Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I enjoyed this middle-grade book quite a lot. After finishing The Winter of the Witch, I was in a bit of book hangover so I decided to see what else Katherine Arden has written because I needed more of her writing just as soon as possible. When I found out that she had recently published a middle-grade novel, I was really quite eager to get my hands on it so I put in a request at my local library and waited for my turn with the book. I am so glad that I decided to check this book out.
I liked this book as an adult but I am pretty sure that as a child I would have absolutely loved it. I found this book to be a really quick read, reading it in its entirety on a single morning. I don't think that I put it down even once which says a whole lot about the book. The writing had a really wonderful flow as I would expect from this author.
Ollie is a rather spunky girl who has been through a whole lot. When she sees a woman throwing a book into the water, she feels like she needs to save it so she does. Her class takes a field trip to a local farm the next day where she runs into the same woman once again. That is when things really start to get strange.
I loved the atmosphere in this story. This is a really spooky story which could at times be rather intense. As the story progressed, we learned more about what Ollie has been through and I fell in love with her character. She really was a very brave girl. Two of her friends are with her and I really liked seeing how they worked together and grew close over the course of the story.
I would recommend this book to fans of middle-grade stories. This book featured a wonderful group of characters making their way through a difficult and often spooky situation. I loved how hopeful the book's ending was and enjoyed some of the more touching moments along the way. I definitely plan to read more of this series once it is available.
Initial Thoughts
I enjoyed this book as an adult and I think that I would have loved it when I was younger. I have to admit that I decided to read this book simply because I love the author and was curious about her writing for a younger audience. This book did a fantastic job of creating wonderful characters and a rather creepy story. I am glad that I decided to give it a try.
Book source: Library