Small Favors Book Review

Small Favors is written by Erin A. Craig.

BLURB

Ellerie Downing is waiting for something to happen. Life in isolated Amity Falls, surrounded by an impenetrable forest, has a predictable sameness. Her days are filled with tending to her family’s beehives, chasing after her sisters, and dreaming of bigger things while her twin, Samuel, is free to roam as he wishes.

Early town settlers fought off monstrous creatures in the woods, and whispers that the creatures still exist keep the Downings and their neighbors from venturing too far. When some townsfolk go missing on a trip to fetch supplies, a heavy unease settles over the Falls. 

Strange activities begin to plague the town, and as the seasons change, it’s clear that something is terribly wrong. The creatures are real, and they’re offering to fulfill the residents’ deepest desires, however grand, for just a small favor. These seemingly trifling demands, however, hide sinister intentions. Soon Ellerie finds herself in a race against time to stop Amity Falls, her family, and the boy she loves from going up in flames.

REVIEW

I absolutely loved this retelling of Rumpelstitskin. It is definitely a dark retelling but still has positivity shining throughout the book. Amity Falls is your typical small town which relies on supply runs for some essentials. When things start going wrong, whispers of monsters with silver eyes go around the town. I could really imagine the town and the Downing’s land.

“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 wheedle 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.

5/5 stars