Dead Voices (Small Spaces Quartet)

I love a good ghost story. Katherine Arden knows how to weave a spooky story that will have you looking over your shoulder and sleeping with the lights on. This may be middle grade reading level, but it's a top tier bit of story telling. Part ghost story and part creature feature, this book was a total delight. The Smiling Man reminds me of a more charismatic, better-dressed Pennywise; a veritable monster hiding in a hum-drum human suit. He's playing for keeps and a sore loser, but Ollie, Coco, and Brian aren't your average 11-year olds. I just can't help wondering how long they'll manage to hold him off before their luck runs out...

I recommend this book to someone who loves scary and adventurous books personally that's who I am so I loved this book! Also make sure to read small spaces first its another scary Katherine Arden book!!!

So, much like the last book this book had a rocky start. If you didn’t know- this book is the sequel to “small spaces”. Also keep in mind these are middle grade books!But I gotta say, WOW, this book was so much better than small spaces. And that’s saying something because I actually ended up really liking small spaces. I will talk highly of it, but I do have some small criticisms too. So keep that in mind while reading.In all the areas small spaces annoyed me, this one really didn’t at all.I loved the atmosphere of the creepy haunted snow lodge so much. It was a lot spookier than the first book in the atmospheric sense. Lots of amazing dark wintery aspects.The world of the smiling man is portrayed differently in this book which I absolutely love. And there’s even kind of a side ghost story going on aside from the smiling man. The smiling mans servants are just all around scarier in this book. The scarecrows were cool.... but this was just creepy af.Ollie has also grown as a character so much. You guys know I hate spoilers so I won’t be giving any. But she does face a bit of an internal conflict concerning a side storyline going on with her dad. But she actually handles it really well and doesn’t lash out in any raw or harsh feelings, and instead she focuses on her friends and staying safe.Coco has literally totally obliterated any first impression I had of her. She’s such a strong character and honestly I think she may slowly become my favorite out of the three of them. I love them all- but coco is the most well developed in my opinion. I give her credit for being the brains of this one.It does seem Katherine is trying to give each kid their own spotlight in these books. The last one is focused heavily on Ollie, and while Ollie played a huge part in this , I feel like it really focused on coco. Will the next one be Brian’s time to shine?I really hope so because I honestly felt like he was barely in this book. He’s supposed to be a main character and well... he felt like a useless background character in this one. That’s one of the things I didn’t like. He was there of course, and did SOME important things. But it’s almost like his character growth regressed in order to let coco shine. He was bland, scared and just went with the flow. I don’t remember him being like that in the last book.The rocky start was simply that I was bored. For some reason the book felt the need to recap the first book in a few info dumps here and there instead of just focusing on memories when important. Which isn’t something I see in a lot of series. Maybe it’s a middle grade thing? Not sure honestly but it did put me off.These being the only things wrong- they’re very manageable and do not affect my love for the book.Genuinely, I think this is a 5 star book.

In the second book of the Small Spaces series, we again are drawn into the world of Olivia "Ollie" Adler and her friends, Coco and Brian. This time Ollie's dad has won a trip to the Hemlock Mountain ski lodge, and he, along with Cocos mom, take the three kids. A snowstorm awaits them, and another cold night of ghostly mysteries awaits.Will they survive and solve the riddles before dawn? I loved this installment as much as the first book, and am really looking forward to reading the next two.

