take care of her, cooking wonderful meals for the two of them. She comes across a woman who is going to throw a book into the water. Being an avid reader, she takes the book and runs off with it. It tells a strange tale of a woman named Beth who was loved by two brothers and the strange deal that was made with “The Smiling Man” to bring one back from the dead. On a school field trip to a farm, she is stunned to see the graves of the people in the book and begins to wonder if the tale has any truth behind it. On the bus ride back, things begin to get strange when the bus breaks down. The substitute bus driver tells them that something is coming for them at nightfall. When her mother’s watch displays the word “RUN”, she decides to leave, and can only convince two of her classmates to join her. With the last piece of advice to keep to small spaces, Ollie, Coco, and Brian each have skills that will help them on their journey to save themselves and their classmates from The Smiling Man and his army of scarecrows. This was a fun and spooky tale. I am looking forward to the rest of the series.

Okay so I was conflicted on wanting to take this down to a 3 star or not. But at the end of the day- the issues I have with this book aren’t big enough to take the rating down especially since it’s middle grade.

This book had a rocky start for me. I actually really thought I would hate it. It had a really rocky beginning and I genuinely hated Ollie for the first 50ish or more pages. Even for her being a kid and it being middle grade.

I’ve loved many spooky middle grade books that I still stand by to this day. I didn’t think this would be one of them. But it redeemed itself! Please read all the way to the bottom where I’ll talk about the books redemption!

Let’s talk about my issues to get them out of the way:

. Brian is a little boy who is a poc. Katherine tells us this rather bluntly by implying it’s one of his most notable traits and is why hes noticed in this town. I get what she was trying to do. She’s trying to openly say “he’s black” without all the fancy skin tone descriptions. Because there shouldn’t be anything wrong with that- and there isn’t. But it just comes across kinda weird to me- just because of the manner she does it. I know she also does it in the second book to this series. Just not done in the most graceful way tbh.

. She tried to push issues like sexism in pretty early that have nothing to do with anything. It’s really just Ollie accusing Brian of being sexist because she felt like a jerk and that’s it. The situation in which it happens where he was helping her- just sends a not great message to impressionable minds. Maybe I’m over analyzing?

. Ollie is bitter because she’s been through some trauma. Which- okay. She’s a kid. But there comes a point where she’s honestly just unlikeable. She’s so mean to the people who truly care about her at times and it just doesn’t seem realistic for even a kid going through the things she’s going through. I’ve been through similar trauma around the same age. Never would have acted like her.

THE GOOD:

• the spooky factor is great in this book. I’m not sure what other people are talking about when they say it isn’t there. It’s pretty consistent the entire time.

• now this is super important to me. You ready? ALL 3 of these kids really grow in just this one little book. They’re developed so beautifully and honestly I love them all so much. I didn’t think I’d like Ollie- but at the end I love her and want the best for her. So I would say if you don’t like her at first... keep reading! Ollie, Coco and Brian all have an amazing purpose for being together in this book and develop amazingly.

-ollies dad is my fav

• the actual plot is actually pretty well thought out for being middle grade. The smiling man himself was a nice twist when you finally meet him.

-I also love his lil hound lol.

• the wholesome storyline with Ollie is a bit much (don’t want spoilers but you’ll know what I mean if you read it) but it still made me smile at the end. The books ending is super nice and light.

Can’t wait for the next one!

I gave this novel four spooky stars!

This is my first read from this author, and I doubt it will be my last.

Ollie spends her days daydreaming in class, hidden in the world of books and creative wanderings as a coping mechanism for a somewhat recent loss in the family.

But that all changes when she finds the sobbing woman by the lake one day, a woman ready to toss a book into the river. Appalled at the injustice, Ollie snatches the book from the woman and runs away.

When the book's contents seem to jive with her surroundings the next day on a field trip, Ollie is perplexed. That is, until their bus breaks down on the way home and her mother's watch face tells her to run away. Can Ollie and her new friends figure out what is going on and save themselves, or will they be too late?

This book was a lot of creepy fun! Almost all of the elements presented here really worked for me.

For starters, the characters were really great. Ollie is a strong-willed kiddo who is very bright and good at math. I found it very easy to relate to her because I was a very opinionated child who was good at math as well. Ollie had a loss in her family and a part of this book was coming to terms with that as well as growing up a little bit. I really resonated with that and found it felt genuine. Ollie and her friends Coco and Brian were believable as sixth graders based on their conversations and actions, and the adult characters' actions were thought out as well.

