A review by vermidian
Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I binge read this all in one day. To be fair, it was fairly large type and it's a middle grade book, but I thought it was a delightful horror read! I can definitely see why an R. L. Stine quote would feature on the cover.

I will say, the book does dwell on the death of a loved parent fairly heavily, so if that is a concern for you as a reader, please be advised.

I enjoyed the characters and the world. I was not prepared for it to get as spooky as it did, honestly. This is right up there with the spookiest of Goosebumps, so if you enjoyed those, this one would be a good one to check into. I appreciated the friendships growing from nothing in this book into something the main character Ollie is happy she's built and seeing that she's started processing some of trauma by the end of the book regarding her mom, though I do worry her watch will become a crutch of sorts for her healing.

I will definitely be continuing on in the series! Clearly I need to read more Katherine Arden because I also enjoy her adult fiction.