Ollie is not all that interested in school. She used to be. She used to have friends and play softball and be part of the chess club. Now she just wants to be by herself and read. Her father and her teacher encourage her to get involved again, but she can’t be bothered. She just wants to go by herself to her favorite spot by the river and read her book.
But when Ollie gets there, she finds that she’s not alone. A woman was there, a woman who was clearly upset. She’d been crying, and Ollie heard her talking to herself. She was getting ready to throw a book into the water, but before she could fling the book in the river, Ollie grabbed it from her and ran. There’s no point in destroying a book like that, thought Ollie. And then she started reading it herself.
The small, worn book told the story of a woman who owned a farm and the tragedies that befell her family there. Two brothers loved her and wanted her to marry him. When she said yes to her true love, Jonathan, his younger brother Caleb got into a terribly fight with Jonathan and then disappeared. After he’d been missing for several days, Jonathan went looking for him. Unable to find Caleb, he called out in frustration and was answered by a “smiling man” who offered him a deal. The man would return Caleb, but Jonathan would have to do whatever he asked. Desperate, Jonathan agreed, and Caleb came home. However, he was never quite the same. Eventually, the smiling man appeared again and both brothers disappeared.
As Ollie reads this, she starts to recognize the farm and the family, who had recently moved back to take over the farm again. She wonders if the story is talking about what really happened on that farm generations ago. Then her classmates start talking about ghost stories that they had heard about the farm, a mysterious fire, and missing children.
A class field trip takes them to the farm in Ollie’s book, and more creepy things happen. The bus breaks down, and the bus driver goes for help, but he leaves the kids with a warning—beware wide open areas. Look for small spaces.
Small Spaces is a powerful middle grade story of the things that haunt us and how we can find ways to escape the darkness. With exquisitely crafted characters and meticulous descriptions, Katherine Arden has created a lush world of rich imaginings, delicious creepiness, and dramatic emotions. Small Spaces is a luscious novel to be savored by any age. Very highly recommended!
Galleys for Small Spaces were provided by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers through NetGalley, with many thanks.