Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Synopsis
It’s been three months since Ollie made a daring deal with the smiling man to save those she loved, and then vanished without a trace. The smiling man promised Coco, Brian and Phil, that they’d have a chance to save her, but as time goes by, they begin to worry that the smiling man has lied to them and Ollie is gone forever. But finally, a clue surfaces. A boy who went missing at a nearby traveling carnival appears at the town swimming hole, terrified and rambling. He tells anyone who'll listen about the mysterious man who took him. How the man agreed to let him go on one condition: that he deliver a message. Play if you dare. Game on! The smiling man has finally made his move. Now it’s Coco, Brian, and Phil’s turn to make theirs. And they know just where to start. The traveling carnival is coming to Evansburg. Meanwhile, Ollie is trapped in the world behind the mist, learning the horrifying secrets of the smiling man's carnival, trying everything to help her friends find her. Brian, Coco and Phil will risk everything to rescue Ollie—but they all soon realize this game is much more dangerous than the ones before. This time the smiling man is playing for keeps. The summer nights are short, and Ollie, Coco, Brian, and Phil have only until sunrise to beat him once and for all—or it’s game over for everyone.
Is Empty Smiles (Small Spaces Quartet) appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 10 and up.
This is a supernatural horror story featuring children facing a malevolent entity who kidnaps kids. Contains scary/creepy atmosphere, peril, and psychological manipulation, but appropriate intensity for middle grade readers who enjoy spooky stories.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include child harm, kidnapping, and captivity (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Kids who love scary stories will race through this tense rescue mission where three friends must outsmart a sinister villain at his own twisted carnival game.