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adorkygirl's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. Seanan McGuire does a lovely job of building a fascinating world and creating her own mythos. It is the story of a young woman named Rose's, death and the ghostly exploits that turn her into an Urban Legend, told from her POV in a series of short stories. They were published individually first, but McGuire does in my opinion, a good job, of connecting them into short story arcs with similar themes or characters. This is the first and the best of the Ghost Roads series. Pick it up if you like her Wayward Children series, myths, ghosts, a strong female POV who doesn't take bullshit and have a sense of humor. The magic is interesting: the series has a group of nomadic magic users who gain power from the miles they travel; and the things that are loved in life leave a ghost, from people to cars even a whole highway.
It deserves more recognition!
It deserves more recognition!
eastofthesunwestofthemoon's review against another edition
4.0
It's more like a series of vignettes, or short stories, put together than a regular novel. But I like the characters, Rose is a very interesting take on the urban myth, and it's an engrossing, if tangental, read in the InCryptid world.
andrea_heather's review against another edition
5.0
seanan mcguire's novels have been both comfort food and vitamins this year so i am totally biased when it comes to her. but i did love this quite a lot. it's repetitive at times but in a way that suits the story - ghost stories grow in the repeating. i enjoyed the take on american legend without the inclusion of too many pre-existing "old gods" or other myths. just urban/rural legend and highway mythologizing. the tone is markedly different from the incryptid books, even though the worlds are shared. the story is definitely stronger and has a lot more to say. this is a good novel to start with if you're curious about mcguire's work and don't want to go the mira grant zombie route. also known to inspire old fashioned diner food cravings; i am very glad there was an opportunity for chocolate malted milkshake procurement in my neighborhood.
seeinghowitgoes's review against another edition
3.0
Delving into the lore of the ghosts who roam the twilight and the roads we drive on. Rose is the girl in the diner, that old story of the girl who died in the green dress on the way to prom, now left straddling the line between daylight and twilight helping other lost souls.
An interesting concept if one that got a little tiresome in the short story format as we were constantly introduced to the world setting.
An interesting concept if one that got a little tiresome in the short story format as we were constantly introduced to the world setting.
berlinbibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. It was a great take on a particularly American brand of urban legend, and it was cool to see how much the individual versions of the story differed depending on who was telling them. The format of connected short stories works very well for the purpose, and Seanan McGuire does a great job of seeding little connections throughout the stories without making it too obvious, allowing the reader to discover the tapestry she's woven thread by thread. I'd love to read more about Rose Marshall.
ayregoddess's review against another edition
5.0
Pretty good
Not my usual type of story but I really enjoyed it. I love how she fleshed the legends of the highway
Not my usual type of story but I really enjoyed it. I love how she fleshed the legends of the highway
mugsandpugs's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, this was just lovely. A ghost story from the point of view of the ghost. Excellent worldbuilding with the rules of the afterlife.
traecrochet's review against another edition
4.0
This book really wasn't what I was expecting. It was a collection of stories centering around Rose Marshall, aka the Phantom Prom Date aka the Girl at the Diner, a hitcher ghost. This was extremely well written, but it ended up being a little repetitive. I think I would definitely read another book like this from Seanan McGuire.
jagussow's review against another edition
5.0
What a fun book. Interconnected short stories following ghost Rose Marshall, a teen who died in a car accident on her prom night. The stories expertly mix folklore and urban legends into various tales that are funny, scary, shocking and sad. A weird hybrid of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Quantum Leap. Highly recommend.
n00bfairy's review
3.0
I spent most of this book utterly confused, and it just got weirder and weirder. The ending was... odd, the love story (which I didn't even realize was happening) was even more bizarre. Also, the amount of times we were reminded she was "forever 16" and then kept having s*x explained in horrific ways, was super uncomfortable. It wasn't terrible but... there were definitely some issues.
Will not be continuing the series.
Will not be continuing the series.