I'm so blown away that this is a debut because I can find no flaw in it. The first page grabbed me and I didn't want to stop reading.



The atmosphere for this book is perfect. The way the trees and the gray is described really made me picture it. I felt so immersed in this book. I didn't need to know what the monster looked like to know it was terrifying. I liked that it was an old small town with no one new moving there. It had a feel of something like Salem. A place where the history is so important. Christine described everything so well early on.



There were four founding families in Four Paths. Each family has a power and they protect the town from the Gray. The Gray is another place that doesn't exist on earth the way we know. It's another dimension that people are pulled into and hardly anyone ever makes it out alive. Things are going bad now and more people than normal are dying. Some of the magic in the families isn't as strong. And now it's the teens turn to try their rituals and see if they possess the powers.



Violet lost her sister to a car accident. Her mother, Juniper, decided that they needed to move back to Four Paths to take care of her sister, Daria. Daria has early onset dementia and they will be taking care of her. Violet knows very little about her mom's home town or about her family. She can tell right away that things are different there.



Justin and May are siblings from the strongest family. Their mother is the sheriff and keeps an eye on everything in town. May can read the Deck of Omens to find answers. She sees things that don't totally make sense and that it's not good. Isaac is from another family and the only one left in town. Things didn't go well during his ritual and some of his brothers died. Isaac will do anything to protect Justin and May. They're all very close. Harper used to be best friends with Justin. Things went wrong during her ritual, too. She was pulled into the Gray for days and came out missing her hand and lower arm. She had no powers and didn't remember much of what happened.



All these kids need to find a way to work together to figure out what is going on in the town. There are people that seem to be pulling away. Violet has no idea what her ritual is, but she does bring a cat back from the dead. Everyone starts helping her research her past. But she ends up with more questions than answers. Her mom doesn't remember anything and Aunt Daria isn't always making sense. Violet starts having blackouts and sees her dead sister, Rosie.



There were definitely some interesting twists that I didn't see coming in this book. It was hard to put down and I just kept wanting more. I can't really talk about more without giving anything away. I loved most of the teens, but not really any of the parents. But I was glad that there were adults present and part of the story. It made it even more interesting.



I gave this book 5 stars. I won a copy from an auction (as a replacement for another book) and was so thrilled. The arc is beautiful and I cannot wait to see the finished book. Shortly after getting the physical arc in, Netgalley also approved the book. So thank you to the publishers for that. This book had some of the same feels as Sawkill Girls, The Darkdeep, and Stranger Things. The beginning is a bit slow, but it tells so much of the story and really sets the mood for the whole book.

This sort of spooky story is about a trapped monster and the descendants of the four families that trapped it. Four Paths, New York, is a small town with a big secret. Violet Saunders is seventeen, grieving the loss of her sister, trying to understand a mother she sees as indifferent, and a new resident of Four Paths. She and her mother have come to take care of her mother's sister Daria who has dementia.

Now that Violet and her mother have returned, there are again representatives of each of the four founding families in town. And the equinox is coming. At the equinox, the monster is the strongest and the founders are at their weakest.

Justin Hawthorne is the town's golden boy. He's a descendant of the founders - but he failed the ritual that would have given him the power to keep the monster in check. With his mother the sheriff using the family powers to keep the Hawthornes prominent, Justin has to keep his lack of powers secret. His sister May holds the power in their generation but is completely under the control of their mother.

Harper Carlisle was Justin's best friend until she failed the ritual that should have confirmed her powers. She lost her hand, her friendship with Justin, and her place in her own family. She is angry at Justin and wants revenge for his betrayal.

Isaac Sullivan is Justin's best friend and the only survivor still in town from his family. He has anger issues and a really scary power.

Violet needs to find out what her power is and perform the ritual so that she can control it before the equinox. Because, not only does the monster want out, but he has human help who also want to free him and free the town from being controlled by the descendants of the founders.

