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Small Spaces
We don’t pick and choose what to be afraid of. It's like our fears pick us.
Seventeen-year-old Tash Carmody has been traumatised since childhood, when she witnessed her gruesome imaginary friend Sparrow lure young Mallory Fisher away from a carnival. At the time nobody believed Tash, and she has since come to accept that Sparrow wasn’t real. Now fifteen and mute, Mallory’s never spoken about the week she went missing.
As disturbing memories resurface, Tash starts to see Sparrow again. And she realises Mallory is the key to unlocking the truth about a dark secret connecting them. Does Sparrow exist after all? Or is Tash more dangerous to others than she thinks?
Seventeen-year-old Tash Carmody has been traumatised since childhood, when she witnessed her gruesome imaginary friend Sparrow lure young Mallory Fisher away from a carnival. At the time nobody believed Tash, and she has since come to accept that Sparrow wasn’t real. Now fifteen and mute, Mallory’s never spoken about the week she went missing.
As disturbing memories resurface, Tash starts to see Sparrow again. And she realises Mallory is the key to unlocking the truth about a dark secret connecting them. Does Sparrow exist after all? Or is Tash more dangerous to others than she thinks?
414 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2018
70 people are currently reading
3994 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Epstein
7 books138 followersSarah Epstein is an award-winning Australian author who resides in Melbourne with her family. Her young adult novels have been translated into multiple languages and have also been nominated for numerous literary awards. Sarah is the recipient of the Adelaide Festival Young Adult Fiction Award, the Davitt Award for Best YA Crime Novel, Honour Book from the Children’s Book Council of Australia, and CBCA Notable Book. Sarah’s short fiction is featured in the Hometown Haunts anthology, and she also writes and illustrates picture books.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 473 reviews
June 22, 2019
A solid psychological thriller that had me feeling jumpy, so I guessed this book did it’s job of keeping me thrilled!
A great debut book with a complex storyline, one that reeled me in with it’s characters and creep factor. When the lead character is questioning her own sanity and you realise she’s an unreliable narrator you know this is going to be a fun ride. The ending was eventful and I enjoyed the way the story played out. I’ve not read many exciting psychological thrillers by Australian authors so I’m a little excited by this one!
A great debut book with a complex storyline, one that reeled me in with it’s characters and creep factor. When the lead character is questioning her own sanity and you realise she’s an unreliable narrator you know this is going to be a fun ride. The ending was eventful and I enjoyed the way the story played out. I’ve not read many exciting psychological thrillers by Australian authors so I’m a little excited by this one!
August 9, 2019
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**4.5 stars**
Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein. (2018).
*Young Adult*
Tash has been traumatised since age eight when she witnessed her gruesome imaginary friend Sparrow lure six year old Mallory away from a carnival. Nobody believed Tash and now she accepts Sparrow wasn't real. Mallory is now 15, mute, and has never disclosed what happened during that week she was missing. Tash begins not only having disturbing memories but also starts to see Sparrow again...
Tash thinks Mallory is the key to unlocking the truth. Does Sparrow really exist? Or is Tash the dangerous one?
Ohmygosh, this book is fabulous. I am honestly amazed this is the author's debut! The plot is intense and dark. Sparrow is seriously creepy as all hell - I feel like next time I have a nightmare that it'll feature Sparrow. Tash was an interesting lead because what she was saying felt crazy but believable and yet it also felt like she was unreliable; I think there were a few different directions the author could have gone in which leaves the reader in suspense a lot wondering what exactly is going on (in a good way!). I could definitely see this book as a movie in the future.
Definitely an excellent psychological thriller for both adults and mature young adults alike - I didn't want to put it down.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**4.5 stars**
Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein. (2018).
*Young Adult*
Tash has been traumatised since age eight when she witnessed her gruesome imaginary friend Sparrow lure six year old Mallory away from a carnival. Nobody believed Tash and now she accepts Sparrow wasn't real. Mallory is now 15, mute, and has never disclosed what happened during that week she was missing. Tash begins not only having disturbing memories but also starts to see Sparrow again...
Tash thinks Mallory is the key to unlocking the truth. Does Sparrow really exist? Or is Tash the dangerous one?
Ohmygosh, this book is fabulous. I am honestly amazed this is the author's debut! The plot is intense and dark. Sparrow is seriously creepy as all hell - I feel like next time I have a nightmare that it'll feature Sparrow. Tash was an interesting lead because what she was saying felt crazy but believable and yet it also felt like she was unreliable; I think there were a few different directions the author could have gone in which leaves the reader in suspense a lot wondering what exactly is going on (in a good way!). I could definitely see this book as a movie in the future.
Definitely an excellent psychological thriller for both adults and mature young adults alike - I didn't want to put it down.
April 11, 2018
For anyone living outside of Australia, the easiest way to get a copy is through Book Depository!: https://www.bookdepository.com/Small-...
HOLY HECK, ASJGKSJAJWK. No seriously, what just happened? Like, those last 30 or so pages were just... plot twisty so cue more ASJGKSJAJWK. Small Spaces is an outstanding YA debut psychological thriller that kept me hooked. I had lessons most of the day today but honestly, this book kept calling me. I FLIPPING LOVED IT!
OK, so Small Spaces follows our main character Tash, a young seventeen year old girl who as a child, witnessed a young girl called Mallory Fisher being abducted from a carnival. She calls the man who abducts her Sparrow but over time, she is forced into believing that Sparrow is an imaginary person and not a scary, violent man. When the Fisher family moves back to the town from Queensland, Tash learns that Mallory is mute and won't speak verbally to anyone, rather text or draw as a form of communication. She once again connects with Mallory's brother who becomes friendly towards her. Trash struggles with her mental health and after rumours start getting spread, a chance to spend time with her estranged Aunt Ally may give her the break that she needs. Except, that break isn't a relaxing one...
What can I say? This psychological thriller was brilliantly written, the suspense and experiences between Tash and this Sparrow were creepy but made me want to read on. The dialogue kept my interest but please someone make this into a film, I would watch it in a heartbeat! Spooky, thrilling and overall, an excellent read. This is a book YOU MUST ADD TO YOUR TBR PEEPS! PS: I support Love Oz YA and if you are new to reading YA Fiction set in Australia, this is a great book to start with!
