Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein is a fast-paced psychological thriller with a distinct Australian flavour. One for those with a morbid curiosity, this novel is rife with dark themes and mind games, leaving you itching to uncover all of its secrets.
Tash Carmody is confronted with her past when the ghosts of her childhood reappear just as she thought she’d moved on with her life. Not sure if what she’s seeing is real or just her mind playing tricks on her, Tash must be wary of everyone on her on her quest to discover the truth, including herself.
Through Tash, Epstein has created a great example of an unreliable narrator. Having her words be dismissed by everyone in her life has led Tash to doubt her own memories. The complete denial of her experiences by adults and friends alike is frustrating, but something that’s all too common in the real world. As Tash is the only perspective the reader has, we want to believe her, but we find ourselves falling for the same gaslighting tactics that she does in order to make sense of the events.
Small Spaces builds upon a familiar, somewhat predictable set-up which lulls the reader into a false sense of security, then bombards them with disturbing flashbacks and disjointed memories. While Epstein’s writing isn’t particularly immersive, the action continues at a steady speed that keeps the reader hooks. The writing style allows the book to be devoured while still giving time to let the reader guess the answer to the mystery of Tash’s life. It’s good for a quick read that still gives you the thrill that all good mystery novels should.
Small Spaces is a frightening look into the minds of trauma victims and how damaging it is for a child to be told so many times that what they saw wasn’t real. It shows that adults don’t always know best and while it can be disheartening to not be believed, you’ve got to trust your intuition.
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Book Review – Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein
Tash Carmody is confronted with her past when the ghosts of her childhood reappear just as she thought she’d moved on with her life. Not sure if what she’s seeing is real or just her mind playing tricks on her, Tash must be wary of everyone on her on her quest to discover the truth, including herself.
Through Tash, Epstein has created a great example of an unreliable narrator. Having her words be dismissed by everyone in her life has led Tash to doubt her own memories. The complete denial of her experiences by adults and friends alike is frustrating, but something that’s all too common in the real world. As Tash is the only perspective the reader has, we want to believe her, but we find ourselves falling for the same gaslighting tactics that she does in order to make sense of the events.
Small Spaces builds upon a familiar, somewhat predictable set-up which lulls the reader into a false sense of security, then bombards them with disturbing flashbacks and disjointed memories. While Epstein’s writing isn’t particularly immersive, the action continues at a steady speed that keeps the reader hooks. The writing style allows the book to be devoured while still giving time to let the reader guess the answer to the mystery of Tash’s life. It’s good for a quick read that still gives you the thrill that all good mystery novels should.
Small Spaces is a frightening look into the minds of trauma victims and how damaging it is for a child to be told so many times that what they saw wasn’t real. It shows that adults don’t always know best and while it can be disheartening to not be believed, you’ve got to trust your intuition.
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