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Empty Smiles | Katherine Arden

Empty Smiles | Katherine Arden

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Empty Smiles: Small Spaces Quartet (Book 4)

ISBN-13 9780593109205
Author Katherine Arden
Format Digest/Trade Paperback
Publisher Nancy Paulsen Books
Publication Date August 15, 2023
Page Count 224
Subjects Juvenile Horror, Mystery & Detective Stories, Friendship

Extended Synopsis

It has been three months since Ollie vanished without a trace after making a daring deal with the smiling man to save the ones she loved. Although the smiling man promised Coco, Brian, and Phil that they would have a chance to save her, the passing time brings growing worry that the deal was a lie. Everything changes when a terrified, missing boy reappears from a nearby traveling carnival bearing a cryptic message from their mysterious adversary: Play if you dare.

With the carnival arriving in Evansburg, the game officially begins. While Brian, Coco, and Phil prepare to risk everything in our world, Ollie finds herself trapped behind the mist, uncovering the horrifying secrets hidden within the smiling man's domain. The stakes are higher than ever before as the tight-knit group of friends realizes that this time, the smiling man is playing for keeps in this thrilling conclusion to the critically acclaimed series.

Reader Targeting

  • Middle-grade readers who enjoy atmospheric, bone-chilling supernatural horror and suspenseful mysteries.
  • Fans of the prior installments in the Small Spaces Quartet (Small Spaces, Dead Voices, and Dark Waters).
  • Educators and librarians seeking high-engagement fiction focused on deep themes of teamwork, loyalty, and resilience.

About the Author

Katherine Arden is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Winternight trilogy for adults and the Small Spaces Quartet for middle-grade readers. She holds a degree in French and Russian from Middlebury College and has lived in both Moscow and Maui, currently writing from her home in Vermont.

Accolades & Features

This paperback edition of the acclaimed series finale features a chilling, high-contrast cover design by Nancy Paulsen Books Creative Studio. The volume includes complete original text block mapping, chronological series inventory logs, and exclusive publisher promotional backlist previews.


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