Dead Voices (Small Spaces Quartet #2)

by Katherine Arden Narrated by Renee Dorian

Overview

New York Times bestselling author Katherine Arden returns with another creepy, spine-tingling adventure in the critically acclaimed*Small Spaces Quartet.

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.

Dead Voices is a terrifying follow-up to Small Spaces with thrills and chills galore and the captive foreboding of a classic ghost story.

Editorial Reviews

OCTOBER 2019 - AudioFile

Renee Dorian returns to narrate this sequel to SMALL SPACES. A ski vacation turns into a terrifying supernatural adventure for middle schoolers Coco, Brian, and Ollie. Dorian’s youthful voice belies the sinister mood as the guests are snowed in without power and discover that the ski lodge is haunted. When a guest named Mr. Voland claims to be a ghost hunter, the kids think he can help communicate with the ghosts. Too late they discover that he is really the evil “smiling man” trying to trap them. Dorian brings the adventure to life, embodying Mr. Voland’s cool, slick confidence and the kids’ trembling fear. A satisfying audiobook for fans of SMALL SPACES and new listeners alike. S.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

★ 08/05/2019

In a spooky sequel to Small Spaces, Arden alternates between the perspectives of friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian as they travel with Ollie’s father and Coco’s mother to a Vermont mountain cabin, where Ollie’s dad has won a stay. The three friends have been inseparable since autumn, when they encountered an alternate world populated by living scarecrows and governed by a terrifying figure called the Smiling Man, and they are eager to put the experience behind them. Soon, though, snowed in at the foreboding Mount Hemlock Resort, which once served as an orphanage, the friends find themselves trapped within a paranormal labyrinth haunted by the ghosts of Gretel, a child who died after becoming locked in a closet, and of the frightening woman who locked her there. With the assistance of a reporter investigating the resort’s hauntings, Ollie, Coco, and Brian set out to communicate with the restless spirits. Arden excels at creating an atmosphere of claustrophobic tension with memorably menacing details. Readers will again be invested in the ghoulish surprises in store for the resourceful, likably flawed protagonists. Ages 10–up. (Aug.)

From the Publisher

Praise for Dead Voices:

★ “Arden handily transforms the haunted house story into something much richer, scarier, and more sinister. . . Middle-graders who thrill to spooks and scares will find plenty (maybe even more than they bargained for!) here.” —Booklist, starred review

★ “Arden's high scare factor, richly drawn mountain setting, relevant themes of loss and belonging, and vividly eerie descriptions evoke the very best of horror for this age set.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ “In this spooky sequel to Small Spaces, Arden excels at creating an atmosphere of claustrophobic tension with memorably menacing details. Readers will again be invested in the ghoulish surprises in store for the resourceful, likably flawed protagonists.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Standing just fine on its own (though newcomers will definitely be inspired to read Small Spaces), this is a fine addition to any scary stories shelf.” —School Library Journal

“Entertaining and will be enjoyed by middle school fans of light horror.”—VOYA

“This chilling sequel to Small Spaces . . . [has all] the necessary trappings for a classic ghost story.”—The Horn Book

Praise for Small Spaces:
★ ★ ★ 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 makes 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

“Is it a mystery? A fairy tale? A horror thriller? As the suspense gripped me, I just wanted to know one thing—WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Terrifying and fun.”—R. L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series
 
“The perfect book to be read by firelight during a chilly autumn evening—though you might find yourself inching closer to the light as the story nears its terrifying conclusion. Katherine Arden is a gifted storyteller with a wicked imagination!”—J. A. White, author of The Thickety series and Nightbooks

“This book scared the snot out of me. Fast-paced and spine-tinglingly delightful. I defy you to read the first two chapters without staying up the rest of the night to finish. You’ve been warned!”—Jonathan Auxier New York Times bestselling author of The Night Gardener

