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.

Grey Dog is a book about a nearly thirty school teacher in the early 1900s who gets an assignment at a small town in the middle of nowhere. Going into this book, I foresaw small town isolation vibes that may or may not be accompanied by some weird goings-on. What this book is instead is historical women’s lit with horror elements thrown in.

Ada Byrd is a 29 year old school teacher. She is unmarried, never having any prospects. Therefore, by traditional patriarchal standards, she’s an old maid. As the book opens, she comes to the town of Lowry Bridge to take on a new assignment. Evidently, the school can’t keep teachers. They either run off or go missing. As unsettling as that sounds, Ada has no choice but to go. School teacher is the only profession an unmarried woman can have, and Ada’s last assignment didn’t end so well. So, to keep her creepy, uncaring wretch of a father off her back, she does what she has to.

As Ada stays in Lowry Bridge, we are introduced to a few different female characters. There is Mrs Greer, her boarder, Mrs. MacPherson, the pastor’s wife, and the Widow Kinsley, the shady woman in town everyone gossips about. Lowry Bridge is a small Christian town and expects everyone to have small Christian minds. Ladies are supposed to act like ladies and children are only supposed to learn what they need to in order to run the farms when their parents no longer can. I would suffocate here!

At first, the female characters all come off as stiff, but as Ada gets to know them, they become more layered. They each have their own independent and feminist ideas stuffed inside while they suffer from societal pressure to be ladylike. My prediction for these other female characters was that Ada would find some sort of kinship in them and begin to confide in them, but as it turns out, Ada was mostly left to her own devices. With the exception of the Widow Kinsley, the other women in the town chose to be christian ladies over camaraderie with Ada.

And, why did Ada need camaraderie? Well, she was too independent for her own good. She just wanted to be a present day woman living in 1902. She was ahead of her time, so everyone in the small town began to think she was strange. They gossiped about her. They told the school board about her. They confronted her in front of other people to the point where Ada began to feel alone.

Or, it could have just been all in her head. Was Ada really experiencing things the way she was describing them or was she actually going nuts? Was she seeing a grey dog spirit creature in the woods, or was she just insane. I really don’t know. This book was giving The Yellow Wallpaper. Ada was extremely unreliable. I question everything that I read because Ada’s point of view was the only point of view. And, that ending was insane whether it really happened or not!

The pacing of this book was slow-normal. It was slow, but not slow enough for me to quit. The prose was poetic and was able to keep my attention. The audiobook narrator was amazing. I have listened to her narrate before. She seems to always do an amazing job.

3.5/5 I had to take away some points because I wanted a little bit more horror throughout the book.

"Grey Dog" by Elliott Gish is literary fiction and, ultimately, a horror.

Set in 1901 in a small town called Lowry Bridge near Portsmouth in Canada. Aida Bird is 29 and single. She is a schoolteacher, not because she wants to be, but because there are so few jobs women were allowed to do. Aida's father was a very strict disciplinarian. Her sister was her best friend.

Aida seems to be adapting well to the new town and school. She has made a couple of friends. She starts seeing unusual things in the woods, such as a lot of crickets attacking her and then disappearing. She is not sure what things are real and what are only in her mind. This is the start of her madness. It moves along slowly until it speeds up and zooms to the end, like a rollercoaster car clicking and clacking slowly and finally getting to the top of the steep climb before descending wildly.

The narrator, Natalie Naudus, has a very smooth voice that is easy to listen to. She did a great job. I've heard another book narrated by her and can't recall which one.

Another aspect of the story is that Aida likes women. In this time period, that wasn't acceptable. This, plus her father's iron fist control, plus grief, maybe all contribute to her changing behavior. She believes something is calling her into the woods.

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 4/5
Pacing - 3/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 3.5/5
Narration - 5/5
Cover - 4/5

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and author Elliott Gish for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

A slow-burn, turn-of-the-century, small town paranormal-horror story that left me with questions about the power of female rage.

Before I get into the book review, to me, this story was almost identical to Diavola by Jennifer Thorne in terms of our main character, the pacing and the beats of the haunting. Even the main characters' names are almost the same. I actually referenced my review of Diavola to write this review. So if you liked Diavola, this is a good one to go with. Unfortunately, neither of these books was for me.

I like that the format of this book is in diary entries from our main character, Ada. We follow her from the moment she arrives as a school teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in a small village and follow her through to her last diary entry before she stops writing.

Strange things start happening around the town such as a swarm of bees, a rabbit biting off its own tongue and more. I like how Elliott Gish builds the setting. I felt like I was right beside Ada, shadowing her as she experiences these strange happenings. The pacing is very slow, but if you like vibes in your horror stories, then you'll appreciate the time Elliott is taking here.

We spend a lot of time experiencing the haunting, but I wished our characters, especially our main character had more agency earlier in the book. Between the meanness of people in the village, and the haunting, it felt like the story was happening to Ada instead of Ada leading the story. I liked the ending. We get some real bad girl energy from Anna which I resonated with and wished for more of.

The audiobook is narrated by Natalie Naudus, who is this generation's voice of horror and unsettling stories (I know she narrates so many more genres, but I love her in horror!). I loved her in Starling House by Alix E. Harrow and The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey. Natalie did an amazing job here! Her voice is gives us so much emotion and she did a great job embodying the character and reacting to the parts of the story in a way that brought me deeper into the narrative. I am definitely going to look for more books narrated by her in the future. If you prefer audiobooks, then this is a good one to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ALC.

This book is best read while trying to identify headless creatures on your iNaturalist app. If people start looking at you strangely, growl.

In the book Gray Dog we meet Ada Bird a teacher a spinster an amateur naturalist and according to her father a stain on the family. It is August1901 and she arrives in Laura Bridge to be the new school teacher the couple she is staying with or Mr. and Mrs. Greer a childless couple on her first night there Mr. Greer is happy to show her the lay of the land and when he brings her to Laura Bridge he tells her across the bridge the land is cheaper but most people in town do not go over there and gives her the impression to steer clear. Little does Ada know across the bridge she will find a friend her fear and her redemption. This is a great book about women the state of women’s emotions and how others view it. Prime example in the book there is a part where Ada has it out with her father and while I was listening I thought damn Ada does sound crazy but then I thought oh that’s just the way popular opinion sways me to think? Either way I love what this says about women’s friendships and I love how Ada came into her own and had her redemption her way. I am going to be honest and say I don’t understand why she wouldn’t speak to Nora at the end but either way once again it was a great book and a book I definitely recommend. Although again it is historical fiction it says so much about things that are apropos today it is a slow creeping up on you type of horror and she does see things that are strange weird out of the box and leads to the fabulous last few chapters that I thoroughly enjoyed. I want to say I thought the narrator did a stellar job I have heard Natalie Naudus perform an audiobook before and would definitely look forward to another. I want to thank the publisher the author and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

“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.

I don't know how to express my feelings for this book. It starts off as this wonderful story of female friendship and how women are treated in this time period in small towns. The most respectable women are the preacher's wife and the school teacher. Our girl is a lady. She is clean and proper and always watches what she says. She is concerned with how people see her. I loved her.
Then she starts to descend into madness. It is absolutely terrifying!
I don't think anyone could do better with narration this book. It was spot on.
That ending is not wholesome.

I just finished this book and i am properly freaked out.

Ada Byrd arrives in the town of lowry bridge full of hope and grief. She has recently lost a beloved sister, and scandal chases her from her former teaching position, so she hopes the small town surrounded by woods will bring her a fresh start, and an escape from a cruel father's tyranny. She begins to make friends and enjoy her new teaching position when strange and gruesome things begin to cross her path, and strange feelings rise within her. Is it malice? Is it madness? Or is it something...more?

This book was so god damn fantastic I don't have enough words for it. I had the same forboding feelings that i got reading the haunting of hill house, or watching the witch- a malevolent supervision of me evening reading ada's story. I love the journal format, because i feel like if we were merely obsevring ada we would feel her rage and her fear so deeply, her betrayal and her hopelessness. This is really where natalie naudus shines as a narrator- she is honestly without equal- she brings so much emotion and perfect timing to the performance of this audio book.

Highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend this creepy treat of a book.

Thanks, as always, netgalley and dreamscape media for the ARC.

