Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

Title: Small Spaces

Author: Katherine Arden

Page Count: 218

Rating: A

Format Read: B&N Exclusive Paperback

Genre: Middle Grade Fiction

Keywords: Friends, Scarecrows, Curses

Kid Appropriate: Yes, middle grade

Ollie is an 11 year old girl who is dealing with the loss of her mother when she encounters a crazy woman trying to destroy a book. Being a lover of books, Ollie takes it and runs. Inside is the story of a girl named Beth, a story that she becomes obsessed with. The next day she goes on a field trip to the local farm, Smoke Hollow. It's the farm that Beth lived on. When the haunting story becomes a real tale of horror Ollie must work with her friends Brian and Coco to save their classmates and get back to their families.

This is Arden's middle grade debut after she wrote the absolutely stunning The Bear and the Nightingale, an adult fantasy novel taking place in rural Russia. You can read my review for that one here. With that in mind I had high expectations for this book. She did not disappoint.

Ollie is an peculiar little girl but doesn't feel completely unreal. Her interactions with other kids felt real as did her feelings about the passing of her mother. It was also nice that Coco and Brian weren't identical to all the other kids. Coco is the new girl who gets bullied and is a bit soft while Brian is the popular jock boy. Each kid is unique. 

The concept of a ghost story coming to life might be scary for some kids but I would say that the horror elements aren't too scary by any means for younger readers. It really depends on their preferences. My cousin is apprehensive if something even seems like it might be scary so I would steer her clear of this one. But for kiddos that like fall and spooky stories this one is a real winner. Less scary than The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding and would pair nicely with City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab. Per Amazon it is recommended for grades 5-6 or ages 10-12.

If you're not a kid? This is still a really fun fall time book to pick up and fly through. I definitely recommend this one as we get closer to Spooky Season. Happy reading!

Check out my spoiler free video review below.