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katdotniche's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
After having really enjoyed one of the author's other books, I spent ages trying to find this in bookstores. It was definitely worth the effort, I read it in one sitting, unable to put it down. All the characters were incredibly sympathetic, although I do have to say that I wasn't really a fan of the author's attempt to weave in a slightly complicated love square, I do think that having one relationship would have been enough, and the rest remaining friends. This is the first of two (I think there's only two) and if I had had the second book when I finished reading this, I think I would have started reading it immediately, unfortunately I did not and so I will have to find it at a later date. I really hope that Isaac's story is more explored in the second book, as his lack of development was a little disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Dementia, Car accident, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
takarakei's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
- multiple pov
- everyone is bi
- creepy forests
- different powers
- tarot fortunes
- monsters
I really enjoyed the All of Us Villains duology so I wanted to read more by C.L. Herman. I really liked this as well and am looking forward to the sequel. There are definitely some parallels between them, and I can see how this was written prior and maybe some of those themes were expanded upon in AOUV (but they are still v different books!). TLDR: if you are a fan of AOUV duo def check this out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: Biphobia and Car accident
katyfayyyx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I am going to be honest I have very mixed feelings about this book and went back and forth of what I would rate this book at the start I thought this book was going to be a solid 3.5 or maybe even a 4 star read but as I continued reading this book and got to about the 50% I thought this book was going to 2.5 stars at and the very best and then because I liked the ending it bought it self up to a 3 stars because there were parts of this book that I really liked but there were part of this book that I didn't really like. I am going to start of before really explaining my feelings towards this book by saying that I literally had no idea what to expect when I began reading this book I couldn't even remember buying it or the reason why it was on my bookshelf in the first place but I thought its a good of time as ever to start reading this book, so that what I did...
I really liked I would say about the first 25-30% of this book I liked the pacing, the characters, the writing and the world building. I really liked how we just jumped right into the story but this was were my problem came in with this book as I was really interest in what the book and the story was doing and where the book was going and then was got to about the second act/middle of this book and I just felt like was get back bit in terms of plot progression and I did find myself getting bored at different times in the story however there was element of the book that I did like the whole way though which would the differing POV as I thought that was something that was used really well, as it felt like all the character had a different voice which make it a lot easier to read and understand. I think another issue I had with this book was that it was at time trying too hard to be creepy and scary but I just didn't think it needed that element to it as there was some really good build up, mystery and tension already, it did just feel at times like she (the author) was trying to convince me that this was really scary without actually just showing me in her writing. Something I did love the whole way though was my two queens that are Harper and Violet I just loved them okay, I don't really know why I just loved them and I really loved their friendship and I kinda wish there was more of emphasis on that in the whole plot (but that just a person preference). I didn't guess really any of the plot twist (if you would call them that?) but I did kinda love that all the parents were crazy as fuck and did really live for the ending off this book, I just had a really fun time reading it and I thinks I shame the middle of this book really let's itself down, I do feel like this book could have been 50 pages shorter and we wouldn't have missed any middle or huge plot points, I thought a number of times while reading this book and this pains me to say this as I am true believer in the book always being better than any movie or tv show I did think that it would make a better storyline for a movie or tv show because the book really dragged and it was too long and it did get really boring at times, I just feel like the plot would flow better.
There were a lot of things that surprised me about this book as I did think that Justin in the end was going to have powers but they were going to be dangerous, so there was being hidden to protect him and the town and I guess I was kinda right with that plot point being in the story, I just got the character wrong. There was also a lot of things that I changed my mind on over this book as I will be honest I really didn't like Justin for the 85% of this book, I just found him really annoying, he was like oh it just so hard on me and it was all about him and the whole thing he did to Harper just made me really not like him but he did redeem himself by the end of the book and I understood why he was the way he was at the start and I was starting to like him a little bit but because I didn't really like him for most of the book I really didn't care for the whole weird romance not romance between Justin and Harper (but I will say I did like the whole you want to talk, I want to fight bit, but that because I just loved Harper the whole way though this book) but saying that by the end I was kinda of on board with the whole romance things between the two of them because there is nothing sexier the he saying her life and helping her get her powers back.
I also did love the fact that everyone in this book is a little bit gay and I am also a bit of fan of August and Juniper becoming girlfriend, like I would be down for fact. Even though August is a bit of a crazy bitch at times but I think they would be cute.
I would like to end this review by saying I don't get me wrong, I am not mad about reading this book as there were some really fun parts and there were many times were I enjoyed and had fun reading this book but there were some really boring parts and one of the main reasons why I gave it 3 stars was because I did really like the start and the ending but that doesn't make it a good book because the middle really dragged and became very fast and boring at times, but I did like it enough to want to read the second and final book in the series.
I really liked I would say about the first 25-30% of this book I liked the pacing, the characters, the writing and the world building. I really liked how we just jumped right into the story but this was were my problem came in with this book as I was really interest in what the book and the story was doing and where the book was going and then was got to about the second act/middle of this book and I just felt like was get back bit in terms of plot progression and I did find myself getting bored at different times in the story however there was element of the book that I did like the whole way though which would the differing POV as I thought that was something that was used really well, as it felt like all the character had a different voice which make it a lot easier to read and understand. I think another issue I had with this book was that it was at time trying too hard to be creepy and scary but I just didn't think it needed that element to it as there was some really good build up, mystery and tension already, it did just feel at times like she (the author) was trying to convince me that this was really scary without actually just showing me in her writing. Something I did love the whole way though was my two queens that are Harper and Violet I just loved them okay, I don't really know why I just loved them and I really loved their friendship and I kinda wish there was more of emphasis on that in the whole plot (but that just a person preference). I didn't guess really any of the plot twist (if you would call them that?) but I did kinda love that all the parents were crazy as fuck and did really live for the ending off this book, I just had a really fun time reading it and I thinks I shame the middle of this book really let's itself down, I do feel like this book could have been 50 pages shorter and we wouldn't have missed any middle or huge plot points, I thought a number of times while reading this book and this pains me to say this as I am true believer in the book always being better than any movie or tv show I did think that it would make a better storyline for a movie or tv show because the book really dragged and it was too long and it did get really boring at times, I just feel like the plot would flow better.
There were a lot of things that surprised me about this book as I did think that Justin in the end was going to have powers but they were going to be dangerous, so there was being hidden to protect him and the town and I guess I was kinda right with that plot point being in the story, I just got the character wrong. There was also a lot of things that I changed my mind on over this book as I will be honest I really didn't like Justin for the 85% of this book, I just found him really annoying, he was like oh it just so hard on me and it was all about him and the whole thing he did to Harper just made me really not like him but he did redeem himself by the end of the book and I understood why he was the way he was at the start and I was starting to like him a little bit but because I didn't really like him for most of the book I really didn't care for the whole weird romance not romance between Justin and Harper (but I will say I did like the whole you want to talk, I want to fight bit, but that because I just loved Harper the whole way though this book) but saying that by the end I was kinda of on board with the whole romance things between the two of them because there is nothing sexier the he saying her life and helping her get her powers back.
I also did love the fact that everyone in this book is a little bit gay and I am also a bit of fan of August and Juniper becoming girlfriend, like I would be down for fact. Even though August is a bit of a crazy bitch at times but I think they would be cute.
I would like to end this review by saying I don't get me wrong, I am not mad about reading this book as there were some really fun parts and there were many times were I enjoyed and had fun reading this book but there were some really boring parts and one of the main reasons why I gave it 3 stars was because I did really like the start and the ending but that doesn't make it a good book because the middle really dragged and became very fast and boring at times, but I did like it enough to want to read the second and final book in the series.
Miss me, little brother?' he asked, the words echoing across the ruins, and Isaac knew, for the first time since his fourteenth birthday, what it was to be afraid.'-Part Three- The Skeleton-Epilogue
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Dementia, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Vomit, Medical content, and Alcohol
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I have had this book on my radar since its release in 2019. I kept putting it off because I had heard very okay reviews about it, but I finally decided October was the perfect time to give it a chance.
"The Devouring Gray" follows a young girl, Violet Saunders. She has been uprooted from her wonderful life and transplanted to a new town called Four Paths. She has little expectations that she will fit in with her new classmates, but her presence is made more difficult because she is a descendant from one of the town's founders. When she meets the other children that have descended from town founders, she wonders whether the town is right to be wary of them. But when things start to go awry in the woods, the children have to ban together to get to the bottom of these nefarious acts.
I though this story was very okay overall. I think the book is highly atmospheric, and you want to root for the characters and see them succeed, but the story felt dry to me. I was not invested in the plot, and I was struggling to truly care what was happening. I did start to enjoy it more towards the end when there was more happening and big reveals, but overall, it was a story I forgot about as soon as I finished. I am giving it three stars though because I LOVED the setting.
I think this book is well-written and the story has potential, but it was just not for me.
"The Devouring Gray" follows a young girl, Violet Saunders. She has been uprooted from her wonderful life and transplanted to a new town called Four Paths. She has little expectations that she will fit in with her new classmates, but her presence is made more difficult because she is a descendant from one of the town's founders. When she meets the other children that have descended from town founders, she wonders whether the town is right to be wary of them. But when things start to go awry in the woods, the children have to ban together to get to the bottom of these nefarious acts.
I though this story was very okay overall. I think the book is highly atmospheric, and you want to root for the characters and see them succeed, but the story felt dry to me. I was not invested in the plot, and I was struggling to truly care what was happening. I did start to enjoy it more towards the end when there was more happening and big reveals, but overall, it was a story I forgot about as soon as I finished. I am giving it three stars though because I LOVED the setting.
I think this book is well-written and the story has potential, but it was just not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship
vaniavela's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
On April 5th 2021, author Rin Chupeco called out Christine Lynn Herman after being involved in a group chat on Slack that bullied authors. This is why I will no longer be supporting her work and will not review it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Child death
Minor: Animal cruelty and Car accident
frantically's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
it's magical realism season
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Child death and Car accident
thecourtofreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
"welcome to four paths. nobody would stay here if they had a choice."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Child death
Minor: Animal cruelty
hound_of_heaven's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism and Child death
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Child abuse