3.75. After a meandering start this quiet folk horror tale becomes very fun in a disturbing and wicked way, as if a deeply angry repressed lesbian Anne of Green Gables decided to live deliciously. Give the audiobook version a miss, though - I found the performance overdone and grating, with unnecessarily affected voices for many of the characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

I loved the physical arc I read and the audiobook is even better ! I cannot wait to get a physical copy so I can annotate and discuss this book .
Thank you for the arc .

this is def for a very specific readerr and unfortunately i think it was not for me, but if you are looking for a slow sapphic horror i would def recommend picking this up!
writing was incredible and very easy to understand!
thank you netgalley!

Typically books in letter format aren’t my favorite on audio but I NEEDED Grey Dog, so I took the chance. I was pleasantly surprised! It was easy to follow and very enjoyable. It didn’t get confusing at any point along the way.

Grey Dog is a feminine rage story that I believe anyone can enjoy. It was an immersive experience. I felt like I was there alongside Ada, feeling her anger rise and rise. Although the world still has a long way to go for women, this was a reminder of how far we have come.

The ending…iconic. No spoilers, just read this.

Stunning debut novel by Elliott Gish. "Grey Dog" builds slowly with psychological horror and a protagonist in a rural area in 1902 who faces suspicions of madness and the claustrophobia of small-town judgments. Love the creepy atmosphere and emphasis on the natural world. Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC.

I really enjoyed this literary historical horror debut set in a small rural farming community in 1901 where a young schoolmarm arrives to teach in the one room school house. Atmospheric and haunting, the tension in this book slowly builds to frightening heights.

I enjoyed the small town dynamics and the sapphic romance elements. A standout debut that was EXCELLENT on audio narrated by my fav, Natalie Naudus! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review! I'm excited to read more by this Canadian author in the future!

Grey Dog by Elliott Gish and narrated by Natalie Naudus is a feminist, at times sapphic, literary triumph of trauma manifested into consciousness. A triumph of a gothic horror.

"No matter how I plug my ears, it still calls to me"

Natalie Naudus is an outstanding narrator who performed every minute nuance of this book with skill, perfect execution and empathy, a truly impressive narration

1901 and Ada Byrd is a spinster, a teacher and a woman whose father sends her away to a remote, deepy religious community. Away from her disgraced reputation to a place where no-one knows of her "shame"

Ada is highly intelligent, a lifelong lover of nature, a biologist/ naturalist who uses field trips to teach her students about the wonder of the natural world and how it translates to the processes of life in parallel to their faith, in fact one of the most memorable scenes for me was when Ada faced off against a mother who verbally attacked her, saying she was teaching the children heathen lessons when in fact, Ada argues, everything in creation is made by God (that shut her up and you will cheer, whatever your faith)

However, these triumphs are part of the slow burn, as we are folllowing the flashbacks to Ada's past as the tale unfolds and strange, dark omens begin to manifest from her grief and losses, her pain in her heart.

TW there are scenes of traumatic illness and injury, SA and DA. Gish's descriptions of this themes are raw, brutal and intricate. These are equally as disturbing as the paranormal themes but written in context

There is so much to unpack in this incredible work of literature and that is the beauty of Gish' narrative. It is deeply emotive, terrifying and engulfs the reader in a darkness borne of the human mind manifesting trauma into a horrific reality. Immensely atmospheric, enveloping, immersive and draws the reader down into past times and the grim realities of the same.

An incredible work that I would highly recommend

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, the amazing author Elliott Gish and the outstanding narrator Natalie Naudus for this powerful ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Dang. I'm sad but I had to DNF this one because it just was too slow-burn for me to keep focused. I am still really appreciative to ECW Press, Dreamscape Media, Elliott Gish, and Netgalley for this one before it hits shelves, but it just wasn't for me.

3 stars

This is an interesting read, but I hoped for more from it.

Though there are some major distinctions, _Grey Dog_ often feels reminiscent of _Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery_, but without some of the most outstanding strengths. Ada, the m.c., is a woman in 1901. She's unmarried and a schoolteacher, and I can get behind all of these life choices. Unfortunately, the patriarchy hates independent women, and it turns out other women are also very disturbed by this phenomenon. Life as a woman is so apparently awful for Ada (and most), that there's really no question about why she's seeing monsters and other quirky happenings in her environment. It is, understandably, a bigger mystery to her since she's living this versus capturing the whole picture from the outside, but readers won't be surprised.

I did really enjoy the hist fic/horror mashup and some of the identity commentary, but this just felt a little too slow (even with the anticipated slow burn) and too expected. I'll definitely give this author another shot based on the intriguing premise and rep.