I have just got to say that I am loving all these stories I’ve been recently reading with bees. Bring on the bees! Small Favors is eerie from the beginning as Craig showcases a story that questions the conflict between individuals and community. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
Ellerie Downing lives in the quiet town of Amity Falls in the Blackspire Mountain range–five narrow peaks stretching into the sky like a grasping hand, bordered by a nearly impenetrable forest from which the early townsfolk fought off the devils in the woods. To this day, visitors are few and rare. But when a supply party goes missing, some worry that the monsters that once stalked the region have returned.
As fall turns to winter, more strange activities plague the town. They point to a tribe of devilish and mystical creatures who promise to fulfill the residents’ deepest desires, however grand and impossible, for just a small favor. But their true intentions are much more sinister, and Ellerie finds herself in a race against time before all of Amity Falls, her family, and the boy she loves go up in flames.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Small Favors is perfect for anyone who loves that eerie tension where you aren’t sure what’s real, unreliable narrators, and story about community. Craig develops these strands of tension and atmosphere from the beginning. I never knew who to trust and what was happening which made me devour this book! What I loved about Small Favors is the way that Craig explores this split between individual and community. If their beliefs and suspicions can hold against a tide of anger and doubt.
While Small Favors is slower paced than one might expect, it’s a book which consistently keeps you on your toes. I am developing an obsession with unreliable narrators and situations and so Small Favors fits the bill! What I also loved about Small Favors was the ways Craig delves into wondering what happens if we expose what lies under the surface of people. Are there just niceties on the surface with rot, intolerance, and anger underneath? Small Favors also examines the monsters men make and the breakdown of trust within the community.
Small Favors is a quieter fantasy that delves into thriller and mystery territory. Even if the pace is slower than I was expecting, it crescendos into a frenzy about what we will sacrifice for what we want. If we have the strength to go against what we think we are to become who we should be. I love how Small Favors merely extends the atmospheric talent I loved from Craig in House of Salt and Sorrows. If you’re looking for an eerie fantasy with danger, unreliability, and atmosphere, this is for you.
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