Author: Katherine Arden
Olivia (only her mother got to call her that .... call her Ollie, or face her anger!) has been through a lot. Most of the time she deals as best she can...but she is really beginning to hate pity and sympathy from adults, teachers and other kids. She finds comfort in her books...and her mom's old smart watch that she never, ever takes off her wrist. One day her life takes an unexpected strange turn when she comes across a woman standing at a creek. The woman is preparing to throw a book into the water. As a book lover, Ollie sees this as such a waste....and on a whim, she swoops in and steals the book, running away with it. At home, she starts to read.....and gets pulled into the creepy tale of Beth, two young men who love her, and a frightening deal made with a supernatural being called "The Smiling Man.'' Little does Ollie know that The Smiling Man is more than a boogie man in a book. Much, much more.
I loved this story!!! I'm a big fan of horror....even horror stories written for children. This story is well told...and truly creepy. I listened to the audio book version of this scary tale while canning tomatoes in my kitchen. It was a bright and sunny summer day.....but this tale made me dream of crisp, fall afternoons with scarecrows blowing in the breeze. I always felt a bit creeped out by scarecrows....and this story only heightened their creep factor.
The audio book, narrated by Renee Dorian, is just over 5 hours long. Dorian reads at a nice, steady pace and gives a great performance. Very enjoyable listen!
There is nothing age-inappropriate in this story. Middle grade kids who can handle some horror elements would love this story. For kids that still have a bit of fear of things that might go bump in the night.....they might want to read something else. There is nothing too graphic or blood-curdling....but the story is a bit scary. Be aware.
Great read!! It really got me primed for the upcoming Halloween season (It's August as I write this review)! Time to start reading creepy stories now! :) I won't be able to look a scarecrow in the face by October!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Penguin via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
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