A Lighter Shade of Gray

Oct 05, 2012 Al rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, read-2012

Characterized in the official descriptions as “semi-autobiographical,” I’ll leave it to you to decide which parts are true and which aren’t (your guess is as good as mine). I’ll often find that books I or someone else describes as “literary fiction,” like this one, show deftness with language (which this does), but have a story that isn’t that entertaining or that I care about. I’ll take a good mystery, thriller, or other genre fiction that uses plain language to tell a compelling story over muc...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Sandie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Devon is caught in the past. A past before her mother slipped away into the gray mists of mental illness that has kept her hospitalized for over a decade. A past where three little girls ran and laughed and played, before one of them was killed before her sixteenth birthday. A past where Drew was always there waiting for her; the love she'd always imagined.

But the past's tendrils can't stand up to the forces of the present. The present where Devon has lived for over a decade without Drew, who sh...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This isn't the book you think it is. :) This book is a good lesson about life. It is about Devon Pearse's life....a life filled with sorrow and regret and a mother who began to develop mental illness when Devon was around twelve, but also a life with a loving father. Devon constantly was concerned about developing the same illness her mother suffered from.

The book takes you through her childhood - through love and tragedy - and moves to the present with Devon as an adult and with her continuing...more This isn't the book you think it is. :) This book is a good lesson about life. It is about Devon Pearse's life....a life filled with sorrow and regret and a mother who began to develop mental illness when Devon was around twelve, but also a life with a loving father. Devon constantly was concerned about developing the same illness her mother suffered from.

The book takes you through her childhood - through love and tragedy - and moves to the present with Devon as an adult and with her continuing problems and problems of friends with secrets.

The author is quite clever in her writing style and insinuations...she aligns the "shades of gray" with how a mental illness fades a person just as a photo fades. She used colors as the comparison of moods and stages of reality to explain how colors indicated where Devon's mother was in terms of reality. Pearse is an outstanding writer...very eloquent and interesting. She makes very profound statements about life and about the choices we make about our life's dreams….dreams that we either "murder" or fulfill. She does this in a very interesting way and with very appealing characters.

It takes a while to get to the gist of the story, but once you arrive, you will enjoy the book's purpose and plot. Ms. Pearse takes you on an emotional ride that includes love, lies, mystery, secrets, murder, and dealing with mental illness. You will become attached to Devon and to her emotions as she deals with and reacts to them in the right or wrong way but in a way only she knows how to deal with.

The beginning of the book gave background information on her family, and it was all weaved into the very absorbing tale that unfolded. Some of the book isn't pleasant, but you will learn about mental illness and also about life in general...you may even learn some things that could help you in your personal life. A LIGHTER SHADE OF GRAY is about family, friendship, and decision-making along with a creative murder plot. It is a book that I would deem thought provoking.

I enjoyed the book even though it took a few pages to become intriguing.…but it is definitely worth the wait....it is a captivating, unique novel. My rating is 4/5. (less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Susan (The Book Bag) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book has a lot going on. Let's see, there's a failed romance, a mother's mental illness and the fear that it could happen to the daughter, another mental patient that seems to be taking the daughter's place in the mother's mind, a best friend suspected of murder, and a detective who just won't give up until he has all the answers.

And these are just the main characters and story lines. Sound confusing? It's really not. The author does a fantastic job of weaving the stories and subplots toget...more This book has a lot going on. Let's see, there's a failed romance, a mother's mental illness and the fear that it could happen to the daughter, another mental patient that seems to be taking the daughter's place in the mother's mind, a best friend suspected of murder, and a detective who just won't give up until he has all the answers.

And these are just the main characters and story lines. Sound confusing? It's really not. The author does a fantastic job of weaving the stories and subplots together and creates a very intriguing story.

At the center of the whole book is Devon, (semi-autobiographical, it seems) a very likable, caring person who has a great best friend, Cass. When Cass runs into some trouble, Devon is there for her, but at what cost? Devon sets out to do what she can to prove that Cass is innocent, even if there is some doubt that she really is.

And Devon is also worried about her mother and the mental illness that has taken her away from the family. She misses her mom greatly and is terrified that the same thing is going to happen to her, so much so that she pushes the love of her life away. Will they ever be reunited?

I loved the parts of the book when Devon and her mother communicated using colors. As her mom's mind was slipping, she and Devon could connect with each other by talking about the colors.

'Gray was the only color you had to watch out for. Gray was lonely emptiness. Gray could make her cry.'

'I know, my sweetheart. But it won't always be, at least not for you. It might take a long time, but it will gradually get lighter, You'll fight your way through all the gray until you find the blue again. And then it will be so beautiful, like the dawn breaking after a storm. Just know that wherever I am, I love you my Lillibet. I'll always love you, even in the gray.'

... 'I'll always love you, even in the gray.' Isn't that an awesome line? There is so much about this book that's great! Reading it was a beautiful way to spend my weekend. I understand that Devon is currently working on her second novel, The Untrodden Ways, due to be published in 2012. I will be watching for that one to come out.
(less)

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Jun 12, 2012 Jael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mental illness. Friendship. Love. Murder. I like those elements...in books. A Lighter Shade of Gray by Devon Pearse has all three. And it's semi-autobiographical, which is why our main character is also named Devon. Throughout the book, I was wondering what was fact and what was fiction?

Devon gave up on love 10 years ago. Her mother has long battled mental illness, and Devon will do anything to avoid that path. I thought she sacrificed her own happiness out of fear. Yes mental illness is inherit...more Mental illness. Friendship. Love. Murder. I like those elements...in books. A Lighter Shade of Gray by Devon Pearse has all three. And it's semi-autobiographical, which is why our main character is also named Devon. Throughout the book, I was wondering what was fact and what was fiction?

Devon gave up on love 10 years ago. Her mother has long battled mental illness, and Devon will do anything to avoid that path. I thought she sacrificed her own happiness out of fear. Yes mental illness is inherited, but I'm not a firm believer in acting on what might happen. Rather than take a chance on happiness and love, Devon is just waiting for the shoe to drop. Not everything is gloomy for Devon, she has a close group of friends, including her best friend Cassandra (a.k.a. Cass) Sloane.

At times, Devon and Cass seemed more like family than friends. In the beginning, Devon attends a birthday party with Cass' family. She just seemed like another member of the family. They were quick to point out Devon's lack of cooking skills. She's included on the family banter. There is no hiding problems in the family from Devon, especially, Marcus, the abusive boyfriend of Cass' sister Monique. That part really grabbed my attention. The rest of the Sloane family is ready to pounce on him at any moment, but Monique is too afraid to stand up for herself. I was right there with the rest of the family. "Hit him! Hit him! Hit him!" Character-wise it was no big loss when he was murdered. Not that I'm an advocate of murder, but there is just no attachment to abusive characters. There was an attachment to Cass, who is accused of his murder. Devon wants anything to prove her friend's innocence, but it forces her to face her fears. Her fear of ending up like her mother.

In theory, all of that made for a good plot. But as the book progressed I got a little confused. Her mother's roommate claims to know something about Marcus' murder. I just thought, why even go there? There's too much going here. Devon's fears of mental illness alone could have been enough. Adding Cass and her family to the mix makes things a little more complicated, and then you add her mother's roommate. It was also a little long for my taste. It's not a bad book, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Rating: Give it a try

Note: I received an e-copy as part of a tour with TLC Book Tours(less)

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Jan 14, 2012 Sydney Bollinger rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2012

I initially decided to read this book because it is eligible for the Kindle Readers' Lending Library. I believed it would be a so-so story of a woman trying to find her way in life. I was wrong. "A Lighter Shade of Gray" by Devon Pearse was brilliant. It took you on an emotional whirlwind as the narrator told you about her love for her next-door neighbor's nephew, her mother illness, her best friend's run-in with the law, and her trying to find her way in the world. At times I found myself cryin...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Jaspreet rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was intrigued when I read the description of a Lighter Shade of Grey by Devon Pearse and excited to be part of her book tour. The novel could actually be broken up into several stories. I enjoyed being swept up into the inner workings of the main character. However, I was frequently confused and had to stop several times to regroup and figure out where I was in relation to all of the stories that were unfolding. I know that the narrator was the connection between all the stories, but at severa...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Monte Dutton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Devon Pearse doesn't pull her punches, tip off her pitches or telegraph her passes. A Lighter Shade of Gray is a passionate tale, and it mischievously leads the reader to assumptions that don't wind up panning out. Yet all is completely plausible, which, to these eyes, is this first-time novel's signature charm. The reader finds himself thinking "ah, so that's it" as "Gray" winds its way into his heart.
As the main character shares the author's name, this novel is partly autobiographical. It's eq...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Mammavark rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It took me a little while to get used to the style, but quite liked it- i also liked the quirky characters in the book, and even coped with devons decisions decision to drive her obviously perfect lover away, at least it was not a soppy lovestory, and the dilemma's are so real. What then proceeded to ruin the book, is the way the chracters solve the problem they find themselfs in, and the solution that turned into the ending was unbelievably constructed, it really undid all the good work of the...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Susan (The Book Bag) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2012

This book has a lot going on. Let's see, there's a failed romance, a mother's mental illness and the fear that it could happen to the daughter, another mental patient that seems to be taking the daughter's place in the mother's mind, a best friend suspected of murder, and a detective who just won't give up until he has all the answers.

And these are just the main characters and story lines. Sound confusing? It's really not. The author does a fantastic job of weaving the stories and subplots toget...more This book has a lot going on. Let's see, there's a failed romance, a mother's mental illness and the fear that it could happen to the daughter, another mental patient that seems to be taking the daughter's place in the mother's mind, a best friend suspected of murder, and a detective who just won't give up until he has all the answers.

And these are just the main characters and story lines. Sound confusing? It's really not. The author does a fantastic job of weaving the stories and subplots together and creates a very intriguing story.

At the center of the whole book is Devon, (semi-autobiographical, it seems) a very likable, caring person who has a great best friend, Cass. When Cass runs into some trouble, Devon is there for her, but at what cost? Devon sets out to do what she can to prove that Cass is innocent, even if there is some doubt that she really is.

