Books: Small Spaces By Katherine Arden (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.

“Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver's warning. 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.’”

I don’t think I’ve read a middle-aged horror book since I was kid. But even what I remember of those tomes, most were just urban legends come to life. Some were lame, while others just slightly creepy. I was an adult by the time R L Stine started his Goosebumps series but I found no interest in reading them. But I’ve never been truly scared when reading horror novels, even my nearly four decade affair with Stephen King novels.

Even though it’s been a long 7 years since the demise of Borders Books, I do keep up with the publishing industry via Twitter, and I think it was on that social media app –maybe six plus months ago- that I first heard about Katherine Arden’s Small Spaces. The early praise the book was getting made me interested in reading it, so I put it on my wish list and waited.

When I finally began this book yesterday, I discovered the praise was worth it. It’s a wonderful creepy, fast-paced and very atmospheric thriller that shines with great characters and some spooky monsters. Olivia “Ollie” Adler is very smart and at times adult-ish, but not because the story requires it, but because she’s facing life after a terrible loss and sometimes that requires a child to grow up. Anyone who’s lost a parent at a young age can understand this.

I also felt that Katherine Arden is influenced by Stephen King (and Ray Bradbury), with her creepy scarecrow monsters (that also reminded me of two episodes of modern Doctor Who). She takes us to the edge and then pulls back, but I felt she did a great job in creating the weirdness needed to keep readers enthralled. The book could’ve used a bit more development and felt the ending was a bit too convenient, but overall, I highly recommend this book for both kids and adults.