This was an interesting story with lots of scary bits as Violet gets swept into the Gray. The relationships between all the kids were complex but engaging. The hidden secrets in the town kept the plot moving. Fans of the creepy will enjoy this one.

To be honest, I was a little skeptical about this book to start but it turned out to be pretty good. It’s a dark tale with monsters and in between creepy world wonders and I have so many kids that are gonna totally be into this! I myself can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

If you like Stranger Things, I think you'll like this book. When Violet Saunders moves to Four Paths after the death of her sister, she is unprepared for the mystery and magic that is part of the town. As she learns more of the mysterious Gray, and the Monster, she must decide whether to help and save the town using her new powers, or try to run.

This is an excellent spooky book for the middle school age level for those students who don't want to be super-spooked, but still want to experience the horror/scary novel genre. I was eager to find out more about the founding families and the truth about the Gray as the book went on, and in my opinion, it was not a very predictable book. I can't wait for the sequel to find out more about Isaac Sullivan!

The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman tells the story of a mysterious town with a bone-chilling history tied to a monster who is trapped there. When Violet's mother returns to the town of Four Paths to care for her ill sister, she is thrust into a world where no one can be trusted, monsters are real and each of the founding families must complete a ritual, one which Violet has not completed yet and which represents a terrifying prospect.
Herman has crafted a complex and compelling universe and I was enthralled by this book from the moment I sat down to read it to the moment I finished it.
It is a novel full of morally grey characters, fascinating back stories, special powers, rituals and a spine tingling monster.
I really enjoyed the fact that you never actually know what the monster (the Gray) looks like because I felt that it left it up to the reader's imagination which made it more interesting. My mind was left to imagine all the horrors that the Gray could be without ever actually knowing what it looked like. The only knowledge we are given is what the landscape the Gray lives in looks like.
I also love the complex back stories that Herman has written into her novel, both for the characters and the founding families' histories. I thought the characterization was amazing and the characters took me by surprise on several occasions. I always love when a book has great plot twists and this one definitely does. I also thought the unique powers she gave some of the characters were very interesting.
I really enjoyed Herman's writing style and thought that she had a conversationally compelling tone which suggested an aura of mounting suspense.
Finally, the novel has great bisexual representation. Four of the main characters are bisexual including Violet, her mother Juniper, Isaac (best friend of Justin who is also friends with Violet) and Justin's mother, Augusta.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a suspenseful, complex fantasy related to a monster and the lengths people will go to for power. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman will be released by Disney Book Group on April 2nd 2019.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The description was so enticing and there were so many good reviews I had to give it a try. I have to agree with some of the other reviewers though - there was too much telling. There were long passages where I caught myself skimming over what was probably important information because of the way it was presented. It felt more textbook style and less storytelling, and it lost my interest. I also had a hard time connecting with any of the characters and found that I wasn't that concerned with what happened to them (Except for Isaac, for some reason. I did find myself hoping he'd be ok)

Overall, the idea was a good one, I just did not enjoy the way the story was told.

Thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc copy of this title.

So I started this book really hoping to like it as the plot sounded amazing; happy to report that it didn't disappoint in the least.

Our main character Violet, has recently moved to Four Paths with her mother after the death of her sister. This tiny town is where her mother grew up and holds many secrets. The biggest one being the there is a monster called The Gray that stalks them all.

Violet then finds out that she is a descendant of one of the four founding families and that she has magical abilities to help protect the town. Really that is the base of the plot for the book.

It did take several chapters for me to feel like I actually understood what was going on, as you are really thrown into the story head first. But after the first 4o or so pages you start to get a grip on the story and the characters within it.

Christine has a very easy writing style, so once I started reading, the story went by quickly. The characters themselves had a few quirks, but overall were very believable in spite of them. There was one part of story line that I feel wasn't completely covered, but it turns out that this is a series, so maybe in the next book that will be covered.

Overall this story really pulled me and kept me engaged throughout the whole thing. I would highly recommend this book and can't wait to continue the story in the next.