School Library Journal

08/09/2019

Gr 5–8-A free ski vacation turns into a good news/bad news scenario for middle schoolers Coco, Brian, and Ollie (Olivia) and brings with it an unwelcome reunion with an old enemy in this sequel to Small Spaces. The good news? Ollie's dad won a week at a newly renovated ski lodge. The bad news? The lodge, a former orphanage, is haunted to the rafters. Coco loves being with her friends and views the growing relationship between her mom and Ollie's dad hopefully, but she's no fan of skiing, and she's the first to have an encounter with a ghost. The vacation goes downhill quickly, with a dangerous snowstorm wreaking havoc and plenty of disturbing encounters with creepy taxidermy animals and even creepier ghosts. The appearance of a ghost hunter, who offers the kids the chance to learn how to communicate with ghosts, is welcome at first, until they realize that he is really the Smiling Man, looking for a rematch…and revenge. This is mostly Coco's story; the least confident of the trio, she's the one who eventually figures out how to defeat the Smiling Man. Ollie's dead mother, communicating through her old watch, plays a part as well. Brian doesn't get a lot to do, nor do most of the adults, but the door is left open for further spooky adventures. VERDICT Standing just fine on its own (though newcomers will definitely be inspired to read Small Spaces), this is a fine addition to any scary stories shelf.-Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

OCTOBER 2019 - AudioFile

Renee Dorian returns to narrate this sequel to SMALL SPACES. A ski vacation turns into a terrifying supernatural adventure for middle schoolers Coco, Brian, and Ollie. Dorian’s youthful voice belies the sinister mood as the guests are snowed in without power and discover that the ski lodge is haunted. When a guest named Mr. Voland claims to be a ghost hunter, the kids think he can help communicate with the ghosts. Too late they discover that he is really the evil “smiling man” trying to trap them. Dorian brings the adventure to life, embodying Mr. Voland’s cool, slick confidence and the kids’ trembling fear. A satisfying audiobook for fans of SMALL SPACES and new listeners alike. S.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2019-06-16
A winter vacation takes a terrifying turn.

Two months after their encounter with "the smiling man" in Small Spaces (2018), sixth graders Coco, Ollie, and Brian go on a ski trip. Though money has been tight, Ollie's dad won a week at Vermont's newest ski resort, Mount Hemlock, as an incentive for his job selling solar panels. Unfortunately, the lucky trip doesn't turn out so lucky. On the way there, Coco dreams of a gray-faced, frozen girl who's looking for her lost bones. When Ollie starts having similar dreams, it becomes clear that there's a reason Mount Hemlock has never before been open to the public. The surprising arrival of a paranormal investigator named Mr. Voland offers the kids a chance to get to the bottom of things. But do they really want to know the truth about what lurks at Hemlock Lodge? With warnings like "Don't listen to the voices," the plot initially reads similarly to its predecessor. However, Arden creates far more than just a carbon copy in a different setting. Those who had secondary roles in the first book get deeper characterization, especially white Coco and black, bookish jock Brian. (Ollie is also white) Arden's high scare factor, richly drawn mountain setting, relevant themes of loss and belonging, and vividly eerie descriptions evoke the very best of horror for this age set.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172227837
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	08/27/2019
Series:	Small Spaces Quartet , #2
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

Read an Excerpt

Coco opened her mouth to scream, and woke up with a gasp.
 
She was in the car, in the snowstorm, driving to Mount Hemlock, and her mother was talking to Mr. Adler in the front seat. It was cold in the back seat; her toes in their winter boots were numb. Coco sat still for a second, breathing fast with fright. Just a dream, she told herself. She’d had a lot of scarecrow dreams in the last few months. So had Ollie and Brian. Just a dream.
 
“How much farther, Roger?” Coco’s mom asked.
 
“Should be pretty close now,” said Mr. Adler.
 
Coco, a little dazed from her nightmare, stared out the front windshield. It was snowing even harder. The road was a thin yellowish-white strip, piled thick with snow. More snow bowed the trees on either side.
 
The Subaru was moving slowly. The thick snow groaned under the wheels, and Mr. Adler seemed to be struggling to keep the car going straight on the slippery road. “What a night, huh?” he said.
 
“Want me to drive?” asked Coco’s mom.
 
This time the usual cheer was gone from Mr. Adler’s reply. “It’s okay. I know the car better.” Lower, he added, “Just pray we don’t get stuck.”
 
Now the car was coming down into a gully, the road turning slightly.
 
But the road wasn’t empty. For a stomach-clenching second, Coco thought she was still dreaming. Right in front of them, in the middle of the road, stood a tall figure in a ragged blue ski jacket. It looked like a scarecrow. The figure was perfectly still. One palm was raised and turned out as though to beg. As though to say, STOP. The face was hidden by a ski mask.
 
