“Brian belatedly realized that if you told a lot of lies, even if it was for a good reason, like trying to keep people safe, it started to get hard to trust that other people were telling the truth.”
Katherine Arden, Dark Waters
The previous year was unlike any other for friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian. After surviving two season’s of the Smiling Man’s games, the group is wary after his last sinister message, “until next time.” It is spring and the kids and their families are taking a boat ride in Lake Champlain. They board a vessel with a captain who tells them of the lake monster who is said to have taken down crews many years ago. All seems to be going well until the kids, including Brian’s old friend Phil, receive a message that triggers the start of a new game. The boat and its passengers are in peril, and it is up to Brian and his survival skills to see them through to the end.
I was very excited to receive my signed copy of Dark Waters in August. The “Small Spaces” world is oddly comforting despite the constant terrors. This book delivered on the cozy details that Arden is so wonderful at writing. Anytime she writes about Ollie’s dad and what he cooks or even the kids clothing, I am entranced by the soothing imagery. Speaking of, something that really brought this series together, in this book specifically, is how much we hear from the parents. It’s Middle Grade so I don’t expect there to be that much parental involvement, but it was nice to see them along for the boating excursion. They were pretty involved in the game throughout the entire book whereas they weren’t as prevalent before.
After the scary pumpkin patch and haunted inn settings of the first two books, I was a little less into the piratic themed setting of Dark Waters. Don’t get me wrong, the story is as strong as its precursors, and I am willing to admit that this opinion comes down to preference, but I just didn’t find the stakes as spooky as the first two. I have read similar comments from other reviews. It reads a bit more like an adventure story rather than the scary adventures that Arden has written before.
Nevertheless, I am a huge fan of the “Small Spaces” series. I am eagerly waiting for the summer book, especially after a massive cliffhanger. If you still, after all of my yakking, haven’t at least considered reading the first book, then please do so now! Small Spaces and Dead Voices will make your hair stand on end, and Dark Waters is a lot of stressful fun!
Thanks for reading.
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