HOLY HECK, ASJGKSJAJWK. No seriously, what just happened? Like, those last 30 or so pages were just... plot twisty so cue more ASJGKSJAJWK. Small Spaces is an outstanding YA debut psychological thriller that kept me hooked. I had lessons most of the day today but honestly, this book kept calling me. I FLIPPING LOVED IT!
OK, so Small Spaces follows our main character Tash, a young seventeen year old girl who as a child, witnessed a young girl called Mallory Fisher being abducted from a carnival. She calls the man who abducts her Sparrow but over time, she is forced into believing that Sparrow is an imaginary person and not a scary, violent man. When the Fisher family moves back to the town from Queensland, Tash learns that Mallory is mute and won't speak verbally to anyone, rather text or draw as a form of communication. She once again connects with Mallory's brother who becomes friendly towards her. Trash struggles with her mental health and after rumours start getting spread, a chance to spend time with her estranged Aunt Ally may give her the break that she needs. Except, that break isn't a relaxing one...
What can I say? This psychological thriller was brilliantly written, the suspense and experiences between Tash and this Sparrow were creepy but made me want to read on. The dialogue kept my interest but please someone make this into a film, I would watch it in a heartbeat! Spooky, thrilling and overall, an excellent read. This is a book YOU MUST ADD TO YOUR TBR PEEPS! PS: I support Love Oz YA and if you are new to reading YA Fiction set in Australia, this is a great book to start with!
November 21, 2018
Book Reviewed by Cara on www.whisperingstories.com
Natasha Carmody is trying to live a normal teenage life, but due to dark childhood secrets, she is starting to confuse reality with imagination.
When the Fisher family move back into town, all those thoughts and fears she had tried to forget in the last ten years come flooding back along with Sparrow, the imaginary friend she watched lure six-year-old Mallory Fisher away. Determined to find out what really happened all those years ago, Natasha befriends the family and tries to piece together a childhood nightmare that just won’t go away.
Small Spaces is a well written, easy to read novel that has you guessing throughout. The main character suffers psychological problems which brings on paranoia and so whilst reading you find yourself suspecting everyone and trusting no one. I found myself caring for the main character and getting frustrated with people who were mistreating her. I was very satisfied with the ending and felt no stone had been left unturned.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Small Spaces and found it difficult to put down. I am looking forward to any future books the author may release.
Natasha Carmody is trying to live a normal teenage life, but due to dark childhood secrets, she is starting to confuse reality with imagination.
When the Fisher family move back into town, all those thoughts and fears she had tried to forget in the last ten years come flooding back along with Sparrow, the imaginary friend she watched lure six-year-old Mallory Fisher away. Determined to find out what really happened all those years ago, Natasha befriends the family and tries to piece together a childhood nightmare that just won’t go away.
Small Spaces is a well written, easy to read novel that has you guessing throughout. The main character suffers psychological problems which brings on paranoia and so whilst reading you find yourself suspecting everyone and trusting no one. I found myself caring for the main character and getting frustrated with people who were mistreating her. I was very satisfied with the ending and felt no stone had been left unturned.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Small Spaces and found it difficult to put down. I am looking forward to any future books the author may release.
August 6, 2020
Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein is YA thriller set in good ol’ Australia. It focusses on Tash Carmody, who is still reeling from events nine years ago during her childhood where some messed up traumatic stuff happened involving a lot of things that I won’t mention because of spoilers. Now, if you know me, I don’t read thrillers, ever, I mean, I rarely even delve out beyond fantasy. So, this was nice for a change, and I enjoyed myself. It was fast paced, and the ending was exciting, and tense and I finished the book faster than I expected, which is always a good sign. I also just needed something was a bit quicker than your usual epic fantasy, just because I’m not in the biggest reading mood right now, so this was good, and I liked it.
A lot of things in this book are fairly messed up and there’s a lot of mentally traumatic stuff. The ending is also fairly disturbing and there are a lot of moments throughout out the book that is weird to say the least, if not outright creepy and extremely odd. I found the whole mystery and thriller of it to be well done, and even though this is like my YA thriller, I liked the way things unravelled and at how things progressive grew more interesting as it went on. I also appreciated that the novel wasn’t super centred on the romance(more on this later), so that the real focus on the thriller is really getting to the bottom as to what the heck is going on in my life and why does something not feel right.
I ended up liking most of the characters and there were some aspects that were slightly frustrating, but it’s understandable and these characters are going through moments where things may not all be alright, not to mention that they are teenagers and it’s expected that they will have doubts and uncertainties. I liked the way that Tash was written and whilst I couldn’t directly relate to her problem, I still felt for her and the way that she has been treated by others in her life. Rachael is sort of seen as this ‘bad’ person, but I didn’t really mind her character and this perception we get of her is really just from Tash’s view. Mallory was actually quite interesting and despite the reader spending a decent amount of time with her, she does have this slightly mysterious air to her mainly because of her past which isn’t fully revealed towards the end of the novel.
There is a romance between Tash and Morgan. It moved sort of quickly, but it wasn’t really instalove and they do have period of ups and downs and it isn’t like they are so besotted with each other, but it is much more like more normal teenage relationship, so I was perfectly fine with it. I mean, to be fair, it didn’t add anything to the actual story, but I suppose it helps in terms of character development and there’s some nice scenes between the two. It’s basically standard that any YA novel will some sort of romance, so it was perfectly expected, and it was fine, and didn’t take up that much of the story which I appreciated.
The actual plot was interesting, and the ending was really well written. It heralds for better things to come, while leaving it fairly ambiguous, yet wraps up enough for the reader to be satisfied. There is a fair bit of action, especially at the climatic parts of the book and it managed to be tense and exciting to read so that was awesome.
So, overall, I really enjoyed this, despite not being much of a thriller reader. 8/10
A lot of things in this book are fairly messed up and there’s a lot of mentally traumatic stuff. The ending is also fairly disturbing and there are a lot of moments throughout out the book that is weird to say the least, if not outright creepy and extremely odd. I found the whole mystery and thriller of it to be well done, and even though this is like my YA thriller, I liked the way things unravelled and at how things progressive grew more interesting as it went on. I also appreciated that the novel wasn’t super centred on the romance(more on this later), so that the real focus on the thriller is really getting to the bottom as to what the heck is going on in my life and why does something not feel right.
