If you read one book in 2019, it should be this one. This book is amazing! I’m not a fantasy reader, but I was HOOKED by the first page. This book is dark, it’s magical, and the characters are all amazingly flawed. I loved that you got to see things from multiple perspectives, and got to get deeper into each character’s mind. This book gets a solid five stars.

Seriously, this book grabs you hard. I sat down to read, and when I glanced at the clock it was two hours later and I had ready half of the book. I’m not even embarrassed at how gushy I am for this book. I need this book to be made into a movie, and I need a sequel. In any order.

#TheDevouringGray #NetGalley #Edelweiss
What a dark and creepy book! I loved it. Thank you to the publisher for the E-Arc copy of this book. It is a odd and dense book about for teens who must deal with their ancestors past. The characters are believable and the story is well plotted. I foresee reading another book if the author chooses to give us what we wish at the end. Wonderful job!

This isn't my usual sort of book to read--too melodramatic. However, the creepy atmosphere was a huge reason I picked it up. I was like watching an excellent psychological thriller, one that chills you while making you think throughout. The characters are messy, but they're REAL. They make mistakes as people truly would and have you screaming at them to go the other way. But that's the reason why you love them. Herman has done an amazing job of creating a cast that is not only flawed but likable and a setting that is so developed, it stands as its own character.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The Devouring Gray (from NetGalley). All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Very cool, original book! The four teenage decedents of the town's founders are well developed and believable. I understood each one and sympathized with their very real emotions. I have never read anything quite like this. Some of the book depicted truly awful historic events speckling the characters' pasts, adding to the extreme interest already kindled. (I do hope this is just the beginning...and there is at least one sequel. The last scene gives me hope!) Thank you to NetGalley and Christine-Lynn Herman for the ARC.

This looked interesting to me because it was blurbed as being for fans of Stranger Things. After reading it it is more like a cross between Parker's Beware the Wild and Stiefvater's Raven Boys books. Four Paths is a town with a capital H History. The original founders bound some creature in another dimension (or something, I don't remember if it expressly said where the other place was) called the Gray. The four founding families each received a magical gift to help contain the menace of the Beast. All four families should work together, but hey, 100 plus years changes people's attitudes. The Hawthornes run things, the Sullivans have been wiped out except for one remaining scion, the Carlisles have grown weak in their powers, and the Saunders are represented by one old dementia stricken woman. Until, dun, dun, dun...our heroine Violet Saunders is brought to town by her mother Juniper who escaped years ago.
Justin (I'm so sad because I don't have a fancy power) Hawthorne is barred by his mom town sheriff Augusta (I'm pretty evil but I mean well) Hawthorne from revealing anything to Violet because she doesn't know the town's history of fighting the Beast. Violet starts having weird experiences, winds up in the Gray, gets some powers, and starts figuring things out. She is befriended by Harper (I used to have some power but now everyone hates me because I don't and lost an arm) Carlisle who is still mad at Justin because what-a-hottie-why-didn't-he-stick-up-for-me. Isaac (isn't it totes obvious I'm gay even though I don't say it) Sullivan has trouble controlling his temper and gets in to bad situations because of it. Did I mention the super important equinox is coming up when the Beast will be at his strongest and these people who totally despise each other because of personal history must come together as a plucky band of misfits and save the day? Yeah, I've never read anything like that before.
It is a story with interesting enough pieces that just didn't flow very well and lots of kids doing really stupid things that real kids wouldn't do. There were a couple of plot twists that were intriguing but some other stuff that was just drawn out for way too long before the big reveal. I will still order this for the library because I know the students here will like the book, it is just not very good when compared to Raven Boys that does the tangled love web among elite friends with powers much better.

The Devouring Gray was honestly such a new and interesting read. It had all the classic themes that we have come to know and love and then it gave them such a fantastic twist that I was completely blown away.

Right off the bat, I knew that I had to get my hands on this book. Small town, monster in the woods, and people with powers? It’s all the things I love in one. Starting this book off, I had a feeling that I was going to like Violet, but I didn’t think just how much I would love her. She’s the new girl in school and she took it all in with such grace and power. Like it almost felt like nothing could faze her. She had gone through so much already before coming to Four Paths that family secrets and so much more almost seemed like a cake walk.

This book really does focus on the characters just as much as it does on the plot. Harper was so perfectly angry at what had been done to her and I honestly can’t wait to see what’s going to happen in the second book. The same goes for Isaac. As soon as that boy was introduced, let me just say he was my favorite. I felt like I learned just enough about the founding families to know what was happening and why this town was they was it was, but still left me wanting so much more.

Herman really did a fantastic job with this book and the writing was phenomenal. She really knew how to capture the reader's attention and keep it. I can’t wait to continue this series and see where the story takes these characters.

This book has fast pacing and an intiguing storyline. The intertwining stories of four teenagers from four different magical families is a great premise. I would have preferred a stand alone book instead of the start of a series however.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman was an amazing read. I could not put this book down and had to find out how it ended. This one took me by surprised and I just loved it. GREAT READ