A few things first. I left my laptop at a TSA checkpoint in Boston so I’m writing this year’s first review on the notes app in my iPhone. Grammarly does not work on here so if there’s mistakes, give a girl a little break. My laptop is somewhere over the ocean on its journey back into my loving arms. It’s been a rough few weeks.

But I got my greedy hands on this book from the lovely Netgalley so that right there is hope. Also I’m getting sushi tonight so I guess that’s two good bright spots.

Here we have the town of Four Points where generations of founding families have acted as protectors against an ancient evil they’d banished. But like most towns, this ones got secrets.

Also I great cast of characters. One also wields a sword.

Violet is a jaded teen who’s mother, Juniper forces her to move to a town Juniper grew up in after the death of their daughter and sister, Rosie. It doesn’t take long for Violet to find out her founding families history. I loved violet for her formidable persona and wit. She’s also described as bisexual which was also rad. She’s a girl filled with hope and pain and anger. I wanted to hold her, but was also really scared of her.

Justin is another offspring of a founding family who’s looked as a certain king of the school as well as admired by the town. He has a tumultuous relationship with Harper (daughter of a third founding family) who had failed her ritual (a coming into power thing)and is sort of a pariah in Four Points.

Let me take a minute to talk about Harper. When we first meet her, shes wielding a sword. With one hand. She’s practicing swordplay with one hand-the other having been torn off after her ritual gone wrong. I mean, this girl is a force. I knew it from the start. Lordy lord.

Christine’s writing is stunning. It flows right along with the quick, easy pacing without sacrificing the prose. There were some things that I wished had been expanded on but it wasn’t too much of a bother.

So in closing, we have a diverse, engaging cast and a wonderfully spooky atmospheric world. It flowed through the vein of such recent books like Sawkill Girls and The Waking Forest. If you like those things, this book is for you.

Hello, this review will be posted to my Instagram, blog, and Goodreads on March 15th, 2019. The review will also be added to Amazon and Barnes & Noble on the book's publication date. Links will be added when they are public, thank you.

Title: The Devouring Gray
Author: Christine Lynn Herman
Publication Date: April 2nd, 2019
Rating: 4 stars
eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley

The Devouring Gray is about a small town called Four Paths which is surrounded by woodlands. The founders of this town have been keeping secrets and their children aim to figure out what is really happening in those woods and stop the deaths that keep happening in their town.

This book was not what I was expecting but in a good way. It is filled with a lot of secrets surrounding the founding family's and their abilities along with what is creeping in the woods. The plot for this book leaves you wanting more and honestly I am always up for a good founding family's story especially when there is supernatural abilities at work.

When it came to the characters, a few of them were a little flat but it didn't keep me from taking a interest in them and they kept me engaged throughout each page. It was interesting, and sometimes surprising, to see how far certain characters would go when it came to the power struggle of the town and the drama surrounding the families. I am hoping there will be a second book because it left off on a cliffhanger and there are so many questions I have left unanswered when it comes to Isaac. 

The supernatural abilities are different for each person and even family members have a different one which I thought was cool. A few of those abilities were used but I think we will see more done with them in the second book (crossing my fingers).

This book is filled with suspense, super-human abilities, and a gang of young teens trying to keep their town safe from an evil that dates back farther than their ancestors. If you are a fan of Stranger Things or like a bit of supernatural than this book is definitely for you.

Herman creates a dark and briefing world in which I can’t get enough of. She focuses on the world building while balancing the plot. Her characters are believable and relatable.

I really wanted to like this book, and for the most part I did, yet it didn’t stick out as the next great novel that I’m going to hype to my teens at the library.
The characters in the novel were very well done. Parker, Justin, Violet, and Isaac were all well drawn out and grew as individuals throughout the story. They interacted well with each other and with the other characters. You could really see how the town revered or shunned each person and felt right along with each one. I definitely felt a connection with all four, which is rare I think. I really liked reading from each of their perspectives and picked up on Herman’s little hints as to what would become of each of them.
The core of the story was a real page turner. A dark, secluded town with a vivid history that isn’t really a secret, but rather something that everyone just lives with. It is a little strange, but worked for me. I would have liked a little more about the people outside the founding families (like why they stay and their thoughts about what is going on in their town). When trying to figure out the mystery of what happened years ago or Violet’s family secrets, the story moved fast and kept my attention. There was a portion in the middle that dealt with a lot of teen angst, especially between Parker and Justin, that really dragged on for a while. We had already felt the tension between them and I thought that this took away from the true story and was forced in to create depth that we didn’t need. With a little editing, this may get smoothed out and become as fluid as the other attempted relationship with Justin flowed into the story. This novel was almost on the verge of trying to take on too much, but just managed to hold it together.
The writing was pretty fluid and kept the reader engaged and entertained throughout. There was believable interactions and reactions from teens and adults alike. The world was described in a detailed manner that did remind me a lot of the upside down from Stranger Things. I would have liked to know more about what originally happened and get more about this creepy gray, but I suppose that is being saved for the next installment.
This was an interesting mystery with a little romance, a bit of spookiness, and a tad of teen angst thrown in. I do look forward to reading more about this dark town, but hopefully with a little more detail and refinement. I may not have this as a first recommendation for reluctant readers, yet I think some of my die hard readers will enjoy this greatly.