Actual rating is 3.5 stars.

I thought this started out brilliantly. Kinda eerie and creepy. I wanted it to stay that way. Actually, I expected it to. But it didn’t.

The Gray is a creepy almost in-between world in which the founders of a town trapped a monster. And their descendants are able to keep it at bay with magical powers granted to their family in order to protect the town. But they all have to pass ritual in order to receive said powers. Thus brings about some of the other families involved. Part of the story follows those who have failed and are seen as less.

Our main character is Violet. Her mother fled the town after the death of her younger brother Stephen. They’re returning because her aunt is ill. It’s clear from the beginning that the town isn’t just small, it’s odd. She’s dealing with the pain of her sister’s death. Something that she thinks her mother has barely acknowledged or cared about. She resents her mother for many things. And the move is just added stress on top of it all.

The story of the town comes to her attention and she becomes aware of her family’s part in things. She begins to develop a power of her own. A dangerous one. As she navigates that and all it could mean, the other teenagers from the founding families vie for her attention. It’s clear there’s an agenda on both sides. And they clash.

But this story gets even more twisted and hurtful. The adults in this are truly appalling people. I did enjoy the weird cultish feel of parts. And for the most part, the whole Beast terrorizing the town. But really, beyond the first chapter in which we are told about how the bodies were found, there isn’t much of a scary/creepy factor afterward. Most of it becomes solving the mystery of Violet’s family’s ritual, finding another half of a diary, attempting to befriend Violet, etc. It may seem macabre, but I almost thought it should’ve been heavier on the Beast and its terrorizing of the town. Instead, I kind of feel like the humans were the real villains.

I think the ending was supposed to be a gasp-worthy cliffhanger, but I didn’t have that reaction. At all. Because I really never connected with that character. We viewed him through the eyes of others. So as much as I wish it could’ve been an “oh crap” moment, I just felt more underwhelmed.

Anyway, it’s a good enough read to keep you entertained and I’m pretty sure I’ll read the next book just to see what happens next. Mostly how The Gray will be handled and what (if any) effect that ending will play in it all.

Give me all the creepy, foreboding woods because I will happily wander into them and get lost and hope I’m never found. The same can be said for “The Devouring Gray.” I loved losing myself in this story and in these characters.

Thank you, Chrisrine Lynn Herman, for these brilliantly badass and unapologetic and brave and soft and strong rag-tag group of teenagers who mess up as only teenagers can (which you know, takes on a whole new meaning when those mistakes are embroiled in family legacies and deep dark secrets and superpowers and a monster in the woods).

I will absolutely be recommending that we purchase this title for our library collection.

What I liked
The broad representation of sexuality of present characters, as well as ones we do not meet, several characters who call the,selves bi, including main characters
The setting is wonderfully creepy and well executed
The three different points of view the story was told from. Usually multiple POV drives me crazy, but this time it actually helped me understand the characters better
The adults were fully fleshed out alongside the teenaged main characters

What I didn’t like
I’m glad there’s a book where characters, more than one, are bi, but I was also not happy that they all ended up with opposite sex partners in the story. The she (bi) likes him but he (bi) likes another guy, who likes her love triangle may keep me from reading the second book.

This was a strange book. At times it reminded me a lot of Sawkill Girls, though I liked the Devouring Gray much better. I can also see the Raven Boys influence here, but it didn't read as derivative for me; still, if you go in expecting the Raven Boys, you will likely be disappointed.

I loved how effortlessly bi Isaac and Violet were! I was also getting some gray-ace vibes from Violet. I like the spooks, I liked the powers, I liked how the rising tensions in the town were handled in the text. Grief was handled very believably.

Sometimes the book felt rushed, like I needed more time to connect with the characters and really feel the emotional impact of what was going on, but I maybe just needed to focus a little better while I was reading it.

Still, I liked it! Would read again (and probably will because there's gonna be a sequel).

