Audiobook Review – Dark Waters (The Small Spaces Quartet, Book 3) by Katherine Arden, Narrated by Renee Dorian (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy/Horror
Length: 4 hours and 47 minutes
Publisher:‎ Listening Library
Release Date: August 10, 2021
ASIN: B08NRD2WYC
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Small Spaces Quartet
Source: Borrowed Audiobook from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

“Until next time. That was chilling promise made to Ollie, Coco and Brian after they outsmarted the smiling man at Mount Hemlock Resort. And as the trio knows, the smiling man always keeps his promises. So when the lights flicker on and off at Brian’s family’s inn and a boom sounds at the door, there’s just one visitor it could be. Only, there’s no one there, just a cryptic note left outside signed simply as – S.

The smiling man loves his games and it seems a new one is afoot. But first, the three friends will have to survive a group trip to Lake Champlain where it’s said Vermont’s very own Loch Ness monster lives. When they’re left shipwrecked on an island haunted by a monster on both land and sea, Brian’s survival instincts kick in and it’s up to him to help everyone work together and find a way to escape.

One thing is for sure, the smiling man is back and he wants a rematch. And this time Brian is ready to play.”

Series Info/Source: This is the third book in The Small Spaces Quartet. I borrowed this from my library on audiobook.

Thoughts: I still enjoyed this but it was my least favorite in this series so far. I think this book is supposed to focus on Brian, but it jumps between all the characters. This book finds the kids and their parents out on a boat on Lake Champlain. They are left shipwrecked on a mysterious island. It is up to the kids to unravel the clues and escape.

I definitely enjoyed the first book of this series the most. The later books have been a bit formulaic. You know right away that the Smiling Man is involved again. The characters are well done and this time we focus on Brian and his survival skills (although you hear a lot from Ollie and Coco too).

The writing is easy to follow and the description is very well done. This is an easy and creepy read. For some reason this book didn’t seem as creepy as the first couple books to me. I enjoyed it and liked seeing how things played out, didn’t love it though. I am eager to see how the series wraps up for sure.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a well done continuation of this series. This involves another creepy mystery with ghosts and the Smiling Man. The characters and mystery are well done and the writing is engaging and easy to read. I didn’t enjoy this quite as much as the first two books in this series, I think they are becoming a bit formulaic. However, I am looking forward to the wrap-up in the fourth book, “Empty Smiles”.