I ended up liking most of the characters and there were some aspects that were slightly frustrating, but it’s understandable and these characters are going through moments where things may not all be alright, not to mention that they are teenagers and it’s expected that they will have doubts and uncertainties. I liked the way that Tash was written and whilst I couldn’t directly relate to her problem, I still felt for her and the way that she has been treated by others in her life. Rachael is sort of seen as this ‘bad’ person, but I didn’t really mind her character and this perception we get of her is really just from Tash’s view. Mallory was actually quite interesting and despite the reader spending a decent amount of time with her, she does have this slightly mysterious air to her mainly because of her past which isn’t fully revealed towards the end of the novel.
There is a romance between Tash and Morgan. It moved sort of quickly, but it wasn’t really instalove and they do have period of ups and downs and it isn’t like they are so besotted with each other, but it is much more like more normal teenage relationship, so I was perfectly fine with it. I mean, to be fair, it didn’t add anything to the actual story, but I suppose it helps in terms of character development and there’s some nice scenes between the two. It’s basically standard that any YA novel will some sort of romance, so it was perfectly expected, and it was fine, and didn’t take up that much of the story which I appreciated.
The actual plot was interesting, and the ending was really well written. It heralds for better things to come, while leaving it fairly ambiguous, yet wraps up enough for the reader to be satisfied. There is a fair bit of action, especially at the climatic parts of the book and it managed to be tense and exciting to read so that was awesome.
So, overall, I really enjoyed this, despite not being much of a thriller reader. 8/10
May 19, 2018
Trigger warnings: child abuse, drug use, animal cruelty, mental illness
A fantastic, deliciously creepy read from an unreliable narrator who is being haunted by her childhood imaginary friend. The mystery constantly kept me guessing and I loved the psychologist reports from the past being interchanged with the present, as Tash learns to navigate the traumatic thoughts of her past.
As I was reading, you were constantly thinking - is she mentally ill? Is she just seeing things? Is her imaginary friend Sparrow actually real? The writing just flowed, leaving enough to keep us guessing about the plot and whether the disturbing circumstances she was facing was truth or fiction.
Full review on Happy Indulgence Books.
A fantastic, deliciously creepy read from an unreliable narrator who is being haunted by her childhood imaginary friend. The mystery constantly kept me guessing and I loved the psychologist reports from the past being interchanged with the present, as Tash learns to navigate the traumatic thoughts of her past.
As I was reading, you were constantly thinking - is she mentally ill? Is she just seeing things? Is her imaginary friend Sparrow actually real? The writing just flowed, leaving enough to keep us guessing about the plot and whether the disturbing circumstances she was facing was truth or fiction.
Full review on Happy Indulgence Books.
August 9, 2018
This brilliant thriller is aimed at 14 year olds + but I recommend it to adults too. I would like to thank walker books for sending me Small Spaces paperback to review.
My full review www.bookread2day.wordpress.com
My full review www.bookread2day.wordpress.com
January 27, 2022
*haha ha me thinking I'm a big girl and can manage to read this at midnight*
also, me at 1 in the night *bro this stuff is pro creepy* *keeps checking the window after every two seconds.
4 BrilliantThanks for not letting me sleep at night stars
Trigger Warnings: Animal Abuse (Described in detail), Child abuse, blood and injury, Nightmares.
9 years ago, Tasha was sent to live at her aunt's place.
9 years since she met her supposedly imaginary friend-Sparrow
And 9 years since Tasha saw Mallory Fisher being taken away by Sparrow and then found in a park after one week.
The Fishers changed town after the incident but now they have returned and so has he.
No one believed Tasha when she said Sparrow was real. It was all put down to a 8 year old making stories for "getting attention".
But was that all that was to it?
What I loved the most about the book is the atmosphere it is set in. The first 5 chapters, especially the fourth chapter was **CREEPY**gee yes I loved it Also, the side characters were all so well written. I fell in love with them all. Especially SADIE!!!! we all need a Sadie
Tasha was a very unreliable narrator. She was constantly unsure of what she did and what she *thought* she did and her part was done so well. I mean if there's a book with the 'unreliable narrator' trope done well, ITS THIS BOOK.
Its not very common for psychological thrillers to also make sense. Provided, I haven't read that many of those but those few that I have read didn't sound that realistic (see: The Silent Patient) but this one was completely explained and made sense in all ways its possible to.
Thanks for the rec LC!!
also, me at 1 in the night *bro this stuff is pro creepy* *keeps checking the window after every two seconds.
4 Brilliant
"I can’t be that girl again or I’ll never leave this town, never go to university, never have a future. I can’t let my mind slip back into swamps I’ve managed to claw my way out of."
Trigger Warnings: Animal Abuse (Described in detail), Child abuse, blood and injury, Nightmares.
9 years ago, Tasha was sent to live at her aunt's place.
9 years since she met her supposedly imaginary friend-Sparrow
And 9 years since Tasha saw Mallory Fisher being taken away by Sparrow and then found in a park after one week.
The Fishers changed town after the incident but now they have returned and so has he.
No one believed Tasha when she said Sparrow was real. It was all put down to a 8 year old making stories for "getting attention".
But was that all that was to it?
“It’s just going to keep pulling you further under unless you figure out what the hell is real and what isn’t.”
What I loved the most about the book is the atmosphere it is set in. The first 5 chapters, especially the fourth chapter was **CREEPY**
I realise now it’s what we all have in common, regardless of our circumstances. We all share the fundamental need to be heard, to know we matter. It’s what tethers us to one another and reminds us we are never truly alone.
Tasha was a very unreliable narrator. She was constantly unsure of what she did and what she *thought* she did and her part was done so well. I mean if there's a book with the 'unreliable narrator' trope done well, ITS THIS BOOK.
Its not very common for psychological thrillers to also make sense. Provided, I haven't read that many of those but those few that I have read didn't sound that realistic (see: The Silent Patient) but this one was completely explained and made sense in all ways its possible to.
Thanks for the rec LC!!
November 4, 2023
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: Tash (mc) has anxiety & claustrophobia; Sadie (sc) is a lesbian; Mallory (sc) has dissociative amnesia & traumatic mutism; Alice (sc) is sapphic.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
▷ Representation: Tash (mc) has anxiety & claustrophobia; Sadie (sc) is a lesbian; Mallory (sc) has dissociative amnesia & traumatic mutism; Alice (sc) is sapphic.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
December 31, 2017
*safe part of the review with no spoilers*
What a ripper debut. I am not exaggerating when I say this book made my heart pound. The suspense was excellent. It kept me guessing all the way to the reveal. Sarah Epstein made me totally paranoid, I couldn’t trust any of the characters! I read this over several nights. Nights, people! And it had me checking shadows in the hall on the way to the loo. Hells bells!
Also: the writing is beautiful. I am mad keen on a delicious metaphor or a smartly turned phrase and there were so many moments where I paused to re-read a delicious line.
Small Spaces has saved me from my reading slump!
*spoilers ahead*
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I have to say my favourite parts were the moments with Sparrow, seen through Tash’s childhood memories. The details in these exchanges were exquisitely creepy! That first sighting on the box seat and my FAV when she finds him on the veranda in the night. GOOSEBUMPS AHOY!
Also: it taps into one of my unbearable feelings: not being believed. There’s something profoundly enraging about it and I think it’s connected to the sense of injustice and powerlessness which is all basically unbearable.
Lots of GREAT omg turn back (!!!) don’t go in there moments! Like staying in the house ALONE, visiting an abandoned amusement park *Evidence of Epstein Evil* endless wandering by herself.
*MASSIVE SPOILERS*
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Being a major fan of other-worldly creepers and spooks and weirdness and speculative elements I would have happily swallowed the notion of Sparrow being a manifestation of evil or a projection of Tash’s darkness or a demon that required exorcising: BRING ON THE CHANTING AND CRUCIFIXES. However, I was just as invested in this realistic reveal. Even once I knew what was what I was all adrenaline page turning and holding my breath to the end. It is alarming how fittingly demon-like this story proves to be.
What a ripper debut. I am not exaggerating when I say this book made my heart pound. The suspense was excellent. It kept me guessing all the way to the reveal. Sarah Epstein made me totally paranoid, I couldn’t trust any of the characters! I read this over several nights. Nights, people! And it had me checking shadows in the hall on the way to the loo. Hells bells!
Also: the writing is beautiful. I am mad keen on a delicious metaphor or a smartly turned phrase and there were so many moments where I paused to re-read a delicious line.
Small Spaces has saved me from my reading slump!
*spoilers ahead*
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I have to say my favourite parts were the moments with Sparrow, seen through Tash’s childhood memories. The details in these exchanges were exquisitely creepy! That first sighting on the box seat and my FAV when she finds him on the veranda in the night. GOOSEBUMPS AHOY!
Also: it taps into one of my unbearable feelings: not being believed. There’s something profoundly enraging about it and I think it’s connected to the sense of injustice and powerlessness which is all basically unbearable.
Lots of GREAT omg turn back (!!!) don’t go in there moments! Like staying in the house ALONE, visiting an abandoned amusement park *Evidence of Epstein Evil* endless wandering by herself.
*MASSIVE SPOILERS*
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Being a major fan of other-worldly creepers and spooks and weirdness and speculative elements I would have happily swallowed the notion of Sparrow being a manifestation of evil or a projection of Tash’s darkness or a demon that required exorcising: BRING ON THE CHANTING AND CRUCIFIXES. However, I was just as invested in this realistic reveal. Even once I knew what was what I was all adrenaline page turning and holding my breath to the end. It is alarming how fittingly demon-like this story proves to be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2018
If you're looking for a book to just relax with and read a few chapters before bed, this is not that book. Small Spaces is twisty, intriguing and creepy, and once you start you won't want to put it down. This psychological suspense thriller is a debut so I'm really excited to see what Sarah Epstein has coming up ~ a must read for fans of the genre.
Read
April 5, 2018RTC.
A Melbourne author's debut novel about not being able to trust your own mind, and wondering whether it was yourself or your imaginary friend who perpetrated bad acts? Yes, please!
So many times while reading this book, I wondered where the author had been lurking when she recorded my childhood, what with the hunting for tadpoles, the strained maternal relationship, and constantly finding things moving in the shadows.
At times I found it easy to get distracted and put the story down (mostly in the "now" chapters; I was never able to stop reading the "then" chapters), but at other times I would tear through 100 pages in a sitting. Overall I don't think I was completely shocked or scared by the events depicted, which was kinda what I was hoping for, but it did teeter on the verge of creepy several times.
I did guess a decent chunk of the twist/ending from fairly early on, but in a "it could be this thing... or it could be THIS thing..." way, so I wasn't like "oh, yeah, that's definitely what's going on" and it did keep me guessing throughout most of the book.
It's just a shame the pacing was a little off; it didn't feel like there was a whole lot of character development for anyone outside of Tash; and there were quite a few times where the reader easily picked up on things and Tash seemed to have, but they were repeated... just to make sure the reader was up to speed. For switched-on readers, this could be rather annoying.
A Melbourne author's debut novel about not being able to trust your own mind, and wondering whether it was yourself or your imaginary friend who perpetrated bad acts? Yes, please!
So many times while reading this book, I wondered where the author had been lurking when she recorded my childhood, what with the hunting for tadpoles, the strained maternal relationship, and constantly finding things moving in the shadows.
At times I found it easy to get distracted and put the story down (mostly in the "now" chapters; I was never able to stop reading the "then" chapters), but at other times I would tear through 100 pages in a sitting. Overall I don't think I was completely shocked or scared by the events depicted, which was kinda what I was hoping for, but it did teeter on the verge of creepy several times.
I did guess a decent chunk of the twist/ending from fairly early on, but in a "it could be this thing... or it could be THIS thing..." way, so I wasn't like "oh, yeah, that's definitely what's going on" and it did keep me guessing throughout most of the book.
It's just a shame the pacing was a little off; it didn't feel like there was a whole lot of character development for anyone outside of Tash; and there were quite a few times where the reader easily picked up on things and Tash seemed to have, but they were repeated... just to make sure the reader was up to speed. For switched-on readers, this could be rather annoying.
January 13, 2020
"I'm far too good at imagining things that don't exist."
Small Spaces is a creative mystery story, and the synopsis caught my attention as soon as I heard about it. I loved the formatting of this book - there are psychiatry transcripts, and it was cool to see what was going on with the main character when she was younger.
The book loses some steam in the middle, and felt a little too long overall. I wasn't wild about the ending, but the book as a whole was still intriguing enough to keep me entertained. I would try another book by this author.
CW - animal cruelty and suffering
Small Spaces is a creative mystery story, and the synopsis caught my attention as soon as I heard about it. I loved the formatting of this book - there are psychiatry transcripts, and it was cool to see what was going on with the main character when she was younger.
The book loses some steam in the middle, and felt a little too long overall. I wasn't wild about the ending, but the book as a whole was still intriguing enough to keep me entertained. I would try another book by this author.
CW - animal cruelty and suffering
May 22, 2019
Small Spaces was published in April 2018 and this debut novel by Australian author Sarah Epstein created quite a stir when it hit the shelves. A young adult psychological thriller for readers aged 14+, it was longlisted and shortlisted for no less than six awards. I missed the buzz last year, but thought it was time I picked it up.
Set in Port Bellamy NSW, our protagonist Tash Carmody was eight years old when she witnessed her imaginary friend Sparrow, lead six year old Mallory Fisher away from a local carnival. Mallory was missing for a week before she was discovered wandering through the bush 40 kms from where she was last seen. Mallory never spoke again and the Fisher family - along with Tash's friend and classmate Morgan - soon moved away.
After much therapy to help her deal with the problems she was having back then, Tash is now a teenager and at peace with the fact Sparrow was never real. Interspersed with transcripts of Tash's sessions with a child psychologist, she's doing much better now and is looking forward to a future in photography when she finishes Year 12. Unfortunately things begin to spiral when the Fisher family move back to Port Bellamy. Tash begins to see Sparrow again and develops feelings for Morgan.
Small Spaces contains a number of mysteries for the reader: what happened to Mallory Fisher? Did she wander off or was she abducted? Was Sparrow an imaginary friend, or was he real? Was he responsible for what happened to Mallory?
These questions made a compelling mystery and a gripping thriller but I was surprised by the level of darkness and danger at this reading age. Offset this with a contemporary coming-of-age element, I thought I had my suspect pegged but was happy to be proven wrong in a convincing reveal at the end.
All questions were answered in a satisfactory conclusion that had been building slowly throughout the novel. I did have to suspend my disbelief at some of Tash's actions throughout the novel and the level of autonomy she was given in the circumstances. It wasn't anything of major significance, but enough to prevent me giving this a full 5 stars.
Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein is definitely worthy of the swag of award nominations and will suit young adult readers wanting a dark psychological thriller featuring a teenage protagonist coming to terms with her past.
* Copy courtesy of Walker Books Australia *
Set in Port Bellamy NSW, our protagonist Tash Carmody was eight years old when she witnessed her imaginary friend Sparrow, lead six year old Mallory Fisher away from a local carnival. Mallory was missing for a week before she was discovered wandering through the bush 40 kms from where she was last seen. Mallory never spoke again and the Fisher family - along with Tash's friend and classmate Morgan - soon moved away.
After much therapy to help her deal with the problems she was having back then, Tash is now a teenager and at peace with the fact Sparrow was never real. Interspersed with transcripts of Tash's sessions with a child psychologist, she's doing much better now and is looking forward to a future in photography when she finishes Year 12. Unfortunately things begin to spiral when the Fisher family move back to Port Bellamy. Tash begins to see Sparrow again and develops feelings for Morgan.
Small Spaces contains a number of mysteries for the reader: what happened to Mallory Fisher? Did she wander off or was she abducted? Was Sparrow an imaginary friend, or was he real? Was he responsible for what happened to Mallory?
These questions made a compelling mystery and a gripping thriller but I was surprised by the level of darkness and danger at this reading age. Offset this with a contemporary coming-of-age element, I thought I had my suspect pegged but was happy to be proven wrong in a convincing reveal at the end.
All questions were answered in a satisfactory conclusion that had been building slowly throughout the novel. I did have to suspend my disbelief at some of Tash's actions throughout the novel and the level of autonomy she was given in the circumstances. It wasn't anything of major significance, but enough to prevent me giving this a full 5 stars.
Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein is definitely worthy of the swag of award nominations and will suit young adult readers wanting a dark psychological thriller featuring a teenage protagonist coming to terms with her past.
* Copy courtesy of Walker Books Australia *
March 23, 2018
The New South Wales coastal town of Port Bellamy is synonymous with Mallory Fisher, abducted from the promenade carnival and discovered wandering the surrounding forest physically unharmed. Natasha Carmody wandered the carnival alone, visiting the small rural community as her brother was welcomed into the world. Child psychiatrist Ingrid Ballantine believes Sparrow is a manifestation of isolation, a fabrication created by a child displaced by a sibling. Natasha has endured the degradation and resentment of her mother, a woman disengaging with her daughter over the fabricated account. Detectives interviewed Natasha Carmody who was present the day Mallory was abducted by Sparrow, a nondescript shadow disregarded as a suspect.
Natasha Carmody is a photography enthusiast, a conscientious young woman and diligent daughter. Sparrow is a constant and menacing presence, a figure cloaked in shadows believed to be the vivid imaginings of a narcissistic child. It begun at Willow Creek, the derelict childhood home of her father. Sparrow would enter through the bedroom window, coercing eight year old Natasha into dangerous predicaments for his own amusement and gratification. His manipulation culminating with the disappearance of Mallory. Although Sparrow engages in predatory behaviour, cruelty and manipulation, he is not a sexual predator.
Mallory now communicates through non verbal cues, diagnosed with selective mutism, her recollection of her ordeal unable to assist the authorities. Mallory experiences anxiety, preferring the sanctuary of her bedroom and online friendships. Morgan Fisher was present at the carnival when Mallory disappeared, accepting culpability for her abduction. Morgan is an interesting character, although self condemning his positivity is infectious. His tentative friendship with Natasha is sincere and compassionate, although Morgan unsuspects Natasha's involvement in the abduction investigation.
Although Natasha concedes that Sparrow is a manifestation, she is an unreliable protagonist. The nonlinear narrative blends present tense with the childhood psychiatric transcripts succeeding the abduction. Natasha now experiences social anxiety, apprehensive of forming new friendships. Her friendship with Sadie is wonderful, a young Māori woman identifying as lesbian, her single mother operating a small catering business is inspirational.
Another extraordinary aspect is Sarah Epstein's ingenuity to create an atmospheric environment, as a bystander encompassed by the narrative, menacing and foreboding. Small Spaces is a compelling, unpredictable and consuming debut. Phenomenal.
