Grey Dog

Gish’s seething, gorgeous horror debut centers on 29-year-old schoolteacher Ada Byrd, whose tarnished reputation—the cause of which is better left unspoiled—drives her in 1901 to relocate from the comparatively bustling town of Willoughby to the small hamlet of Lowry Bridge, hoping to rebuild her life. Almost as soon as she arrives in the claustrophobic small town, however, she’s greeted by a series of odd and terrifying visions and dreams, including insect swarms and forest creatures giving horrific birth to human infants. Ada seeks answers from a mysterious widow shunned by many of the townsfolk, leading her down a path of both terror and self-discovery. Gish’s prose is as sharp as a scalpel, giving readers a precise portrait of Ada’s internal state as she grapples with the unique horrors of socially enforced womanhood at the turn of the century. In an impressive and effective touch, Gish never asks the reader to like complicated, prickly Ada even as she demands to be understood. The novel’s diaristic format lends itself perfectly to the revelations that unfold, and the ending will haunt readers long after the final page is turned. Calling to mind the folk horror of T. Kingfisher’s The Twisted Ones, this marks the arrival of a bold new voice. (Apr.)