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Small Spaces

Katherine Arden

Ages 10–14

Readers rate it 4.0 (105 on Hardcover)

218 pages · Released 2018

Content report card

Small Spaces parent’s guide: what’s inside

High confidence

Violence

Language

Sexual content

Substance use

What it offers

A note for parents

Small Spaces is a well-crafted supernatural horror novel for middle-grade readers that balances genuine scares with strong character development and meaningful themes about friendship and resilience. The horror elements—a sinister entity, creepy atmosphere, and high-stakes survival—are atmospheric rather than graphically violent, making it appropriate for older elementary and middle-grade readers who enjoy spooky stories. The book rewards kindness, courage, and loyalty while featuring diverse characters and subtle LGBTQ+ representation, and it explores how reading and imagination help us process grief.

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From the publisher

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. Cap... 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."

Shelved under

  • Middle Grade
  • Horror
  • Fantasy
  • Fiction
  • Mystery
  • Paranormal
  • Young Adult
  • Children's Books
  • Childrens
  • Books and reading
  • Supernatural
  • Forests and forestry

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ISBN 9780525515029 · G. P. Putnam's Sons

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