Mini Reviews [32]

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Bestselling adult author of The Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story destined to become a classic. Now in paperback.

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."

And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

"You can't, she decided, be super scared for very long before you start just laughing or crying."

I read Small Spaces with my monsters and it was delightfully eerie! I was often tempted to continue reading after the kids fell asleep, but knew my son would likely never forgive me. The girls are still too young to really follow along, but he definitely would've noticed. I read Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale and thoroughly enjoyed her storytelling skills, and Small Spaces was no exception -- wonderfully written!

Ollie is dealing with the loss of her mother, and that pain is evident throughout the book. I enjoyed how realistic her feelings were, and how her emotions impacted her day-to-day life. Ollie is no longer interested in school activities, even those she's really good at, and she chooses not to have any friends. She's isolated herself on purpose, and she doesn't want pity from her teachers or others, even though she does occasionally use it to her advantage.

I thought Ollie was a remarkable character that children will be able to relate to. She's intelligent and compassionate, she likes to think outside of the box, and she's willing to go above an beyond to save people from a horrific thing. I thought she was incredibly brave and enjoyed her interactions with others (especially her unlikely allies).

The story itself was creeptastic and only intensified my dislike of scarecrows.

⳼

The Magicians: Alice's Story

by Lilah Sturges, Lev Grossman, 

Steve Morris, Pius Bak, Dan Jackson (Art)

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Alice Quinn is manifestly brilliant, and she’s always known that magic is real. During her years at Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, she rises to the top of her class, falls in love with Quentin Coldwater, and witnesses a horrifically magical creature invade their dimension.

It’s not soon after graduation when Alice, Quentin, and their friends set their sights on the idyllic setting of Fillory: a place thought to only live in the pages of their favorite children’s books. A land where magic flows like rivers . . . But in this magical realm nothing is what it seems to be, and something darker lies behind the spellbinding facade. It is in the darkness where Alice will discover her true calling and her life, and those friends, forever changed.

Acclaimed novelist Lev Grossman teams with New York Times bestselling writer Lilah Sturges (Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass), and breakout artist Pius Bak for a new look at the smash hit trilogy The Magicians.

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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I requested The Magicians: Alice's Story even though I'm unfamiliar with Lev Grossman's series and the television show. I know both are popular... but this graphic novel is what finally piqued my interest. I thought it would give me a good feel for the characters and the setting, and I was intrigued by the promise of magic and a mythical world.

Unfortunately, the story felt long and was unexciting. We see what Alice was like as a child, observe her relationship with her parents, watch her obsess over an unresolved issue with a sibling, and then witness her time spent at school. Things picked up when the group went to Fillory, but it was also unimpressive. I felt like certain aspects of this story could've been left out to make this a quicker read, but the details started to feel tedious after awhile. I'm sure it was an interesting story for people familiar with the series, since they're already acquainted with the characters and the setting, but I would not recommend this for someone just starting out.

If you are familiar with this series, did you expect the ending? I thought it was rubbish and unnecessary. It made me angry. I did enjoy how everything eventually connected, but I felt like a lot of bad had to happen before something good came out of it. 

An interesting story, a peculiar setting, and unique characters make up The Magicians: Alice's Story. I may try the series at some point in the future, and that might make me like this one more. As it stands, it was mostly enjoyable but ultimately unremarkable.