The Queer Horror Cult’s December 2025 book club read will be Grey Dog by Elliott Gish!
ABOUT GREY DOG:
Grey Dog is a horror novel rated adult.
"A subversive literary horror novel that disrupts the tropes of women’s historical fiction with delusions, wild beasts, and the uncontainable power of female rage.
The year is 1901, and Ada Byrd ― spinster, schoolmarm, amateur naturalist ― accepts a teaching post in isolated Lowry Bridge, grateful for the chance to re-establish herself where no one knows her secrets. She develops friendships with her neighbors, explores the woods with her students, and begins to see a future in this tiny farming community. Her past ― riddled with grief and shame ― has never seemed so far away.
But then, Ada begins to witness strange and grisly a swarm of dying crickets, a self-mutilating rabbit, a malformed faun. She soon believes that something ancient and beastly ― which she calls the grey dog ― is behind these visceral offerings, which both beckon and repel her. As her confusion deepens, her grip on what is real, what is delusion, and what is traumatic memory begins to fail. Ada takes on the wildness of the woods, and begins to wonder which is more dangerous: the grey dog, or herself."
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Content and trigger warnings for Grey Dog include, but are not limited to: sexual assault, homophobia, and childbirth.
HOW THE QHC BOOK CLUB WORKS:
Join the QHC at the link in my bio, or in my pinned stories! Members will have the entire month of December to read Grey Dog. As soon as you’re finished, whether that be on the 1st or the 31st, head over to this discussion thread and post your feelings! What did you like about the book? What did you hate? What questions do you have? Start conversations with your fellow queer horror book lovers, but please make sure to always been kind and respectful!
Grey Dog by Elliott Gish!
ABOUT GREY DOG:
Grey Dog is a horror novel rated adult.
"A subversive literary horror novel that disrupts the tropes of women’s historical fiction with delusions, wild beasts, and the uncontainable power of female rage.
The year is 1901, and Ada Byrd ― spinster, schoolmarm, amateur naturalist ― accepts a teaching post in isolated Lowry Bridge, grateful for the chance to re-establish herself where no one knows her secrets. She develops friendships with her neighbors, explores the woods with her students, and begins to see a future in this tiny farming community. Her past ― riddled with grief and shame ― has never seemed so far away.
But then, Ada begins to witness strange and grisly a swarm of dying crickets, a self-mutilating rabbit, a malformed faun. She soon believes that something ancient and beastly ― which she calls the grey dog ― is behind these visceral offerings, which both beckon and repel her. As her confusion deepens, her grip on what is real, what is delusion, and what is traumatic memory begins to fail. Ada takes on the wildness of the woods, and begins to wonder which is more dangerous: the grey dog, or herself."
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Content and trigger warnings for Grey Dog include, but are not limited to: sexual assault, homophobia, and childbirth.
HOW THE QHC BOOK CLUB WORKS:
Join the QHC at the link in my bio, or in my pinned stories! Members will have the entire month of December to read Grey Dog. As soon as you’re finished, whether that be on the 1st or the 31st, head over to this discussion thread and post your feelings! What did you like about the book? What did you hate? What questions do you have? Start conversations with your fellow queer horror book lovers, but please make sure to always been kind and respectful!