REVIEW: The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman @disneybooks @christineexists

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Christine Lynn Herman, fantasy, LGBT, Paranormal, Reviews, The Devouring Gray, ya

The Devouring Gray

by Christine Lynn Herman

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for this advanced copy.

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Publish Date: April 2, 2019

Kindle Edition

369 Pages

Series: The Devouring Gray #1

Genres: Fantasy, YA, Paranormal, LGBT

Branches and stones, daggers and bones, They locked the Beast away.

After the death of her sister, seventeen-year-old Violet Saunders finds herself dragged to Four Paths, New York. Violet may be a newcomer, but she soon learns her mother isn't: They belong to one of the revered founding families of the town, where stone bells hang above every doorway and danger lurks in the depths of the woods.

Justin Hawthorne's bloodline has protected Four Paths for generations from the Gray—a lifeless dimension that imprisons a brutal monster. After Justin fails to inherit his family's powers, his mother is determined to keep this humiliation a secret. But Justin can't let go of the future he was promised and the town he swore to protect.

Ever since Harper Carlisle lost her hand to an accident that left her stranded in the Gray for days, she has vowed revenge on the person who abandoned her: Justin Hawthorne. There are ripples of dissent in Four Paths, and Harper seizes an opportunity to take down the Hawthornes and change her destiny—to what extent, even she doesn't yet know.

The Gray is growing stronger every day, and its victims are piling up. When Violet accidentally unleashes the monster, all three must band together with the other Founders to unearth the dark truths behind their families' abilities... before the Gray devours them all.

My Review:

Family secrets and bloodlines, monsters, a cat, Four Paths and teenagers (and their families) that protect it... how could you go wrong with this story?! I did see a quote somewhere where fans of The Raven Boys series and Stranger Things would love this - SOLD! Though after reading, I can somewhat see the reference to The Raven Boys in re to the characters and dynamics but the only similarity I would even notice about Stranger Things is this monster in a different world ala the Upside Down that keeps coming after them. Um..... close enough I suppose! And now that I think on it, maybe it's almost too similar-ish? Hmmm... I'll need to think on that one.

Here's the thing you guys and gals, there is a lot of information to take in. As a first in a series, it holds true to building the world and introducing you to the characters. (Hello Isaac - the only redeemable one in my humble opinion.) The first third of the book can feel a bit tedious because of this. However, it does get more interesting toward the halfway to end point. Lots of POVs and the only reason it could feel muddled at times is because of the format - but I think that's just my ARC copy and hopefully it's not like this in the final. In my copy, it seems to all blend together and jumping from one person to another. I could quickly figure it out thankfully, but it did cause some squinting at times on my part.

I just love stories like this - different kinds of powers, a monster everyone is afraid of, dissension in the ranks... fight fight fight! The various story lines woven throughout help to build the story - developing the past of the founding families blending to the present. I'm satisfied with the ending and think the series will only get better. Pretty damn good for a debut. Let's see where the author takes us in book two.

★★★☆