Natasha Carmody is a photography enthusiast, a conscientious young woman and diligent daughter. Sparrow is a constant and menacing presence, a figure cloaked in shadows believed to be the vivid imaginings of a narcissistic child. It begun at Willow Creek, the derelict childhood home of her father. Sparrow would enter through the bedroom window, coercing eight year old Natasha into dangerous predicaments for his own amusement and gratification. His manipulation culminating with the disappearance of Mallory. Although Sparrow engages in predatory behaviour, cruelty and manipulation, he is not a sexual predator.
Mallory now communicates through non verbal cues, diagnosed with selective mutism, her recollection of her ordeal unable to assist the authorities. Mallory experiences anxiety, preferring the sanctuary of her bedroom and online friendships. Morgan Fisher was present at the carnival when Mallory disappeared, accepting culpability for her abduction. Morgan is an interesting character, although self condemning his positivity is infectious. His tentative friendship with Natasha is sincere and compassionate, although Morgan unsuspects Natasha's involvement in the abduction investigation.
Although Natasha concedes that Sparrow is a manifestation, she is an unreliable protagonist. The nonlinear narrative blends present tense with the childhood psychiatric transcripts succeeding the abduction. Natasha now experiences social anxiety, apprehensive of forming new friendships. Her friendship with Sadie is wonderful, a young Māori woman identifying as lesbian, her single mother operating a small catering business is inspirational.
Another extraordinary aspect is Sarah Epstein's ingenuity to create an atmospheric environment, as a bystander encompassed by the narrative, menacing and foreboding. Small Spaces is a compelling, unpredictable and consuming debut. Phenomenal.
October 23, 2019
Um…creepy imaginary friend?! I’m in! That’s all it took for me to hunt this book down. I mean COME ON! That says “Laura” all over it. :)
Small Spaces is full of eerie moments, frustration, and paranoia!
“I feel like I’m losing myself. I’ve forgotten how to trust my own mind, ensnared in a net of unreliable memories. I need the cold, sharp blade of truth, no matter how brutal.”
But that’s just it! What is the truth? And who can you trust?
I enjoyed the mystery here. All the doubts and questions and suspects kept piling up! It all kept me guessing and thinking ‘til the end. But it’s one of those reads you really can’t say much about without spoiling the action. Sooo…I’m not saying a word. Just read it!
November 9, 2019
So I was thrilled by this creepy thriller. I worked out who Sparrow was when Tash described him. But there were more twisty surprises that I didn't see coming. So yes, for once a thriller didn't let me down.
Did I really read this in 5 days?? That's a record when I have 10 books on the go.
Did I really read this in 5 days?? That's a record when I have 10 books on the go.
July 19, 2018
'Small Spaces' is a YA psychological thriller set in the bush of Australia and following the life of Natasha Carmody (17/18). After the disappearance of Mallory Fisher at a carnival ten years ago, Tash was psychologically broken, convinced that she had seen her imaginary friend Sparrow kidnap the six-year-old. With her claims dismissed as attention-seeking, Tash, still convinced that what she saw was real, is forced to accept that she made it all up. But now, a decade later, she keeps on catching glimpses of Sparrow and doesn't know how to interpret these new experiences or those of her childhood.
I've got to admit that the first forty pages of this novel are not massively fast pace and, at the beginning, I was tempted to just set the book down for good... but I am so glad that I did not because 'Small Spaces' quickly becomes just the opposite of slow-pace. Epstein shows Tash's attempts to unpick the mystery of Mallory's earlier disappearance and understand her own role in the kidnapping. The unexpected turns mean that the novel is predominately plot-driven; however, there are also some wonderful descriptions and the characters are three-dimensional and believable (even the 'mean girl' Rachael).
I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a light but intense summer read!
I've got to admit that the first forty pages of this novel are not massively fast pace and, at the beginning, I was tempted to just set the book down for good... but I am so glad that I did not because 'Small Spaces' quickly becomes just the opposite of slow-pace. Epstein shows Tash's attempts to unpick the mystery of Mallory's earlier disappearance and understand her own role in the kidnapping. The unexpected turns mean that the novel is predominately plot-driven; however, there are also some wonderful descriptions and the characters are three-dimensional and believable (even the 'mean girl' Rachael).
I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a light but intense summer read!
September 27, 2019
AMAZING!! I'm lost for words for how to even begin to explain how incredible this book is.
I was left guessing until the very end. I was constantly changing my mind with figuring out what the hell was going on! I discussed with my husband the scenarios in great length but we never come up with the right idea. There were so many people to think who could be suspects, and with a main character who is extremely unreliable and sees creepy imaginary friends doesn't help at all. But this is what I loved so much about this book!! The constant twists and holes in the story.
The book is told with chapters going back and forth between NOW and THEN. The NOW chapters are long, but the THEN chapters are short and drip feed you little snippets from the past. At the end of every chapter left you dying to know what happens next!! I was reading this any chance I got.
I also love a good creepy, scary tale and I felt shivers and my heart racing many times throughout this book. I really felt like I was in the book experiencing what Tash was going through. The image of Sparrow will stick with me (shudders).
I'd love to see this made into a movie, I think that it would translate really well. I definitely can't wait to see what the author writes next, someone to watch for sure!
Highly recommended to people who love thrillers, I'd be interested to hear what people who read these kind of books all the time think about this. Will you be able to guess what happened??
I was left guessing until the very end. I was constantly changing my mind with figuring out what the hell was going on! I discussed with my husband the scenarios in great length but we never come up with the right idea. There were so many people to think who could be suspects, and with a main character who is extremely unreliable and sees creepy imaginary friends doesn't help at all. But this is what I loved so much about this book!! The constant twists and holes in the story.
The book is told with chapters going back and forth between NOW and THEN. The NOW chapters are long, but the THEN chapters are short and drip feed you little snippets from the past. At the end of every chapter left you dying to know what happens next!! I was reading this any chance I got.
I also love a good creepy, scary tale and I felt shivers and my heart racing many times throughout this book. I really felt like I was in the book experiencing what Tash was going through. The image of Sparrow will stick with me (shudders).
I'd love to see this made into a movie, I think that it would translate really well. I definitely can't wait to see what the author writes next, someone to watch for sure!
