Small Angels

A Novel

By: Lauren Owen

Narrated by: Daphne Kouma, Tamsin Kennard, Rebecca Lee, Eleanor Yates

In a hypnotic tale of sisterhood, first love, and hauntings, a wedding in a small English village stirs up unsettling magic and forces a troubled family’s secrets out into the open.

“This beautifully written modern ghost story is an enchanting place to get lost.”—Danielle Trussoni, The New York Times Book Review

“A twisting gothic tale of darkness, intrigue, heartbreak, and revenge.”—Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne

The woods are stirring again. . . .

Lucia and her sisters grew up on the edge of Mockbeggar Woods. They knew it well—its danger, but also its beauty. As a lonely teenager, Kate was drawn to these sisters, who were unlike anyone she’d ever met. But when they brought her into the woods, something dark was awakened, and Kate has never been able to escape the terrible truth of what happened there.

Chloe has been planning her dream wedding for months. She has the dress, the flowers, and the perfect venue: Small Angels, a charming old church set alongside dense, green woods in the village that her fiancé, Sam, and his sister, Kate, grew up in. But days before the ceremony, Chloe starts to learn of unsettling stories about Small Angels and Mockbeggar Woods. And worse, she begins to see, smell, and hear things that couldn’t possibly be real.

Now, Kate is returning home for the first time in years—for Sam and Chloe’s wedding. But the woods are stirring again, and Kate must reconnect with Lucia, her first love, to protect Chloe, the village, and herself. An unforgettable novel about the memories that hold us back and those that show us the way forward, this is storytelling at its most magical. Enter Small Angels, if you dare.

©2022 Lauren Owen (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“This beautifully written modern ghost story is an enchanting place to get lost.”—Danielle Trussoni, The New York Times Review

“Small Angels simmers with menace and ancient fury, shot through with sorrow, compassion, and hope. Gorgeously atmospheric and gripping!”—Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne

“Beautiful and frightening, Small Angels is both ghost story and love ballad to the art of storytelling. Lauren Owen has written a true page-turner. This book will haunt and bewitch you.”—A. J. Gnuse, author of Girl in the Walls

Best engaging storytelling at its darkest!

This book will capture you and hold you hostage! Dark, amazing, and magical storytelling that I haven't heard in years! This story is unlike any other story out there. I want more of it.

Outstanding Ghost Story

Wonderful story, with well-written chilling moments, a mystery that unfolds slowly, and outstanding narration. Highly recommend.

Whimsical, Rustic, Haunting.

High quality story and storytelling. Deliciously chilling and ethereal. Beautiful symbolism. Creative characters. Perfect narration.

Riveting

Fantastic story, characters, and narration. At its heart is how we tell stories about ourselves and whether we can change those stories through love, friendship, and family. Terrific writing that, in turn, will make you want to live forever in the enchanted Mockbeggar Woods and want to run away from them as fast as possible.

Excellent storytelling!

Lauren Owen weaves such a magical story and the narrators bring each character to life. I loved listening to each character’s unique perspective.

Captivating, Haunting

What a good choice for a long auto trip. The performance was excellent, adding a haunting quality to the excellent writing. As far as the story goes, I could see how it could be considered drawn out or repetitive in the printed version since many events are told through different pov.

Most Unusual

Excellent narration, the voices were perfect for this story. Haunted magical woods are truly frightening.
Who is haunting them? Traditions, stories of betrayal, loneliness, but also enchanting natural beauty. Author has quite the imagination.

A Bit Confusing

In the end the story did come together. it was a bit hard to follow as an audio book because so many individual stories were being told. I may have liked it better if I had read the book instead.

Decent Story, But Too Long. Dull Narrator.

This story could have been so much better if the author had just focused on the base ghost story (which was good) and left out the entire wedding subplot and lesbian love story. It was just too long. I appreciate the author's gift for description but it really became tedious and repetitive after a point. Also, I really did not care for the narrator at all. There are 4 narrators listed in the description which I don't understand because clearly I was listening to the same breathy, monotonous voice the entire 12+ hours. It was difficult to tell which character I was supposed to be hearing because there was so little variation in the voice. I found myself glad when it was over so that I could finally move on to something else.

Dark and poetic

This book will be one that stays with me. somewhat for the story and message within but more for how it made me feel as I listened and became swept up in it. Absolutly stunning experience.