When three best friends find themselves in a place haunted by ghosts, they’ll have to work together to save themselves and the adults with them. If they don’t, they’ll become ghosts too and their loved ones will forget they ever even existed. Author Katherine Arden brings back her fearless trio in the mostly solid novel Dead Voices.Ollie, Coco, and Brian know all about adventure. They survived one during their class trip in the fall when they escaped the scarecrows and their creepy leader who tried to force the trio to join his legion of straw people. If they never have another adventure like that again, it’ll be too soon.That’s why a trip to a new ski resort during winter break sounds like the perfect getaway. Ollie’s dad won the getaway at work, and he, Ollie, Coco, Coco’s mom, and Brian are chugging along through the snow to the resort. Even before they arrive, however, Coco starts to get weird vibes from the place. She could have sworn she saw a person standing in the middle of the road on the drive to the resort, but when Ollie’s dad stops the car no one’s there.Ollie and Brian try to reassure Coco that everything’s fine, but she’s not so sure. The fact that the power is out at the resort doesn’t make any of them feel better. Then Ollie starts having nightmares about young girls with messages none of them understand. Brian keeps insisting that the preserved animals in the lobby are changing positions—sometimes they’re standing, sometimes they’re on all fours. Sometimes they’re glaring right at the kids.An unexpected guest, Mr. Voland, comes to the resort talking about hunting ghosts. The power is still out and the generator doesn’t work, and he thinks it’s the work of the ghosts that haunt the resort. He convinces the three friends that the only way to make things right is to find the ghosts and communicate with them.Coco doesn’t like the sound of any of it; Brian is flat out skeptical. But Ollie becomes obsessed with the idea. What if Mr. Voland can help her talk to her mom? She wavers then agrees to Mr. Voland’s plan—and that’s when the three of them really get into trouble. If they want to escape the resort and go home with their loved ones, they’ll have to think on their feet. They’ve done it once before, but none of them know if they’ll have the capacity to do it again.Author Katherine Arden brings back her three beloved characters for another ghost story that will make target readers and adults alike shiver. The story starts on a foreboding note and continues to build in intensity. Arden lets the tension increase until readers become just as worried as the main characters about what will happen next.Arden excels in building the emotions of the middle schoolers. Their concern and compassion for one another shine, but Arden also lets them be real friends. They disagree with one another, make mistakes, and doubt each other’s opinions all while keeping the foundation of their friendship strong.If the book exhibits any weaknesses, it’s in the fact that Ollie and Coco both get the opportunity to share their stories firsthand while Brian doesn’t. Considering that he is just as important to the trio of best friends as the girls, it’s surprising that readers never hear directly from him. Also, during the climax of the book, Brian fades into the background for a handful of pages. The explanation he offers when he reappears doesn’t ring wholly true to the story at hand. The plot would have felt more three-dimensional had Arden offered readers the chance, even a handful of times, to let Brian lead in the storytelling.As with her previous book Small Spaces, the friendships take center stage here and cover the weak spots. In the end, readers will find themselves breathing a sigh of relief and then wishing for more books about Ollie, Coco, and Brian, if only to give Brian the chance to share a story about him. Fans of Small Spaces will most certainly enjoy this one. That’s why I say Dead Voices Borders on Bookmarking it!

'No skiing and ghosts? There is no limit to the peanut butter cups that I am allowed to consume.'.Coco, Ollie and Brian are still having nightmares about the smiling man. Now they're snowed in at a ski resort, and the ghost of a young girl with a frost bitten face tells them not to listen to the dead voices😱.I read Small Spaces, the first installment in this series, a month or two ago and really enjoyed it so had to get myself the next book. I don't think Dead Voices is quite as good as the first one but it is still really fun. After finishing The Broken Earth trilogy, this was the perfect palette cleanser; it's middlegrade so a super easy read. I love these characters so much, their friendship is so heart warming and the fact Coco got her own perspective this time, really added to the story. I just live for a story that switches between narratives. If you're struggling to concentrate on books at the minute (I know I am) this might be the perfect book for you😁

If you are looking at this review and have not yet read Small Spaces which is the first in the series please go and check it out. I have a review for that one too on Amazon. This series is fast becoming once of my favourites and this second book did not disappoint.I do not want to get into spoilers but this is another amazing atmospheric middle grade from Katherine Arden and the friendship between Ollie, Coco and Brian is so pure and wonderful. They stick together through everything no matter the odds. I really hope there will be another book in this series and soon. I am definitely feeling impatient.

I loved Small Spaces so of course I was super excited to read the sequel. Dead Voices was another great spooky read! The setting and atmosphere were so well done. I’m so glad that I read this during the winter, it really felt like I was there with the characters, stuck in a freezing ski lodge in the middle of a massive snowstorm. I also really enjoyed the greater focus on Coco in this book, she’s a great character. The spookiness also did not disappoint, some moments genuinely spooked me, which was awesome!

The story follows on from small spcaes, scary and absorbing.Could not put this one down, you are drawn into the fantasy and story line, do recommend.Wonder whether there will be a third?Look forward to more stories from this author.

This is a very good book to read😃👍👍I would recommend this book because it is thrilling and there are lots of plot twists.😀