Dark Waters (Small Spaces, #3) By Katherine Arden

Bookishrealm

Let me tell ya'll something. Arden has a gift for writing a creepy story made for a younger audience. This installment in the series was definitely more spooky than the last book and ended on one heck of a cliffhanger.

Dark Waters picks up right where readers leave off in the second installment of the series. Ollie, Brian, and Coco are still working to defeat the Smiling Man and do everything in their power to find a way to end his power and control for good. This is the "spring" book of the series so our characters are visiting Lack Champlain for a "fun" trip. As with all of the other books, this book focuses on a specific narrator which is Brian. It was rather interesting getting more of Brian's inner thoughts regarding everything that has happened with the Smiling Man as well as his relationship with Coco and Ollie.

In terms of plot, this book felt a lot shorter than the others because the Smiling Man isn't really present. There are other entities that allude to his involvement in everything; however, he really isn't directly involved with this story. As a result, the plot feels less complex than the others. It becomes more of them attempting to figure out how to defeat a sea monster and how to escape a deserted island. This didn't make the story any less fun; however, it did change the flow of the story compared to the previous books. I really enjoyed the introduction to Phil as a main character in this book. He makes an appearance in the first book and is turned into a scarecrow with the rest of the students. In the previous books, it is believed that the students don't remember anything about that night; however, it turns out that Phil may remember more than he's letting on. It also becomes apparent that he may have potential to be the next main narrator for the fourth book.

Overall, this was a fun book. I loved that there were a lot of geographic specific things related to this book. It was nice to see the incorporation of another "entity" that had some connection to the Smiling Man. I think that it could have afforded to be just a tad longer, but I think it's a decent length for the target audience. The ending....A lot of people are going to be pissed about the ending. It's extremely abrupt and slightly feeds into a reason why some readers don't care for Ollie as a character; HOWEVER, I LOVED it. It made me more pumped for the last book in the series and getting the chance to see how everything is going to wrap up. Either way, if you're looking for a fun horror middle grade series to check out, I would recommend this one.

h o l l i s

First of all, that cover? Amazing. It's definitely my favourite of the series. But this didn't nudge out book two for sheer spooky creepy excellence, unfortunately.

Now spring (following fall and then winter themes for books one and two), this trio of besties are still researching ways to defeat their nemesis the Smiling Man. Their adventures have taken a toll, as has their preoccupation, and so they jump on the opportunity to spend some time outdoors, away from small spaces and mirrors and any situation that might provoke another encounter, and go sailing. But they still can't escape a brush, and more, with the otherworldly forces.

This particular scary story didn't grip me quite the same way as the last book; Arden still did a great job with the vibe, and sending a few twists along the way (the ghost in this story was so good, and heartbreaking), but the story didn't feel as tight or focused. I wish it had been longer, had spent more time building some suspense, digging into the feeling of isolation or more. But maybe that's just the adult in me talking. That said, this did feel more like a build up to the cliffhanger and thus the big finale to come in book four. I still did enjoy it, though, and especially loved seeing the parents get mixed into things, as well as a new friend. Mostly, I'm just excited to reread/binge this series when book four comes out.

If you, or the younger human in your life, is into the spookier side of things ala Goosebumps, I definitely recommend.

** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

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This review can also be found at
A Take From Two Cities.

Rachel Reads Ravenously

I recommend this series all the time to middle grade horror lovers. As much as I love this series for kids, I think if there are any more I might not continue reading. They're good, but I'm not the target demographic.

J.

2.5 stars.
Absolutely average. This story had no heart-racing-faster actions, no creepy moments (except one, hence the two and a half stars).
It ended so abruptly, I was completely lost.

First book is the best. Second.. so-so. Third-a total debacle. I'm afraid how I will feel about the fourth one.

rachel, x

#1)
Small Spaces ★★★★☆
#2)
Dead Voices ★★★★☆

hands down, the best in the series

➸ Trigger warnings for .

Blog •
Trigger Warning Database •
StoryGraph

~ a foray in fantasy ~

Super quick read, but not nearly as scary as book 2.

The cliffhanger, though. Now I have to wait who knows how long for the last book.

Carolyn

I didn’t like this one. 🥺 Dead Voices was SO good, it scared the shit out of me for ages after I read it a couple years ago, as a fully grown, 25+ year old adult.

This just fell flat. It felt like the author wanted to have Ollie be missing and saving her be the final battle against the Smiling Man, and needed a vehicle to get the story there. And this is what we got, two years later. It’s not even 200 pages, we don’t deal with the Smiling Man. It was like a side quest! It read a lot like the Scooby-Doo chapter books I read as a kid. Which isn’t a bad thing, it’s just not this series.

I found the sentence structure really choppy, it felt like there were a lot of unnecessary commas and weird stops. I even wondered at one point if this was written by a ghost writer, instead of Katherine Arden, it felt so different than the first two.

Also interesting that it’s included Phil, again probably to create the whole picture of the seasons and the books and have it all come full circle. Feels weird to bring him in now though, when it’s just been the three of them. I thought it didn’t really fit the “spring” vibe it was meant to have either. A desolate cold island doesn’t yell spring to me. But maybe it’s a hard season to make spooky. 🤷🏼‍♀️😅

I dunno, this one just really missed the mark for me, and I’m disappointed. I’d been looking forward to it for months. 😔

FAVOURITE QUOTES

“The door flew open and slammed against the far wall, with a scream of hinges and shower of dust.”

jocelyn

firstly, LOOK AT THIS VERY EXCELLENT COVER.

secondly, i am psyched we're getting some springtime water horror with the best mg crew.

jenny✨

i think this novel was my least favourite of the series so far; it felt a little scattered and abrupt. that being said, it still gave me the shivers!

Rae

As a huge Goosebumps nerd from when I was a wee one, Katherine Arden has brought me back to my childhood with this spooky middle grade series and I’m absolutely loving it. I somehow snagged copies of the first two books as arcs and managed to force myself to wait the long forever drawn out wait for this third installment in the Small Spaces series.

Each book has had a paranormal / spooky encounter in three very different settings following the lives of three friends who found their friendship through the trials of the first book, Small Spaces. There are little hints from past books sprinkled throughout each following book so I would suggest reading them in order, but it also could stand as its own book if you’re willing to be a little lost on some of the backstory to the characters.

I found myself wondering at times if I’ve either gone soft in my horror genre or if this book might actually scare the pants off of a reader or the actual target age range! Because honestly these books can get a little creepy, I love it so much! It’s so cool to see an author who can move so effortlessly through age groups and genres and still produce these amazing stories.

I’d highly suggest reading these especially around the spooky fall months coming up! You won’t regret it!

Happy reading 🎃! 🐠!

Krasi Karaivanov

Много ме беше страх да подхвана книгата, защото от всякъде чувах как това е най-слабата книга от поредицата, ноооо според мен това изобщо не е така.
Историята тук ми хареса много повече от тази в предходната. Беше ми динамична и напрегната, на моменти леко наивна, но да не забравяме, че историята е насочена към 10-12 годишните. Промяната в персонажите, новата опасност, появата на Фил и финала… просто ме отвяха ♥️
Е вече определно нямам търпение за четвъртата(мисля че финална) книга от поредицата 😍

Kate

In this third installment, Brian, Ollie and Coco face down a terrifying creature from the lake. It's Brian's turn to shine as the main focus, and the book opens at the inn his family runs. Brian's parents are worried about him, since his grades have slipped some and he only hangs out with Ollie and Coco since that strange field trip back in the Fall. Brian tries to reach out to his old friend, Phil, only to fine him drawing scarecrows. Coco immediately thinks that maybe Phil doesn't have amnesia from their first encounter with the Smiley Man. The trio head out for a boat trip on Lake Champlain to try to spot Champ (Vermont's answer to the Loch Ness monster), only to find themselves aboard a boat with Phil and his uncle. Suddenly the cryptic clue left by the Smiley Man outside of Brian's house come together, but will it be too late to save themselves and their family?

Book four is going to be a long, agonizing wait, ya'll!

Juli

Dark Waters is book 3 of the Small Spaces series. I enjoy this series -- and middle grade books in general -- because they are a wonderful escape from adulting. For just a little while I can escape into a story that has that sense of innocence and adventure that is so fleeting and elusive once life brings responsibilities, children, bills etc. Small Spaces is middle grade spooky/horror as well. I love being able to enjoy a creepy/spooky story that doesn't involve adult themes, gore, sex, etc.

The basics: Brian, Coco and Ollie are stressed from constantly worrying about The Smiling Man coming back. They have fought his evil twice now, and they all wish they could just defeat him and be free from his threats. So far though they can't figure out a way to destroy him. When their parents plan a day boating on Lake Champlain it sounds like a wonderful escape from their worries. But, it turns out Lake Champlain is home to a monster.....

I feel sorry for these kids. They just want to spend a day boating on the lake with their parents, but they end up fighting monsters again. The Smiling Man just won't give them a break. Very creepy story with a cool shipwreck/ghost/supernatural vibe to it. Very entertaining and perfect for my spooky reading season. Every fall I read as many ghostly/spooky/dark stories as I can fit into the weeks leading up to Halloween. This book was perfect! And, I have the next book, Empty Smiles, on hold at the library! Thankful for the awesome library system here! This book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I'm glad to know the next part of the story is waiting at the library for me to pick it up. I don't have long to wait before I can find out what happens next for Brian, Coco and Ollie!

Great series. Very age appropriate for middle grade readers. Spooky story with a bit of scary -- but not too much. Perfect! And, the front cover art is awesome!!

I am definitely reading this series until it reaches its conclusion!

Obsidian

It pains me to do this. I just didn't feel right about giving this book 3 stars or more. Sleeping on it over night highlighted even more issues I had with this and I don't know if the fourth book will even be worth it.

"Small Spaces" was so good that, that book freaked me out. Following Ollie and her grief and how she ended up defeating the Smiling Man was a great book. Maybe it should have ended there? I don't know.

"Dead Voices" had some scary bits, but the writing was uneven. And Arden deciding to split the story through different narrative voices hurt the book. If Ollie was our main protagonist in the first book, then Coco should have been the main character we followed in that one.

Now in "Dark Wates" we get to follow Brian. And I don't know. This should have been a novella, or short story. Or something. Having Brian lead a book for it to be the shortest in the quartet (btw when did that happen?) and it ended on a cliffhanger was some nonsense. I saw other readers reviews after I finished and I agree with their complaints that having a book be 20 percent excerpts from prior books is some crap. I am glad I borrowed this from the library, because I would have been upset about paying for this. And to have things happening "offscreen" so to speak....that was another are you serious moment for me.

"Dark Waters" follows the trio of Ollie, Coco, and Brian. It's been about 3 months since the events in the last book and the group is happy to be welcoming Spring. All of them are tense still about the Smiling Man and what if anything he has planned to hurt them and their families. Brian, Ollie, and Coco have been reading what they can of ghost stories to see if they can figure out what the Smiling Man may have up his sleeve. However, Brian's parents finally realize that hey their has not been the same since he started hanging out with Ollie and Coco and they want him to see less of them. However, a boat trip comes up, and Brian begs to go along. Of course dark things happen when Brian and his friends realize that they have been lured into a trap.

So I have a fondness for Brian. A black kid living in a predominately white town who loves hockey and reading. We got some of his backstory in the earlier books. But in this one, I was prepared to get fully immersed. And instead we don't get that. We get hints of that though when Arden has Brian's parents echo concerns about him hanging out with two white girls and forgetting how much he loves hockey and his grades have dropped. One wonders why Ollie's dad and Coco's mom haven't said anything yet. And we get Brian realizing that he has forgotten and pushed away his other friends, like Phil. And I wish that the book had been longer to explore that, but nope. We don't get that. We pretty much get everyone in peril. Some more peril and then an awful choice is made and that is it.

We don't get Ollie or Coco's perspectives in this one. Which after what occurred, was a bad idea. And this is from someone who complained that the last book didn't have enough of Coco in it. It's also interesting to see how not selfish, but blind the trio was in thinking they are the only ones who remember or are dealing with the events that happened in "Small Spaces." I wish that Arden had followed that enough so we can see what if any other classmates had the trio been wrong about.

The writing was fine. Arden has written scarier stuff. This book was just okay on the horror scale to me. The flow was actually really good. The book itself was just too short. And reading enough about the fourth planned book had me going meh. I assume that we will be in "Summer" so we have Arden playing with all four seasons or something.

