confessionsofabibliophile's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Historical Fantasy/ Gothic Fantasy. Fast Paced. 5 Stars.
Themes: Loss, Love, Betrayal, Loyalty, Folk lore, Religion
"Be careful what you say in the dark of the night, Ellerie Downing, lest you promise something you might regret."
Amity Falls, God' Grasp valley somewhere in the new world (America's). I wish I could say this was a quaint tiny town in the middle of nowhere far off the beaten path from society. I mean technically it is that, but quaint not really. It is a town gripped by fear of what lies beyond the bells. A town that was settled many years ago in the time of wagon trains by families who clutched onto superstitions, lore and fear of the unknown. They put together a place that to the naked eye was perfect, protected and the best place to live, away from the monsters of the forest and the world. A town with rules, set by elders made up of founding families. A town with a hive mentality of a way of life and a way of doing things. They used a vote system to determine some events. Casting votes in a ceremony that stained your skin as a reminder to you and the rest of the town your choice and side in the matter for days to come, like a scarlet letter.
If the vote didn't decide it fell upon the shoulders of the Elders to decide the best course of action for Amity Falls to take. When I first dove into the book it reminded me a lot of that one M. Night Shyamalan, movie, The Village and to be honest how the story was tracking I thought that is exactly where this was headed, but boy was I wrong and it was a VERY welcoming surprise. The hive mentality of the town is a theme throughout the book, which is where I will introduce the main character Ellerie Downing. Her family is a founding family and they are the apiarists of the town, that's right the town with a hive complex actually have local beekeepers. She is from a family of 6. Mama, who can bake the best honey cake in the area that is rivalled by none, Papa who's honey is spoken about far and wide, Samuel; Ellerie's twin brother older by mere seconds who I ended up DESPISING throughout most the book. Ellerie, she is the level-headed, strong work ethic, has her own will underneath the rules and is smart. Merry, middle sister who is intelligent, very matter of fact but so devout when it comes to their religion. Sadie, she is the youngest Downing and honestly she is a sassy smart seven year old who is often running around with her imaginary friend Abigail. For what seemed like a normal town, it was not. Strange things begin to happen and I was often left thinking what in the hell is going on but I couldn't put the book down, I was enthralled and needed to know. The town has a bunch of horrible things happen, I won't get too into cause of spoilers. The new trappers in the area and the mutated woodland creatures are some of the oddities that befall Amity Falls. It is a story of love, family, survival, loss, and finding the truth. There were a couple predictable components, the character Whitaker being one of them, I saw that curve ball a million miles away, but Craig does a brilliant job not to divulge all the cards at play so easily. This is my first Erin Craig book and it won't be the last. It ended perfectly tied but I hope for a sequel. I want to know where the Downings go from here.
I definitely recommend. I can't wait to start House of Salt and Sorrow. Erin Craigs writing was so addictive, I could not put this down.
Themes: Loss, Love, Betrayal, Loyalty, Folk lore, Religion
"Be careful what you say in the dark of the night, Ellerie Downing, lest you promise something you might regret."
Amity Falls, God' Grasp valley somewhere in the new world (America's). I wish I could say this was a quaint tiny town in the middle of nowhere far off the beaten path from society. I mean technically it is that, but quaint not really. It is a town gripped by fear of what lies beyond the bells. A town that was settled many years ago in the time of wagon trains by families who clutched onto superstitions, lore and fear of the unknown. They put together a place that to the naked eye was perfect, protected and the best place to live, away from the monsters of the forest and the world. A town with rules, set by elders made up of founding families. A town with a hive mentality of a way of life and a way of doing things. They used a vote system to determine some events. Casting votes in a ceremony that stained your skin as a reminder to you and the rest of the town your choice and side in the matter for days to come, like a scarlet letter.
If the vote didn't decide it fell upon the shoulders of the Elders to decide the best course of action for Amity Falls to take. When I first dove into the book it reminded me a lot of that one M. Night Shyamalan, movie, The Village and to be honest how the story was tracking I thought that is exactly where this was headed, but boy was I wrong and it was a VERY welcoming surprise. The hive mentality of the town is a theme throughout the book, which is where I will introduce the main character Ellerie Downing. Her family is a founding family and they are the apiarists of the town, that's right the town with a hive complex actually have local beekeepers. She is from a family of 6. Mama, who can bake the best honey cake in the area that is rivalled by none, Papa who's honey is spoken about far and wide, Samuel; Ellerie's twin brother older by mere seconds who I ended up DESPISING throughout most the book. Ellerie, she is the level-headed, strong work ethic, has her own will underneath the rules and is smart. Merry, middle sister who is intelligent, very matter of fact but so devout when it comes to their religion. Sadie, she is the youngest Downing and honestly she is a sassy smart seven year old who is often running around with her imaginary friend Abigail. For what seemed like a normal town, it was not. Strange things begin to happen and I was often left thinking what in the hell is going on but I couldn't put the book down, I was enthralled and needed to know. The town has a bunch of horrible things happen, I won't get too into cause of spoilers. The new trappers in the area and the mutated woodland creatures are some of the oddities that befall Amity Falls. It is a story of love, family, survival, loss, and finding the truth. There were a couple predictable components, the character Whitaker being one of them, I saw that curve ball a million miles away, but Craig does a brilliant job not to divulge all the cards at play so easily. This is my first Erin Craig book and it won't be the last. It ended perfectly tied but I hope for a sequel. I want to know where the Downings go from here.