"Not every Hawthorne could read the future, but their power was tied into predicting and influencing the roots and branches that tied the town together, the same way that tied the town together, the same way the Carlisles worked with stone and the Sullivans could hurt or heal with a single touch. Each family protected Four Paths in a different way." Harper, Justin, May and Isaac are all descendants of the town's founders and have inherited powers that protect their town from a beast that is trapped in a parallel dimension. When Violet moves to town, she learns she is also a descendant and is pulled into a town conspiracy.

The story got a little convoluted at times and slow moving, but if you stick with it, it is definitely worth it and I look forward to reading more from this author.

A mashup between Stranger Things, Riverdale and Peyton Place, The Devouring Gray is one of those works of fiction which can be enjoyed only if the reader is able to suspend disbelief in logic and rational behavior, and join in some Gothic bad times in the small town of Four Paths, New York. This is one town that has a founders' legend as complex as Hogwarts, and the teen descendants of the four founding families find their privileged lineage a curse and a blessing. They have inherited supernatural powers that are supposed to help them protect the town against the lurking monster that lives in the shadows of the forest surrounding the town but they find their frequent inability to either live up to their heritage or to control their gifts can cause much grief and resentment amongst their fellow townies, especially when the Beast is picking the latter off in increasing numbers. Rivalries, crushes, and resentments along with the petty power struggles common to town politics slow down the actiom, especially as no one ever just decides to up and leave for the city. If a Goth inbred fantasy is going to happen anywhere, it would be in upstate New York, and Herman does a great job of conveying the claustrophobia of life in a too small town hamlet where everyone knows each other's secrets. These tropes of timey wimey American suffocating small town hypocrisies and the lingering darkness lurking just outside create the possibility of a deeper reading, but the teenagers are a little too stereotypically whiny and self-involved, however brave and bisexual they may be. The book ends on a might cliffhanger, so hopefully the powerful story will gain steam in the sequel.

Violet Saunders has been whisked away to her mother's small hometown after a tragic event. At first, Violet considers Four Paths is just like any other small, sleepy town. She soon discovers that there are mysteries, lies, and secrets that are being hidden and it involves her family's history with the town.
I thought this was a really great start to this series. It kind of threw you right into the town and the founders, but I was able to catch up. I couldn't tell how it would end and I'm excited to read the next one.

I wanted to like it, but I kept getting frustrated with both the dialogue and the “tell not show” writing. I would recommend this to fans of The Raven Cycle.

This book is well-plotted, and a very compelling read! Although the premise feels familiar, it has great world-building elements that I think many young adult readers will be drawn into. While I can see a thematic comparison to Stranger Things and The Raven Cycle, those stories feel more literary and character-driven to me, whereas this book has the appeal of a fast-paced horror thriller. I think it will be a hit with young adult readers who love the supernatural, and it would make for a great TV drama in the style of The Vampire Diaries.

The Devouring Gray was a great horror read, and I will be looking for the follow up. We follow the lives of a few of Four Path's residents as newcomer Violet comes to town. She meets Justin, Harper, Issac, and May and discovers they are all part of the founding families that keep the town safe from the Gray. It is a shadow dimension that kills all that enter it. Violet must figure out where she stands with this new knowledge, and well as where she stands with her new friends.

It was a fun, and it will be a long wait until the new installment. It will recommend this book to my students.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

This story will appeal to both YA and adult readers. Filled with magic, confusion, an alternate world, the story grabs you right from the beginning. As the young people work out their issues with the adults around them, they realize they must work together to overcome “the gray”.

I really loved this book. All of the characters acted in manners that were believable, even when their actions were not in their best interest. Although the reader is aware of each character's intents and emotions, the author has done an excellent job of keeping that information from leaking to the characters, which creates a fine mess. Very highly recommended!

Returning to a town that your mother doesn't remember? What secrets of the founders does she not remember also? Who should Violet trust? Harper? Isaac? Justin? They each find their strength to fight The Grey and try to return the town to the folks living in it.

OH WOW. THIS IS SUCH A SOUL BOOK FOR ME.

I loved this creepy, atmospheric, powerful book so so much. I didn't zip through it like I thought I would, but I took my time to devour it (HAHA DEVOUR, SO CLEVER!) and I think I loved it more because of that.

The Founding Families aspect of the storyline was very interesting to me. I wanted to simultaneously read about the past family members while continuing with the characters in the present. Ever since I was little I always wanted my family to have some kind of crazy history dating back years and years, some intriguing story of how we came to settle in a certain place. Very little history is known in my family so perhaps I can still discover an awesome story, but maybe one quite different than the one in THE DEVOURING GRAY. I just can't imagine how the author was able to come up with all the lore surrounding the families, it was all so perfect! I can't stop thinking about it days after finishing the book.

I also love the dynamic between the four main characters: Violet, Justin, Isaac, and Harper. The relationships of course changed from the beginning of the story to the end and I can't wait to see how they grow and differ in the next installment. Also I have become quite involved with Isaac so friendly reminder: HANDS OFF. =]

I can't recommend this book enough. All the hype you are hearing is well deserved! I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy April 2nd, 2019!

I'm not sure why I had such a hard time finishing THE DEVOURING GRAY. On the surface it's everything I love, including small town intrigue, magical powers, romantic tension, and feline familiars. The character development is solid, and the world-building is well-rounded. However, despite the really unique premise, well-drawn out characters, and creepy mystery, I had a difficult time making it through this ARC. It's definitely the perfect book for people who love urban fantasy. I just wish it had done a better job of sweeping me away.

For months, I've heard about the Devouring Gray. The synopsis stuck out to me like a hitchhiker's thumb and I was eager to pick it up! Imagine my surprise when my request for the ARC was approved. This story was an absolute delight to read. I was engrossed from beginning to end. Violet, Justin, Issac, and Harper are main characters. The eerily little town of Four Paths is a main character as well. Four Paths is a place haunted by a dark past, which put them in the predicament everyone is in now. Centuries ago, four founders trapped a creature in the forests surrounding the town. A beast known as the Beast. Tread carefully in the forest or the Beast will lure you into the Devouring Gray, so your last breath can be there.

Violet, Issac, Justin, and Harper are descendants of the Founders. Each in a family that plays significant roles in protecting Four Paths and its citizens from the Beast's monstrous hunger. But just because their families go way back doesn't mean they're all friends.

Violet is clueless when she arrives in Four Paths, the historical stomping ground of her family.
Harper (disability rep for missing an arm) is on a path for vengeance.
Justin is a liar.
Issac is spiraling.

The tale is atmospheric, dark, and downright delicious. There's killings, betrayals, lies, witchy rituals, broken friendships that cut like glass, and family trees rotting from the inside out.

I would highly recommend this book!

This fantasy explores issues of power (both our own and that we wield over others), family secrets and when it’s safe to choose to trust. The teen characters struggle with shifting alliances as they try to do their part to get the truth about - and conquer- a threat to their town. The story moves at a nice pace, with a few surprising twists. The complex relationships among the characters are intriguing. The epilogue, though understandable, for me is frustrating and detracts from the story. Still an enjoyable read.

Absolutely loved this story! Great world building and dynamic characters. Looking forward to the next book!

The Founding Families are a powerful group of people who are charged with keeping the town safe. However, secrets have been unearthed that make the powers of the families come into question. How did they get their powers and why? And how are they really using them?

I cannot get this story out of my head! There are people with powers, a dangerous and intense enemy, children who are almost treated as gods, and betrayals that are unparalleled.

This story is a fast read because you get sucked in so easily. The author wastes no time getting to the action and quickly laying a short backstory. However, the author also draws out a fuller backstory to create suspense and slowly reveals the “why” behind the characters’ actions. This leads to a strong desire to continue on with the story to see what will happen next and how the story will play out.

I cannot wait until the next story comes out to continue this journey with the Founding Families and the dreaded Beast.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy to read. All opinions are my own.