Coco felt a jolt of terror. But then she realized that the person had real hands. Not garden tools. She wasn’t dreaming; this wasn’t a scarecrow.
 
Mr. Adler wasn’t slowing down. “Stop!” yelled Coco, yanking herself upright. “Look! Look!”
 
Mr. Adler slammed on the brakes. The car skidded, turning sideways, swinging them toward the thick black ranks of trees. Coco braced, waiting to hear the thump of someone slamming into the side of the car. The person had been so close . . .
 
Nothing.
 
The car shuddered to a stop, only a couple feet from the nearest tree trunk.
 
All of them sat stunned for a second.
 
“I didn’t feel us hit anything.” Mr. Adler sounded like he was taking deep breaths, trying to be calm. “What did you see, Coco?”
 
Coco was startled. “You didn’t see it? There was a person in the road! We must have hit him!” Her voice sounded squeaky. She hated when her voice sounded squeaky. Had they hurt someone? Had they killed . . .
 
Ollie’s dad put on the emergency brake and turned on the car’s hazard lights. “Kids, I need you to stay—” he began, but Ollie had already unlocked her door and scrambled out into the snow. It came up to her knees. Brian was right behind her on his side, and Coco, although her hands were shaking, hurried after them.
 
“Coco!” cried her mom as she and Mr. Adler followed. “Coco, don’t look, get back, be careful—”
 
Coco pretended not to hear. She grabbed her phone, went around the car, and shined the light at the snow. Brian was doing the same. Ollie had pulled a headlamp from the pocket on her car door. The three of them stood shoulder to shoulder, shining their flashlights all around the car. The snow was falling so thickly that they couldn’t see anything outside the circle of their lights. Faintly, Coco heard the whisper of wind in the pine needles overhead.
 
Mr. Adler had a flashlight from the glove compartment. Coco’s mom stood next to him, squinting into the snowstorm. Four beams of light shone on the snow. The road was utterly empty. Coco saw the tracks where the car had come down, saw the huge sideways mark of the car’s skid. But nothing else.
 
“I don’t see anyone. Any tracks, even,” said her mom. “Thank god.”
 
“But I saw someone,” protested Coco. “In the road. A person. They had their hand out.” She raised her own arm, palm out, to demonstrate. “They were wearing a blue ski jacket, but no gloves. Ollie, did you see?”
 
“I thought I might have seen something,” said Ollie. She sounded doubtful. “Like a shadow. But I wasn’t sure. There’s so much snow. Brian?”
 
Brian shook his head. “But,” he said loyally, “Ollie and I couldn’t see out the windshield as well as Coco, since she was in the middle.”
 
Coco’s mom gestured at the snow, which was unmarked except for the car’s tracks and their own footprints. “I don’t think there was anyone here.” She started to shiver.
 
They’d all taken off their heavy coats for driving, and now the snow was piling up on their shoulders.
 
“I saw someone,” Coco insisted, but the others, eager to get back into the warm car, weren’t listening anymore. She hurried after them. “I definitely saw someone.”
 
“It might have just been a shadow, Tiny,” said Brian reasonably. “Or a deer. Or maybe you were just dreaming and you mixed up being asleep and being awake.”
 
“I wasn’t imagining things!” cried Coco, wishing so hard that her voice wouldn’t squeak. “And don’t call me Tiny!”
 
“But there’s obviously no one—” Brian began.
 
“Hey,” said Ollie’s dad, cutting them off. “Easy now, both of you. Just be glad we didn’t hit anyone. Let’s get back in the car. It’s not safe here.”
 
Coco climbed unhappily back into the car. She felt like everyone was just a little bit mad at her for yelling stop so that Mr. Adler had to slam on his brakes and send them skidding dangerously across the road. She was sure she’d seen someone.
 
But she had been half asleep. Maybe she did dream it. As they drove away, Coco turned around and looked out the back window.
 
Just for a second, she thought she saw a dark figure lit red by the car’s rear lights. It stood facing them in the middle of the road. One bare hand was still upraised.
 
Like a plea.
 
Like a warning.
 
“Guys,” she whispered. “It’s there. It’s right back there.” Ollie and Brian turned around.
 
There was a small silence.
 
“I don’t see anything,” said Ollie.
 
Coco looked again.
 
The figure was gone.

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