New York Times bestselling author Katherine Arden returns with another creepy, spine-tingling adventure in this follow-up to the critically acclaimed Small Spaces. 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. … 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.
Dead Voices is a terrifying follow-up to Small Spaces with thrills and chills galore and the captive foreboding of a classic ghost story.
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Dead Voices is an excellent follow-up to Small Spaces. The story has an eerie feel from beginning to end, and the scares are well-written. While Small Spaces focused on Ollie, Dead Voices switches POV between Ollie and Coco, and I hope Ms. Arden continues this pattern in the next book (the ending of DV makes it apparent that this will be, at the very least, a trilogy), and shows us more of Brian. I appreciate the fact that there are adults in the story, rather than just kiddos running willy-nilly. The adults are pretty much nullified by the antagonist, but they are still present, and not just letting their children roam. For me, this makes the story more relatable. I look forward to reading more by Ms. Arden.
This book was provided to me free of charge by NetGalley. My review is given voluntarily.
Where were these books when I was in middle school??!! No matter, I’m loving them now. These are just like cozy mysteries and are fun, easy to read with chills and thrills. Perfect for Spooktober.
The Orphanage + The Forbidden Game + The Shining
Coco, Ollie, and Brian’s friendship has grown stronger since their confrontation with The Smiling Man. So much so that Ollie’s dad and Coco’s Mom are taking the trip to stay at a skiing lodge. They get snowed in. While they’re waiting for the snow to let up, they join forces with another guest, a reporter researching the rumored haunting element of the area. What will they find?
Loved this book!! The friendship between Ollie, Coco, and Brian is wonderful and helps enforce to kids that sometimes the best friends you can have are completely opposite of you. I love getting the different pov’s and look forward to seeing Brian’s in part 3. I will say that, although I gave both 5-stars, Dead Voices didn’t creep me out at all. I never knew how scary scarecrows were until I read Small Spaces, but nothing like that here, sadly.
Buy this for yourself or someone looking for a dark middle grade series. Or, if you’re twisted, get it for someone who grew up being taught by nuns (full disclosure: like moi, but they were some of my faves **shrug**)!
I loved this book. The friendship between Ollie, Coco and Brian is so sweet. I loved getting to see it. I also loved the spooky stuff. The story was interesting and I was hooked until the end. I would recommend this book.
It’s a good thing I don’t already have a fear of ghosts in ski lodges like I did about scarecrows, because I would have had nightmares again! I really appreciated how we just jumped straight into the weird things, since the first book had the whole introduction to the characters it made it a lot quicker and plot focused. I also love the setting of Vermont in both books! It’s really the perfect winter spooky read because you just want to get some hot cocoa and a blanket with it, and you don’t feel like there are snowy serial killers stalking your house.
The ending of the first book was a little rushed, but I think she really fixed that in this one, because even though it was quick, I understood more of *why* they won against the smiling man.
On to the third one! Which… is about deep water monsters. Great. I’m more scared of them than scarecrows.
I give this novel four frightening stars!
Following the events of Small Spaces, Ollie and her dad, her two best friends, and Coco’s mom journey to a newly renovated Mount Hemlock Ski Resort during a winter storm. When they arrive, everything seems nice and cozy. That is, until strange things start happening.
With the storm keeping them indoors, can Ollie and company figure out what’s behind these spooky happenings before something truly horrific happens?
This was a solid continuation of the Small Spaces series.
This time around we read in two POVs, Coco and Ollie’s. I can’t quite remember if things were split like this in the first book, but sometimes their POVs were a little too similar for me. That being said, it was a joy to get into both of their headspaces for a more immersive experience.
Our characters were overall pretty great. Ollie, Coco, and Brian stick to their personalities quite well, and I enjoyed the comradery between them. There was a smidgeon of character progression, but I have to say I would’ve liked a tad bit more. I also felt that in small spots the thinking process of characters seemed to be a little below their age.
The plot and concept really drew me in. I love all things winter, and the beginning reminded me of The Shining, which really excited me. This one is more centered on a ghostly vibe, and I really loved that. The plot did keep me guessing pretty much the whole time, and things took some serious sudden turns that kept me blazing through those pages.
This sequel was a strong installment to Arden’s series, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!
This was a fantastic haunted house story for the middle-grade set but it should appeal to a wide range of readers. This is the second book in the Small Spaces series but it could be read as a stand-alone despite the fact that events from the first book are discussed. I really enjoyed the spooky feel that this story had and found that I was really eager to see how things would work out. All in all, I thought this was a well-done novel.
Ollie, Coco, and Brian are off on another adventure. This time they are headed to a ski resort with Ollie’s dad and Coco’s mom. There is so much snow that they are the only ones that are able to make it to the resort. Things at the resort are less than ideal because of the storm but they are determined to make the most of it. There is some excitement with the addition of a new guest that knows some of the less than positive history of the resort.
I loved the spooky atmosphere of this story. I was worried about these kids anytime they went off by themselves in the resort. Learning the things that happened in the building before it became a ski lodge only added to the creepy feel. Ollie, Coco, and Brian are all great characters and I love their friendship. They really do watch out for each other when it is necessary. I wasn’t sure how things would work out but it was nice to know that these kids were in it together.
I would recommend this book to others. I started reading this series because I love Katherine Arden’s writing and wanted to read more of it. I picked up this book because of how much I enjoyed the first. I found this to be a creepy and atmospheric tale filled with fantastic characters. I can’t wait to see what happens to Ollie, Coco, and Brian next!
Book source: Library