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Grey Dog
A subversive literary horror novel that disrupts the tropes of women’s historical fiction with delusions, wild beasts, and the uncontainable power of female rage.
The year is 1901, and Ada Byrd ― spinster, schoolmarm, amateur naturalist ― accepts a teaching post in isolated Lowry Bridge, grateful for the chance to re-establish herself where no one knows her secrets. She develops friendships with her neighbors, explores the woods with her students, and begins to see a future in this tiny farming community. Her past ― riddled with grief and shame ― has never seemed so far away.
But then, Ada begins to witness strange and grisly a swarm of dying crickets, a self-mutilating rabbit, a malformed faun. She soon believes that something ancient and beastly ― which she calls the grey dog ― is behind these visceral offerings, which both beckon and repel her. As her confusion deepens, her grip on what is real, what is delusion, and what is traumatic memory begins to fail. Ada takes on the wildness of the woods, and begins to wonder which is more dangerous: the grey dog, or herself.
The year is 1901, and Ada Byrd ― spinster, schoolmarm, amateur naturalist ― accepts a teaching post in isolated Lowry Bridge, grateful for the chance to re-establish herself where no one knows her secrets. She develops friendships with her neighbors, explores the woods with her students, and begins to see a future in this tiny farming community. Her past ― riddled with grief and shame ― has never seemed so far away.
But then, Ada begins to witness strange and grisly a swarm of dying crickets, a self-mutilating rabbit, a malformed faun. She soon believes that something ancient and beastly ― which she calls the grey dog ― is behind these visceral offerings, which both beckon and repel her. As her confusion deepens, her grip on what is real, what is delusion, and what is traumatic memory begins to fail. Ada takes on the wildness of the woods, and begins to wonder which is more dangerous: the grey dog, or herself.
400 pages, Paperback
First published April 9, 2024
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March 3, 2024
One of the best horror novels of the year. An eerie slow burn set in a small Canadian town in 1901 about a schoolteacher escaping her past. I enjoyed this very much but it's almost hard to review because I just want to push it into people's hands and tell them to read it.
While it takes a little time for the horror-y bits to pick up, I didn't find the book itself a dull read. Instead from the beginning we know Ada has a complicated history and that she is struggling to figure out who she is and what she wants. It's no help that she has basically no options as an unmarried woman nearing 30, and cannot tolerate her restrictive father's home. I liked spending time with Ada, and as the book is in diary form it was always nice to have her sit down to tell me about her day.
We slowly build the horror, it's never a straight up scare, but there is a fair amount of gore on the page. (Near the end there is some actual violence, though before that it is mostly the corpses of woodland creatures.) But this is one of my favorite kinds of horror novels that is actually About Something. While modern feminist horror is often quite muddled, once you go back in time over 100 years it's a clearer story. Ada is a feminist character, a woman who wants freedom, a woman who feels the pain of the limitations put on her life. She is also someone who is so used to those limits that she doesn't fully realize what she wants and how she feels. Following her own journey of self-discovery as she comes closer and closer to a supernatural force, becoming more animal is the very kind of thing that starts to appeal to Ada and her love of the natural world. It works quite seamlessly, considering feminism, sexuality, freedom, patriarchy without making you feel like you are being hit over the head with the themes.
A confident debut and I hope we see much more from Gish.
While it takes a little time for the horror-y bits to pick up, I didn't find the book itself a dull read. Instead from the beginning we know Ada has a complicated history and that she is struggling to figure out who she is and what she wants. It's no help that she has basically no options as an unmarried woman nearing 30, and cannot tolerate her restrictive father's home. I liked spending time with Ada, and as the book is in diary form it was always nice to have her sit down to tell me about her day.
We slowly build the horror, it's never a straight up scare, but there is a fair amount of gore on the page. (Near the end there is some actual violence, though before that it is mostly the corpses of woodland creatures.) But this is one of my favorite kinds of horror novels that is actually About Something. While modern feminist horror is often quite muddled, once you go back in time over 100 years it's a clearer story. Ada is a feminist character, a woman who wants freedom, a woman who feels the pain of the limitations put on her life. She is also someone who is so used to those limits that she doesn't fully realize what she wants and how she feels. Following her own journey of self-discovery as she comes closer and closer to a supernatural force, becoming more animal is the very kind of thing that starts to appeal to Ada and her love of the natural world. It works quite seamlessly, considering feminism, sexuality, freedom, patriarchy without making you feel like you are being hit over the head with the themes.
A confident debut and I hope we see much more from Gish.
July 23, 2024
The first line of the Publisher's synopsis for Grey Dog, by Elliot Gish, promised me the following good time:
A subversive literary horror novel that disrupts the tropes of women’s historical fiction with delusions, wild beasts, and the uncontainable power of female rage...
There is no way I could walk away from that and I'm so glad I didn't. This has probably been my most surprising read of the year in the best ways possible.
Words cannot express what I felt after reaching the conclusion of this novel. Grey Dog delivered EXACTLY what I was promised. I absolutely loved it!
It's 1901 when Ada Byrd, described as a spinster, schoolmarm and amateur naturalist, accepts a teaching post in the remote town of Lowry Bridge.
We get told this story through a series of Ada's journal entries, beginning as she arrives in Lowry Bridge for the first time. We follow along with her as she settles into her home and begins to navigate life in this new environment.
She arrives a wee bit before the school year starts, so she does have time to meet people and acclimate a bit to her surroundings. Ada is very happy to have this chance at a fresh start, around folks who know nothing of her past.
Ada makes friends, gets to know her students and explores the lush natural setting of the small farming community. Everything seems to be going swimmingly, but then Ada begins to notice odd things around her.
Like insects and animals behaving in unnatural ways. Her senses tell her to be afraid. The longer she's there, the more unsettled she seems to become. It starts to weigh heavily on her mind. It's taking a real toll.
How much of Ada's story can we believe though? She's a tainted woman, after all. Maybe it's in her head, the result of some previous issues? Or is there something actually evil lurking in Lowry Bridge?
I had the pleasure of listening to this on audio and highly recommend that format. The narration of Natalie Naudus was perfect for the voice of Ada.
Being presented as journal entries, and listening to it, it made it feel so personal; like I was getting a secret glimpse into Ada's life. It made for a gripping reading experience.
In addition to this, I found Gish's writing style, in and of itself, to be a fantastic fit for my tastes. It was very fluid and engaging. Highly readable. The historical feel of this was spot on. I felt transported.
When I was reading this, I was so invested. When I wasn't reading this, I was thinking about it and wanted to be.
I liked how it felt subtle and understated. There was an overall gothic-sort of feel that stayed eerie throughout. I felt ill at ease frequently without being able to pinpoint why.
I wouldn't say it delivers earth-shattering levels of action, or suspense, but it's just uber-intriguing, the human nature of it all. It gets under your skin and stays there.
Overall, I was very impressed with this. The ending had my jaw on the ground and a wicked laugh escaping my lips.
It was a perfect conclusion; wow. I definitely plan to get a hard copy for my collection. I'd love to reread it someday and annotate.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for not only providing me with a copy to read and review, but also for introducing me to the talent of Elliott Gish.
I cannot wait for more!!!
A subversive literary horror novel that disrupts the tropes of women’s historical fiction with delusions, wild beasts, and the uncontainable power of female rage...
There is no way I could walk away from that and I'm so glad I didn't. This has probably been my most surprising read of the year in the best ways possible.
Words cannot express what I felt after reaching the conclusion of this novel. Grey Dog delivered EXACTLY what I was promised. I absolutely loved it!
It's 1901 when Ada Byrd, described as a spinster, schoolmarm and amateur naturalist, accepts a teaching post in the remote town of Lowry Bridge.
We get told this story through a series of Ada's journal entries, beginning as she arrives in Lowry Bridge for the first time. We follow along with her as she settles into her home and begins to navigate life in this new environment.
She arrives a wee bit before the school year starts, so she does have time to meet people and acclimate a bit to her surroundings. Ada is very happy to have this chance at a fresh start, around folks who know nothing of her past.
Ada makes friends, gets to know her students and explores the lush natural setting of the small farming community. Everything seems to be going swimmingly, but then Ada begins to notice odd things around her.
Like insects and animals behaving in unnatural ways. Her senses tell her to be afraid. The longer she's there, the more unsettled she seems to become. It starts to weigh heavily on her mind. It's taking a real toll.
How much of Ada's story can we believe though? She's a tainted woman, after all. Maybe it's in her head, the result of some previous issues? Or is there something actually evil lurking in Lowry Bridge?
I had the pleasure of listening to this on audio and highly recommend that format. The narration of Natalie Naudus was perfect for the voice of Ada.
Being presented as journal entries, and listening to it, it made it feel so personal; like I was getting a secret glimpse into Ada's life. It made for a gripping reading experience.
In addition to this, I found Gish's writing style, in and of itself, to be a fantastic fit for my tastes. It was very fluid and engaging. Highly readable. The historical feel of this was spot on. I felt transported.
When I was reading this, I was so invested. When I wasn't reading this, I was thinking about it and wanted to be.
I liked how it felt subtle and understated. There was an overall gothic-sort of feel that stayed eerie throughout. I felt ill at ease frequently without being able to pinpoint why.
I wouldn't say it delivers earth-shattering levels of action, or suspense, but it's just uber-intriguing, the human nature of it all. It gets under your skin and stays there.
Overall, I was very impressed with this. The ending had my jaw on the ground and a wicked laugh escaping my lips.
It was a perfect conclusion; wow. I definitely plan to get a hard copy for my collection. I'd love to reread it someday and annotate.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for not only providing me with a copy to read and review, but also for introducing me to the talent of Elliott Gish.
I cannot wait for more!!!
April 25, 2024
This book is for all women who resist society's norms of being a "good woman".
-1900s, historical fiction
-journal entries
-MC is a naturalist/scientist/school teacher
-one room schoolhousee
-religious/patriarchal community/church
-creepy woods/something out there
-creepy kids
-isolated widow
-sapphic desires
-madness and delusions
-identity/conformity
-fear of the "other"
Full review on my Patreon, Monday
-1900s, historical fiction
-journal entries
-MC is a naturalist/scientist/school teacher
-one room schoolhousee
-religious/patriarchal community/church
-creepy woods/something out there
-creepy kids
-isolated widow
-sapphic desires
-madness and delusions
-identity/conformity
-fear of the "other"
Full review on my Patreon, Monday
April 15, 2024
" It happened again. God help me, it happened again."
The story begins in 1901. A lady is going to fill the post of teacher in a small village town, 20 miles away from Portsmouth. The train she is on is stuff-packed. Mr. Grier, an acquaintance of her father, will come to pick her up from the station. At his house, she will board. She is Miss Ada Elizabeth Byrd. This is her story. She writes down everything date-wise. She had been posted at Willoughby before coming here.
She is pondering after looking at a door in Grier's house. She is always worried about how much Mr. Grier has been told about her year in Willoughby, the place of her previous employment.
"I stumbled looking at that door, and not only because my legs were stiff with disuse from the journey, for there had been another red door, only a year ago, that had irrevocably changed the course of my life. As I looked at Grier house, I felt that I could see that door laid neatly over this one—that I was in Willoughby again, watching that door open onto my ruin."
She joins the school where most children are farmer's kids, she teaches them in her unique style, takes them to the woods, and shows them insects and animals. I witnessed some beautiful natural settings. Wilderness, grassy, woody, and full of insects and skulls. She also portrayed the social setting and demarcation between the families in that small place.
"They were of course from the other side of the bridge—the side where, as her husband had said, people ain't quite like us."
Then there are some queer and creepy things that happen to her again and again. She does not know what it was all—her illusion or some impending danger chasing her. She wants to tell all those hideous, horrible things that were happening around her. But she shies away, yet she wants to unburden her soul to someone. I enjoyed how these scenes were depicted. The characters in the book are unique and developed really well by the author. I liked them. That strange Melville girl child and her strange father, Agatha. They stay with you.
In the past month, I have read so much women's writing and women's-centric themes. I have requested this book to change my taste, to get some horror, as it is claimed in the blurb, gothic horror in historical fiction. Though creepiness was there, there were some scary, macabre scenes. But they were kept under control and beautifully incorporated into the plot. But as I ended, I found that it was another book that was nothing but all about a woman's fury, frustration, sensuality, shame, and emancipation.
Being the debut novel of the author, I will highly appreciate the story-telling skill; it is clean and
figurative language. Very imaginative. At some places, her sentences are explicit in meaning, and at other places, they are non-literal. A push factor, which I consider an incentive for a reader, was present. The author pushed me ahead in the plot with her off-centre yet lucid writing. Her way of keeping the reader engaged in a scene was amazing; she will force you to keep thinking, like, 'Was it about the wind in the trees? or about an animal moving around in the brush? Or was it about derangement? or was it just deceptiveness? or the cleverness of the characters involved? Was it about the shame and scandalous past of the characters?'
I will especially mention the scene when 'Ada' is stuck inside the school and there is a storm outside. She is preparing new words for the kids, and a danger lurks from outside, and all those scenes where Ada turns violent and loses her temper are impressively written. This book was an almost five star reading experience for me throughout. The writing, story telling, and historical Gothic setting were all to my taste, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Only the ending was not as per my expectations; it would have been made a bit bigger, both in message and in story. Also, while incorporating so many mysterious and hideous scenes, somewhere the author stretched the story out and made it a bit slow in the middle. The title Grey-Dog remained a bit deceptive, as I kept yearning for the appearance of that hideous creature after every macabre scene. But for me, overall, this book was an amazing read, and I will recommend it to all. It had a greater message than a mere horror tale. A promising author.
Read this story of a woman's rage and rescue, of a woman's frustration and freedom, of a woman's shame and sensuality, of a woman's fear and ferocity!
"Have you not guessed it yet? I am not a place where nature can be weeded and tamed and kept in order. I am tree roots- and dark hollows- and ancient moss- and the cry of owls. I am not a thing that you can shape, not anymore. I am no garden, but the woods, and if you ever come near me again, every bit of wilderness in me will rise up to bite you. I will tear your throat with my teeth."
At the end, I will say, I felt like 'some gelatinous clouds of frogspawn were turning into wriggling pollywogs'!
Thanks to Netgalley and ECW Press for an advance copy.
February 16, 2024
"Have you not guessed it yet? I am not a place where nature can be weeded and tamed and kept in order. I am tree roots - and dark hollows - and ancient moss - and the cry of owls. I am not a thing that you can shape, not anymore. I am not garden, but the woods, and if you ever come near me again, every bit of wildness in me will rise up to bite you. I will tear your throat out with my teeth."
In 1901, Ada Byrd is a disgraced spinster, a school teacher who has been sent off by her overbearing and abusive father to the farthest school house he can find, the remote farming community of Lowry Bridge. There Ada tries to fit in to the quaint, religious society, keep a low profile, and teach her children what she loves best - natural history and the environment around her. But the study of flora and fauna is frowned upon by the locals, who see Ada as strange and unseemly and not quite ladylike.
But as the months progress, Ada starts to see things and hear voices - a bloody tale in a flower arrangement, a dead bird, a deformed faun, a grey dog - and she fears she is slowly losing her mind. At the same time, the hidden trauma of her family and childhood - and what seems to be the typical plight of every woman who is stuck in her 'place' during this time - is slowly revealed.
This is a slow burn, but one that I read and relished while reading it. It is literary and subversive and feminist, and filled with love and pain and longing that slowly and ultimately transforms into something truly horrific. 5 stars from me. I really loved this!
In 1901, Ada Byrd is a disgraced spinster, a school teacher who has been sent off by her overbearing and abusive father to the farthest school house he can find, the remote farming community of Lowry Bridge. There Ada tries to fit in to the quaint, religious society, keep a low profile, and teach her children what she loves best - natural history and the environment around her. But the study of flora and fauna is frowned upon by the locals, who see Ada as strange and unseemly and not quite ladylike.
But as the months progress, Ada starts to see things and hear voices - a bloody tale in a flower arrangement, a dead bird, a deformed faun, a grey dog - and she fears she is slowly losing her mind. At the same time, the hidden trauma of her family and childhood - and what seems to be the typical plight of every woman who is stuck in her 'place' during this time - is slowly revealed.
This is a slow burn, but one that I read and relished while reading it. It is literary and subversive and feminist, and filled with love and pain and longing that slowly and ultimately transforms into something truly horrific. 5 stars from me. I really loved this!
June 21, 2024
Ahhh WTF!! This is a very slow-burn queer feminist historical (set in 1901) horror that escalates so smoothly and subtly you don't realize you're in too deep to climb out until it's too late. In the middle of a Venn diagram of Anne of Green Gables fans, raging feminists, queers with lots of longing, and lovers of creepy woodsy nature horror is this book's perfect reader.
Longer review to come!
Longer review to come!
April 10, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up
Historical fiction meets queer feminist horror in this quietly disturbing novel about gender constraints, bodily autonomy, and female rage. Set in 1901, Grey Dog follows a teacher & amateur naturalist taking up a new position in a small town. Ada befriends a local widow who is a bit of an outsider and begins seeing strange things in the forest.
What's very effective about this is that the reader can't tell if Ada is a reliable narrator, or if she is losing her mind as the story progresses. It leans into expectations of feminine respectability, and of the constraints placed on women's sexuality and interests, especially during this time period. It's a quieter novel, but the horror elements slowly grow and become more disturbing towards the end. And I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. It is both unsatisfying and entirely appropriate. And even the part that's unsatisfying seems intentionally so. The audio narration is excellent and creates a sense of foreboding atmosphere as well as place and time. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Historical fiction meets queer feminist horror in this quietly disturbing novel about gender constraints, bodily autonomy, and female rage. Set in 1901, Grey Dog follows a teacher & amateur naturalist taking up a new position in a small town. Ada befriends a local widow who is a bit of an outsider and begins seeing strange things in the forest.
What's very effective about this is that the reader can't tell if Ada is a reliable narrator, or if she is losing her mind as the story progresses. It leans into expectations of feminine respectability, and of the constraints placed on women's sexuality and interests, especially during this time period. It's a quieter novel, but the horror elements slowly grow and become more disturbing towards the end. And I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. It is both unsatisfying and entirely appropriate. And even the part that's unsatisfying seems intentionally so. The audio narration is excellent and creates a sense of foreboding atmosphere as well as place and time. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
February 26, 2024
4⭐️
Grey Dog is a sapphic slow burn historical literary horror about a teacher who moves to a small town in 1901.
It is written in the form of a journal, with the main character taking a detailed account of her move to this town.
I loved that the story was written as a journal. Most of the entries were fairly short which is probably one of the only reasons I was able to finish it as quickly as I did - considering it was 400 pages and very slowly paced. At the beginning I was immediately drawn in and excited to see where the story would go, but by 40-60% I was starting to get a little bit impatient. The book is very atmospheric and moody, but most of the book veers more towards literary fiction about female rage than it does horror. If you go into knowing this there is no way you will be disappointed.
"A woman laughing is always a disturbing thing for a man to witness."
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Grey Dog is a sapphic slow burn historical literary horror about a teacher who moves to a small town in 1901.
It is written in the form of a journal, with the main character taking a detailed account of her move to this town.
I loved that the story was written as a journal. Most of the entries were fairly short which is probably one of the only reasons I was able to finish it as quickly as I did - considering it was 400 pages and very slowly paced. At the beginning I was immediately drawn in and excited to see where the story would go, but by 40-60% I was starting to get a little bit impatient. The book is very atmospheric and moody, but most of the book veers more towards literary fiction about female rage than it does horror. If you go into knowing this there is no way you will be disappointed.
"A woman laughing is always a disturbing thing for a man to witness."
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review*
May 5, 2024
"I am not a place where nature can be weeded and tamed and kept in order. I am tree roots – and dark hollows – and ancient moss – and the cry of the owls. I am not a thing that you can shape, not anymore. I am no garden, but the woods, and if you ever come near me again, every but of wilderness in me will rise up to bite you. I will tear your throat out with my teeth."
This was very slow paced but pushing through was SO worth it.
This was very slow paced but pushing through was SO worth it.
December 28, 2023
UPDATED REVIEW, 12/23: I’m so glad that I decided to pick this ARC back up and give it another chance. Though it took a while for me to get into it, (the first fourth of the book was a lot of setup and repetition), the story eventually got more exciting and the horror kicked in. It still kind of felt like a long read, but I ended up enjoying it.
I stand by my stance that the journal format doesn’t work in long form. After a particularly long paragraph of dialogue, Ada writes that she “transcribed the speech from memory.” Actually, you’ve transcribed all of this dialogue from memory. The entire book. There are a couple of things that happen that are difficult to picture Ada picking up her journal and writing about immediately after. (The ending specifically comes to mind.) But I digress.
This is a very, very slow burn. It’s also one of those books where the narrator constantly alludes to the mysterious and dark things that happened in her past and teases you with that information, but takes forever to give you any details. Though you finally start to get the tea about halfway through and it’s interesting.
The strongest point here is the language and descriptions. This author is wonderful with prose. The scary scenes are a bit sporadic at first but well written. Once Ada begins to see things that don’t appear to actually be real, they are visceral and atmospheric and frightening. When the story eventually picks up, it’s worth the wait. I do think that things are a little repetitive as far as Ada’s experiences with her visions, but they are scary and varied enough that I liked reading about them.
I was also interested in how things were going to play out regarding Ada’s blooming friendships with the mysterious and interesting women in this new town. The characters are set up in a way that drew me in and made me want to know more. This story can be frustrating at times, especially if you’re aggravated by reading about women being mistreated by men and betrayed by the friends they thought they could trust.
The author tried to make all the school children into interesting characters but I couldn’t keep track of them and I wasn’t terribly interested, either. But only one of the children is sort of important to the plot and she does stand out from the rest, at least.
I did love the ending. It was cathartic and worthy of everything the story had been building to. In fact, I think the ending added a full star to my rating.
This is creepy, snowy woods horror. Good for Winter reading. There’s a touch of folklore, and it’s filled with unsettling scenes of a woman losing her grasp on reality.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and to the publisher for the early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
TW: Domestic abuse (physical and psychological), Insects, Religious bullying, Bodyshaming, Animal harm (quite a bit), Sexism, Miscarriage
ORIGINAL REVIEW, WHEN DNF'D: I hate to give up on a book when I was granted an ARC, but this is just too boring for me. I'm never opposed to a slow burn plot, but this one is so subtle that it doesn't really feel like horror. Plus, I should've paid more attention to the fact that it's written like "historical" fiction. That's absolutely not my taste. (The one exception being that Gemma Amor Christmas story that I read recently.) Add to that the fact that the entire thing is structured entirely in journal entries, (another pet peeve), and this read was doomed from the start. Other reviews say that it picks up at the end, but I don't have the patience to get there.
I stand by my stance that the journal format doesn’t work in long form. After a particularly long paragraph of dialogue, Ada writes that she “transcribed the speech from memory.” Actually, you’ve transcribed all of this dialogue from memory. The entire book. There are a couple of things that happen that are difficult to picture Ada picking up her journal and writing about immediately after. (The ending specifically comes to mind.) But I digress.
This is a very, very slow burn. It’s also one of those books where the narrator constantly alludes to the mysterious and dark things that happened in her past and teases you with that information, but takes forever to give you any details. Though you finally start to get the tea about halfway through and it’s interesting.
The strongest point here is the language and descriptions. This author is wonderful with prose. The scary scenes are a bit sporadic at first but well written. Once Ada begins to see things that don’t appear to actually be real, they are visceral and atmospheric and frightening. When the story eventually picks up, it’s worth the wait. I do think that things are a little repetitive as far as Ada’s experiences with her visions, but they are scary and varied enough that I liked reading about them.
I was also interested in how things were going to play out regarding Ada’s blooming friendships with the mysterious and interesting women in this new town. The characters are set up in a way that drew me in and made me want to know more. This story can be frustrating at times, especially if you’re aggravated by reading about women being mistreated by men and betrayed by the friends they thought they could trust.
The author tried to make all the school children into interesting characters but I couldn’t keep track of them and I wasn’t terribly interested, either. But only one of the children is sort of important to the plot and she does stand out from the rest, at least.
I did love the ending. It was cathartic and worthy of everything the story had been building to. In fact, I think the ending added a full star to my rating.
This is creepy, snowy woods horror. Good for Winter reading. There’s a touch of folklore, and it’s filled with unsettling scenes of a woman losing her grasp on reality.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and to the publisher for the early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
TW: Domestic abuse (physical and psychological), Insects, Religious bullying, Bodyshaming, Animal harm (quite a bit), Sexism, Miscarriage
ORIGINAL REVIEW, WHEN DNF'D: I hate to give up on a book when I was granted an ARC, but this is just too boring for me. I'm never opposed to a slow burn plot, but this one is so subtle that it doesn't really feel like horror. Plus, I should've paid more attention to the fact that it's written like "historical" fiction. That's absolutely not my taste. (The one exception being that Gemma Amor Christmas story that I read recently.) Add to that the fact that the entire thing is structured entirely in journal entries, (another pet peeve), and this read was doomed from the start. Other reviews say that it picks up at the end, but I don't have the patience to get there.
May 20, 2024
Well, ultimately, I’m unsure how to process this one. The central narrative as I took it was – being a woman is enough to drive a woman mad. This was a beautiful story with inflections of the time period. I love some historical horror, but this took me over a week to finish and I can usually finish a book in a couple of days. I'm unsure if that is a me problem or what but I found myself sighing when I needed to pick it back up, perhaps if it hadn’t been an arc, I would have DNF’d it.
Ada Byrd is a thirty-year-old teacher in 1901. She has sought employment in the small town and almost imediately she can feel the presence of something strange, something strange about the women, about herself. She has boarding with the minister and his wife and makes friends with a couple of the women but soon finds something unknown calling her from the woods. It calls her by name, its sweet lilt pulling her toward the woods on the wrong side of the bridge.
There is a bit of emotional disconnect for me. I felt the writing was hauntingly beautiful, but I just failed to connect with it and the FMC. So much doesn’t happen for the longest time and then when it did, I felt like the reader had a carrot on a stick floating just out of their grasp.
Ada Byrd is a thirty-year-old teacher in 1901. She has sought employment in the small town and almost imediately she can feel the presence of something strange, something strange about the women, about herself. She has boarding with the minister and his wife and makes friends with a couple of the women but soon finds something unknown calling her from the woods. It calls her by name, its sweet lilt pulling her toward the woods on the wrong side of the bridge.
There is a bit of emotional disconnect for me. I felt the writing was hauntingly beautiful, but I just failed to connect with it and the FMC. So much doesn’t happen for the longest time and then when it did, I felt like the reader had a carrot on a stick floating just out of their grasp.
May 5, 2024
How to describe this book? It seems like an historical novel set in 1901/2, Ada Byrd goes to teach in a small village after a scandal at her last post. There’s a slow burn of creepiness and strange events around Ada, there’s a mystery about the previous teacher, there’s the awful domestic violence story of Ada’s beloved sister, Florrie and also their relationship with their overbearing and violent father. And then there’s Norah Kinsley, a beautiful widow, mysterious and witchy. And what’s with the forest, and the strange child, Muriel? There’s so much here and it was a slow burn to begin with and then I couldn’t look away, the final sections completely compelling. Women’s wants and needs, the control society has over them, their appearance, behaviour, desires etc. So many thoughts! A brilliant read.
December 18, 2023
Grey Dog's compelling central thesis is this: that being a woman is enough to drive anyone mad.
To prove it, elliott gish blends elements of historical and literary fiction with gothic horror, resulting in a convincingly bleak, oppressive early-20th century small-town atmosphere. It is slow and skillful work that reminds me somewhat of Burial Rites by Hannah Kent; though not moored by any one true historical event in the same way that Burial Rites is, it shares those characteristics, languishing through journal entries in the everyday, the routine - the mundane - to paint a portrait of ultra-realism.
However, I did find this ultra-realism a hindrance at times. There was an emotional and even temporal distance to the narration that I did not enjoy; there was no immediacy, something that seems obvious given the format, but that robbed the narrative of any tension. Much of what propelled the plot forward were revelations by other characters, initially delivered via monologue to our protagonist, transcribed later in her diary. Perhaps this is a matter of taste, but I do think there were choices that could have been made to more accurately reflect the stakes for what is really quite an existential, dramatic novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
To prove it, elliott gish blends elements of historical and literary fiction with gothic horror, resulting in a convincingly bleak, oppressive early-20th century small-town atmosphere. It is slow and skillful work that reminds me somewhat of Burial Rites by Hannah Kent; though not moored by any one true historical event in the same way that Burial Rites is, it shares those characteristics, languishing through journal entries in the everyday, the routine - the mundane - to paint a portrait of ultra-realism.
However, I did find this ultra-realism a hindrance at times. There was an emotional and even temporal distance to the narration that I did not enjoy; there was no immediacy, something that seems obvious given the format, but that robbed the narrative of any tension. Much of what propelled the plot forward were revelations by other characters, initially delivered via monologue to our protagonist, transcribed later in her diary. Perhaps this is a matter of taste, but I do think there were choices that could have been made to more accurately reflect the stakes for what is really quite an existential, dramatic novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 6, 2024
Did I just read the perfect slow descent into madness???
Grey Dog is filled with female rage, literary goodness, and subversive witchy horror. Ada is a disgraced school teacher who has taken a post in a small community to appease her abusive father. As she starts to lose sense of reality, we also pick up pieces of her past and understand her history.
Grey Dog is filled with female rage, literary goodness, and subversive witchy horror. This was just SO good. I loved that this started as a very classic, woman in a new town story and ended in something much wilder. This is a love letter for fans of classics who also love a bit of wilderness horror. Think of LM Montgomery meets The Ritual.
Thanks Elliott Gish for the wild ride!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Available April 9, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and ECW Press for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Grey Dog is filled with female rage, literary goodness, and subversive witchy horror. Ada is a disgraced school teacher who has taken a post in a small community to appease her abusive father. As she starts to lose sense of reality, we also pick up pieces of her past and understand her history.
Grey Dog is filled with female rage, literary goodness, and subversive witchy horror. This was just SO good. I loved that this started as a very classic, woman in a new town story and ended in something much wilder. This is a love letter for fans of classics who also love a bit of wilderness horror. Think of LM Montgomery meets The Ritual.
Thanks Elliott Gish for the wild ride!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Available April 9, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and ECW Press for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
April 5, 2024
“But there is only one way to be a good woman. It is such a narrow, stunted, blighted way to be that I wonder if any woman throughout history has been up to the task. Perhaps none of us ever have.”
This is a kind of f*ck the patriarchy, “let women be who they want to be” book, and I like that. I really do. And I like that it tackled the way these gender expectations (for women) seemingly provoke madness. I was on board with these noble ideas, but I don’t think, aside from the many moments of overt telling, the story communicated what it was supposed to communicate. The symbolism was muted throughout most of the story. When it came, it was more of a cacophony, and the novel’s final scene really missed its mark, eradicating anything I might have deemed praiseworthy.
Matters were not helped by the fact that this was a rather dull slow burn. Grey Dog felt so mundane and normal for so long that I had to go reread the synopsis to ensure I hadn’t mixed this one up with something else. I expected a weird tale, and it did eventually meet my expectations with its strangeness, but that wasn’t enough to salvage the experience.
I am immensely grateful to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.
This is a kind of f*ck the patriarchy, “let women be who they want to be” book, and I like that. I really do. And I like that it tackled the way these gender expectations (for women) seemingly provoke madness. I was on board with these noble ideas, but I don’t think, aside from the many moments of overt telling, the story communicated what it was supposed to communicate. The symbolism was muted throughout most of the story. When it came, it was more of a cacophony, and the novel’s final scene really missed its mark, eradicating anything I might have deemed praiseworthy.
Matters were not helped by the fact that this was a rather dull slow burn. Grey Dog felt so mundane and normal for so long that I had to go reread the synopsis to ensure I hadn’t mixed this one up with something else. I expected a weird tale, and it did eventually meet my expectations with its strangeness, but that wasn’t enough to salvage the experience.
I am immensely grateful to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.
December 8, 2023
I enjoyed this book. It is definitely more of a slow burn with a lot of creepy ambiance. Personally, I was also hoping for a bit more romance. What it had was in line with the book - sort of a distorted, dark view of romantic instances. The historical timeline felt accurate and I loved the focus on all the female relationships. I would recommend this if you’re looking for a slow burn, creepy, lgbt+ friendly book and don’t mind it not having a pronounced relationship in the telling.
March 26, 2024
I received this arc from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
This slow burn, atmospheric, historical fiction horror is as deep as it is compelling.
The has an exceptional historical atmosphere and horror aspects that develop slowly but ramp up quickly at the end. What helps the former is the epistolary aspect of the novel. It’s told as a diary style, and the balance between providing enough info that you’re not missing anything but the details also not feeling didactic (and breaking away from the sense of it being an actual diary) was excellent. The narrative voice also fit the character quite well - Ada overuses exclamation points, meanders a bit, and convinces herself of things, but it felt intentional. When the book needed to, it pared that stuff back, but when it was helping build Ada’s personality, it suited the structure.
I will say one thing about the book - it is very very slow burn. If you enjoy books like this - which I do - you will enjoy the lead-up to the ending quite a bit. And while it is slow burn, it’s never dull or dragging. The story is constantly moving forward, it’s just that there isn’t a lot of horror for quite some time and there is a lot of well, walking around and conversations where people never say what they mean. Then again, if there were more abject hostility or scary stuff, it wouldn’t have made sense for Ada not to leave.
As with all horror stories it seems, Ada is not only dealing with the potentially supernatural, but trauma of her past. Her sister is recently deceased, and she was forced to leave her previous teaching post due to … reasons. What I really liked was how this reason seems very obvious from the start but then it twists it in a way that I did not expect (or at least there’s a twist on a twist I did expect).
Ada herself is a likeable character. She’s a pretty average woman - smart, brave but not brazen, and quite lonely. While she clearly wouldn’t be opposed to a partner, she really just wants a friend. Her loneliness has her reach out to anyone who will accept her, even if it is disagreeable to the couple who allow her to board in their house. What’s interesting about them, and the rest of the town, is that everyone harbours secrets. Some are weird, some are sad, some are benign. The town, the people, felt real and I was entranced by this novel the entire time. What was also realistic, and disheartening at times (which I think was intentional), was the way Ada was complicit in the same systems that are holding her back. In order to keep her job, the only thing keeping her from having to return to her abusive father is to ensure the children - especially the girls - in her classroom behave according to expectations - something she is also constantly badgered about by her father. She accuses a girl of immoral behavior for kissing a boy, for example, and the boy doesn’t even get a talking to. This felt realistic to the time period, because Ada hasn’t been introduced to any alternative forms of thought. While she understands the societal expectations that bind her, she doesn’t even realize she can combat them. Or maybe she can’t, due to reasons outlined before. In this way, the novel shows how sometimes we just go along with stuff, even if it is self-defeating because to make a stand would be futile and worse for us.
If you are fond of horror novels that explain everything, you will not get that here. In truth, I’m not even convinced what I read was even “real” and I think there are multiple interpretations of the ending. Ada is a very unreliable narrator, which is part of the fun of the novel - so how much of the events is the “grey dog” and how much is it her fraying mind? To further complicate this, there is a passing reference to the Plato’s Cave allegory, which reinforces both the grey dog as a being who Ada’s eyes have been opened to - a reality hidden from most people - and as something else entirely. The reference is not just “the shadows we see and perceive are not what reality is” idea (to put the allegory in its simplest terms) but also because one of Plato’s “higher levels” (of reality, in terms of philosophy) is natural science, something that Ada is very much into and comes up again and again in the book. The more I think about this, the more I think that the cave wasn’t just a passing comment in the book to show Ada is well-read, but was supposed to direct our opinions about the ending. You could read it as Ada being brought to a higher level of being. You could also read the ending at entirely face value and enjoy it. You could also read it as a statement on women’s repression generally or the repressed queerness of Ada. It could be all of the above. Or none?
Either way, it was a satisfying ending 100%.
In terms of creepiness, I’d give it a 6/10, but this is more an atmosphere horror than a horror-horror. In truth, I’m very much into this sub-genre. I like being scared, sure, but I also just love being brought so strongly into a setting.
I very much enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!
This slow burn, atmospheric, historical fiction horror is as deep as it is compelling.
The has an exceptional historical atmosphere and horror aspects that develop slowly but ramp up quickly at the end. What helps the former is the epistolary aspect of the novel. It’s told as a diary style, and the balance between providing enough info that you’re not missing anything but the details also not feeling didactic (and breaking away from the sense of it being an actual diary) was excellent. The narrative voice also fit the character quite well - Ada overuses exclamation points, meanders a bit, and convinces herself of things, but it felt intentional. When the book needed to, it pared that stuff back, but when it was helping build Ada’s personality, it suited the structure.
