Small Spaces

When Ollie sees the crying woman by the river, she knows she should look away, but she can't.  Then the woman tries to throw her book in the river, and Ollie can't stand it; she grabs the book to save it from destruction. 

The book tells the story of Beth, the two brothers who loved her, and the smiling man who will grant your wish but only for a price.  Ollie can't stop reading and even brings the book with her on a class field trip to a local farm.

She's surprised to find the crying woman is the owner of the farm, and she is acting like she doesn't recognize Ollie.  Smoke Hollow has its own tragic history, and when Ollie finds a graveyard with the very names from her book, she begins to wonder if the story is true. 

Then the bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere.  When the teacher goes for help, the strange bus driver warns the kids they should get moving because night is coming soon, and "they'll be coming for the rest of you."  Ollie isn't sure why she believes him, but she and two other kids decide to leave the bus and keep to the small spaces as the driver warns. 

Could the smiling man be real?  What about the strange scarecrows that seem to follow them with their eyes and move when no one is looking?  Now Ollie has only the old book and the driver's warnings to keep her safe in Smoke Hollow.

Catherine Arden's new book is a creepy ghost story with the mysterious smiling man at its center and his animated scarecrows who house the souls he has taken.  This book also deals effectively with Ollie's grief over her mother's recent death.  Highly recommended!