Highly recommended to people who love thrillers, I'd be interested to hear what people who read these kind of books all the time think about this. Will you be able to guess what happened??
April 12, 2018
A beautifully crafted psychological thriller. I couldn’t put it down.
January 4, 2019
Great debut book book Sarah. Really enjoyable creepy read.
Highly recommend grabbing this one
Highly recommend grabbing this one
August 12, 2018
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
April 12, 2018
It’s often difficult to accurately recall just how subjective teenage experience can be. We all like to think we grow up with increasing sense of awareness about ourselves, about our place in the world and the people have around us. But so much of childhood is constructed out of fractured, distorted memories, formed not just by our own attempts to grapple with our own story, but also by the conscious and unconscious influences of friends, peers and family.
And we can lose sight of this when dealing with teenagers, particularly those like Tash Carmody, the protagonist of Sarah Epstein’s Small Spaces – a teenager on the absolute precipice of adulthood.
They may be a breath away from adulthood, but teenagers are still children. It’s easy to forget.
Despite Tash making plans for university and juggling assessments in her final year of school, Epstein shows us just how much she is in need of adult support. And not just support, but recognition. Someone to just listen to her.
Having possibly witnessed a traumatic event as an 8-year-old, Tash is still struggling nine years later. Chapters in her present, final year of school are woven into transcripts of her sessions with a psychiatrist when she was younger, and Epstein invites us to chart a path from the scared and confused small child to the traumatised young adult.
In this way, with its parallel points of view, Small Spaces evokes the structure and tension of Gone Girl. We are given parallel timelines, with connective tissue, but we slowly begin to realise that the early timeline may not line up perfectly with the current timeline. Tash’s current point of view may not be one the reader can entirely trust. Events occur without explanation; memories and imaginings coincide and coalesce until even she acknowledges that she may not be the best guide to what is occurring in her life.
It is here that Small Spaces works so wonderfully: the conflict is not between duelling characters’ control of the story as it is in Gone Girl, but in the duelling thoughts in Tash’s head. Rather than guessing which character is going to come out on top, we read on, terrified that Tash’s own sense of self, her own wellbeing, will not survive the conflicts with her past.
And this is because on the surface, Small Spaces is a thriller about the past coming back to haunt the present. But underneath that, this is much more a story about one person’s attempt to navigate and survive childhood trauma. And Tash has to do it all alone. Her parents are either too busy or too exhausted to deal with the ongoing difficulties Tash has, particularly as now she should be old enough and responsible enough to deal with life. And despite a supportive best friend and a growing reconnection with an old friend, Tash is increasingly isolated from everyone in Small Spaces, except her conflicting thoughts. And her childhood imaginary friend.
The scenes of Tash’s memories are written with wonderfully spare and haunting descriptions, giving the reader not only a clear look at how disturbed the 8-year-old Tash was by visits from this childhood spectre, but also leaving us thoroughly disturbed as well. Tash is uncertain how much of this is fantasy, how much is dream, and how much is a reconstruction of something that might have happened. And if she doesn’t know, then the reader is too, jettisoned from any sense of control or comfort. Reality teeters on the edge, and then falls. Rather than the reader gaining a stronger sense of Tash’s struggles as the novel progresses, the growing divide between her memories and her actions shock the reader with how much their point of view in the story is unravelling, how little control Tash has over her story.
Small Spaces is a frightening, tense portrait of teenage trauma, where the only possible comfort is recognising trauma in others.
And we can lose sight of this when dealing with teenagers, particularly those like Tash Carmody, the protagonist of Sarah Epstein’s Small Spaces – a teenager on the absolute precipice of adulthood.
They may be a breath away from adulthood, but teenagers are still children. It’s easy to forget.
Despite Tash making plans for university and juggling assessments in her final year of school, Epstein shows us just how much she is in need of adult support. And not just support, but recognition. Someone to just listen to her.
Having possibly witnessed a traumatic event as an 8-year-old, Tash is still struggling nine years later. Chapters in her present, final year of school are woven into transcripts of her sessions with a psychiatrist when she was younger, and Epstein invites us to chart a path from the scared and confused small child to the traumatised young adult.
In this way, with its parallel points of view, Small Spaces evokes the structure and tension of Gone Girl. We are given parallel timelines, with connective tissue, but we slowly begin to realise that the early timeline may not line up perfectly with the current timeline. Tash’s current point of view may not be one the reader can entirely trust. Events occur without explanation; memories and imaginings coincide and coalesce until even she acknowledges that she may not be the best guide to what is occurring in her life.
It is here that Small Spaces works so wonderfully: the conflict is not between duelling characters’ control of the story as it is in Gone Girl, but in the duelling thoughts in Tash’s head. Rather than guessing which character is going to come out on top, we read on, terrified that Tash’s own sense of self, her own wellbeing, will not survive the conflicts with her past.
And this is because on the surface, Small Spaces is a thriller about the past coming back to haunt the present. But underneath that, this is much more a story about one person’s attempt to navigate and survive childhood trauma. And Tash has to do it all alone. Her parents are either too busy or too exhausted to deal with the ongoing difficulties Tash has, particularly as now she should be old enough and responsible enough to deal with life. And despite a supportive best friend and a growing reconnection with an old friend, Tash is increasingly isolated from everyone in Small Spaces, except her conflicting thoughts. And her childhood imaginary friend.
The scenes of Tash’s memories are written with wonderfully spare and haunting descriptions, giving the reader not only a clear look at how disturbed the 8-year-old Tash was by visits from this childhood spectre, but also leaving us thoroughly disturbed as well. Tash is uncertain how much of this is fantasy, how much is dream, and how much is a reconstruction of something that might have happened. And if she doesn’t know, then the reader is too, jettisoned from any sense of control or comfort. Reality teeters on the edge, and then falls. Rather than the reader gaining a stronger sense of Tash’s struggles as the novel progresses, the growing divide between her memories and her actions shock the reader with how much their point of view in the story is unravelling, how little control Tash has over her story.
Small Spaces is a frightening, tense portrait of teenage trauma, where the only possible comfort is recognising trauma in others.
