Small Spaces Audiobook By Katherine Arden cover art

Small Spaces

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Small Spaces

By: Katherine Arden
Narrated by: Renee Dorian
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $16.20

Buy for $16.20

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

New York Times best-selling adult author of The Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle-grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story destined to become a classic.

After suffering a tragic loss, 11-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn't think—she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both 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.

Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn't have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: "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, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.

Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver's warning. 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.

©2018 Katherine Arden (P)2018 Listening Library
Action & Adventure Books & Libraries Mysteries Scary Stories Haunted Scary Ghost Fiction
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

★ ★ ★ Three Starred Reviews

22 State Awards

A Kirkus Best Book of 2018–Middle-Grade

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2018–Middle-Grade

A Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books of 2018

An Amazon Best Book–October 2018

A CCBC Choices List Pick–2019

An ALA Notable Children’s Book–2019

Atmospheric horror at its best. Chillingly tender.”—Kirkus, starred review

“With a tantalizing pace and palpable suspense, all nicely grounded in realistic emotions, this well-wrought spine-tingler is destined to be a hit (just make sure the lights stay on).”—Booklist, starred review

★ “Riveting…The story moves at a good pace with just enough clues to keep the reader intrigued and guessing.”—School Library Connection, starred review

What listeners say about Small Spaces

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    284
  • 4 Stars
    116
  • 3 Stars
    38
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    245
  • 4 Stars
    89
  • 3 Stars
    40
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    241
  • 4 Stars
    94
  • 3 Stars
    40
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Me and my friends really enjoyed it-but don’t worry, we stayed up late waiting in small spaces

You know what? I’m not writing an essay on this book, but I have to write 15 words so…

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Spooky Fun For All Ages

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and bought it even tho my kids are grown. A lot of the books I read/listen to are in the paranormal genre and every once in awhile it’s nice to listen to a book in that category that is spooky and upbeat at the same time. I’m sure sometime down the road I’ll buy the remaining 3 books in the series. Thanks to the author for writing books that let people my age delve into their inner child without feeling like a complete weirdo.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great


I love the storyteller I love the storyline. This book is very interesting.
I would recommend this to my friends. They enjoy sci-fi like this.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book for Middle School Horror Lovers

This is a really well done story. The narration is perfect for the book. It is at an age appropriate level Middle School students. I would say 11-13. (librarian)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The ending was phenomenal.

I like how detailed the imagery was. I disliked that they didn't read more of Beth's book. Otherwise 10/10

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

love it so very much and is a thriller book with lots of adventure best book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Fun

loved it. fun and spooky. appropriate for 10yrs old and above I would say.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Best ya book I've read in a long time.

Loved the story. The narration was amazing. I had so much fun, I didn't even wait to ready it with my teenage kids.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

The twist of the smiling man’s identity

Overall, nine out of 10 didn’t really like the voice actor at the beginning, but it begins to grow on me really good story and has a good twist at the end. I really recommend reading.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Delightful

As an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, Small Spaces by Katherine Arden. It's delightful. Much of the middle school angst was relatable to my own childhood. A great book if you want to get a young person who enjoys ghost stories interested in reading. It's first in a series. The second one will be released on August 27.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful