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Carmen's Reviews > Small Spaces
Small Spaces (Small Spaces, #1)
by
by
Carmen's review
bookshelves: american-author, children, fiction, horror, published2018, she-says, traditionally-published
Feb 04, 2023
bookshelves: american-author, children, fiction, horror, published2018, she-says, traditionally-published
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Reading Progress
November 7, 2018
– Shelved
February 4, 2023
–
Started Reading
February 4, 2023
–
0.46%
"October in East Evansburg, and the last warm sun of the year slanted red through the sugar maples. Olivia Adler sat nearest the big window in Mr. Easton's math class, trying, catlike, to fit her entire body into a patch of light. She wished she were on the other side of the glass. You don't waste October sunshine. Soon the old autumn sun would bed down in cloud blankets, and there would be weeks of gray rain befor"
page
1
February 4, 2023
–
1.38%
"Ollie didn't use a calculator or scratch paper. The idea of using either had always puzzled her, as though someone had suggested she needed a spyglass to read a book."
page
3
February 4, 2023
–
2.75%
"Coco would not have been out of place in a troop of flower fairies. Her eyes were large, slanting, and ice-blue. Her strawberry-blond hair was so strawberry that in the sunshine it looked pink. You could imagine Coco crawling out of a daffodil each morning and sipping nectar for breakfast. Ollie was a little jealous. She herself had a headful of messy brown curls and no one would ever mistake her for a flower"
page
6
February 4, 2023
–
3.67%
"Her rock caught Brian squarely in the back of the head, dropped him THUMP onto the grass, and turned everyone's attention from Coco Zintner to her."
page
8
February 4, 2023
–
5.05%
"But at least the book had romance and high-seas adventures and other ABSOLUTELY NOT EVANSBURG things. Ollie liked that. Reading it meant going to a new place where she wasn't Olivia Adler at all."
page
11
February 4, 2023
–
5.96%
""I just have to get rid of this. Put it in the water. And then - " The woman broke off.
Then? What then? The woman held the thing out over the water. Ollie saw that it was a small black book, the size of her spread-out hand.
Her reaction was pure reflex. "You can't throw away a book!" Ollie let go of her bike and jumped forward. Part of her wondered, Why would you come here to throw a book in the creek? You can"
page
13
Then? What then? The woman held the thing out over the water. Ollie saw that it was a small black book, the size of her spread-out hand.
Her reaction was pure reflex. "You can't throw away a book!" Ollie let go of her bike and jumped forward. Part of her wondered, Why would you come here to throw a book in the creek? You can"
February 4, 2023
–
6.88%
"The creek rushed and rippled, but the harsh sounds of the woman's breathing were louder than the water.
"Avoid large places at night," the woman said. "Keep to small."
"Small?" Ollie was torn between wanting to run and wanting to understand. "That's it?"
"Small!" shrieked the woman "Small spaces! Keep to small spaces or see what happens to you! Just see!" She burst into wild laughter."
page
15
"Avoid large places at night," the woman said. "Keep to small."
"Small?" Ollie was torn between wanting to run and wanting to understand. "That's it?"
"Small!" shrieked the woman "Small spaces! Keep to small spaces or see what happens to you! Just see!" She burst into wild laughter."
February 4, 2023
–
8.26%
"All the best heroines of Ollie's books were stubborn as rocks, or roots, or whatever the author liked to call them. Only her mom called her Olivia and that was that."
page
18
February 4, 2023
–
10.09%
""Ollie, you could have really hurt that boy."
"No, I couldn't!" said Ollie, sitting up. "It was only a tiny rock. Besides, they were being mean to Coco Zintner. YOU always tell me I should stick up for people.""
page
22
"No, I couldn't!" said Ollie, sitting up. "It was only a tiny rock. Besides, they were being mean to Coco Zintner. YOU always tell me I should stick up for people.""
February 4, 2023
–
11.47%
"Ollie didn't slam the door. No, she'd already had her tantrum. To slam the door would be too obvious. Make her an angry kid (which you are, dummy) instead of an angry almost-teenager who Had the Right to Be Mad."
page
25
February 4, 2023
–
12.84%
"There - the candle is guttering. Lights flicker, you know, when they are near. Sometimes I hope desperately that Jonathan is with them. That he has never left me at all. But mostly I hope he is safely dead, and that I will see him in the next world.
Because the alternative is so much worse."
page
28
Because the alternative is so much worse."
February 4, 2023
–
12.84%
"When the mist rises, and the smiling man comes walking, you must avoid large places at night.
Keep to small."
page
28
Keep to small."
February 4, 2023
–
15.6%
"This book might be a Deal with the Devil. I'll keep you posted, that's an interesting topic."
page
34
February 4, 2023
–
16.97%
"Ollie put her oatmeal on the kitchen island and went to pour herself some coffee.
"You're too young for coffee," said her dad, not looking up. He was sitting at the kitchen table and scrolling through the news.
"I'm not too young to go out in the rain and catch pneumonia," said Ollie, pouring herself a cup anyway and stirring in sugar."
page
37
"You're too young for coffee," said her dad, not looking up. He was sitting at the kitchen table and scrolling through the news.
"I'm not too young to go out in the rain and catch pneumonia," said Ollie, pouring herself a cup anyway and stirring in sugar."
February 4, 2023
–
17.89%
"White mist crept up from the creek. Softly it slipped toward Jonathan, standing tearstained in the rain.
A man walked out of the smoky dark.
"What did he look like?" I asked Jonathan later.
"He smiled," Jonathan told me. "He didn't tell me his name. I don't think he has a name. He had long fingers. Long, thin fingers, and, oh, I can't remember the rest. I felt as though I'd known him since the day I was born,"
page
39
A man walked out of the smoky dark.
"What did he look like?" I asked Jonathan later.
"He smiled," Jonathan told me. "He didn't tell me his name. I don't think he has a name. He had long fingers. Long, thin fingers, and, oh, I can't remember the rest. I felt as though I'd known him since the day I was born,"
February 4, 2023
–
20.64%
""Now, Brian," she said, "tell me again what happened."
"I tripped," said Brian cheerfully. "Bad luck."
Ollie stared at him. Was Brian - COVERING for her?
Oooh. Mensch? 12-year-old mensch?"
page
45
"I tripped," said Brian cheerfully. "Bad luck."
Ollie stared at him. Was Brian - COVERING for her?
Oooh. Mensch? 12-year-old mensch?"
February 4, 2023
–
22.94%
"You should never bring people back from the dead. I know it seems obvious, but so many people do it. Use some common sense. Bringing people back from the dead is a bad idea."
page
50
February 4, 2023
–
32.11%
"A group of three scarecrows stood on the edge of the parking lot, smiling stitched=on smiles. Their garden-rake hands were raised to wave. The tips of the rakes gleamed in the sun."
page
70
February 4, 2023
–
38.53%
"Ms. Webster probably had a well-hidden mental illness that made her panic and throw books into rivers. Or maybe she just hated books."
page
84
February 4, 2023
–
39.45%
"The lady in front of her suddenly wore such a cold, sinking expression of fright that Ollie felt a prickling of nervousness between her own shoulder blades."
page
86
February 4, 2023
–
44.04%
"Slowly, the bus driver stood up. The shouting died away. The driver turned around. He seemed to have gotten both taller and wider. "Well," said the driver, surveying them, "best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you."
Then he smiled, tongue flicking red against his teeth."
page
96
Then he smiled, tongue flicking red against his teeth."
February 4, 2023
–
45.41%
"Ollie glanced at it, but only out of reflex. Ollie's mom had worn it that last day, and it didn't work anymore. The watch gave wildly varying altitudes and completely inaccurate times; the compass did not point north. Now there was a countdown where the time should have been (45:02), and just below that, the digital readout said RUN in gray letters, flickering like the lights."
page
99
February 4, 2023
–
45.87%
"This time the driver turned to face her. Ollie got a terrible shock. His eyes had turned white, white as an egg, pupil-less. He might have been blind except he was definitely looking at her. His teeth were perfectly white too, sharp against red lips."
page
100
February 4, 2023
–
46.33%
""Who is coming?" she asked. "At nightfall."
The white eyes swept her up and down. Then he said, "His people. His servants."
Ollie swallowed. "Who is HE?"
"He has many names. As many names as people have words."
That wasn't helpful. Ollie thought again. "What are his PEOPLE going to do?"
"Take you to him. Bargain complete.""
page
101
The white eyes swept her up and down. Then he said, "His people. His servants."
Ollie swallowed. "Who is HE?"
"He has many names. As many names as people have words."
That wasn't helpful. Ollie thought again. "What are his PEOPLE going to do?"
"Take you to him. Bargain complete.""
February 4, 2023
–
51.83%
"The driver was staring right at them out the driver-side window, his eyes round and blank as marbles. Ollie shrank instinctively into the shadow of the trees. The driver, unsmiling, pointed once to the forest at their backs.
"Come on," Ollie whispered to Coco. "We need to go.""
page
113
"Come on," Ollie whispered to Coco. "We need to go.""
