Small Favors

May 24, 2021
The terror of grudges spiraling into violence haunts Craig’s (House of Salt and Sorrows) American frontier fantasy, but is left unresolved. In the isolated, presumed-white religious farming community of Amity Falls, rules and rituals repel the woodland monsters that haunted its founders—monsters that tenderhearted beekeeper Ellerie Downing, 18, thinks are a myth. But when members of the semiannual supply train are slaughtered by massive silver-eyed beasts, the town’s luck sours: apparitions appear and harvests wither, and violence stirs among the townsfolk. The mythic monsters have returned to destroy Amity Falls, and Ellerie must protect her farm and siblings—and the cocky, broken-nosed trapper who she’s falling for might be the key. Accomplished prose and a love of beekeeping warm this horror-tinged landscape, but the plot quickly loses momentum in repetitive threats and vague omens, and its insistence that only outside enemies cause social strife may well repel some readers. Even so, fans of Brenna Yovanoff and Erin Bowman will enjoy this lushly built, ominous rural America. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sarah Landis, Sterling Lord Literistic.

June 1, 2021
An isolated mountain town faces inhuman threats and a reckoning. Eighteen-year-old Ellerie is the beekeeper's daughter in Amity Falls, a town with a curious past--legend has it the founders were plagued by monsters and so hung Bells along the forest line to keep them out. After an emergency draws her parents away, Ellerie's left taking care of her family--her twin brother and two younger sisters. When monsters in the woods, long thought gone, prevent supply runs, the town faces crucial shortages of things like medicine, ammunition, and general store goods. Meanwhile, aside from the monsters in the woods, other bad omens like deformed animals and ruined crops plague the town and add to its struggles to prepare for winter. Amid the claustrophobic atmosphere, acts of sabotage sow mistrust among the townspeople and uncover every last grudge. The nonspecific historical setting and creepy woods are well used, be it in eerie moments or in the details of beekeeping and the homesteading lifestyle. During the plot's slow build, Ellerie's interpersonal storylines (a budding romance with a young trapper, growing distance between her and her twin, and more) ground readers between the escalation of outward dangers. The biggest twist may be obvious, but the escalation to the wild climax provides a fun ride to an abrupt ending. Ellerie's family and most of the town default to White. An engrossing combination of the supernatural and human psychology. (list of families) (Horror. 12-18)

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July 1, 2021

Gr 7 Up-Craig's sophomore novel is a canny "Rumpelstiltskin" retelling set in a pastoral town cut off from the world. Amity Falls has cut a utopian life out of the valley, stringing up a boundary called The Bells on the edge of the forest to keep monsters at bay. When a supply caravan goes missing just before winter, Ellerie's father and twin brother return from their search with terrible news: The monsters of the forest have returned. Soon after, Ellerie meets a handsome boy with no name and a handful of lucky talismans, who seems to know more than what he's saying. As autumn turns into a claustrophobic, supply-scarce winter, strange occurrences begin cropping up around town. Someone or something is granting wishes for the townspeople in exchange for small favors and raises the question: What if the monsters of the forest aren't all what they seem? With a strong narrative voice and a lush setting, the pervasive tension ultimately falters when the story gives way to a jarring level of violence as the town turns feral. While the author has a deft hand with themes and motifs throughout the story, some questionable choices crop up, e.g., the only dark-skinned characters mentioned are a literal monster and an Elder who turns irrationally, violently angry. Other characters are described as having pale skin. VERDICT Craig twists a slow-burn fairy tale around classic horror tropes that ultimately land on satisfying, though predictable, beats. A strictly supplementary purchase.-Emmy Neal, Lake Forest Lib., IL

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