Empty Smiles
(Sprache: Englisch)
New York Times bestselling author Katherine Arden thrills once again in the finale to the critically acclaimed, bone-chilling quartet that began with Small Spaces. Now in paperback.
It s been three months since Ollie made a daring deal with the...
It s been three months since Ollie made a daring deal with the...
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New York Times bestselling author Katherine Arden thrills once again in the finale to the critically acclaimed, bone-chilling quartet that began with Small Spaces. Now in paperback.It s been three months since Ollie made a daring deal with the smiling man to save those she loved, and then vanished without a trace. The smiling man promised Coco, Brian and Phil, that they d have a chance to save her, but as time goes by, they begin to worry that the smiling man has lied to them and Ollie is gone forever. But then a terrified and rambling boy who went missing at a nearby traveling carnival appears with a message for the trio from the mysterious man who took him: Play if you dare.
Game on! The smiling man has finally made his move. Now it s Coco, Brian, and Phil s turn to make theirs. And they know just where to start. The traveling carnival is coming to Evansburg.
Meanwhile, Ollie is trapped in the world behind the mist, learning the horrifying secrets of the smiling man's carnival, and trying everything to help her friends find her. Brian, Coco and Phil will risk everything to rescue Ollie but they all soon realize this game is much more dangerous than the ones before. This time the smiling man is playing for keeps.
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Chapter OneSummer in East Evansburg, and a sun like a hot white eye glared down at the cracked and shriveling earth. It hadn't rained in weeks. Months. The April showers had come on time, but May was dry as dust, and June brought in a thick, sticky heat that refused to go away. The sun parched the new leaves as they opened, and made them curl up like caterpillars on their twigs.
July came, but the rain didn't. Families' wells went dry, so they had to truck in water, and the sticky air lay like a hot puddle in houses and never seemed to go, no matter how often they opened and shut the windows. The only people who enjoyed the heat were kids and the makers of creemees. And even for kids, riding bikes around town started to lose its appeal, with the sun glaring down.
Swimming holes were mobbed every weekend.
The East Evansburg swimming hole was on Lethe Creek. A cold green place in the stream where the water slipped under a covered bridge. Little kids liked to play on the rocks there. On really hot days, parents set up their chairs right in the water, dipping their feet and calling to their neighbors.
On a Saturday in late August, the heat lay on people's necks like a hand. Parents in chairs kept soaking their T-shirts and wearing them wet against the white-eyeball sun. Kids chased dogs into and out of the water. People shouted and people laughed.
Six parents sat with their chairs arranged in a tight circle, right in the water, so their bare feet stayed wet. Three of them were moms, and three were dads.
They weren't laughing.
"Coco won't talk to me," one said. Her blond hair was plaited down her back, and she wore a plaid shirt over her swimsuit, to protect her skin from the sun. Coco was her daughter. "But something's wrong. I just know it."
The man next to her had dark, sad eyes. He took her hand but didn't say anything. He'd had a daughter named Olivia, but she was dead. She'd died in a boating accident on Lake Champlain.
... mehr
Just that May. A few months ago. Sometimes he dreamed that she wasn't dead. Sometimes he dreamed that she was looking for him. But he knew those were just dreams. She was dead.
He loved Coco, though. Loved her almost as much as the daughter he'd lost.
"Brian won't talk to us either," Brian's mom said. Her swimsuit was orange, her expression serious.
"It's just darn it " another dad said. He had glasses and threw his head back when he drank his ginger ale. His son's name was Philip Greenblatt. "Something's wrong, but they won't trust us with it! They just say, 'No, everything's fine, Dad, I'm going to Brian's for a sleepover.' Or wherever. But they're all jumping at shadows. I know Phil isn't sleeping."
Coco's mom said, "Coco cries in her sleep sometimes. She's been having nightmares. I she used to talk to me all the time, but now it really is like she doesn't trust me anymore." She rolled her drink between her hands without drinking it. The sun beat down on all of them.
"I'm worried," Brian's mom said.
"We're all worried," put in her husband.
"Especially since those two kids disappeared," Brian's mom went on. She lifted her hair off her neck. "Parents have a right to be worried, don't they? What were their names? Ruth and Tim? Just snatched right out of the Rutland fairgrounds. Awful."
They all exchanged dark looks. Behind them, most of the kids of Evansburg were splashing and yelling in the water.
Phil's mother said, "I have half a mind to keep Phil and Mikey home. When the fair comes here this year."
"Or at least keep a close eye," Coco's mom said.
Brian's mom said impatiently, "But whatever's bothering the kids it started before this summer. It started with that field trip last October. Doctor says Brian's fine, but . . ."
