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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Amazing. Reads like the memoir or biography of Rose Marshall's life as a ghost. Didn't know what to expect and am very much pleased that I picked it up as soon as I came across it, glad I didn't add to my to-read pile to sit there for an eternity. I'm now sure that Seanan McGuire is a genius or some kind of alien entity. How else can I explain how she comes up with her ideas and who would have every thought a story like this would have worked so well.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
My reactions to this book are somewhat coloured by the fact that I read book 2 in the series first, so I kept going 'ooh, I remember them' as new characters were introduced. Which I think insulated me from the very unevenness of the book. This book is a fix up, pulling together a series of stories written to be published across multiple issues of a magazine. As such, it has the standard issue of occasional repetitions of important knowledge in ways that feel unnecessary when reading it across a couple of days, plus the occasional feeling of whiplash as the stories jump around. Which, I will say, having recently read another collection of stories by another author that drove me up the wall with the repetition -- this one handles pretty well.
And even then, I reckon I was most of the way through the book before I hit a story that had enough repetition of previous information that I particularly noticed it. I suspect that the difference for me is that the one that bored me had geographical world-building as the dominant information being foregrounded, whereas here it is multiple societies and people, and the importance of each person is what stands out from the bones of the story.
I run hot and cold on McGuire's work, and this series is definitely in the 'hot' part --it was enjoyable to read and I loved watching the story build, and build, and build. I imagine that it will stand up well to rereading, because there are so many layers, so many small details, that I fail to believe I spotted all that many of them. The characters are all fabulously realised, each story has both a satisfying resolution and an important role in the overarching narrative, and the writing is generally good. Every now and then I'd come across a sentence that needed reading more than once to understand, but I think that is a 'flavours of english spoken' problem, and to many readers that won't be noticeable.
It being book one, there is a major plot point that is not resolved; given I've read book two I know that there is more that happens but fails to resolve it, and I hope that later this year I'll be in a position to read book three as well. So far, the series is working well.
oh! and I do love the way that McGuire sprinkles the manufactured folklore and academic writing of the world through these books. In this one, there are song lyrics, and McGuire talks about where these come from, and thus the genesis of this shadow world, and the main character, Rose.
And even then, I reckon I was most of the way through the book before I hit a story that had enough repetition of previous information that I particularly noticed it. I suspect that the difference for me is that the one that bored me had geographical world-building as the dominant information being foregrounded, whereas here it is multiple societies and people, and the importance of each person is what stands out from the bones of the story.
I run hot and cold on McGuire's work, and this series is definitely in the 'hot' part --it was enjoyable to read and I loved watching the story build, and build, and build. I imagine that it will stand up well to rereading, because there are so many layers, so many small details, that I fail to believe I spotted all that many of them. The characters are all fabulously realised, each story has both a satisfying resolution and an important role in the overarching narrative, and the writing is generally good. Every now and then I'd come across a sentence that needed reading more than once to understand, but I think that is a 'flavours of english spoken' problem, and to many readers that won't be noticeable.
It being book one, there is a major plot point that is not resolved; given I've read book two I know that there is more that happens but fails to resolve it, and I hope that later this year I'll be in a position to read book three as well. So far, the series is working well.
oh! and I do love the way that McGuire sprinkles the manufactured folklore and academic writing of the world through these books. In this one, there are song lyrics, and McGuire talks about where these come from, and thus the genesis of this shadow world, and the main character, Rose.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
"All right, you have my attention, Rose."
I’m glad I visited the InCryptid wiki while reading (I shall be haunting that site for the foreseeable future), because it explained that this book is less a linear narrative than a collection of shorts mapping Rose’s journey on the ghost roads. Thus, the stories can feel a little circular/repetitive in their descriptions. I didn’t have much of an issue with this, because life and death are themselves circular.
It’s probably the nature of a hitcher ghost story, but this felt incredibly Supernatural coded and I LOVED it. Seanan perfectly grasps that balance of humor + real danger that made me love SPN and the Scream movies; it’s what drew me into the InCryptid books to begin with.
I also got vibes of Near Dark (specifically the roadhouse scene) and Christine/Knight Rider. The Gary chapter made me bawl. Please forward all therapy bills to the Pacific Northwest.
Beautifully narrated by Amy Landon.
I’m glad I visited the InCryptid wiki while reading (I shall be haunting that site for the foreseeable future), because it explained that this book is less a linear narrative than a collection of shorts mapping Rose’s journey on the ghost roads. Thus, the stories can feel a little circular/repetitive in their descriptions. I didn’t have much of an issue with this, because life and death are themselves circular.
It’s probably the nature of a hitcher ghost story, but this felt incredibly Supernatural coded and I LOVED it. Seanan perfectly grasps that balance of humor + real danger that made me love SPN and the Scream movies; it’s what drew me into the InCryptid books to begin with.
I also got vibes of Near Dark (specifically the roadhouse scene) and Christine/Knight Rider. The Gary chapter made me bawl. Please forward all therapy bills to the Pacific Northwest.
Beautifully narrated by Amy Landon.
Clever ghost story told over several decades. Rose, the ghost of Sparrow Hill Road, is a hitcher, a ghost who can take on flesh for a night, but only if someone gives them a coat. This is her story and her adventurers and journey in the ghost world.
I didn't know what to expect and happily found myself immersed in Rose's world. The writing was lyrical and filled with magic, Rose's world was fascinating and complicated. The stories surrounding decisions Rose made or fates she faced and couldn't change were captivating, I found myself reading to the morning hours to finish.
An original and fresh novel.
"Hitchers are a weird little offshoot of the ghost world, we mess up the rules, just by being shat we are. We're dead and buried. Our bodies are rot and wormfood, if we have bodies at all, if we're not just ashes in the wind. We don't age, we don't sleep, we don't need to eat or drink when we're on the ghost-roads, and we have the option - even if very few of us ever choose to take it - of moving on to whatever destination waits beyond the lsat freeway off-ramp." p. 195
I didn't know what to expect and happily found myself immersed in Rose's world. The writing was lyrical and filled with magic, Rose's world was fascinating and complicated. The stories surrounding decisions Rose made or fates she faced and couldn't change were captivating, I found myself reading to the morning hours to finish.
An original and fresh novel.
"Hitchers are a weird little offshoot of the ghost world, we mess up the rules, just by being shat we are. We're dead and buried. Our bodies are rot and wormfood, if we have bodies at all, if we're not just ashes in the wind. We don't age, we don't sleep, we don't need to eat or drink when we're on the ghost-roads, and we have the option - even if very few of us ever choose to take it - of moving on to whatever destination waits beyond the lsat freeway off-ramp." p. 195
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I've loved a lot of Seanan McGuire books in the past, but this one might be my favorite to date. I really enjoyed that this book has a magic system with rules that the reader learns as the novel progresses and I adore Americana low fantasy. Ban sidhes who run diners, hitchhiking ghosts, and an appreciation for the parts of the US that exist between the cities made this a perfect read. I also have a car named Gary, which is a fun serendipity!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Car accident
There were some interesting ideas for a ghost story, but it was kind of boring to me and it jumped around too much. I feel bad for not enjoying this book, because I really am interested in reading more of Seanan McGuire's books.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Car accident
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual content, Classism
This definitely had some similar vibes to American Gods, but more focused on the afterlife as opposed to deities. Really fun and interesting read!