February 4, 2023
–
61.47%
""Deliver us from evil," Brian said suddenly, and crossed himself. The girls looked at him. "What?" he said. "I'm not a GOOD Catholic but maybe God is listening.""
page
134
February 4, 2023
–
65.6%
"Ollie still hung back. She was thinking of Hansel and Gretel, and the witch's gingerbread cottage. But the lady seemed - nice. Ordinary. And she was a person! Not a scarecrow. Her eyes weren't white but reassuringly blue. "Come in, my ducks," she said. "You look cold."
Dum dum DUM!"
page
143
Dum dum DUM!"
February 4, 2023
–
68.35%
"Ollie, Coco, and Brian dashed into the woods, dodging trees, wild with panic, sure the scarecrows were marching behind them in steady pursuit, while their dead mother wailed in her cold house."
page
149
February 4, 2023
–
69.72%
""Tetanus," said Ollie, "will just have to get in line behind dehydration, exposure, starving, and, oh right, kidnapping by evil scarecrows." But she didn't protest when Brian dug into his bag and got out a teeny first-aid kit."
page
152
February 4, 2023
–
71.1%
""Is this hell?" Coco whispered, small-voiced, after she drank.
"Nope," said Ollie. "It definitely isn't. Hell wouldn't be so wet. Besides, we didn't do anything bad. Also we're not dead.""
page
155
"Nope," said Ollie. "It definitely isn't. Hell wouldn't be so wet. Besides, we didn't do anything bad. Also we're not dead.""
February 4, 2023
–
73.85%
"Coco didn't cry because she was weak. Coco cried because she felt things. Ollie never cried because she didn't feel things. Not anymore. Not really. She tried not to feel things."
page
161
February 4, 2023
–
77.52%
"Ollie froze.
A hand appeared on the doorframe. A thin, yellow-nailed hand.
Then a face popped around the edge of the doorframe. A gasp came strangling out of Ollie's throat. It was a woman. Or had been. Her skin was sunken in beneath the cheekbones, and when she smiled, her lips stretched too wide, the way a skull smiles."
page
169
A hand appeared on the doorframe. A thin, yellow-nailed hand.
Then a face popped around the edge of the doorframe. A gasp came strangling out of Ollie's throat. It was a woman. Or had been. Her skin was sunken in beneath the cheekbones, and when she smiled, her lips stretched too wide, the way a skull smiles."
February 4, 2023
–
78.44%
"The ghost laughed a long, shrill burst. "The smiling man is older than old," said Beth, still grinning. "You can't beat him. You might be happier in the corn with him. At least scarecrows feel nothing.""
page
171
February 4, 2023
–
79.82%
"Brian unexpectedly slung Coco over his shoulders in what Ollie vaguely recalled was a fireman's carry.
"The Boy Scouts are no joke, are they?" she asked.
Brian grinned crookedly and then they ran for the front door.
I don't care if he is 12, the kid is a mensch. I won't be dissuaded."
page
174
"The Boy Scouts are no joke, are they?" she asked.
Brian grinned crookedly and then they ran for the front door.
I don't care if he is 12, the kid is a mensch. I won't be dissuaded."
February 4, 2023
–
Finished Reading
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by
Sara the Librarian
(new)
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rated it 5 stars
Feb 05, 2023 10:55AM
Carmen if you were the only reviewer I was allowed to read on here I'd be perfectly content.
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Sara the Librarian wrote: "Carmen if you were the only reviewer I was allowed to read on here I'd be perfectly content."Wow! I'm blushing so hard right now. Thanks for this incredible compliment, Sara.
Excellent selection, Moneypenny. I never know what genre you're going to tackle next, but you've really proven your credentials as a children's librarian. I love the good/bad breakdown you normally do.
Excellent selection, Moneypenny. I never know what genre you're going to tackle yet, but you've really proven your credentials as a children's librarian. I love the good/bad breakdown you normally do.Thank you so much, Joseph! My resolution to read more this year is panning out (knock wood) and I am making sure to carve out some time for reading each day. I'm ecstatic.
I've never read Goosebumps but I was obsessed with Fear Street. Great review Carmen.
Persephone's Pomegranate wrote: "I've never read Goosebumps but I was obsessed with Fear Street. Great review Carmen."Thank you so much, Pomegranate. I didn't really read Fear Street.
Ohh this sounds so good, I love a horror and used to devour the goosebumps books so I will check this out! I am so glad you loved it Carmen, wonderful review!🧡
I love good children’s horror books! Terrific review Carmen!
Ellie wrote: "Ohh this sounds so good, I love a horror and used to devour the goosebumps books so I will check this out! I am so glad you loved it Carmen, wonderful review!🧡"Thank you so much, Ellie! I hope you like it. I can't wait to continue this series!
Colleen is on Semi Hiatus (Health Issues) wrote: "I love good children’s horror books! Terrific review Carmen!"Thank you so much, Colleen! It's great!
