A review by whatellisreadnext
Small Favors by Erin A. Craig

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦. 

Life for Ellerie in isolated Amity Falls, is pretty uneventful. It's surrounded by an impenetrable forest, and life has a predictable sameness to it. Until a bunch of townsfolk go missing on a trip to fetch supplies, sending waves of unease, and betrayal through the whole town. 

I really bloody enjoyed this book, and bloody is the perfect way to describe it. For a YA horror I was pleasantly surprised at how gross this was, I'm talking skin hanging off, skulls being crushed,  freaky hybrid animal creatures and a whole load of blood 🤣 

Ellerie Downing was just the kind of character I love to root for; she was so caring, and strong. She goes through hell and back, but still has the kindest heart. I even enjoyed her romantic arc, which isn't something I say often when it comes to YA. It felt believable, plus I also have a soft spot for weird men that live in the woods 💁🏻‍♀️ 

If you like your horror gory and supernatural with great characters, you need to add this to your spooky season TBR. Don't let the page count of just under 500 pages put you off, there isn't a dull moment in this book. The way Craig builds on the sense of unease and isolation throughout Small Favors was just so fun to read. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings