User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Review to come! (Listen I know I say this a lot but I have two weeks left in the semester, I promise I'm working on updating all my reviews XD)
Rating: really liked it
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. “Four Paths had its charms, if you could ignore the fact that it was also a monster prison she apparently had some ancestral obligation to deal with.”
This is a really hard review for me to write, because this book had some of my favorite things of all time; lyrical and beautiful writing that I could nonstop highlight, an atmosphere setting that gives me goosebumps even just thinking about, a mystery all surrounding what hides in the dark depths of the forest, and a very diverse cast of characters. Like, damn. But if this isn’t the first review of
The Devouring Gray you’ve read, yes, all the
Riverdale and
Stranger Things comparisons are all valid. I kind of think
The Raven Cycle one is a bit of stretch, but I can kind of see it. But this debut novel really impressed me, and I can’t wait to see what the author does next.
But
The Devouring Gray follows four teens in upstate New York, all living in a little secluded town called Four Paths. And in this mysterious forest town, four families are held to a higher standard, because their descendants were the reason the town is protected from the Beast who hunts them. And all the descendants are able to harness the powers that should be passed down through their bloodline, but only if they survive a ritual pertaining to their ancestor. But now the town is under attack, and all hope is with four teens who are the descendants that are needed for survival, yet they might not be ready to provide protection for themselves, or anyone else, just yet.
“in eighteen forty-seven, a group of settlers seeking a new life in upstate New York decided to end their pilgrimage here. On this day, we celebrate the leaders of that group—Thomas Carlisle, Lydia Saunders, Richard Sullivan, and Hetty Hawthorne.”
➽
Harper Carlisle - Missing one arm from the elbow down after her ritual to harness her powers went wrong, and holding a grudge over someone who used to be her best friend but wanted nothing to do with her after her accident. Also, her father is a predominant figure in the safety of the town. Also, also, a warrior babe who can wield many weapons.
➽
Violet Saunders - Bisexual, just moving to Four Paths after the death of her sister and trying to learn to live with an astronomical amount of grief, while also learning that she has a hidden bloodline she never knew about. Also, piano playing goddess.
➽
Isaac Sullivan - Bisexual, living on his own after the rest of his family died in an accident. He is also Justin’s best friend, a broody reader babe, and he has the best and most scary power of them all. Also, he was easily my favorite character.
➽
Justin Hawthorne - The popular boy, who has the most powerful family in town, even though he feels like he must always do what his mother (also the sheriff of the town) wants, even though he is keeping a very big secret from her. Side note, I would die for his sister, May, my tarot card reading baby.
“Powers or not, he was still a Hawthorne. He would find a way to keep Four Paths safe.”
Yet, even though these are the four main characters, we have so many side characters, too! And this, in addition to the fact that the story jumps points of view a lot, I just feel like I never truly cared about any of the characters, even though I didn’t have a problem with any of them. I mean, it really is a strange feeling, because I can mentally break down that these are the four main characters, but while reading the chapter switching just makes me feel like I’m reading
ASOIAF or something else that feels like we are given so many different points of view. I feel like this was the biggest factor that kept me from loving this book; I never truly got to know any of these characters because of the way the story jumps around.
Also, if I’m being honest the Beast and the Gray felt too much like
Stranger Things to me, but also with not enough explanation. I obviously am here for a good mystery, but I think seeing more of this parallel world, the mysterious creature and its powers, would have really benefited the story by filling in some much-needed gaps and made the situation feel scarier and more high-risk. Like, I was honestly convinced that some type of humans or other beings were going to reside in this world! Or we were going to fully understand the powers and what this thing was capable and not capable of! I don’t know, the concept is just so amazing, but I felt really let down by the biggest risk factor of the story.
But I still loved watching all these teens learn how to find their powers and learn how to use their powers. I loved seeing them grow, both apart and together. I loved seeing all the different friendship roots; both brand new and old ones healing. I loved seeing how these four handled grief and trauma all very differently but still all very validly. And I loved to see all of these teens realize they are worth a hell of a lot more than the past mistakes of the ancestors they are forced to live up to.
“Something inside Violet had cracked the day Rosie died. There was an abscess in her chest, a gaping hole in the back of her skull. A place for evil things to slip right in.”
Overall, I really loved the ownvoices queer rep, and the atmosphere and setting were truly nothing short of amazing. I do want to mention that the main relationships in this are not f/f, but there are lots of hints at side f/f relationships! Also, even though I could never truly connect with the story, I still think there is so much good here. And I think many readers will still really enjoy this one upon release. But that epilogue ending made me audibly gasp that made my cat give me angry eyes for waking her! Is this the start of a series? Because I am totally down with reading whatever Christine Lynn Herman comes up with next, but especially with this setting as a backdrop.
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The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.Content and trigger warnings for loss of a loved one, a lot of talk of death, murder, grief and trauma depictions, violence, abandonment, talk of rituals and self-sacrifice, and assault.
Rating: really liked it
This was hurt it would never understand. This was hurt made from love. And she immersed herself in grief, embraced it, the parts of her that had been so lost and broken, so long her enemy, were now her savior.
I devoured this book in one sitting and it has devoured me.
I FUCKING LOVED IT. I honestly heard a couple good things surrounding this book; there wasn't much hype to it— there still isn't, too some extent. But what I'm going to tell you is:
BELIEVE THAT HYPE. IT'S TRUE AND REAL t h a n k g o d.
I first heard this book pitched as
"the raven boys meets stranger things."WTF. How can two godsblessed and just perfect aspects of my favorite series be a thing??
Well let me tell you.
It
fucking can.
Granted,
nothing can come close to, The Raven Boys, for me but this book comes as a close runner up in third place. In second place is Gray Wolf Island (
i fucking love this book so much go read it if you love the TRC like I do.)
This book does share similar aspects of TRC and ST but I think it's equally distinctive and unique— standing overtly strong on its own. I don't think I've read anything like it in any book before so that was amazingly refreshing.
The characters were the strongest aspect of the book. And most important. I fucking love Violet. Granted my lease favorite character was Justin (annoying) but he grew on me later. The writing in of itself wasn't really anything special but I think its ordinariness elevated the story itself into something better and spectacular.
I don't think the blurb does a good job explaining what the story is about but I think that's a good thing. I expected something different and got something better instead. I want the sequel.
Now. Honestly I just really love books with little sparks of magic in a place of our world. It's grounding and realistic. Hidden. A fucking gem.
Ultimately, this was a story about
grief and loss, taking control of your own life and destiny, the heavy ties and core of motherhood, and broken fractured friendships.Another favorite of mine. And also can we just agree that the UK cover is waayy better than the US cover?
5 DEVOURING STARSTwitter | Bookstagram | Youtube |
______
The Raven Boys
The Raven Boys
The Raven Boys
The Raven Boys
The Raven Boys
The Raven Boys
The Raven Boys
The Raven Boys
The Raven Boys
The Raven Boys The Raven Boys meets Stranger Things" ......
this almost sounds to good to be true. Anxiously waiting for 2019.
Rating: really liked it
**3.5-stars rounded up**One day
Sawkill Girls met a lovely, lesser known book named
Strange Grace. They quickly fell in love and had a baby. That baby is
The Devouring Gray.
BRANCHES, STONES, DAGGERS, BONES... 
Welcome to Four Paths, New York.
Riddled with grief after the loss of her sister, Violet Saunders is forced to move to Four Paths with her Mom. Admittedly, they need a fresh start, but Violet's not crazy about it.
Violet's mom, Juniper, has a strong connection to the town. In fact, she is a member of one of the founding families and the founders are treated like royalty there; quite literally revered as deities.
You may wonder why that is?
Basically, it is because the founding families were the ones to capture the monster, trap it in an area known as the Gray and to this day, continue to protect the townsfolk from it.
There are a lot of details that go into this story. The history of the town, the history of the founding families, the rituals, the powers, the secrets, the betrayals.
It's a lot.
The issues begin when the monster appears not to be as dormant as it once was, mangled bodies start popping up everywhere and teens, each a part of one of the four founding families, come together to fight back.
There's a lot of drama, both family and friendship, secrets and investigations, love gone awry, all the stuff. It's in here.
At times, I felt like I should have been taking notes, which decreased my ability to relax into the story a bit.
Additionally, there were a lot of rapid perspective shifts that tended to knock me out of it as well. While the content was quite interesting, the flow seemed a little off.
It was definitely dark and atmospheric, which I love.
Additionally, the characters and history of the town were compelling.
I loved the ending. It gave me chills and I will definitely read the next book in the duology.
I even feel that I could reread this one. It may be easier the second time round as I would have a better handle on what is going on.
All of this being said, however, for a debut, this is impressive and I hope a lot of readers pick it up!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Book Group, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to hearing what other readers think of this one.
Rating: really liked it
Mark my word. This will be the fantasy breakthrough of 2019! This is the next Harry Potter. When I grow old, I talk to my grandkids about this book. I'll ask them if they've ever read
The Devouring Gray and when the answer
of course they have. Who hasn't, I'll show them my rare first edition, ARC. They will be speechless.
This book has ruined me for any other fantasy novels. It was so well put together.
The book follows Violet, Harper, Justin and Issac who all live in the mysterious town of Four Paths. But Four Paths isn't any old town. It harbors a deep, dark secret. Within the town lies a great evil known as the Gray which holds a great beast.
I have to admit that when I read the synopsis I assumed that the Gray would be a discount Upside Down (from
Stranger Things). It was and it wasn't. It definitely had its differences and its similarities. I honestly wish that it had been focused on a little more in the book. Even though the title is
The Devouring Gray, the Gray didn't get much action which was a bit disappointing. As a long time sci-fi fan, I was ready to sink my teeth into the weird science of a magical realm. While I got enough to leave me semi-satisfied, I left the book wanting more. Hopefully, I'll get that in book two!
Violet:
For me, reading a book is like making a new friend. And just like making a new friend, you have to spend time with them, get to know them before you truly get comfortable with them. It's that way with book characters for me. It took me a little bit to connect with Violet's character because I was worried that she would just be a "depressed new girl" cliche. Fortunately, she wasn't. Overall, even though she was a bit bland at times, I enjoyed Violet's character.
Justin:
To be completely honest, I really did not like Justin at first. He was whiny and a bit stuck up. Because of this, I was constantly rolling my eyes every time his POV rolled around. Towards the end I was finally able to forgive him for his annoying-ness.
Harper:
Harper failed her ritual and hates Justin (I don't blame her.). I was mainly frustrated because it took forever for me to learn why. I hate when books allude to things but don't actually straight up say them. I know that it's a way to keep a reader reading but for me it just annoys. I did enjoy reading Violet and Harper's friendship. It was very heartwarming to see two girls be friends in the midst of chaos. I wish I could do that.
Augusta:
Oh my god. I hate that b*tch.
Everything else:
Of all the books I've read (and I have read
a lot), only a few do mystery well. Of course, that opinion is obviously subjective for each book. Different books need different styles.
The Devouring Gray had a very intersting style of mystery. With a very slow build up for the first 75% but then the last chunk was just plot twist after plot twist. I felt like I was getting slapped in the face. I loved it.
I really enjoyed the Beast as a villian. The book didn't delve into what the Beast is or where he came from but I still was fascinated. I'm not sure if it was intended but the beast almost reminded me of my own insecurity. The voice that whispers lies while I'm trying to rest or socialize.
All in all, I really great book. I really enjoyed it. I can't wait for book two.
Bottom Line:
4.5 Stars
Age Recommendation: 14+
Cover: 3/5 ~ Plot 4/5 ~ Characters: 4/5
Buddy read with megs_bookrack!
Many thanks to Disney for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review| Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram
Rating: really liked it
Another one that I think would be more of a 3.5 than just a 3. I really enjoyed this! I didn't know what to expect going in, but this read exactly like a season of the Vampire Diaries or Riverdale and I am not mad about it. Also, I just can't help but to love a book with a whimsical setting and (realistic !!) bi rep. Definitely glad that I branched out of my contemporary comfort zone to give this creepy fantastical book a try.
Rating: really liked it
TW: some body horror; possession; lots of death (death of a parent, sibling, etc)
This is the story of the teenage members of the founding families in a small town where the founding families have powers to keep a monster in the forest in line.
This was just the right combination of friendship, history, dark powers, and spookiness. Also nearly every main character is a canon bisexual trying their best.
It weaves together themes of grief and loss, power, loyalty, family ties, and growing up. I highly enjoyed this and will be continuing with the series.
Rating: really liked it
3.75 STARS"For the first time in his life, there would be a real member of every founding family in Four Paths. He would be a part of that. He would have a chance to change things, to help. Justin believed this. He had to. The Deck of Omens had told him so, and unlike the Hawthornes who used it, the Deck of Omens couldn't lie."My first book of 2019 that's giving me quite the challenge in reviewing it!
Hooray! In all seriousness, I've been sitting here for days wondering just how to talk about this book, and not even because of spoilers or ruining the plot. Our most anticipated reads can be difficult to wrangle; sometimes trying to rein in our thoughts isn't as simple as "I liked this book" or "I did not like this book." I knew this book sounded like everything I could ever desire on paper, but I haven't read
The Raven Boys series yet, and upon finishing this I don't really know that a comparison to
Stranger Things is accurate, as the feel here is so different. While reading this one, I kept getting hardcore
Sawkill Girls vibes, and if you enjoyed that novel as much as I did, I think you'll enjoy
The Devouring Gray as well.
There are many POVs shared throughout TDG, and many more side plots as well, but I never felt it was confusing or difficult to follow. We have Violet, who has moved to Four Paths with her mother Juniper, and is part of one of the four founding families, although she has no clue what that means. Justin has recently failed his ritual and is masquerading around town to hide the fact that he has inherited no powers. His mother is the sheriff of the town and his sister has inherited powers, making him the "weak link" in this founding family. Harper is a member of founding family #3, and former best friend of Justin's until an accident during her ritual left her stranded in the gray for 4 days and missing her left arm from the elbow down. Isaac Sullivan is the only remaining member of founding family #4 in the town of Four Paths, and arguably the most fascinating and appealing character in the story (although Harper is a close second for me). We get to see pieces of the story, past and present, from each of these characters, which makes for a well-rounded view of the strange happenings in their tiny town.
Here's the deal; I actually struggled for the first 100 pages due to the massive info-dumping amongst the characters and lack of action of any kind. While I wholly respect the world building and characterization that went into the intro, I think it could have used a few flashbacks or suspenseful inserts to keep the reader engaged and stave off the stale feeling inserted. However, once things get going, it's impossible to put the book down. I found myself desperate to find out what was going on, and while my focus was such that I expected the giant lead up to be to the night of the equinox, I was pleased to find out that it was a minor portion and a greater emphasis was placed on things happening beyond that.
All said, this was a solid, well written debut, and while at times it felt like a giant prologue to the real start of the series, I'm appreciative of the time and effort put into making this story feel so developed and intriguing. The ending was superb; I'm dying to know what happens now that all the pieces are in play.
And that's all I'm gonna say about that. ;)
*Thank you Disney Hyperion for providing my review copy.
Rating: really liked it
It took until the last quarter of the book for it to stop feeling like a lesser combination of a lot of good stories that already exist.
Rating: really liked it
4.5 Stars- I still love this one just as much as the first time I read it! The last chapter gave me chills and I am so excited to be able to read Deck of Omens soon!
I already want to read The Devouring Gray again<3 The Riverdale comp is completely accurate but it also reminds me of my favorite animated series of all time, Over the Garden Wall! I can't wait to have a finished copy in my hands please and thank you.
Rating: really liked it
I was a bit confused at the beginning because you are thrown into the middle of things without much explanation. But as the story went on, I thought the reveal of information was well paced. The end had a few surprises and left me invested and wanting more! I love these characters, how they interact, and the small town lore. Their powers are unique. Would recommend to readers who enjoy a mix of real world and paranormal.
Audiobook review: 2 stars. The best thing this audiobook does is that the narrator sings the song and a couple of parts mix other voices in for ensemble singing. Her voicing for male characters was not great, they either sounded childish, or gruff and cold. My biggest annoyance was that there was no pause between section breaks. She just kept reading and I wouldn't realize that we'd switched points of view. I don't regret listening to this one, but I wouldn't recommend it to casual audiobook listeners.
tw: death, monsters, cults, possession, reanimated corpses.
Rating: really liked it
isaac is the only one worth a shit
Rating: really liked it
Look at this beautiful damn pink sprayed edge copy!! I love freaking pink and needless to say, I didn’t like the book and it’s going in the trade in pile!! I give up!!
And for some reason, I thought this was going to be a horror story!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Rating: really liked it
Buddy Read this with Aimee from @aimeereads & Trina from @betweenchapters
Really enjoyed this eerie, magical book. If your a fan of Riverdale, Vampire Diaries or Stranger Things this book is right up your alley.
Also The CW needs to make this into a show, STAT.
Rating: really liked it
I just found out that I have an ARC of this book, might read it soon