I will say one thing about the book - it is very very slow burn. If you enjoy books like this - which I do - you will enjoy the lead-up to the ending quite a bit. And while it is slow burn, it’s never dull or dragging. The story is constantly moving forward, it’s just that there isn’t a lot of horror for quite some time and there is a lot of well, walking around and conversations where people never say what they mean. Then again, if there were more abject hostility or scary stuff, it wouldn’t have made sense for Ada not to leave.
As with all horror stories it seems, Ada is not only dealing with the potentially supernatural, but trauma of her past. Her sister is recently deceased, and she was forced to leave her previous teaching post due to … reasons. What I really liked was how this reason seems very obvious from the start but then it twists it in a way that I did not expect (or at least there’s a twist on a twist I did expect).
Ada herself is a likeable character. She’s a pretty average woman - smart, brave but not brazen, and quite lonely. While she clearly wouldn’t be opposed to a partner, she really just wants a friend. Her loneliness has her reach out to anyone who will accept her, even if it is disagreeable to the couple who allow her to board in their house. What’s interesting about them, and the rest of the town, is that everyone harbours secrets. Some are weird, some are sad, some are benign. The town, the people, felt real and I was entranced by this novel the entire time. What was also realistic, and disheartening at times (which I think was intentional), was the way Ada was complicit in the same systems that are holding her back. In order to keep her job, the only thing keeping her from having to return to her abusive father is to ensure the children - especially the girls - in her classroom behave according to expectations - something she is also constantly badgered about by her father. She accuses a girl of immoral behavior for kissing a boy, for example, and the boy doesn’t even get a talking to. This felt realistic to the time period, because Ada hasn’t been introduced to any alternative forms of thought. While she understands the societal expectations that bind her, she doesn’t even realize she can combat them. Or maybe she can’t, due to reasons outlined before. In this way, the novel shows how sometimes we just go along with stuff, even if it is self-defeating because to make a stand would be futile and worse for us.
If you are fond of horror novels that explain everything, you will not get that here. In truth, I’m not even convinced what I read was even “real” and I think there are multiple interpretations of the ending. Ada is a very unreliable narrator, which is part of the fun of the novel - so how much of the events is the “grey dog” and how much is it her fraying mind? To further complicate this, there is a passing reference to the Plato’s Cave allegory, which reinforces both the grey dog as a being who Ada’s eyes have been opened to - a reality hidden from most people - and as something else entirely. The reference is not just “the shadows we see and perceive are not what reality is” idea (to put the allegory in its simplest terms) but also because one of Plato’s “higher levels” (of reality, in terms of philosophy) is natural science, something that Ada is very much into and comes up again and again in the book. The more I think about this, the more I think that the cave wasn’t just a passing comment in the book to show Ada is well-read, but was supposed to direct our opinions about the ending. You could read it as Ada being brought to a higher level of being. You could also read the ending at entirely face value and enjoy it. You could also read it as a statement on women’s repression generally or the repressed queerness of Ada. It could be all of the above. Or none?
Either way, it was a satisfying ending 100%.
In terms of creepiness, I’d give it a 6/10, but this is more an atmosphere horror than a horror-horror. In truth, I’m very much into this sub-genre. I like being scared, sure, but I also just love being brought so strongly into a setting.
I very much enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!
April 11, 2024
This book grabbed my attention from page one and I only grew more engrossed the further I got. It’s creepy and queer and just EVERYTHING. What really sealed the deal for me was the ending though. It’s not often the final pages of a book literally make my jaw drop!
June 2, 2024
I can't believe I voluntarily read a horror book but was curious about feminist rage horror. Haligonian author intentionally uses queer for its other meanings. The inequalities of the early 20th century are difficult to bear. I didn't find the horror that scary; the insects, animal skulls, still births, grey dog, raven wing etc - as Shehan Karunatilaka said in his Booker winning novel, it's not the supernatural monsters or ghosts we have to be scared of, it's the humans. Honestly, our capacity for cruelty and indifference to fellow human beings and other living beings is what terrifies me. 3.6 ⭐️
May 9, 2024
Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Natalie Naudus
Content: 2 stars ~ Narration: 4 stars
The year is 1901. Ada Byrd moves to Lowry Bridge, where she will teach at a local elementary school. We get to know the town and the inhabitants through her diary entries. Besides that, we also learn her story - why she came to Lowry Bridge and what happened to her sister.
It’s probably me. Literary horror is one of my favorite genres, and I have a picture of what it should be like. I like slow-paced novels, but only if slow pacing makes sense. I wish this novel would start at roughly 50 or even 60% because I considered giving up on it several times while reading the first half. Although the second half was much better, even very good, it couldn’t make up for the first part. The damage was done. I appreciate themes like resistance against the patriarchy. But unfortunately, I think this often felt forced, and emphasizing it constantly overshadowed the primary purpose of the novel.
I am sure that despite what I wrote above, many readers will like this novel. If you like slow-paced historical fiction and feminist sapphic horror, this book might be a good choice.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media for the advance copy and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.
Content: 2 stars ~ Narration: 4 stars
The year is 1901. Ada Byrd moves to Lowry Bridge, where she will teach at a local elementary school. We get to know the town and the inhabitants through her diary entries. Besides that, we also learn her story - why she came to Lowry Bridge and what happened to her sister.
It’s probably me. Literary horror is one of my favorite genres, and I have a picture of what it should be like. I like slow-paced novels, but only if slow pacing makes sense. I wish this novel would start at roughly 50 or even 60% because I considered giving up on it several times while reading the first half. Although the second half was much better, even very good, it couldn’t make up for the first part. The damage was done. I appreciate themes like resistance against the patriarchy. But unfortunately, I think this often felt forced, and emphasizing it constantly overshadowed the primary purpose of the novel.
I am sure that despite what I wrote above, many readers will like this novel. If you like slow-paced historical fiction and feminist sapphic horror, this book might be a good choice.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media for the advance copy and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.
March 26, 2024
Rep: lesbian mc
CWs: past sexual assault, gore
Galley provided by publisher
I think it's would be fair to call this one an it's not you it's me book. Really, it was well-written, but what it lacked for me was a certain compellingness and any atmosphere to actually make the tale at all effective. I'm sure I've said multiple times I'm not built for horror, so reading this was sort of risky, only it turned out not to be scary in the slightest. It was barely disturbing! So yeah: not one for me (with the usual caveat that that doesn't mean it won't be for others, etc etc).
CWs: past sexual assault, gore
Galley provided by publisher
I think it's would be fair to call this one an it's not you it's me book. Really, it was well-written, but what it lacked for me was a certain compellingness and any atmosphere to actually make the tale at all effective. I'm sure I've said multiple times I'm not built for horror, so reading this was sort of risky, only it turned out not to be scary in the slightest. It was barely disturbing! So yeah: not one for me (with the usual caveat that that doesn't mean it won't be for others, etc etc).
May 5, 2024
3.5/5
A historical litfic gothic horror that’s also a little witchy and focuses on a woman who may be going mad? It should have been the perfect read for me; it was a book that I wanted to love but it turned out only being ok. Something about the narration felt stilted and I felt like I was being held at a distance, making it difficult to really engage emotionally. I still enjoyed my time within these pages though and I loved the hauntingly beautiful descriptions of nature and wilderness.
A historical litfic gothic horror that’s also a little witchy and focuses on a woman who may be going mad? It should have been the perfect read for me; it was a book that I wanted to love but it turned out only being ok. Something about the narration felt stilted and I felt like I was being held at a distance, making it difficult to really engage emotionally. I still enjoyed my time within these pages though and I loved the hauntingly beautiful descriptions of nature and wilderness.
March 5, 2024
“No matter if I plug my ears it still calls to me”
Elliott Gish’s horror novel is set in the year 1901, Ada Byrd is a spinster who works as a teacher and takes a position at Lowry Bridge. For her this is an opportunity to re-establish herself where nobody knows about her and her past. She develops a closeness with several people within this community and sees a future for herself amongst them. However she soon picks up on stage behaviours from the natural world around her, dying crickets, self mutilated rabies and a malformed faun. She believes this is down to her secrets from the past taking shape into a beastly figure she calls Grey Dog.
This story unfolds as a slow burn where Ada’s life is laid bare. There are several mysteries you can sense as the story progresses, not just Ada’s character but of those around her that come in the form of the residents and the nature.
For the most part it feels as though not much is happening but pieces of Ada’s past life which are a cause of her grief and despair are teased. There’s this sense of something supernatural that is causing Ada to have the luck she has so far.
The imagery during those moments of delusions she experiences are quit vivid. The writer makes these parts feel quite visceral in how they suggest Ada’s state of mind.
This was a gripping slow burn horror that will appeal to fans of historical fiction.
Many thanks to @netgalley for a copy of the book.
Elliott Gish’s horror novel is set in the year 1901, Ada Byrd is a spinster who works as a teacher and takes a position at Lowry Bridge. For her this is an opportunity to re-establish herself where nobody knows about her and her past. She develops a closeness with several people within this community and sees a future for herself amongst them. However she soon picks up on stage behaviours from the natural world around her, dying crickets, self mutilated rabies and a malformed faun. She believes this is down to her secrets from the past taking shape into a beastly figure she calls Grey Dog.
This story unfolds as a slow burn where Ada’s life is laid bare. There are several mysteries you can sense as the story progresses, not just Ada’s character but of those around her that come in the form of the residents and the nature.
For the most part it feels as though not much is happening but pieces of Ada’s past life which are a cause of her grief and despair are teased. There’s this sense of something supernatural that is causing Ada to have the luck she has so far.
The imagery during those moments of delusions she experiences are quit vivid. The writer makes these parts feel quite visceral in how they suggest Ada’s state of mind.
This was a gripping slow burn horror that will appeal to fans of historical fiction.
Many thanks to @netgalley for a copy of the book.
April 29, 2024
really freaking good!! if you like historical fiction and women having breakdowns, you'll like this.
March 24, 2024
Ada is an inconvenience to her father: a spinster (unlike her more conventional sister), who finds more pleasure exploring nature than she does in the spiritual and corporeal. After being dismissed from a teaching position due to unseemly behavior, he shuttles her off to Lowry Bridge to distance himself from any further embarrassment. Along with a diary given to her by her sister, Ada brings her pent up anger, grief, and loneliness to her new home and teaching position.
Through time used to explore the woods, and spending time with the local “witch”, she begins to express herself and allow the words and feelings she has pent up to come out (behaviors not becoming of a woman). Slowly, she strips herself of conventional expectations, and gains a certain clarity. However, her new behaviors evoke fear and loathing by her students and fellow villagers.
So, what is happening to Ada? Has she finally snapped under the presures of her father and society? Or is her father right; is there something that has always been wrong about her? Can there be something in the woods that she frequently explores? Is it the “witch”?
This is a very satisfying Gothic tale set in the Edwardian time period. Told through diary entries, we experience her physical, emotional, and mental disintegration.
Themes of expectations and needs of women are explored; there are no happy and satisfied women here. At times, the story seems to stall. However, about 3/4 into the book, the pace and horror gains traction.
I would like to thank NetGalley and ECW Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Through time used to explore the woods, and spending time with the local “witch”, she begins to express herself and allow the words and feelings she has pent up to come out (behaviors not becoming of a woman). Slowly, she strips herself of conventional expectations, and gains a certain clarity. However, her new behaviors evoke fear and loathing by her students and fellow villagers.
So, what is happening to Ada? Has she finally snapped under the presures of her father and society? Or is her father right; is there something that has always been wrong about her? Can there be something in the woods that she frequently explores? Is it the “witch”?
This is a very satisfying Gothic tale set in the Edwardian time period. Told through diary entries, we experience her physical, emotional, and mental disintegration.
Themes of expectations and needs of women are explored; there are no happy and satisfied women here. At times, the story seems to stall. However, about 3/4 into the book, the pace and horror gains traction.
I would like to thank NetGalley and ECW Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
November 27, 2023
Grey Dog
Elliot Gish
Pub: ECW Press
Pub. date: April 9, 2024
Format: E-book (@netgalley)
5/ 5
A huge, huge thank you to ECW Press, Elliot Gish, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this life-altering ARC.
CW: gore; body horror
There are some books that exist, where the moment we are done reading them, we know they will forever be with us. Grey Dog is one of those books. Gish incorporated so many facets of horror and the art of creating horror, that I am not sure calling this book “Gothic horror” is enough. Set up as the book equivalent of The Blair Witch Project, it is clear from the beginning that we were dealing with an unreliable narrator. Full advantage was taken with this format, and I highly recommend reading rather than listening to fully experience the spiral we go down as MC and reader. This is also a perfect example of Woman vs. The Void™, arguably my all time favorite horror trope. We also experience a mix of Woman vs. Society and Woman vs. Nature, creating one of the most unique- and at times visceral- experiences I have had with a book in a while.
Grey Dog is the journal of Ada Byrd- a school mistress who found herself the victim of circumstances that led her to a new position at Lowry Bridge in 1901. It is immediately apparent that Byrd’s main struggle was going to be the suffocating society of the late 19th century, especially as we come to know of Ada’s attraction to the same sex. It is this difficulty of fitting in that likely leads Ada down the hole we end the book on. Ada is at times so relatable and endearing, and at other times repulsive and aggravating. It is even more fascinating since all her actions are told to us by her, giving us her thought process- or lack thereof- creating a bond between her, and us as the reader.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough if you are a fan of feminist psychological horror (think The Yellow Wallpaper). I genuinely think this book is in my top ten of the year. I’m bummed that it isn’t coming out for a few more months and I need to sit down with everyone to talk about it!
Elliot Gish
Pub: ECW Press
Pub. date: April 9, 2024
Format: E-book (@netgalley)
5/ 5
A huge, huge thank you to ECW Press, Elliot Gish, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this life-altering ARC.
CW: gore; body horror
There are some books that exist, where the moment we are done reading them, we know they will forever be with us. Grey Dog is one of those books. Gish incorporated so many facets of horror and the art of creating horror, that I am not sure calling this book “Gothic horror” is enough. Set up as the book equivalent of The Blair Witch Project, it is clear from the beginning that we were dealing with an unreliable narrator. Full advantage was taken with this format, and I highly recommend reading rather than listening to fully experience the spiral we go down as MC and reader. This is also a perfect example of Woman vs. The Void™, arguably my all time favorite horror trope. We also experience a mix of Woman vs. Society and Woman vs. Nature, creating one of the most unique- and at times visceral- experiences I have had with a book in a while.
Grey Dog is the journal of Ada Byrd- a school mistress who found herself the victim of circumstances that led her to a new position at Lowry Bridge in 1901. It is immediately apparent that Byrd’s main struggle was going to be the suffocating society of the late 19th century, especially as we come to know of Ada’s attraction to the same sex. It is this difficulty of fitting in that likely leads Ada down the hole we end the book on. Ada is at times so relatable and endearing, and at other times repulsive and aggravating. It is even more fascinating since all her actions are told to us by her, giving us her thought process- or lack thereof- creating a bond between her, and us as the reader.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough if you are a fan of feminist psychological horror (think The Yellow Wallpaper). I genuinely think this book is in my top ten of the year. I’m bummed that it isn’t coming out for a few more months and I need to sit down with everyone to talk about it!
April 14, 2024
Like a dark and twisted Anne of Green Gables, this book was a welcome addition for me; and very well written for a debut novel. I was happily surprised at how much I related to the very odd and “unlikable” main character Ada Byrd. There was a great balance of late-Victorian references and modern sensibility, as well as a cozy atmosphere created by the diary style of the book. The ideas of intimate desire, reckless abuse and longing for friendship were so blurred at times, that there was a lovely sort of delirium created for the reader which mirrored the iceberg tip of the madness forming in Ada.
June 23, 2024
I am utterly confused about why this has been so highly praised as a novel depicting feminine rage and the triumph of a woman scorned.
Maybe I didn’t understand it the way it was supposed to be understood. Maybe I’m missing something.
I will agree that it’s definitely subversive to have Ada embrace ‘madness’ as she shucks off societal expectations of what a ‘good woman’ is like, but I don’t know that it’s necessarily empowering? At least, it didn’t feel that way to me.
Ada has suffered horrible abuse in her life, and I’m not going to say that she doesn’t deserve to lash out after what she’s experienced, but the only interaction that felt satisfactory and justifiable was her confrontation with her abusive father. Her increasing desire to harm her young students, her nearly blinding one of those students, her taunting of Mrs. Greer by bringing up her deceased young son, and her assaulting of Agatha (multiple times, including Agatha’s death) made her a completely unlikable character. I don’t understand why you would make the character, whom I assume you want your readers to root for and support, to be so horrible? Listen, I’m a fan of morally grey or complex characters, but this really feels like an odd choice.
I really, really dislike ‘feminist’ literature that pits women against each other. Sure, you can have female characters that don’t get along or even are at odds with one another, but why is Ada horribly punishing the women (and young girls) of this town, when it has mostly been men that have wronged her in her life?
Her father has done terrible things to her, and yet he only gets a stern talking to? I’m confused.
By the end of the book, Ada has nearly become an animal, and it is at this point that she is her happiest and most free. But it feels like such an exclusionary form of feminism or empowerment. Rather than building herself up and becoming a confident, powerful woman who encourages the other women in her life to stand up for themselves, she goes feral and turns her back on everyone in the town besides the one other person who heard the call of the Grey Dog.
I know Ada becoming so animalistic and returning to nature is supposed to be empowering? And I can understand that she has progressed past the point of caring what other people think about her, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Especially because of the ending.
What brought this book down to one star for me is how Ada assaults and murders Agatha at the end of the book. The language that is used when Ada pins Agatha to the floor with her weight and strength, then kisses, licks, and bites her neck is very reminiscent of language used when authors typically describe men sexually assaulting women. Why, in a book that has already condemned sexual assault, would you have your main character exhibit this behavior, especially with the language used? I don’t understand it, and it leaves me feeling more sick than impressed or satisfied.
Beyond these points, the first half of the book dragged terribly. I know it’s supposed to be a slow burn, but it didn’t even feel like there was a fire going. I was just looking at cold coals for 60% of the book before the spark even lit.
Maybe I am a bad feminist, or maybe I’ve completely misinterpreted the author’s intentions, but this book totally unimpressed me :/
Maybe I didn’t understand it the way it was supposed to be understood. Maybe I’m missing something.
I will agree that it’s definitely subversive to have Ada embrace ‘madness’ as she shucks off societal expectations of what a ‘good woman’ is like, but I don’t know that it’s necessarily empowering? At least, it didn’t feel that way to me.
Ada has suffered horrible abuse in her life, and I’m not going to say that she doesn’t deserve to lash out after what she’s experienced, but the only interaction that felt satisfactory and justifiable was her confrontation with her abusive father. Her increasing desire to harm her young students, her nearly blinding one of those students, her taunting of Mrs. Greer by bringing up her deceased young son, and her assaulting of Agatha (multiple times, including Agatha’s death) made her a completely unlikable character. I don’t understand why you would make the character, whom I assume you want your readers to root for and support, to be so horrible? Listen, I’m a fan of morally grey or complex characters, but this really feels like an odd choice.
I really, really dislike ‘feminist’ literature that pits women against each other. Sure, you can have female characters that don’t get along or even are at odds with one another, but why is Ada horribly punishing the women (and young girls) of this town, when it has mostly been men that have wronged her in her life?
Her father has done terrible things to her, and yet he only gets a stern talking to? I’m confused.
By the end of the book, Ada has nearly become an animal, and it is at this point that she is her happiest and most free. But it feels like such an exclusionary form of feminism or empowerment. Rather than building herself up and becoming a confident, powerful woman who encourages the other women in her life to stand up for themselves, she goes feral and turns her back on everyone in the town besides the one other person who heard the call of the Grey Dog.
I know Ada becoming so animalistic and returning to nature is supposed to be empowering? And I can understand that she has progressed past the point of caring what other people think about her, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Especially because of the ending.
What brought this book down to one star for me is how Ada assaults and murders Agatha at the end of the book. The language that is used when Ada pins Agatha to the floor with her weight and strength, then kisses, licks, and bites her neck is very reminiscent of language used when authors typically describe men sexually assaulting women. Why, in a book that has already condemned sexual assault, would you have your main character exhibit this behavior, especially with the language used? I don’t understand it, and it leaves me feeling more sick than impressed or satisfied.
Beyond these points, the first half of the book dragged terribly. I know it’s supposed to be a slow burn, but it didn’t even feel like there was a fire going. I was just looking at cold coals for 60% of the book before the spark even lit.
Maybe I am a bad feminist, or maybe I’ve completely misinterpreted the author’s intentions, but this book totally unimpressed me :/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2024
4.5 stars - I loved it!
I am convincing you to read this book with my favourite quote:
"I am not a place where nature can be weeded and tamed and kept in order. I am tree roots – and dark hollows – and ancient moss – and the cry of the owls. I am not a thing that you can shape, not anymore. I am no garden, but the woods, and if you ever come near me again, every but of wilderness in me will rise up to bite you. I will tear your throat out with my teeth."
I loved this book. It's been a week, and I haven't stopped thinking about it, I probably wont stop thinking about it for a while. This was a beautifully written story of societal expectations of women with themes that center around misogyny, female rage, grief, loss, exploration of sexuality, and longing for freedom. With an added twist of supernatural horror and a tormented descent into madness.
Can someone make this into a movie, please? Like immediately!!!!
**thank you to @ecwpress for sending me a copy, as always, opinions are my own 🤘🏻💀🤘🏻
I am convincing you to read this book with my favourite quote:
"I am not a place where nature can be weeded and tamed and kept in order. I am tree roots – and dark hollows – and ancient moss – and the cry of the owls. I am not a thing that you can shape, not anymore. I am no garden, but the woods, and if you ever come near me again, every but of wilderness in me will rise up to bite you. I will tear your throat out with my teeth."
I loved this book. It's been a week, and I haven't stopped thinking about it, I probably wont stop thinking about it for a while. This was a beautifully written story of societal expectations of women with themes that center around misogyny, female rage, grief, loss, exploration of sexuality, and longing for freedom. With an added twist of supernatural horror and a tormented descent into madness.
Can someone make this into a movie, please? Like immediately!!!!
**thank you to @ecwpress for sending me a copy, as always, opinions are my own 🤘🏻💀🤘🏻
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