Queer feminine rage, slow descent into madness, bird bones and moss—these are a few of my favourite things! A beautiful written and deeply haunting book, ‘Grey Dog’ by Elliott Gish is an epistolary novel starting in 1901, exploring sexuality, repression, rage, love, grief, and madness through the lens of 29-year-old school-teacher and amateur naturalist, Ada Byrd.

One aspect I loved was the way this book sits in conversation with gothic literary classics both explicitly—Wordsworth’s ‘Lucy Gray’ and Poe’s ‘Raven’—and implicitly—such as Bronte’s ‘Jane Eyre’, Perkins Gilman's 'Yellow Wallpaper', and James’ ‘Turn of the Screw’. And yet it feels so new and fresh, perhaps a novel future generations will consider ‘classic’.

I don’t want to be that person who’s like “this is the perfect novel”, but with every critique I find that makes me rethink. I found a lot of Ada’s backstory predictable, but the journey Gish takes the reader on to peel back the layers was delightful. The epistolary structure might feel exposition-y to some readers, but I feel like this device was used wonderfully and helped me immerse myself in the isolated, turn-of-the-century village of Lowry Bridge. Some readers, particularly those not familiar with literary horror, may also struggle with the unreliable narration and dislikable nature of Ada as a protagonist, but these are usually my favourite tropes of the genre.

I may be too eager with my stars, but I don’t care because I feel like this book deserves every single one. While I was provided an ARC of this book by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I also bought a copy of the audiobook so I could absorb it again in a different medium.

Thank you to NetGalley, Elliott Gish and the publisher for letting me review an ARC of Grey Dog!

I really, really liked this a lot. It read like a classic horror book from the late 1800's written in diary entries.
It is very much a slow, slow burn about this woman coming to a small desolate town to be a school teacher and she is trying to outrun her dark past. Part classic horror and part folk horror. I loved the atmosphere and the sense of dread that was so heavy, especially towards the end of the book- the ENDING!! omg I didn't see that coming. Really enjoyed my time reading this and can't wait to pick up a physical copy to annotate !
pick up if you love slow burn horror centered around female rage.

Grey Dig is an aching, creeping slow burn that crawls on hands and knees toward a surprisingly vicious end.

Readers should be aware: when I say this is a slow burn, I mean it. Think The Witch. This is a book I would recommend to readers who are seeking an oddly cozy, sapphic horror. It’s important to note that the first half is cozy, then an eerie half. The writing is thick with descriptions of the environment. The reader is immersed in Ada’s narration and the world she finds herself a part of.

However, I found the writing to be a bit too slow of a burn for me. Some portions were difficult to get through since they lost the tension and receded into slow-burn fiction rather than slow-burn horror.

i spent ages ploughing through this being like !!! please can i get to the content i know i’ll like !!! but the slow burn of it all was too slow for me. found it fundamentally boring unfortunately! seems a shame because i think it sounds like something i should love.

My thanks to Netgalley and ECW Press for my free digital ARC!

4.5 stars

It's 1901 and Ada is a young schoolteacher desperately seeking to leave her scandalous past behind. She finds a fresh start in a tiny rural town where Christianity and tradition reign. Ada, with her queerness and love of natural oddities, flora and fauna, slots into her new life uneasily, but willing to try to put her past behind her. She manages for a while, until unsettling visions (grisly malformed animals, swarms of insects) begin to plague her.

Lowry Bridge one of those places ruled by a small group of pious women, who know everyone's business, and anyone who fails to live up their nigh-on impossible standards is snubbed and shunned. One of those people is Mrs Norah Kinsley, a mysterious widow who befriends Ada. I loooooved Norah, and honestly wish we had more from her perspective. Maybe Elliott Gish fancies writing another book focused more on her. 👀 I loved Ada's character though, so was more than content to stay in her head for the whole book. Though the cast of characters is large, Gish does a superb job of fleshing them all out and making them unique. The children Ada teaches are vibrant and lively (except for Muriel who is ethereal and haughty); Ada's father, absent for most of the book, manages to be ominous, cold and calculating even in his absence; Agatha, a sunshine ray of a woman wasted as the meek wife of a reverend.

