Thank you to #NetGalley, Chris Baron and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Anxiety (which he calls "The Gray") and bullying have been hard on Sasha, so he is heading out into the country to spend the summer with his aunt with nothing but nature and relaxation. Sasha's aunt is supportive and when he's introduced to a horse named "The Gray" he feels like he has someone who must feel like he does.

"The Gray" starts to weigh heavily over again though when his new friend, Eli goes missing. Will Sasha be able to put the Gray aside to find his friend?

A great and honest read about a character with anxiety! I hope young readers who struggle with anxiety will be able to relate to Sasha and see they are normal and not alone.

The Gray by Chris Barron (Feiwel & Friends, June 2023) tells the story of a young teenager with anxiety that experiences panic attacks. During his forced device-free vacation in the country with his aunt, Sasha finds his own confidence. His trip into the country becomes one of self-discovery as he makes new friends and faces unique challenges that he would never have encountered in the city.


Thirteen-year-old Sasha wanted to spend his summer before eighth grade playing video games with his friend. His video gaming worlds have more defined boundaries and rules than real life does. In real life, Sasha faces anxiety. When he has an anxiety-induced panic attack, Sasha feels out of control. His view of the world changes as his heart speeds up. He calls these anxious moments “The Gray,” and he finds them embarrassing to deal with. I’ve gone through similar panic attacks, and understanding other people’s challenges like these are essential. I’m glad there are books to let middle grade readers peek into such moments in order to get a better understanding of mental illness in general, and especially to recognize and help those around them.

As he meets new people, Sasha comes to recognize that everyone else also has their own issues. Eli is a teen dealing with his own difficulties, including similar anxiety, and Ivy is a confident girl who wants to find her own place outside of the small town in which she lives. Boon acts like a bully, but misses his best friend. My favorite dynamic in this book is that Sasha also finds a closeness with his beloved Uncle Lou, who died two years previously; Aunt Ruthie tells Sasha about Lou’s own anxiety and panic attacks, and Sasha gains confidence to face “The Gray” with Uncle Lou’s strength in mind.

Sasha’s story was enjoyable and will certainly be enjoyed by middle grade readers (especially those who love nature), but it was not one that I loved. Although I liked Sasha and I could relate to some aspects of dealing with anxiety, his transformation did not resonate with me as much as I expected it too. His transition from gamer to nature lover felt too sudden, from the beginning to the end, or maybe he just wasn’t developed enough for me to like more. True, Sasha found confidence, learned new skills, and did hard things he did not do. He realized that being outside sometimes was better than just video gaming. But these realizations felt superficial to me.

Note: I received a digital review copy of The Gray.

Sasha has feelings that put him in "the gray" - a place where his mind wanders and gets stuck when he feels anxious. After a fight at school with a bully, Sasha's parents don't really know how to help anymore, so they arrange for him to spend the summer in the country with his aunt, which proves to be calming AND reflective, yet still chaotic at times. When Sasha meets some peers at a local ranch, things start looking up. A horse (named "Gray," coincidentally) and an outcast help Sasha break out of his shell. Just when Sasha is feeling comfortable in his own skin, his friends need him. Can Sasha push the Gray aside and help?

Chris Baron is a master storyteller of middle-grade and readers will fall in love with all the characters in this special book about fear, finding oneself, and making and keeping friends. Highly recommended for middle school and up. 5 Stars!

Very believable story of a middle schooler, Sasha, having anxiety attacks which he calls "the gray". Story has very supportive characters that help him the summer he stays with his grandmother to be away from all electronics to slow down his life. Sasha in turn helps his friends to overcome some of their problems, including the grandmother who is being trouble by her aging. Wonderful story without profanity or other cultural things except focusing on the problem of anxiety and reaching out to others for help.

This is a great book for kids struggling with anxiety, as well as for other kids to understand more about their peers with anxiety. I will definitely be adding this title to my classroom library.

A really solid middle grades book. Sasha is dealing with a lot the summer before he starts eighth grade, but through it all, he begins to understand himself and his place in the world. Anyone suffering from anxiety will see themselves in Sasha.

Note - there is the suggestion of child abuse when Sasha is helping his new friend Eli work through his own anxiety.

