Book Review: Dead Voices by Katharine Arden

Book Two in the Small Spaces Series

Welcome, everyone!

Today’s review is about a spooky middle-grade read full of heart, friendship, and finding the strength within yourself to not only face your greatest fears—but to master them. It’s the second book in the quartet but both shorter reads and easy to get lost in, perfect for a quick Summer read or addition to your Fall/Halloween TBR.

Enjoy!

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Dead Voices by Katharine Arden

Publication date: August 27, 2019
Pages: 243
Genre: Children’s Scary Stories, Middle-grade, Survival Story, Mystery, Paranormal Fiction
Book 2 of 4: Small Spaces Quartet

First line: WINTER IN EAST EVANSBURG, and just after dusk, five people in a beat-up Subaru peeled out of town in a snowstorm.

Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Characters: Smart. Believable. Endearing.
Storyline: Interesting. Spooky.
Pace: Slow at first but picks up.
Writing: Intelligent. Fluid.
Cover: 4/5

POVs: Two
Alternating between Coco and Ollie.

Synopsis provided by Amazon

Having survived sinister scarecrows and the malevolent smiling man in Small Spaces, newly minted best friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian are ready to spend a relaxing winter break skiing together with their parents at Mount Hemlock Resort. But when a snowstorm sets in, causing the power to flicker out and the cold to creep closer and closer, the three are forced to settle for hot chocolate and board games by the fire.

Ollie, Coco, and Brian are determined to make the best of being snowed in, but odd things keep happening. Coco is convinced she has seen a ghost, and Ollie is having nightmares about frostbitten girls pleading for help. Then Mr. Voland, a mysterious ghost hunter, arrives in the midst of the storm to investigate the hauntings at Hemlock Lodge. Ollie, Coco, and Brian want to trust him, but Ollie’s watch, which once saved them from the smiling man, has a new cautionary message: BEWARE.

With Mr. Voland’s help, Ollie, Coco, and Brian reach out to the dead voices at Mount Hemlock. Maybe the ghosts need their help–or maybe not all ghosts can or should be trusted.

My Thoughts:

Dead Voices is the second book in the Small Spaces series and is, in my opinion, so much better than the first.
Alternating between both Ollie and Coco this time, and with Brian hanging around in the background, we get to see how close their small group has become and how their experience with the Smiling Man in Small Spaces has affected them.

The book starts off slow and holds steady until about halfway through and while it’s interesting enough to keep you turning pages, it’s the second half that really shines.. and picks up pace.

Our three characters once again face their worst nightmare and the terror, as well as their resolve to once again defeat him, solidly unites them.
Ollie’s still stubborn, brash, and very much the heart of the group. She’s still grieving the loss of her mother and that pain.. it hurts your heart. Brian is still the jock but we don’t see nearly as much of him as the girls in this book. It’s Coco’s character who is the real surprise here. Quiet, intelligent Coco goes head to head with the Smiling Man in order to save her friends and shows us that not every monster must be defeated with a sword. She’s insecure next to Ollie and Brian’s big personalities, I loved seeing her grow a bit more confidence in herself throughout the story.

The Smiling man is still creepy and frankly? Full of himself. Which makes him an excellent bad guy but not exactly the smartest. It’s never wise to underestimate a group of young teens—they’re smarter than us old folks in a way that lacks experience but exceeds expectation.

Arden’s writing is still lovely, fluid, and quotable. The atmosphere is dark and eerie and practically crawls off the pages. And the ending was done well—everything comes together in a satisfactory way, while leaving it open enough for the next book in the series. (which I will be reading)

I happily recommend these books to those who are looking to enjoy a good, spooky story with beautiful writing, character growth, and heartwarming friendships.

Well, that’s all for now.
Thank you for stopping by and checking out my review, I hope you found it interesting.
Until next time—Stay safe and Happy reading!

Do you enjoy creepy stories?
I would love recommendations if you have any!