Книжни Криле

Няма скрито-покрито! Поредицата на Катрин Арден „Скришни места“ вече е трилогия, а новия том от сагата на Оли, Брайън и Коко се нарича „Черни води“ (изд. „Orange Books“). Знаем, че ще го посрещнете с усмивка! Но и този път завръщането на Усмихнатия няма да е повод за радост за нашите герои… А на тях им беше крайно време за заслужено бягство от клаустрофобичните пространства, превърнали се в сцена на толкова много ужас. Но кой да предположи, че едно наглед съвсем невинно пътуване по вода ще се превърне в началото на нов кошмар? (И в продължението на една от най-грабващите детско-юношески книжни хорър серии!) Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле“:
https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...

Rachael Fryman

Available NOW!

One Sentence Summary: The gang (plus a newcomer) is back for the Spring episode and this time they are up against the lake monster of Lake Champlain and not everyone will make it home!

Reminds Me of: A Harry Potter-esque friend group set in a Goosebumps novel.

Three Reasons You Should Read This:
1) This series is perfect for MG readers looking for something spooky!
2) How can you pass up a spooky book about a lake monster?
3) The ending! *gasp*

One Thing You Should Know Before You Pick it Up:
While you could pick this book up out of order and simply enjoy the spooky adventure, I would highly recommend reading at least the first book (Small Spaces) if not also the second one (Dead Voices), too. You'll get a lot more of the references the main three friends make about their back stories.

*Disclaimer - I received an early reading copy for review from the publisher via Edelweiss.*

Mila

That was a real spooky book just like the first two, though not as scary as Dead Voices. The pacing was a bit weird, I felt that the ending came very abruptly but still, that cliffhanger!

Eda

3.5

Seride en az sevdiğim kitap bu oldu. Bir şey eksikti sanki bilmiyorum. Pek ısınamadım.

The Captain

Ahoy there me mateys! Ever since I read the bear and the nightingale, I have been in love with this author’s writing. So of course I have been reading her middle-grade novels because I don’t put age limits on reading. And this was a fun third book. Aye, this is a review of a book three where I will try to post no spoilers but continue at yer own peril . . .

In this one, the gang (Coco, Ollie, and Brian) are supposed to go on a fun cruise on Lake Champlain to search for a sea (lake!) monster! A sea yarn with beasties. I read this one by a lake with the foggy mist roiling across the water as far as the eye could see. And I loved every minute.

This be Brian’s story mostly. The lovely sail turns into a nightmare. There be shipwrecks, ghosts, monsters, a deserted island, a countdown, and of course the Big Bad. This book gave me tingles and I read it in one delicious sitting. It is action packed, creepy, and wonderful.

One of the best parts about this series is that there are consequences for the kids having experienced the prior dangers. Bad dreams, worry, and friendship tensions are all realistic effects of their adventures. And yet, Brian, Ollie, and Coco are still trying to overcome their situations and be understanding of each other. The parents are also very concerned and caring even if they don’t completely understand.

Another element of interest was how the “frenemy” Phil is dealt with in the novel. I can’t get into details because of spoilers but I loved how assumptions on all sides are examined and especially how they are resolved.

This was an excellent book for the beginning of the Halloween season. I am looking forward to the last book in the quartet. So far we have dealt with autumn, winter. and spring Can’t wait for summer’s grand finale. Arrrr!

Side Note: Lake Champlain in Vermont is awesome. I loved it there. As for searching for sea monsters. Not only is their supposed to be one in Lake Champlain but back in the old home port of Baltimore, there is Chessie, the Chesapeake Bay monster. I haven’t seen either of them but I will keep a lookout!

Jenny

I love Katherine Arden! I’ve read all of her books. Small Spaces & Dead Voices were great! Arden has such a wonderful way of writing- you really feel like you are there with the characters. I felt fall and winter in her first two Small Spaces- I could see it, feel it, and smell the smells. Small Spaces was creepy and fun! Dead Voices was so spooky, wonderful!

Unfortunately, Dark Waters didn’t quite measure up. It felt rushed, and lacked depth. It almost felt like half of a book. By the time things really got going, it was over. While there was a sea monster… it didn’t have the same spooky feeling of the previous books in this series, which was disappointing. However, the cliffhanger at the end was awesome! I’m looking forward to the 4th book, hoping it brings the series to a good finish.

Maria

впервые поругаю кэтрин арден - камон, это не книга, это эпизод из книги! короткий отрывок, в котором произошло, по сути, одно значимое событие (оставшееся, впрочем, за пределами повествования), не раскрылись никакие персонажи и не появился главный антагонист! есть ощущение, что сказать было нечего, потому что основная история припасена на финалку серии, а книга уже продана, поэтому вот такая вот поделка выпустилась

Ari

Well, this is horribly disappointing after how much enjoyment I wrung out of Dead Voices. But, honestly, the best (and most exciting) thing about the book was the way that it ended. Aside from the mild excitement of their boat being destroyed then sinking in the first few chapters, the story fell flat and lacked the eerie depth of the previous book.

What a shame.

Abby Johnson

Holy cliffhanger, Batman....

Dessislava

Най-малко любимата ми от поредицата дотук, но все пак чудесна.

Mel (Epic Reading)

Well this third instalment in the series is frustrating!! Not only does it not end, a literal cliffhanger, but also it is about 60 pages shorter than expected. The publisher has a number of chapter excerpts at the back of the book and so when the ending abruptly came upon me I was so frustrated, unhappy, and to top it off book 4 has a huge hold list at my library. *sigh*

Okay I know these are all book world problems and none of them major in anyones overall existence. But be warned the cliffhanger here is much worse than the ending of the last two books.
As with the first two this story features our three main characters, almost involves an adult or two, and adds a fourth child to make our team a quartet. I liked the new addition to the team and look forward (hope?) to see all four of them in the next (and last) instalment of the series.

In the meantime I’ll just sit here and stew about how the smiling man appears to be both winning and losing; which is scary enough in and of itself.

breana / milkyboos ♡

the characters hold a special place in my heart (especially ollie and coco, my brave girls!)

i didn’t get as much of the chills reading this as i wish i did though, and i purposefully read late at night as well; that’s really the only let down as i was expecting to feel a bit more fear than i ultimately did ;-;

still a really fun & fast autumn/spooky season read though!

Shannon

Another great addition to the Small spaces middle grade horror series! This instalment sees the friends stranded on an island in the summer with a dangerous water snake and a ghostly sailor. Friendships are tested the Smiling man makes a final bargain setting up for the fourth and final book. Great on audio and definitely worth checking out if you like a well written #SpookySeason middle grade adventure.

Sandra Nedopričljivica

U ovom dijelu mi je, nažalost, falilo akcije. Ipak, veselim se sljedećoj...

Габриела Иванова

Сигурно вече знаете, че станах фен на поредицата. Досега с нищо не ме е разочаровала. И "Черни води" не ме. Да, беше малко по-различна от предните две, но ми хареса и се насладих на историята супер много.
Може би трябва да започна с това кое е различното. Като за начало, Фил зае по-видно участие в сюжета, а Оли остана доста назаден план. Тройката Коко, Оли, Брайън леко се разкъса и това бих сметнала за минус.
Също така, историята не беше така страшна като предходните в поредицата. Но нямах проблем с това. Обстановката пак си беше топ. Арден успява във всяка книга да я изрисува по различен начин, така че на читателя да не му е еднотипно и скучно. Тук героите корабокрушират на необитаем остров и проследяваме опитите им да се измъкнат.
Както и предположих още в "Мъртви гласове", сега главен разказвач беше Брайън. Единствено исках да му се обърне малко повече внимание. Твърде малко видях от нег��.
В обобщение хубава атмосфера, бързо се четеше, интересно приключение и финал, каращ те да искаш да започнеш следващата част веднага. Свалям с една звезда единствено заради дребните минусчета, които споменах по-горе. Но това определено не означава, че книгата не е хубава! Прочетете четирилогията, заслужава си!😉

Madison

This is honestly my favorite of the three. A lot of the reviews say it's not as scary as the first two, and while I concede the premise is not as viscerally terrifying, this book was equally as scary for me personally, just in a different way. I also appreciated that this book dealt a bit with the lingering effects of a traumatic experience on kids.

Title	:	Dark Waters (Small Spaces, #3)
Author	:	Katherine Arden
Rating	:
ISBN	:	0593109155
ISBN-10	:	9780593109151
Language	:	English
Format Type	:	Hardcover
Number of Pages	:	256
Publication	:	First published August 10, 2021

Dark Waters (Small Spaces, #3) by Katherine Arden

Dark Waters (Small Spaces, #3) Reviews

Dark Waters (Small Spaces, #3) Reviews

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