The plot had me since I read the blurb. There were plenty of light chills and thrills that kept me going the whole time, and though I was expecting something a little more horrific, this book reminded me of all the good times I had reading Goosebumps as a child. It makes sense why R.L. Stine endorsed this book. I also enjoyed the mystery element, though I did feel some things were a little obvious to me.

The writing was simple, fun, and free of purple prose, perfect for the middle-grade reader or adult reader looking for an easy read.

If I had to poke at anything, I would say that near the end where things concluded it felt a bit rushed and random. I wanted things to make a bit more sense than they did, and in small bits I kind of tilted my head and thought "Did we really verify that?" Other than that, I have no complaints.

All in all, this was the perfect intro read to Arden's work, and I can't wait to read the sequel and some of her other works!

SMALL SPACES – by #octothorpereaderleorak

Small Spaces (Small Spaces #1) by Katherine Arden

My Rating: ####/5 GoodReads Rating: 4.03/5 Published September 25th 2018

“After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn't think--she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both 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. Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn't have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: "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, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.” – GoodReads

Small Spaces is just such a fun read – perfect for October. This is Arden’s debut middle grade novel and it is insanely creepy and scary. Seriously, it’s a children’s book that I couldn’t read at night but could not wait to get back into the following morning.

Characters: The characters are diverse in age, gender and ethnicity which makes it a modern and relatable read for younger readers. Olivia (Ollie) has a strong, well-rounded personality, but is struggling to move on after her tragic loss.

World-building: The subtle fantasy and parallel worlds are sewn together in a sensible and logic manner and makes the story flow smoothly and is easy to follow. The setting is perfectly normal during the day, and downright terrifying at night.

Themes: Themes for younger readers in Small Spaces include: • Literary works such as Alice in Wonderland and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe • Bravery • Teamwork • Grief and overcoming loss • Anxiety

Plot: Small Spaces is told from Ollie’s POV. Ollie is trying to come to terms with her grief and is thrown into a mysterious world of creepy scarecrows, the smiling man and a very peculiar farm with two unlikely friends when she discovers a weird looking book. The dialogue is fast-paced and jam-packed with quippy remarks and recognizable “tween-chatter”. The mystery of the smiling man is unpredictable and is complimented with several supporting characters and plot twists.

In my completely biased opinion, Katherine Arden can write a paragraph as follow: “blah blah blah, write, write, write, nonsenses, a bunch of squiggles and some punctuation, blah blah blah” and I would call it a literary masterpiece!

My favorite quotes from Small Spaces (contains spoilers): “Even bad things can lead to good. Maybe in sad times, it helps to think of that.”

“Alice in Wonderland,” said Brian. “Remember? ‘How do you know I’m mad?’ asked Alice.” “‘You must be,’” Ollie said, finishing the quotation slowly, “‘or you wouldn’t have come here.’” Brian buried his face in his hands.

Coco didn’t cry because she was weak. Coco cried because she felt things. Ollie never cried because she didn’t feel things. Not anymore. Not really. She tried not to feel things.

Olivia's mother died a year ago, and Olivia understandably alternates between sadness and anger. She is a championship ball player with an arm like a professional pitcher, a chess master and can remember anything she reads...even though she is in middle school. She lives with her dad, who is a nice guy who bakes and knits and generally tries to understand her. They are a little odd in that they call their house the EGG and they named their wood stove, wait for it, Bernie. It's a bit cutsie, but young kids will enjoy it.

So for the first few chapters, this is pretty much like a lot of kids' books. We see Oliva is a good person, and smarter than pretty much everyone around her. Like every heroine in a kid's book she is "special" and talented beyond her age.

Then she meets a woman in the woods who acts very strangely, and the next day the school takes a field trip to a farm where years ago something strange/haunted happened. Why are there so many scarecrows around the place? Why does the bus driver keep mumbling about the master coming to get them? Why suddenly is the road on the way home so misty the bus can only travel at a crawl and then breaks down?

That's when things get scary and Olivia must learn to trust the two people who seem to want to be her friend and tp some degree start to come to terms with her mother's passing. Can Olivia and her friends save their school companions and solve the mystery?

A fun read for young kids, but not a lot for adults here other than a quick fun story. Some of it is pretty typical, such as the idea of Olivia as smarter than everyone around her, and some of it is a little too cute for adults. The "evil" happenings are more sort of fairy tale than gory horror, so kids should be ok with it. Do Not expect Stephen King here! No real fright, so ok for young kids.