lyrrael's review against another edition
5.0
Damnit. This book kept me up til 4 a.m. on a work night.
Honestly, that's all the review it really needs, in my opinion, and this is the morning after, so some (groggy) thoughts:
- I got an American Gods vibe off of this. If someone hasn't done it already, someone ought to mail Neil Gaiman a copy of this and tell him to read it because some of the 'flavor' is the same and I loved it.
- I live an hour southeast of Ann Arbor. I.....I really want to know where Buckley Township is in Seanan's head. Really really. Because the town I live in could totally be it. Any of the little towns surrounding me could totally be it. It's so neat (and new) to see where I live reflected in books -- I guess Michigan just isn't cool enough to make it into any other stories.
I think that's all the thinking I can muster this morning. Gods.
Honestly, that's all the review it really needs, in my opinion, and this is the morning after, so some (groggy) thoughts:
- I got an American Gods vibe off of this. If someone hasn't done it already, someone ought to mail Neil Gaiman a copy of this and tell him to read it because some of the 'flavor' is the same and I loved it.
- I live an hour southeast of Ann Arbor. I.....I really want to know where Buckley Township is in Seanan's head. Really really. Because the town I live in could totally be it. Any of the little towns surrounding me could totally be it. It's so neat (and new) to see where I live reflected in books -- I guess Michigan just isn't cool enough to make it into any other stories.
I think that's all the thinking I can muster this morning. Gods.
linaria's review against another edition
3.0
So, I want to note that the rating is a reflection partially of the subject matter.
I LOVED the concept - building the mythology behind all those ghost stories you heard as a kid. The book follows Rose, who died on the way to her prom. After she died, she became a hitchhiking ghost, helping other souls who died on the road get to where they were going. Rose doesn't age - even 60 years later, she is still sixteen and still travelling the roads looking for a ride.
The problem I had was twofold - the book is apparently set in-universe to one of Seanan's other works and it's HEAVY on the Americana. I haven't read many of Seanan's other works, so this made a lot of the book a little bit of a guessing game for what some of the terms meant. It also meant that I likely missed a lot of references and cameos. The book was also so into cars, small towns, diesel, trucks, and small diners. Classic Americana stuff. I'm not American so I don't think it translated so well for me.
It is very well written, and I think that there will definitely be people who will appreciate it more, I just don't think that this was the right book for me.
I LOVED the concept - building the mythology behind all those ghost stories you heard as a kid. The book follows Rose, who died on the way to her prom. After she died, she became a hitchhiking ghost, helping other souls who died on the road get to where they were going. Rose doesn't age - even 60 years later, she is still sixteen and still travelling the roads looking for a ride.
The problem I had was twofold - the book is apparently set in-universe to one of Seanan's other works and it's HEAVY on the Americana. I haven't read many of Seanan's other works, so this made a lot of the book a little bit of a guessing game for what some of the terms meant. It also meant that I likely missed a lot of references and cameos. The book was also so into cars, small towns, diesel, trucks, and small diners. Classic Americana stuff. I'm not American so I don't think it translated so well for me.
It is very well written, and I think that there will definitely be people who will appreciate it more, I just don't think that this was the right book for me.
virginiacjacobs's review against another edition
2.0
Of all of the problems with this book, and there were many, the biggest is that the question of whether Rose defeats Bobby Cross and his soul-consuming car or if Bobby gets Rose's soul is never answered. That's THE point of conflict in the story, and it doesn't get resolved.
manicpixl's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
wickedwitchofky's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jerseygrrrl's review against another edition
4.0
Basically a book of short stories with a common protagonist. There was some repetition between stories--backstory repeated, metaphor replicated--but I didn't mind. Some of the reviewers mention similarities to Neil Gaiman's writing, which feels right; both create myths and bring the fantastic to the mundane. I'm not a fan of short stories, but I enjoyed this one and will look forward to the sequel.
chenoadallen's review against another edition
4.0
I ADORE Wayward Children. I did not enjoy October Daye. This series feels like a merging of the two, but more in the vein of Wayward Children. The worldbuilding is excellent, and the characters are complex and (mostly) likeable. (Unlikable characters are my complaint about Daye.)
disconightwing's review against another edition
4.0
This was enjoyable. A bit of a slow start but I very much appreciate the level of research and logic that Seanan McGuire has put into this work. I have the next two in paperback from the library so I'm looking forward to continuing Rose's story.
jodyladuemcgrath's review against another edition
4.0
Really interesting story about the urban legend ghost Rose Marshall, the Prom Date Ghost or The Ghost at the Diner. She ha other monikers also. It told her story in mostly the present, skipping back to the past to fill in holes now and then.
The annoying parts were these out of story info dumps about world building that didn't pertain to the story. The seemed to lead each chapter. It took me out of the story and had me setting the book down a lot more than I normally would.
The annoying parts were these out of story info dumps about world building that didn't pertain to the story. The seemed to lead each chapter. It took me out of the story and had me setting the book down a lot more than I normally would.