The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman - HIGH

The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman, 368 pages.  Hyperion (Disney), APRL 2019.  $19.

Language: R (39 swears, 8 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG(mention of bisexual couples); Violence: PG-13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Something is wrong in Four Paths – three bodies have surfaced.  The magic wielded by the Founders to keep the Gray under control is no longer able to keep the Beast in check. When Violet and her mother come back to town, the parents tell the teen family members of the Founders to leave her alone, but the teens no more than their parents think.  Even though all of them have secrets, the cards and the winds tell them that Violet is important.  

Noice!  Modern gothic at its best.  All of the spine-tingling delight of the best spooky stories with teens that our high school readers will be drawn to.  It looks like there is a second book coming – I hope it maintains the high level of tension and horror without resorting to excessive violence or sex as a vehicle.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS