Review Detail

SMALL FAVORS by Erin A. Craig is a haunting YA fantasy that will keep readers guessing to the bitter end. The story follows Ellerie and the Downing family as their town faces a supply shortage that may not see them through winter. Ellerie is a young woman on the cusp of adulthood who feels inadequate when measured against her twin brother. She works hard at everything she does, taking on extra tasks and basking in her father’s attention as they care for the bees she loves so much. After some strange occurrences including malformed animals and strange weather patterns coupled with desperation as supplies begin to run low, neighbor turns on neighbor and the little town of Amity Falls may crumble with it.

I enjoyed this one from start to finish. Ellerie makes for a wonderful narrator as the story plays out through her perspective. I learned a lot about her family’s apiary, the family dynamics, and the people of Amity Falls. After a fire leaves her mother injured, Ellerie’s parents must head to the city to find help at the hospital. Because winter is approaching, the pass will be closed, and they will not be able to return until after the thaw. That leaves the youngest sisters in the care of Ellerie and her twin. But Sam is shirking his duties, disappearing for days at a time and still taking their much needed supplies for himself. Ellerie really steps up here, taking on both her mother’s and father’s responsibilities at their farm all while making a list of all their food and how to make it stretch for the long winter.

Ellerie and her sisters are interesting characters. I enjoyed following their story and seeing how they reacted to the chaos surrounding them. Ellerie is a realistic character who has normal teenage wants and needs–she wants to find love, make her own home, and have a family to call her own, especially as it seems her twin is already doing those things. With her parents gone, she gets a taste of what that may be like for her in the future. When she meets a newcomer to the town who will overwinter there, she is enamored. I liked the character. He grounds Ellerie in the present when her life is overwhelming.

I listened to this one and highly recommend it for audiophiles. Rachel Music breathes life into the world of Amity Falls through her diction and tone. I easily kept track of which character was speaking and what was going on in the story. If anything, she adds mystery to an already creepy tale.

Final Thought: Haunting and captivating, SMALL FAVORS is sure to be a hit for fans of YA fantasy, keeping readers invested in the fate of the Downing family.