I keep battling with my overall rating, but I would give this book 3/5 stars if I had to pick a number. Christine Lynn Herman's upcoming The Devouring Gray is one of Disney's most anticipated 2019 releases, and I can totally understand why. It's being called a mash-up between The Raven Boys meets Stranger Things, and after finishing this supernatural young adult novel, I can see why.

Located in upstate New York, a small rural town called Four Paths is tucked away within miles and miles of forest. When Violet Saunders and her mother Juniper return back to Juniper's hometown during Violet's senior year of high school, Violet decides just get through the year and return back to her normal life for college. Violet grew up in Ossining, Westchester, which is just an hour's way from New York City —a world completely different from her new home at Four Paths. At Four Paths, everyone knows your name, and Violet's class is approximately 50 or so people, so she ends up learning everyone's names very quickly. What Violet doesn't know is that the town was founded by four founders, and each of their descendants come with their own notoriety, and baggage. The founders are linked to the surrounding forest in some way, but Violet is unsure how exactly. After meeting the teenagers of the town's founders, she starts to realize that what she believed to be true about herself is not what she was expecting. As Violet's tenure at Four Paths continues, townsfolk start disappearing while others are being killed. The culprit at hand for these murders, are the devouring gray of the nearby woods.

I keep battling about how I thought about The Devouring Gray —both in it's content, and how the dialogue was presented. The Devouring Gray is a diverse story, with sexual fluidity properly portrayed in a respectful, meaningful way. I felt that this theme in the story is important if this book is being rated for teenagers through young adult, because the representation of characters who fall on the Kinsey Scale in some capacity are usually not represented in the most respectful light. While I usually don't enjoy slow-burn novels, the slow burning attributes to this book ending up working in it's favor. My level of enjoyment increased after each chapter—starting from reasonably low, to exponentially high by the epilogue. My intrigue for the devouring gray is still being sought out after I closed the book. Lastly, although it is a fantasy/sci-fi story, it never crossed the point of ridiculousness with it's supernatural capacity.

However, as the story progressed, I felt that The Devouring Gray began to create an information dump in order for it to proceed. Rather than the reader figuring out what was going on, Violet was informed by heavy dialogue from the townspeople informing her (and us) to what exactly what was going on. That was disappointing, because as a reader, you want to uncover the mystery yourself, not be told what is happening in a matter-of-fact type of way. I also didn't enjoy the amount of exposition that was thrust into the story—you finally get down to the "fun stuff" at the final quarter of the novel. For a fantasy/sci-fi novel, that is way too far into the story for me to allow. I understand

As The Devouring Gray was coming to an end, that is where the author really takes the story and strengthens it. The characters start from being interchangeable background noise, to fully functional, important roles. Even with it's slow-burning capacity, my adoration for the characters in this book grew as the story moved along—which worked in the author's favor. I ended up finishing this story wanting more. I can't imagine that there won't be a sequel to The Devouring Gray , I just am unsure that I am ready to invest in more time with this story.

"...Branches and stones, daggers and bones..."

Creepy rhymes automatically make me want to read a book. This is not the full rhyme, so you'll want to check this story out for more!

This one lived up to the creepiness level I was expecting/ wanting. A little bit Stranger Things, a little bit Buffy (sans vampires). I loved it. I stayed up until 2am last night because I absolutely needed to finish it.

Also- parents actually play a role in this book (which is pretty cool, since you hardly ever see parents in YA). I also definitely appreciate the fact that there is very little romance in this book. I mean, there's a little bit but it definitely takes a far back seat to the main story. This kept the action moving forward and allowed for more attention to the development of the characters and different types of relationships, which was awesome.

Family secrets, grief, love found and lost - they all come together with the supernatural in this atmospheric treat of a book. I love the small town setting. It's at once cosy and creepy and Herman manages to weave in the backstories of all her characters so well. The mutli-povs were well done and added depth to the story, but the twists were still a pleasant surprise, proving that Herman knows exactly what story she's trying to tell. The ending is Something Else, and I can't wait to read the sequel.

