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Small Spaces
- Narrated by: Renee Dorian
- Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins
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Small Spaces
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Summary
New York Times best-selling 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, 11-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."
And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.
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Critic reviews
★ ★ ★ Three Starred Reviews
22 State Awards
A Kirkus Best Book of 2018–Middle-Grade
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2018–Middle-Grade
A Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books of 2018
An Amazon Best Book–October 2018
A CCBC Choices List Pick–2019
An ALA Notable Children’s Book–2019
★ “Atmospheric horror at its best. Chillingly tender.”—Kirkus, starred review
★ “With a tantalizing pace and palpable suspense, all nicely grounded in realistic emotions, this well-wrought spine-tingler is destined to be a hit (just make sure the lights stay on).”—Booklist, starred review
★ “Riveting…The story moves at a good pace with just enough clues to keep the reader intrigued and guessing.”—School Library Connection, starred review
What listeners say about Small Spaces
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- philip
- 27-01-21
A great read
A great story. I wanted to read it before reading it to my kids and I loved it. I think they will love it too. A real page turner and very well written
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Erin McGuigan
- 16-05-21
This book is the best
Literally my fav book ever thank you for writing this! Soo fricken good the other two books are insanely good too.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Dove
- 07-07-20
Creepy
Its 1.30am and ive just finished listening to this story, i listened to it in one sitting, as tired as i am i just couldnt stop listening.
This book isnt just for kids, im 36! Im not sure what age id let my kids hear this but it depends how sensitive and jumpy they are. The story isnt gory but has suspense and is dam creepy.
I found the story intriguing. Ive never heard of the smiling man story before but ive read in other reviews it is well known in the us.
For a shorter story it was fast paced and had alot of detail. She really does have a gift with story telling.
The main characters were likeable especially the main one 'Ollie', her personal development throughout the story was great.
Although i did like 'Coco' i found her a little much at times but thats just because i dont have the energy to tolerate enthusiastic girly girls. But she was a sweet character and i was pleased with how her character grew throughout.
I liked the narrator alot and hope she reads the other books (i read there will be 4 in total).
I did feel a little of an anti climax at the end of the story as i did with her last book in the Winternight Trilogy, and i feel like im repeating my self when i reviewed her last book. Im not sure if its me but i feel she has such a strong beginning and middle her endings lack the same quality. I was really creeped out by this story until i got close to the end and something changed for me, but i cant put my finger on it. Hence the 4 stars.
But all in all i enjoyed it and It will be a story id return to again perhaps around Halloween to get my Creepy fix.
Looking forward to book 2 'Dead Voices' tomorrow!
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2 people found this helpful