"Maybe we should keep the kids apart?" Coco's mom said.
The rest of
He loved Coco, though. Loved her almost as much as the daughter he'd lost.
"Brian won't talk to us either," Brian's mom said. Her swimsuit was orange, her expression serious.
"It's just darn it " another dad said. He had glasses and threw his head back when he drank his ginger ale. His son's name was Philip Greenblatt. "Something's wrong, but they won't trust us with it! They just say, 'No, everything's fine, Dad, I'm going to Brian's for a sleepover.' Or wherever. But they're all jumping at shadows. I know Phil isn't sleeping."
Coco's mom said, "Coco cries in her sleep sometimes. She's been having nightmares. I she used to talk to me all the time, but now it really is like she doesn't trust me anymore." She rolled her drink between her hands without drinking it. The sun beat down on all of them.
"I'm worried," Brian's mom said.
"We're all worried," put in her husband.
"Especially since those two kids disappeared," Brian's mom went on. She lifted her hair off her neck. "Parents have a right to be worried, don't they? What were their names? Ruth and Tim? Just snatched right out of the Rutland fairgrounds. Awful."
They all exchanged dark looks. Behind them, most of the kids of Evansburg were splashing and yelling in the water.
Phil's mother said, "I have half a mind to keep Phil and Mikey home. When the fair comes here this year."
"Or at least keep a close eye," Coco's mom said.
Brian's mom said impatiently, "But whatever's bothering the kids it started before this summer. It started with that field trip last October. Doctor says Brian's fine, but . . ."
"Maybe we should keep the kids apart?" Coco's mom said.
The rest of
... weniger
Autoren-Porträt von Katherine Arden
Katherine Arden is the New York Times bestselling author of the Winternight trilogy and the Small Spaces quartet. In addition to writing novels, she enjoys aimless travel, growing vegetables, and running wild through the woods with her dog. She lives in Vermont.
Bibliographische Angaben
- Autor: Katherine Arden
- Altersempfehlung: Ab 10 Jahre
- 2023, 224 Seiten, Maße: 12,7 x 19,5 cm, Kartoniert (TB), Englisch
- Verlag: Penguin US
- ISBN-10: 0593109201
- ISBN-13: 9780593109205
- Erscheinungsdatum: 15.09.2023
Sprache:
Englisch
Pressezitat
Praise for Empty Smiles:For a fully fearful adventure, pick up this . . .chilling ghost story . . . certain to keep even the bravest readers up until the sun comes up. B&N Reads
The terror continues for Ollie, Coco, Brian, and Phil in this frightening series finale. . . Arden never disappoints with her thrilling, spine-tingling scenes and this book is full of them. First came scarecrows, ghosts, and monsters, but she has saved the best for last: evil clowns! Verdict: Fans of the series won t be disappointed. School Library Journal
Arden once again flexes her gift for atmospheric writing to envelop readers in the story s eerie mist. The expert use of pacing and sensory cues sights, sounds, and smells helps heighten the genuinely terrifying chase scenes. Chess matches and conversations between Ollie and the smiling man humanize the shape-shifting villain, exposing just enough of his motives to wrap up unanswered questions. . . A thrilling and chilling end to a standard-setting series. Kirkus Reviews
The final book in Arden s quartet that started with Small Spaces (2018) deliciously ramps up the scares. . .Fittingly creepy. . .the unsettling atmosphere will delight middle-grade horror fans who want to send a chill up their spines. Booklist
Delivering an atmospheric, scary carnival horror with nail-biting twists and turns, Empty Smiles is a spooky, sinister and satisfying conclusion to the beloved Small Spaces series. Readers looking for answers, an epic showdown and intense scenes that are sure to induce goosebumps will get their money s worth! The Nerd Daily
Praise for Dark Waters:
An Amazon Best Book August 2021
Arden skillfully blends a creature feature with a survival tale, taking the series into new territory without deviating from its successful formula. The deliberate pacing
... mehr
maintains a palpable sense of dread, equally anxiety-inducing and terrifying. . . Another deliciously hair-raising entry in a series that continues to make a huge splash. Kirkus Reviews
Describing the creepy setting where all the action takes place with cinematic detail, Arden piles on the terror, weaving in Lake Champlain history and pirate lore. Buffalo News
The ending definitely ramped up the stakes once more and I m now anxiously awaiting the conclusion to this dark, creepy middle-grade series. If you haven t picked up this series yet, now is the perfect time to do so, if only to suffer with us all through the wait for the final book. The Nerd Daily
Genuinely spooky . . . Arden s expert pacing and vivid descriptions ratchet up the tension deliciously, build eerie atmosphere, and make for some truly scary moments . . . [and] a tense cliff-hanger, which will leave readers on the hook for the next installment. Booklist