The Gray is a hugely important book and conversation for our times, both for the increasing number of kids struggling with anxiety and the adults in their lives who may run the spectrum from dismissing it as "just in their heads" to overreacting in ways that may be potentially detrimental (or indeed may themselves struggle with anxiety!). I loved how Sasha's summer away from the city shows that it's not a problem you can simply run away from. The central metaphor of the immovable Stone of Power with a trickle of water that slowly carves a ridge into the stone's surface is a perfect illustration of how we can overcome struggles little by little.

Thirteen-year-old Sasha is no stranger to anxiety, but his feelings have amplified since the death of his Uncle Lou two years ago. Now, Sasha’s anxieties have become personified into a landscape he refers to as the Gray, and even his beloved video games are not enough to keep the Gray at bay. Since therapy, breathing techniques, and medication have only partially helped, Sasha’s parents have decided to send him to his Aunt Ruthie’s house for a month, where Sasha will be forced to live without the everpresent pull of technology. What begins as a summer of deprivation transitions slowly, like water wearing down a rock, into one where Sasha becomes more connected to—and accepting of—who he truly is.

Anyone who has suffered from anxiety or panic attacks will immediately empathize with Sasha and his struggles. When the outside world is too close or too overwhelming, the Gray appears, and all of Sasha’s carefully practiced techniques escape him. Myriad details of Sasha’s surroundings flow through the narrative, amplifying the intensity with which Sasha experiences the world. Sights, sounds, and smells are mentioned with particular frequency, and these become especially rich as Sasha spends more time in the small town where his aunt resides. Short chapters and compelling storytelling keep the narrative flowing smoothly while making the book particularly accessible to middle grade readers.

Sasha is Jewish, and elements of his culture and heritage are interwoven into the novel. From Yiddish language to Jewish foods to Krav Maga, readers will find themselves immersed in Sasha’s world no matter their own backgrounds. Bullying is a pervasive element of this novel as well, and several intense moments bring Sasha’s anxieties to the forefront of readers’ minds. As readers experience Sasha’s transformative summer alongside him, they not only observe some of the effects anxiety can have, but also the tangible techniques Sasha uses to mollify his anxious feelings when they arise. Both readers experiencing anxiety themselves and those who know others in this situation will come away from this novel with a better understanding of anxiety and several tools they can use to lend support to themselves and others. This is a powerful and meaningful addition to library collections for middle grade readers.

I read this rather quickly while traveling, but I really felt for Sasha and the emotional and mental turmoil he experienced. I loved his good heart and it felt like the friendships he developed were authentic. A tough topic but a good middle grade read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the eARC of <i>The Gray</i>!

Author Chris Barron has another deeply-felt and breathlessly-intimate winner with <i>The Gray</i>. Adeptly portraying how debilitating and lonely anxiety can be, Barron sends main character Sasha on a journey he initially feels will be impossible to bear—a summer with his aunt in a small town with no wifi, no friends and still-raw memories of the beloved uncle he recently lost. Unfortunately, something his aunt’s town <i>does</i> have in common with his home in New York City is bullies. Luckily for Sasha, it also has allies—some unexpected, some four-legged and fond of sugar cubes. In his aunt’s slower, unplugged world, Sasha is better able to utilize the coping mechanism he’s been taught for managing his anxiety and to pick up some new approaches as well.

Barron writes not just about <i>bullying</i> but about the <i>experience of being bullied</i> in a way that can only come from lived experience. There is a desperate inevitability and powerlessness to it that the author absolutely nails. Also explored this time around is the remorse and discomfort when the bullied fights back—and winds up harming someone. Guilt, grief and faith intertwine in <i>The Gray</i>, giving Sasha—and readers—a restorative summer they’ll never forget.

As someone who has struggled with panic attacks right after the loss of my parents, I know how scary it can be to be in high anxiety moments. Some of my students do experience it more often and I see the fear in their eyes. Sasha’s story and the ways he learns to overcome some of “the Gray” moments will resonate with readers. Definitely one to add to your TBR list!

Chris Baron has delivered a tender and loving portrayal of growing up with, and trying to grow through, anxiety. Sasha is beset by the kind of anxiety that feels, when it lands, like an all-consuming fog -- one that he calls the Gray. His parents decide that the "fix" for Sasha will be a summer in the countryside, at his Aunt's house, away from bullies (can we ever really escape bullies?) and devices. This is a story about learning to navigate life, mental health, and to embody ways to restore inner calm. I appreciated that there's no pat ending here, no final banishment of Sasha's anxiety, but rather an ongoing process of learning to embrace meaningful techniques that help him navigate not only his anxiety, but friendships and fears.
Baron's writing is beautiful and lyrical and infused with a great deal of compassion for all of his characters, especially those for whom compassion is hard won.
Thank you to the Author and publisher for the E-Arc.

What a remarkable story. Chris Baron brings Sasha's anxiety to life in compassionate and vivid fashion. This is a story about Sasha's difficult emotional journey that's full of well-developed secondary characters, a beautiful setting, and a propulsive plot. I was struck by how well Baron balanced a boy's internal emotions with action--physical conflict, krav maga practice, outdoor exploration, and more that I won't list so as not to give away the plot. It's a wonderful book for middle grade readers.

The primary storyline of The Gray focuses on Sasha and his growing anxiety disorder and his attempt to find ways to cope with the feeling of helplessness that covers him like the gray of a bank of clouds or a blanket. But woven into this plot line is another young boy, Eli, who is battling guilt and sadness over a horrible incident with his brother, a bully who used to be Eli’s friend but now seems determined to make not Eli’s life increasingly difficult but Sasha’s as well. A few lesser threads, an aging widow facing growing difficulties living alone and a teen dancer who wants more than her small town can offer, add even more depth to Chris Baron’s wonderful novel for middle grade readers. The characters of Sasha, Eli, Ivy and Aunt Ruthie are well-developed and would provide ample material for a classroom teacher to use for character studies and all show changes over time with clear catalysts for that change. Descriptions of the pond and a meadow that are both significant to the plot are detailed and full of literary devices that make writers, readers and teachers’ hearts sing. The author’s note gives background sharing his own experiences with anxiety and encouraging students who have their own struggles to seek help and find their own way to lift The Gray.

Excellent choice for libraries serving grades 4-7. Text is free of profanity and sexual content and the violence against Eli’s brother and from the bully Boon is kept to a minimum.

Thanks for a digital copy of The Gray, NetGalley.

Sasha feels defeated when sent off to his aunt’s home near an abandoned summer camp to unplug for a while and have a change of scenery to deal with his severe anxiety. His dad doesn’t really like him to talk about what he and his therapist call “the gray,” and others struggle to understand as well. He makes friends with a boy with a mysterious reputation named Eli, and a dance student of his aunt’s named Ivy. Throughout the time at his aunt’s, he experiences bullying, goes outside his comfort zone, and learns more about how to cope with his anxiety. This is another Chris Baron book that I can’t wait to get in the hands of my students.

The Gray is a beautiful story about a young boy suffering from severe anxiety. This book will help readers understand what anxiety can be like and also provide strategies for kids who struggle and also for family and friends of people who suffer from anxiety. This book also shows the power of disconnecting from technology and reconnecting with nature.

Sasha has had a really tough time in life lately and his family sends him to live with his aunt for some of the summer in order to disconnect from technology and hopefully get his anxiety under control. This is pretty difficult, as Sasha doesn't have friends near his aunt's home, or much to do. He quickly realizes he can revisit special places he used to love, and he quickly befriends some local kids who are equally misunderstood.

I highly recommend this fabulous book to all readers, MG and beyond!

First person POV throughout the story helps a reader truly understand/get inside the head of a child dealing with mental health issues. The protagonist is trying to understand and support himself and accept himself as others try to help him as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is an excellent middle grade book and I think adults would enjoy this book too. It's very relatable to anyone who has anxiety. I like that the author involves animals, mainly horses, in Sasha's journey to understanding his anxiety. The bullies were portrayed well and shows a side of them that is hurting.
Great book.

The Gray is a powerful and engaging story that touches meaningfully on bullying, anxiety, guilt, bravery, the concept/expectation of “being tough”, the worry involved in living up to parental expectations, what it’s like to miss and honor someone’s memory, the power of friendship, intergenerational relationships, and community, and the significance of both connections with animals and nature, as well as the power of movement as “medicine”. There is so much to love about this story, its characters, and its messages. Not only is there much to simply enjoy as you turn the pages, but there is also much to sit with/ponder and learn from. I love that it also shares techniques Sasha uses to deal with anxiety in enough detail that someone might be able to jump right in and try a strategy themselves in a time when they might find it can help them. This story is special, and I can’t wait to share it with other readers.

This book pulled me in! A boy with anxiety goes to his aunt for the summer to get away from technology that is blurting the lines between what is real and what is not. It validates anxiety, the challenges it presents; the healing, the gift, coming through to the other side.