And Devon is also worried about her mother and the mental illness that has taken her away from the family. She misses her mom greatly and is terrified that the same thing is going to happen to her, so much so that she pushes the love of her life away. Will they ever be reunited?

I loved the parts of the book when Devon and her mother communicated using colors. As her mom's mind was slipping, she and Devon could connect with each other by talking about the colors.

'Gray was the only color you had to watch out for. Gray was lonely emptiness. Gray could make her cry.'

'I know, my sweetheart. But it won't always be, at least not for you. It might take a long time, but it will gradually get lighter, You'll fight your way through all the gray until you find the blue again. And then it will be so beautiful, like the dawn breaking after a storm. Just know that wherever I am, I love you my Lillibet. I'll always love you, even in the gray.'

... 'I'll always love you, even in the gray.' Isn't that an awesome line? There is so much about this book that's great! Reading it was a beautiful way to spend my weekend. I understand that Devon is currently working on her second novel, The Untrodden Ways, due to be published in 2012. I will be watching for that one to come out.
(less)

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Feb 21, 2013 Lynda Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: deleted

This wasn't for me. It was all too descriptive for my liking. I prefer a fiction book to be easier reading and broken up a bit more with dialogue. I'd only got a few pages in and clicked forward a little and it was pages and pages not really broken up so I had to pack it in. However, although too wordy for me the words ARE properly written which is more than can be said for a lot of e-books !!

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Nov 07, 2012 Ed Scott rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sorry to say that I read about half of the book and had to stop. I expected the book to be a murder mystery, but as of the middle, there wasn't anything about a murder. More of the author's story rather than what the book intro led me to believe. I know it was semi-autobiographical but was expecting more of a mystery plot line.

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Jul 05, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I agree with several other readers. A very well written book - 1st or otherwise. Yes there are several threads to follow, and at the same time they are all interwoven beautifully. The characters feel real and it is lovely to learn at the end that some of the author's own experiences are part of this.

Definitely some life lessons to learn!

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Jun 14, 2012 Kristin (Kritters Ramblings) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kritter-reviewed-2012, ebook

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

A Lighter Shade of Gray is a dramatic book that while the cast of characters was numbered, the plots were cumbersome. It is easy for the reader to fall in love with these characters fast, but while there were a few too many major plots going at the same time, I was also discouraged to see the story really pick up when it was almost halfway over.

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Jan 20, 2012 Marilyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved the color imagery, and the journey of the daughter of a psychotic woman who wonders if that is in her future, and whose life choices drastically change because of that fear!

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Oct 25, 2012 Kristy Matye rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An amazing book. It really kept me in suspense and was a realistic story and characters that were easy to relate to. Very heart felt. Definitely recommend reading it!

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Jul 18, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked this book. I was rooting for Devon. When I heard this book was part autobiography I really wanted to know more.

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Jun 16, 2012 Val Wilkerson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books-read

Great job on your first book Devon!!
I will watch for your next.
This is a story about family, friendship, first love...

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Mar 22, 2012 Logan Carter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Emotionally charged page turner. Keeps you thinking. Contains a variety of elements, from romance and mystery, to mental illness and murder. A book in which most readers would find something to enjoy, no matter the genre they prefer. Great first offering from Ms. Pearse.

I received this book free through Goodreads. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guid...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Carrie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This had more promise than I felt it delivered. And I generally prefer a happier ending.

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Feb 05, 2012 Lana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Amazing--This book has it all. Love-humor-life-madness-murder-reality written with exceptional detail. Once you start reading you don't want to put it down-- and it is a long book-but you will want it to go on forever-- always wanting more.

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Jul 23, 2010 Joe Font rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was completely blown away by the fine writing and plot of this beautiful novel.
By far, one of the best literary fiction novels I've ever had the pleasure of reading.
Devon Pearse is an unknown author now, but that will not be the case for long.

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Aug 15, 2012 Kerry Barbato rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A little slow at first but a good book.

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Aug 09, 2011 Wendy added it

This book is good but somewhat predictable. Couldn't wait for the end but still couldn't put it down either.

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Jul 04, 2012 Debora rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a very good book, hard to put down!

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Jul 02, 2011 Tammy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, favorites, debut-novel

What an AMAZING debut! A Lighter shade of Gray tells the story of the author, Devon Pearse. It is an emotional, thought provoking and a riveting tale! I read it almost a month ago and I still can't stop thinking about it. It touched me in so many ways... Definitely one of my top 10 favorites! I am looking forward to reading more from Pearse in the future.

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Jul 31, 2011 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: since-retirement

I'm loving it!

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May 26, 2012 Whitney rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book had no flow - there were too many things going on at once, a couple of which I felt were unresolved in the end or had nothing to do with any other element of the story. I couldn't wait for it to be over. Definitely not something I would recommend.

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Aug 11, 2012 Nancy Siders rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found it relevant to what I experience in life as I grow older in age.

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May 13, 2013 Libby Sellers marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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