Those who are attracted to mystery, adventure, and spooky stories will be drawn to this sequel like a moth to a flame. School Library Journal
In this hair-raising novel . . . middle-grade readers, ages 8-12, and their adult reading companions, will be thrilled, and frightened, by this latest adventure. . . This is a very fun, and eerie, read-aloud. Addison County Independent
Praise for Dead Voices:
Arden handily transforms the haunted house story into something much richer, scarier, and more sinister. . . Middle-graders who thrill to spooks and scares will find plenty (maybe even more than they bargained for!) here. Booklist, starred review
Arden's high scare factor, richly drawn mountain setting, relevant themes of loss and belonging, and vividly eerie descriptions evoke the very best of horror for this age set. Kirkus Reviews, starred review
In this spooky sequel to Small Spaces, Arden excels at creating an atmosphere of claustrophobic tension with memorably menacing details. Readers will again be invested in the ghoulish surprises in store for the resourceful, likably flawed protagonists. Publishers Weekly, starred review
Praise for Small Spaces:
Three Starred Reviews
22 State Awards
A Kirkus Best Book of 2018 Middle-Grade
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2018 Middle-Grade
A Chicago Public Library s Best of the Best Books of 2018
An Amazon Best Book October 2018
A CCBC Choices List Pick 2019
An ALA Notable Children s Book 2019
Atmospheric horror at its best. Chillingly tender. Kirkus, starred review
With a tantalizing pace and palpable suspense, all nicely grounded in realistic emotions, this well-wrought spine-tingler is destined to be a hit (just makes sure the lights stay on). Booklist, starred review
Riveting The story moves at a good pace with just enough clues to keep the reader intrigued and guessing. School Library Connection, starred review
Is it a mystery? A fairy tale? A horror thriller? As the suspense gripped me, I just wanted to know one thing WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Terrifying and fun. R. L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series
Describing the creepy setting where all the action takes place with cinematic detail, Arden piles on the terror, weaving in Lake Champlain history and pirate lore. Buffalo News
The ending definitely ramped up the stakes once more and I m now anxiously awaiting the conclusion to this dark, creepy middle-grade series. If you haven t picked up this series yet, now is the perfect time to do so, if only to suffer with us all through the wait for the final book. The Nerd Daily
Genuinely spooky . . . Arden s expert pacing and vivid descriptions ratchet up the tension deliciously, build eerie atmosphere, and make for some truly scary moments . . . [and] a tense cliff-hanger, which will leave readers on the hook for the next installment. Booklist
Those who are attracted to mystery, adventure, and spooky stories will be drawn to this sequel like a moth to a flame. School Library Journal
In this hair-raising novel . . . middle-grade readers, ages 8-12, and their adult reading companions, will be thrilled, and frightened, by this latest adventure. . . This is a very fun, and eerie, read-aloud. Addison County Independent
Praise for Dead Voices:
Arden handily transforms the haunted house story into something much richer, scarier, and more sinister. . . Middle-graders who thrill to spooks and scares will find plenty (maybe even more than they bargained for!) here. Booklist, starred review
Arden's high scare factor, richly drawn mountain setting, relevant themes of loss and belonging, and vividly eerie descriptions evoke the very best of horror for this age set. Kirkus Reviews, starred review
In this spooky sequel to Small Spaces, Arden excels at creating an atmosphere of claustrophobic tension with memorably menacing details. Readers will again be invested in the ghoulish surprises in store for the resourceful, likably flawed protagonists. Publishers Weekly, starred review
Praise for Small Spaces:
Three Starred Reviews
22 State Awards
A Kirkus Best Book of 2018 Middle-Grade
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2018 Middle-Grade
A Chicago Public Library s Best of the Best Books of 2018
An Amazon Best Book October 2018
A CCBC Choices List Pick 2019
An ALA Notable Children s Book 2019
Atmospheric horror at its best. Chillingly tender. Kirkus, starred review
With a tantalizing pace and palpable suspense, all nicely grounded in realistic emotions, this well-wrought spine-tingler is destined to be a hit (just makes sure the lights stay on). Booklist, starred review
Riveting The story moves at a good pace with just enough clues to keep the reader intrigued and guessing. School Library Connection, starred review
Is it a mystery? A fairy tale? A horror thriller? As the suspense gripped me, I just wanted to know one thing WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Terrifying and fun. R. L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series
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