July 22, 2018
3.5/4 stars.
i'm always up for a good old Aussie YA thriller! this one was pretty good! I kind of guessed most of the plotoops - but I still enjoyed the thrill and suspense :))
though the MC really annoyed me at times
i'm always up for a good old Aussie YA thriller! this one was pretty good! I kind of guessed most of the plot
May 9, 2018
Small Spaces is a spooky, suspenseful read from Australian author, Sarah Epstein. It’s Epstein’s debut book and the kind of YA psychological thriller guaranteed to have you wishing you read it in the safety of daylight and not into the small hours of the night when every sound scares you silly.
Seventeen-year-old, Tash Carmody lives in a small town on the New South Wales coast. Nine years prior, at the age of eight, Tash witnessed the abduction of her friend’s little sister. The catch is that the abductor was Tash’s imaginary friend, Sparrow. Nine years on and Tash starts to again be haunted by Sparrow. Readers, along with Tash, question her mental health and are left wondering how dangerous Tash can be to her friends and to herself.
Tash has compelling and believable conflicts with her friends, parents (particularly her awful mother), therapist, and even her own mind.
Small Spaces is a thoroughly compelling and unpredictable read. It is well-structured with a perfect sprinkling of red herrings. When I wasn’t worried about Tash being a totally creepy sociopath, I enjoyed her character. Equally so, was my intense dislike of Tash’s terribly selfish and loathsome mother.
I can’t wait to see what Epstein writes next.
Seventeen-year-old, Tash Carmody lives in a small town on the New South Wales coast. Nine years prior, at the age of eight, Tash witnessed the abduction of her friend’s little sister. The catch is that the abductor was Tash’s imaginary friend, Sparrow. Nine years on and Tash starts to again be haunted by Sparrow. Readers, along with Tash, question her mental health and are left wondering how dangerous Tash can be to her friends and to herself.
Tash has compelling and believable conflicts with her friends, parents (particularly her awful mother), therapist, and even her own mind.
Small Spaces is a thoroughly compelling and unpredictable read. It is well-structured with a perfect sprinkling of red herrings. When I wasn’t worried about Tash being a totally creepy sociopath, I enjoyed her character. Equally so, was my intense dislike of Tash’s terribly selfish and loathsome mother.
I can’t wait to see what Epstein writes next.
May 11, 2023
Moje nadzieje co do tej książki spełniły się tak w 90% - niestety na sam koniec zaczęła mnie tracić i zabrakło mi jakiegoś wielkiego bum po tych całych przygotowaniach, ale generalnie miałam nadzieję, że mniej więcej tak to wyjdzie. Bardzo długo nie wiedzieliśmy, czy nasza bohaterka faktycznie jest szalona i to ona krzywdzi ludzi, czy jednak od samego początku mówiła prawdę, tylko dorośli jej nie wierzyli. Co jak co, ale ta kwestia jest dobrze pokazana moim zdaniem i ja sama odczuwałam to napięcie i takie zawieszenie między jawą a snem.
Włączyłam ją totalnie spontanicznie, a dostarczyła mi rozrywki na przedpołudnie i nie mogłam się doczekać, aż dowiem się, jak to wszystko wyjdzie! Nie do końca jestem zadowolona z efektu końcowego - jak mówiłam, na końcówce umarło napięcie, ale te pierwsze 90%? Naprawdę czad. I fajnie trafić w końcu na książkę, w której siedemnastolatka nie ma w głowie tylko romansów albo szkolnych bali (albo nie wdaje się romans ze starszym "wujkiem") i chyba podoba mi się taka forma młodzieżowego thrillera :D
Włączyłam ją totalnie spontanicznie, a dostarczyła mi rozrywki na przedpołudnie i nie mogłam się doczekać, aż dowiem się, jak to wszystko wyjdzie! Nie do końca jestem zadowolona z efektu końcowego - jak mówiłam, na końcówce umarło napięcie, ale te pierwsze 90%? Naprawdę czad. I fajnie trafić w końcu na książkę, w której siedemnastolatka nie ma w głowie tylko romansów albo szkolnych bali (albo nie wdaje się romans ze starszym "wujkiem") i chyba podoba mi się taka forma młodzieżowego thrillera :D
May 6, 2018
Disclaimer: A Physical Copy was provided via Penguin India. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are however my own.
Actual Rating 4. 25 Stars
This psychological YA thriller is a debut by Sarah Epstein – but sure doesn’t really read like one. Small Spaces had me hooked and glued to the pages and even when I had to keep the book aside to wallow in reality (ugh!) I couldn’t stop thinking about the book nor the characters.
Told in Natasha Carmody aka Tash’s POV; it’s easy to see right off the bat that she will be an unreliable storyteller. Her own memories and her own mind have become untrustworthy to her own self; especially considering that for the past 9 years, she has been repeatedly told that what she saw the night her friend Mallory was abducted, was all in her mind and she did it only to get attention to herself!
What this means for the reader is that right along with Tash; even I couldn’t trust my own judgement when it came the plot itself. For almost half of the book; I didn’t even realise how suspicious I was for every narration I was getting; And while I did my best to unravel the knots of this mystery; I just didn’t know whom and what to trust.
AND I LOVED IT!
The writing is pretty amazingly paced – and it moves effortlessly and seamlessly between the past and the present and the characterizations were pretty much captured by the author impeccably!! And with all the psychological effect of the plot; the fact the climax went the way it did was a brilliant stroke by the author, for no one would have expected her to take the plot the way that she did.
The teeny wee issue I had was that I honestly REALLY wanted Tash to have the confrontational closure that she deserved – but then again, I am a petty person at heart! Tash was a better person than me! :D
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December 20, 2018
Thrilling and twisted
March 29, 2018
Completely brilliant. I loved this from start to finish.
August 3, 2018
Wow
I don't read psychological thrillers all that often but this one was great, it was very intense and kept me up well past my bedtime. I was on edge through a lot of this, my empathy with Tash was strong and I wondered as did she, what was the truth? At times I wanted to skip to the end and find out without going through the agony of the journey, but then what would be the point of that. This book had me guessing right up until the truth and horror of the situation was revealed. I definitely recommend this book.
I don't read psychological thrillers all that often but this one was great, it was very intense and kept me up well past my bedtime. I was on edge through a lot of this, my empathy with Tash was strong and I wondered as did she, what was the truth? At times I wanted to skip to the end and find out without going through the agony of the journey, but then what would be the point of that. This book had me guessing right up until the truth and horror of the situation was revealed. I definitely recommend this book.
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