Book Review: Grey Dog by Elliott Gish

In 1901, Ada Byrd finds herself in Lowry Bridge after being forcefully removed from her previous teaching position. Her secrets follow her to Lowry Bridge, though, as she grows more and more aware of strange happenings in and around the woods of her new home. In Grey Dog, Elliott Gish expertly characterizes the woods into a living, breathing being all its own. As Ada journals her life in Lowry Bridge, we witness her descent into another reality—one filled with malformed animals, strange visions, and a deep sense of primordial belonging.

Throughout the novel, the reader learns Ada’s biggest tragedy is the loss of her younger sister, Florrie, who died suddenly and under peculiar circumstances while pregnant with her first child. Gish teases each secret Ada holds dear with exceptional timing, leading the reader down twists and turns as winding as the path in Lowry Bridge’s suspicious forest.

Gish’s depiction of Ada’s internal life made me question my own grip on Lowry Bridge’s reality; with each turn of the page, I felt entangled in the supernatural occurrences alongside Ada. Each of the supporting characters had rich, heartbreaking reactions to how Ada changed throughout the novel, especially Ada’s only friend, Agatha. The growth of their relationship truly defied any expectations I had when Agatha was first introduced. Gish subverted every possibility I considered, and in the end I was left awestruck by their final moments together.

Readers who want to lose themselves in the woods will love Grey Dog—so long as they don’t mind turning into a bit of a beast themselves along the way. For lovers of folk horror stories like The Witch film, Slewfoot, and The Only Good Indians, Grey Dog will thrill, horrify, and stick with you for long after the final page. Be warned, the horror elements are graphic, and are best suited for mature audiences who don’t mind a bit of gore.