Small Favors
Average rating from 2 reviews
All reviews
Growing up, I’d assumed that the legends of monsters in the woods were nothing more than elaborate fairy tales, stories told to keep foolish children from getting lost in the pines. Were the stories true? Were the monsters real?
Ellerie Downing and her family have lived in the small village of Amity Falls their whole lives. they have enjoyed a quiet, peaceful existence. Until the day the remains of the most recent supply run are found, mutilated by creatures too large to be natural. Suddenly the isolation of Amity Falls seems less idyllic, the village's safety shattered. The residents of Amity Falls must try to get through their day to day lives amidst mounting fears and tensions, and perhaps Ellerie is the only person who can discover what truly stalks the Pines.
This was my most anticipated release of 2021, as a massive fan of Erin A Craig's debut, House of Salt and Sorrows. I am pleased to say that it did not disappoint. The atmosphere of Amity Falls was incredibly immersive, the residents compellingly real, and the prose as beautiful as its predecessor.
Our tale unfolds in Amity Falls, a small village isolated from the rest of the world by the Pines, a dense forest circling the village and surrounding settlements. Within the forest, not too deep, are the Bells, said to have been placed by the founders to keep their new home safe. The setting was written with such gorgeous detail that I could practically hear the Bells tinkling.
The residents of Amity Falls follow the Rules set forth by their founders. These rules put a huge emphasis on coming together as a community to face life's challenges and enjoy their simple day to day. The residents are farmers, blacksmiths, tailors, woodworkers, and merchants. Ellerie Downing comes from a family of beekeepers. They live in a time before electricity and other modern conveniences.
The character we follow is the aforementioned Ellerie, learning from her father how to care for their hives, harvest the honey, and keep the bees healthy. She is a compassionate, responsible girl on the cusp of adulthood, doing her best to find her place in her small world. As the story unfolds, we witness her bravery, strongwill, and resilience, which blossom alongside her empathy, gentleness, and romantic heart. Her love interest, a trapper, provides the perfect sounding board for her personality while remaining an interesting character in his own right.
Now, if you have read House of Salt and Sorrows, you will understand why I can't say a lot about the majority of the plot. The less you know, the better the story will be. I can say that Amity Falls faces a lean Winter as they are cut off from the wider world by the increasing dangers of the Pines. But what is the true nature of these dangers, and how can they be overcome?
My one complaint about this book is that Ellerie does occasionally fail to put two and two together when, what I believe to be obvious, evidence is presented to her. Perhaps it won't be obvious to all readers, and wouldn't be to someone living through the situation and I am being unfair. In any case, it was not an issue that affected my enjoyment of the book.
I loved my time with Small Favors, though I must admit that I still harbor a preference for House of Salt and Sorrows. If you enjoyed Erin A Craig's debut, or dark fantasy full of delicious mystery, then Small Favors is the book for you. Show more Show less
Ellerie Downing and her family have lived in the small village of Amity Falls their whole lives. they have enjoyed a quiet, peaceful existence. Until the day the remains of the most recent supply run are found, mutilated by creatures too large to be natural. Suddenly the isolation of Amity Falls seems less idyllic, the village's safety shattered. The residents of Amity Falls must try to get through their day to day lives amidst mounting fears and tensions, and perhaps Ellerie is the only person who can discover what truly stalks the Pines.
This was my most anticipated release of 2021, as a massive fan of Erin A Craig's debut, House of Salt and Sorrows. I am pleased to say that it did not disappoint. The atmosphere of Amity Falls was incredibly immersive, the residents compellingly real, and the prose as beautiful as its predecessor.
Our tale unfolds in Amity Falls, a small village isolated from the rest of the world by the Pines, a dense forest circling the village and surrounding settlements. Within the forest, not too deep, are the Bells, said to have been placed by the founders to keep their new home safe. The setting was written with such gorgeous detail that I could practically hear the Bells tinkling.
The residents of Amity Falls follow the Rules set forth by their founders. These rules put a huge emphasis on coming together as a community to face life's challenges and enjoy their simple day to day. The residents are farmers, blacksmiths, tailors, woodworkers, and merchants. Ellerie Downing comes from a family of beekeepers. They live in a time before electricity and other modern conveniences.
The character we follow is the aforementioned Ellerie, learning from her father how to care for their hives, harvest the honey, and keep the bees healthy. She is a compassionate, responsible girl on the cusp of adulthood, doing her best to find her place in her small world. As the story unfolds, we witness her bravery, strongwill, and resilience, which blossom alongside her empathy, gentleness, and romantic heart. Her love interest, a trapper, provides the perfect sounding board for her personality while remaining an interesting character in his own right.
Now, if you have read House of Salt and Sorrows, you will understand why I can't say a lot about the majority of the plot. The less you know, the better the story will be. I can say that Amity Falls faces a lean Winter as they are cut off from the wider world by the increasing dangers of the Pines. But what is the true nature of these dangers, and how can they be overcome?
My one complaint about this book is that Ellerie does occasionally fail to put two and two together when, what I believe to be obvious, evidence is presented to her. Perhaps it won't be obvious to all readers, and wouldn't be to someone living through the situation and I am being unfair. In any case, it was not an issue that affected my enjoyment of the book.
I loved my time with Small Favors, though I must admit that I still harbor a preference for House of Salt and Sorrows. If you enjoyed Erin A Craig's debut, or dark fantasy full of delicious mystery, then Small Favors is the book for you. Show more Show less
“Rule Number Seven: Enter not the forest deep. Beyond the Bells, the dark fiends keep.” Never has the rule been true this year. The way the book was broken into seasons which shows the passage of time. The Downings are a close knit family, but sometimes even the strongest bonds can break.
Ellerie really wants to help her family and when things go bad, her strength truly shows throughout the book. She is vibrant, resilient, smart, independent, tough and is much more mature than her twin brother Sam. I truly enjoyed Whitaker and his ability to weedle his way into Ellerie’s heart. I enjoyed their story arc and how their relationship changed.
The reveals and twists in this book was fantastic and I would love to read more about the journey Ellerie and Whitaker go on to find her parents. Craig did an amazing job and definitely will be reading again. Show more Show less