Ada's slow descent into madness is gripping. As she's tormented by some unseen being, the line between reality and fantasy becomes increasingly blurred. Gish takes what it means to be an upstanding, well-mannered woman of the early 20th century and grinds it beneath her bootheel. She explores sexuality, sensuality, freedom, the restraints placed on women then (and now), and how a woman might break free of those restraints. It's beautifully written, deliciously creepy, unsettling and infuriating.

It is a very slow burn though, so go into it with patience and you will be rewarded!

Grey Dog is a literary horror that explores womanhood and queerness in the early 1900s. What it is to be a woman full of trauma, rage and grief — and to feel longing for another woman but unable to act on it.

It’s absolutely beautifully written. It’s atmospheric, and despite being written like journal entries, it still manages to make you feel present in the story. It’s as if you’re there, with Ada, experiencing it all first hand.

There’s so many things I loved about this and it’s one of those books you just gotta read to fully experience it. It starts off slow, but it’s very intentional, and it makes the story so much more impactful as you follow Ada into her madness without realising it.

I would absolutely recommend it for people who’re into literary horror, sad queer stories and The Witch (2015) vibes.

/// Thank you to ECW Press and NetGalley for the ARC and to Elliot Gish for writing something that hits you so deeply.

I wanted to read this one as it had an interesting premise and I am rediscovering my love of horror.

This book is categorised as horror, for me this is correct but don’t go into this one expecting a straight horror novel. It is a slow-burn psychological horror that built up tension and got weirder and weirder as Ada’s mind unravels.. The book reminded me very much of The Yellow Wallpaper.

Ada is a complex character and not always likeable but I enjoyed the way her behaviour changed from conforming to ultimately rejecting all the social norms of the village as her rage grew. i was constantly questioning whether the things she was seeing were real or all in her mind.

The writing was fantastic, even though some of the scenes were grisly and the atmosphere got more and more tense I couldn’t stop reading. The author did a great job of making me feel how Ada felt (that I’m losing my grip on reality).

There wasn’t a resolution as such but I don’t think it needed one the atmosphere the author created was enough for me.
Overall a fabulous literary horror with plenty of gothic vibes, I will definitely be looking for the author’s next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and ECW Press for the advanced reader’s copy in return for an honest review.

GREY DOG by Elliot Gish ~published April 9, 2024

I devoured this feminist, queer, subversive debut novel!

Many thanks to @ecwpress for the gifted advance reader copy.

Our setting is an isolated farming village in 1901. Through her own journal entries, we meet Miss Ada Byrd, a 29-year-old “spinster” school teacher who is moving to a new school after being disgraced by a scandal. As more is revealed to us about Ada’s disturbing backstory, it becomes clear that she is suffocating under the weight of the religious and societal expectations of the time, particularly because she is attracted to women. Ada begins to experience strange events and see and hear things that others don’t – is Ada losing her mind? Neither she nor the reader knows…

This was far more literary psychological horror than horror horror, which I prefer! Think Shirley Jackson or Black Swan.. a slow burn with a big finish. The epistolary format worked well and felt appropriate for the historical time period, and the writing was superb. My only quibble is that the ending felt like it has been done before. It’s still a good ending, just not necessarily a fresh one.

Not just a story here, but a statement, too. Keep your eye on this author!

*ad-pr: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Yet again I went into a book forgetting everything about the synopsis, and yet again it’s proven to be a great reading experience!

I didn’t know what to make of Grey Dog when I started it. In 1901, the main character, Ada, moves to a tiny farming community after having a mysterious negative past experience, taking up a teaching post in this isolated place. Here she meets some equally mysterious and often unnerving characters as she gets to know her new home, leading to some events I was definitely not expecting.

So without any spoilers, even ones that are potentially already on the back of the book, this is a book full of tense relationships, characters who aren’t always what they seem, and lots of sinister happenings. It’s a slow burn horror that lulls you into a false sense of security before bringing the horrific elements into play, letting you first fall in love with the characters who live in this seemingly ordinary place. I loved the build up, the twists and the small town creepiness, and would definitely recommend picking this up!

Thank you to @ecwpress and @netgalley for the chance to read this early 😊

**Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for the eARC of this title.**

I lovedddd where this book ended up but the buildup was a bit slow for my liking. It took me about 100 pages to get into the pacing of this one, but once I did I loved the horror and small-town elements.

I don't read a lot of what I would consider "literary" horror so I really enjoyed this debut despite it being outside of my normal reading. I would encourage fans of horror, small towns, and lit fic to give this one a try!!

Grey Dog by Elliott Gish #twentyninthbookof2024 #arc

CW: gore, death, including of a child, murder, miscarriage, sexual assault

It’s 1901, and Ada has taken a position as schoolteacher in a new town, hoping to hide from her secrets. As she settles in, she is desperate to leave her past behind. But soon, she starts experiencing weird phenomena, which both scare and excite her equally. As as works around her starts getting more confusing, so does Ada’s behavior, until finally it can’t be ignored, and Ada must decide if she will give in to the mysterious forces that are calling to her.

This novel consists of Ada’s epistolary diary entries, at first describing her new job, the village, her students, and quickly develops into her struggle with what’s real and what’s in her own head. The confusion has a sense of foreboding, and the odd events that she experiences get really creepy really fast. At first, it’s just Ada who is confused, but then it’s you, the reader.

It’s weird to say that a horror book is lovely, but that’s the most appropriate word I can use. It’s soft and lyrical and engaging. It’s a slow burn, but it pulls you right in. Its depictions of emotional abuse, female rage, and misogyny are not overt but they’re there just the same. I loved this book. I can’t believe this is a debut novel. I eagerly await the author’s next work.

Thank you to @ecwpress and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Available now, pub date was 4/9/24)

#greydog #debutnovel

Thanks to netgalley and ecw press for the arc of this book.

The best description I can give is the setting and time period of Anne of Green Gables and the unsettling, atmospheric “something’s going on but what” vibes of The Witch.

This book is SLOW, which I like and appreciate, but I found the last 10-15% too underwhelming for how much buildup there was.

Definitely more of a slow burn, perhaps a little too slow for me in parts, but worth sticking through to the end. One of the things that kept me going was the atmosphere and world building, which i think is a triumph to the author.

I loved this read so much that I also requested the audiobook to review as well. It’s a slow build-up horror story, set in a small Canadian town in 1901 (written in diary form🫶🏻) about a spinster woman who comes to teach and to escape her sordid to past.

I found not one flaw with this one - I loved the writing, the character builds, the setting and the ending.

Fuller review of the arc and the audio arc to come soon.

Beautifully crafted, Grey Dog explores queer longing and womanhood in the early 1900s.

Set in the early 1900s and told through journal entries, this story follows Ada, a 29-year-old teacher. Trying to hide her past, Ada begins her new teaching job in the small town of Lowry Bridge. This book is deliberately, beautifully slow. The story starts out cozy but is undercut by a chilling atmosphere. Imagine a beautiful picnic in the woods, birds chirping, sun shinning with branches snapping, eyes watching—that sums up the first half of the book pretty well.

What begins as moments of confusion and uncertainty blossoms into questions of what is real and who Ada really is. This book reminded me of the power of epistolary novels. How can you build tension when everything has already happened—when the character is recounting their experiences? This is always the challenge with novels told through journals or letters, and this book did it magnificently. I felt the tension, the panic, the slow descent into madness. It is a slow build, but one I found gratifying.

With commentary on God, Christianity, the role of women, and desire, Grey Dog was full of so much more than I expected.

Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for this copy for review.

Content warnings: Child loss, domestic violence, murder, violence, gore, misogyny, adultery, sexual assault, emotional abuse, physical abuse, child neglect, animal death, miscarriage, child abuse, sexism, and confinement.