I definitely recommend. I can't wait to start House of Salt and Sorrow. Erin Craigs writing was so addictive, I could not put this down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Gun violence, Pregnancy, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Child death, Miscarriage, Classism, and Alcoholism
kaitlynnnng's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Something I enjoyed about this book was that, when I started a chapter, I never knew how I would feel by the end of it. There was a mix of regular small-town living, the supernatural and fantastical, and mystery. I don’t think there was too much of one thing.
Some of the twists were easy to see coming once other twists were introduced.
I appreciate the themes of the story.
Some of the twists were easy to see coming once other twists were introduced.
Spoiler
For example, I knew “Uncle Ezra” and Whitaker were both suspicious, but once we learned who “Uncle Ezra” really was, it was easy to see that Whitaker was the Dark Watcher.I appreciate the themes of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Murder, and Death of parent
Minor: Abandonment, Vomit, and Religious bigotry
immovabletype's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, and Xenophobia
Minor: Misogyny
jwhitlow91's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Pregnancy, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Gun violence, Medical content, and Alcoholism
Minor: Vomit, Miscarriage, and Suicide
tetedump's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Gun violence, and Murder
ashlikes's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Animal death, Death of parent, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Child death, Miscarriage, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, and Alcoholism
tkatt20's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Small Favors was everything I had hoped it would be and more. This book had the perfect amount of suspense and untrustworthy characters, I found myself completely unable to put it down. Every character had a story and role to play and different motives, it plays masterfully into the human condition and how some people will do anything in their power to help themselves or the ones they love. It makes you think twice about trusting anyone you meet or even your family. This was definitely more of a slow burn thriller with a lot of suspense leading up to the ending, but its so well written I never felt it was boring. There was always some sort of action or event going on, and I loved the descriptions of the bees added in between and how it weaves in with the darker aspects of the story.
While I did truly love this book, I do believe it could have used an extra chapter right at the end or an epilogue. Open-ended books can work in many cases, but I dont usually favor them, and there was one very glaring question I was left with that would have been resolved by this addition and would have made this book perfect for me. Any books by Erin A. Craig have been added to my must buy list and I'm looking forward to any future novels by her!
While I did truly love this book, I do believe it could have used an extra chapter right at the end or an epilogue. Open-ended books can work in many cases, but I dont usually favor them, and there was one very glaring question I was left with that would have been resolved by this addition and would have made this book perfect for me. Any books by Erin A. Craig have been added to my must buy list and I'm looking forward to any future novels by her!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
Minor: Religious bigotry, Vomit, and Suicide
tays_books's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Gun violence, and Pregnancy
Minor: Suicide
vexed_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gun violence, Death, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Pregnancy
enchantedtoreadyou's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Best book of 2021, hands down.
This story was so twisty and turvy. I didn't know who to trust, who was good or bad. Sometimes I even had doubts about Ellerie, our main character.
I absolutely adored Ellerie. She was thrust into a position of responsibility over her family when her mom and dad had to leave. She states she wasn't ready for it, but she tackled it and did the best she could. She was a strong, resilient character.
Whitaker, the male MC. Man, what can I say. I went back and forth with him! I loved him and hated him and hated to love him. All the while I was rooting for he and Ellerie, even though I wasn't sure if there could be a good outcome.
Most of the supporting characters were great and had their own voice. They were easy to stand out from each other. I did get confused with the elders and the preacher of the town. The four of them were just too similar to me.
This is a story about resiliency, hope, and putting your hive's needs above your own. If you want a story that keeps you guessing until the very last page, please pick this one up.
This story was so twisty and turvy. I didn't know who to trust, who was good or bad. Sometimes I even had doubts about Ellerie, our main character.
I absolutely adored Ellerie. She was thrust into a position of responsibility over her family when her mom and dad had to leave. She states she wasn't ready for it, but she tackled it and did the best she could. She was a strong, resilient character.
Whitaker, the male MC. Man, what can I say. I went back and forth with him! I loved him and hated him and hated to love him. All the while I was rooting for he and Ellerie, even though I wasn't sure if there could be a good outcome.
Most of the supporting characters were great and had their own voice. They were easy to stand out from each other. I did get confused with the elders and the preacher of the town. The four of them were just too similar to me.
This is a story about resiliency, hope, and putting your hive's needs above your own. If you want a story that keeps you guessing until the very last page, please pick this one up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury