Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free of charge for review purposes only. Receipt of a book does not guarantee a review or endorsement. My reviews are my honest opinion and are not biased for the purpose of personal gain.

Following the death of her sister, Violet Saunders moves with her mother to the sleepy town of Four Paths. Everyone seems to know who they are, one of the founding families, feared and respected. Why does she know nothing about her family’s past? Each of the founders played a part in banishing a monster, and their families continue to keep it at bay.

She was pretty sure love was supposed to feel like growing stronger, not rotting from the inside out.

The Devouring Gray was pitched as Stranger Things meets The Raven Boys, and for once I can say that comparison actually has some validity. It borrows a desaturated other dimension with a monster from Stranger Things, but lacks the shows atmosphere and 80’s nostalgia.

Each of the families has a ritual, revealing their powers and securing their place as protectors of the town. Harper has failed hers, shunned by her friends and desperate to make Violet see how she can’t trust the others. The Hawthornes seem to be the big players in town and they all want something from her. Meanwhile she keeps finding herself transported to the forest, a place without colour but home to something terrifying.

It spends a lot of time introducing the key characters of the founding families before anything really happens. Once the action kicks off it’s much more engaging, but it was too slow getting there. I thought it go so much more interesting when the mayor’s powers were revealed and there was a shadowy secret society. Maybe there was just too much to fit into a book of this length.

Being invisible when you used to be seen… it’s like being dead, but no one mourns you.

I wouldn’t say I wouldn’t read another book now that the world has been established, but not if it were to throw in a bunch of new characters or powers. I kinda want to know what happens next with a few of the characters.

The Devouring Gray is published by Titan Books and is available now in paperback and ebook editions. Thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy for review.

ATY: 26. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #4 Something Blue

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