It's 1901--to be a woman is to be hemmed in and made small in the service of others. But the Grey Dog wants different for you, wants YOU. A creepy slow burn I could not put down. It was everything I wanted from Laird Hunt's 'In the House in the Dark of the Woods' and a true heir to Sylvia Townsend Warner's 'Lolly Willows'.

Elliott Gish’s debut queer Gothic novel, Grey Dog (ECW Press, 2024), is one of my most anticipated releases of the year. Intense, foreboding, and atmospheric, Grey Dog is the latest in queer horror, and it’s a must-read!

Set in 1901, the novel is structured as the diary of Ada Byrd, a spinster and schoolteacher, who arrives in the isolated small town of Lowry Bridge under a cloud of misery after things went awry at her last post. Starting afresh with new students, Ada explores the surrounding woods and makes new friends who know nothing of her past. Slowly, Ada begins to hope for a future at Lowry Bridge and a place in the community. Maybe, in this new place, Ada can leave her past behind.

Slowly, however, strange events begin to take place: a swarm of dying crickets, a self-mutilating rabbit, a malformed faun. Ada believes that something disturbing and inhuman lurks in the woods, pursuing her from afar and presenting her with these offerings—offerings that both repel and intrigue her. As the creature she calls ‘Grey Dog’ encroaches, Ada’s sense of reality blurs and her past returns to haunt her as she confronts the rage simmering inside her.

I hesitate to say more without giving the plot away! One of the charms of this novel is its suspense and mystery, which quickly gives way to horror in the second half of the novel. Gish has the incredible ability to generate a sense of fear and danger in even the most seemingly innocuous moments. By structuring Grey Dog as Ada’s diary, the novel is confined to her perspective, which unravels more and more as the text goes on, although there are clues that Ada may not be as honest as the diary form suggests she will be. The reader feels as though they are living in Ada’s head and experiencing the confusing, haunting events of the novel along with her.

As historical fiction, Gish pays close attention to the social and gendered contexts which confine and police Ada throughout the novel. Ultimately, Grey Dog is a book about rage—queer rage and women’s rage—and the pain of emotional and physical abuse. Ada can only repress her anger at the injustices of her life and the lives of those she loves at the hands of those who seek to control her. When the dam finally breaks, the result is both extraordinary and dreadful in equal measure.

I loved Grey Dog. I could hardly bear to put it down. I’m reading it for the second time this week and it’s just as fantastic as it was the first time. This novel has become a new favourite for me and I look forward to reading Gish’s future work!

" 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.

the review is also posted on
https://bookbrooder.com/2024/04/11/gothic-horror-or-a-womans-rage-grey-dog-by-elliott-gish/

A slow, s l o w burn taking place in the early 1900s, “Grey Dog” is a very literary take on historical fiction that deals with early 20th century women’s issues, trauma, and the female rage that builds up inside in response. Told through journal entries, 30-year-old teacher Ada is on the fast track to spinsterhood when she arrives in the small, isolated town of Lowry Bridge. This less-than-ideal teaching position is presented as a fresh start and last chance for Ada, who is desperately trying to escape her mysterious, troubled past. However, the more time she spends in Lowry Bridge, the stranger things become.

“Grey Dog” may be a slow burn, but it pulls you right into its immersive dark and gothic atmosphere and grips you tightly until its well-deserved payoff of an ending that gives new meaning to supporting women’s rights and women’s wrongs. The horror elements are less so horrific/scary as they are eerie/unsettling, adding to the novel’s uncanny ambiance. If you’re looking to lose yourself in beautifully crafted prose immersed in a visceral, haunting atmosphere while delving into feminist themes, I wholeheartedly recommend this compelling read. One of my favorites this year!

This creepy folk horror is set in 1901, told through the writings of Ada Byrd, a school teacher who has accepted a post in a small town to escape the scandal that caused her to leave her last teaching position. Ada is fascinated by the owl skull and feathers and bits of stuff she finds in the woods. Not every thing she finds out there, though, is natural. The thing waiting for her in the woods is unsettling, but I found myself more horrified by the idea of how powerles Ada was against the members of her new community. The unpleasant depictions of pregnancy and childbirth also got to me.