This novel wasn't for me. I was expecting a more lyrical, magical realism story. I don't think this novel can be adapted for curriculum. I will still recommend this to students looking for a creepy, October read.

This book should be a big hit with fans of Supernatural, the TV show, and supernatural, the genre. Herman has created a collection of distinct characters and interesting interpersonal relationships. I mostly loved it, but it did feel like a constant rush towards action, with no down time at all.

This creepy, eerie and imaginative story grabbed me by the back of the neck and held on from first to last page. The plot is a refreshing take on the “monster in the woods” trope and features some sassy, kick-ass characters. The premise of four founding families (shades of Hogwarts, anyone?) isn’t new, but the relationship of the families to the monster and to the town they protect is pretty darn original. The author does a good job of making teens sound like teens, although the adults are portrayed as bullies or dopes. The plot flowed easily and kept my attention. It looks like this will be the begining of a series, which makes me happy. It would also make a helluva TV series in the vein of Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Recommended.

Where do I even begin?

I devoured The Devouring Gray in about a week. I couldn't put it down. I was invested in the characters from the moment they appeared. The story took me to places I never expected. I can't gush about it enough.

It was like the founders of Hogwarts and the Vampire Diaries came together in a town with creepy woods full of evil! The writing was phenomenal: the author takes you into her arms and, when you eventually come out on the other side, she sets you down on a nice meadow of grass called the Sequel Possibility.

What's great and different about The Devouring Gray, is that the magic isn't thrown at you. They aren't witches, there are no fairies, but yet they're power exists and their town knows it. Each family of Four Paths is powerful in their own way, whether it be with the mind, with the dead, with energy, or with creating. The book deals with grief in a true way, not overusing it to further the plot, but not dismissing it all together. The characters are strong and weak in their own ways and the Gray isn't the One thing that matters the entire book. Although, it is the epicenter of the town, the characters interact with it differently and it sets them apart.

The representation in the book is great, and something you don't really read a lot about in YA but is now starting to catch hold where it should have been all along.

10/10 would recommend reading The Devouring Gray!

An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

THE DEVOURING GRAY has been one of my most anticipated 2019 reads, and it. did. not. disappoint.

It's hard for me to describe everything I loved about this book. The writing was so clean and evocative, definitely lyrical at times. The characters are thoughtful, developed, and so obviously human—their interactions, their dialogue, their wants and needs, they're all so clear and well-developed. I'm deeply attached to these moody disasters (especially Violet and Harper) and can't wait until Book 2.

There was basically nothing I didn't love about this book. The pacing was tight, the story and stakes clear, and the characters—as mentioned above—so incredible and relatable. I love the conversations this book has with the readers on grief and familial expectations, the lies we tell to save face, the feelings of being wanted and being an outcast. This book takes difficult issues and does not shy away from them, all while keeping the teenaged-hood alive. This is a book I would have needed when I was a teen, if only to see others my age struggle and not be perfect.

I think what I really loved about this book, at the end of the day, was those two last points: this book looked difficult topics (like grief) in the face and didn't pretend to have perfect characters. The characters struggle and make mistakes that have real consequences, which is so great to see. And! The book actually feels complete, and not like the story was cut off abruptly to make a sequel. There are questions asked at the very end that are meant for the sequel, but it didn't leave on much of a cliff.

Definite content notes are needed, though the author has done a really wonderful job being upfront about that. The book deals with grief (for both sibling and parental death), has some gory images of dead bodies, borderline abusive or at least neglectful parents, and lots of bi feelings. No CN necessary for that last bit, but there was that one review of GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE that felt the need to be upset about the F/F relationship, so: there are bi feelings in this book, and they're amazing.

I wish I had more coherent things to say about this book, but it boils down to: if you love flawed characters, complex familial relationships, dark and spooky towns, kids being pretty openly bi, self-destruction, and cults, pick this book up when it comes out in April. I couldn't put it down.