This book just did not wow me. I felt like this book was more of connecting book to the end of the series. I feel like this book was also very short and that sort of lead to the shortness of this novel and how i struggled to feel connected to these characters. The narrator also changed in this read and the plot felt a bit off!! but i am excited to read the last book in the series! ( )

This book just did not wow me. I felt like this book was more of connecting book to the end of the series. I feel like this book was also very short and that sort of lead to the shortness of this novel and how i struggled to feel connected to these characters. The narrator also changed in this read and the plot felt a bit off!! but i am excited to read the last book in the series! ( )

4.5 stars
Wow! I am loving this series and I need the next book now. That ending was crazy! Such a cliffhanger, why?! Ugh, I'm dying to get to the next book. This has become one of my fav middle grade horror series. ( )

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and after a wonderful third installment I am looking forward to the 4th book. It seems that after beating the Smiling Man in the mirror world, he is back with a vengeance. The kids also discover that they aren't the only ones who remember the events at the farm and the shadow world of scarecrows. With a new ally they set out on Lake Champlain to encounter a lake monster, ghosts, and death. The Smiling Man is serious this time and it may cost them more than they realize to defeat him this time - if they can. I love Arden's writing and the plot and characters are well done, as usual. An excellent addition to the Small Spaces series! ( )

Series Info/Source: This is the third book in The Small Spaces Quartet. I borrowed this from my library on audiobook.

Thoughts: I still enjoyed this but it was my least favorite in this series so far. I think this book is supposed to focus on Brian, but it jumps between all the characters. This book finds the kids and their parents out on a boat on Lake Champlain. They are left shipwrecked on a mysterious island. It is up to the kids to unravel the clues and escape.

I definitely enjoyed the first book of this series the most. The later books have been a bit formulaic. You know right away that the Smiling Man is involved again. The characters are well done and this time we focus on Brian and his survival skills (although you hear a lot from Ollie and Coco too).

The writing is easy to follow and the description is very well done. This is an easy and creepy read. For some reason this book didn't seem as creepy as the first couple books to me. I enjoyed it and liked seeing how things played out, didn't love it though. I am eager to see how the series wraps up for sure.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a well done continuation of this series. This involves another creepy mystery with ghosts and the Smiling Man. The characters and mystery are well done and the writing is engaging and easy to read. I didn't enjoy this quite as much as the first two books in this series, I think they are becoming a bit formulaic. However, I am looking forward to the wrap-up in the fourth book, "Empty Smiles". ( )