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Sparrow Hill Road
Sparrow Hill Road
Sparrow Hill Road
Audiobook11 hours

Sparrow Hill Road

Written by Seanan McGuire

Narrated by Amy Landon

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

Rose Marshall died in 1952 in Buckley Township, Michigan, run off the road by a man named Bobby Cross-a man who had sold his soul to live forever, and intended to use her death to pay the price of his immortality. Trouble was, he didn't ask Rose what she thought of the idea.

It's been more than sixty years since that night, and she's still sixteen, and she's still running.

They have names for her all over the country: the Girl in the Diner. The Phantom Prom Date. The Girl in the Green Silk Gown. Mostly she just goes by "Rose", a hitchhiking ghost girl with her thumb out and her eyes fixed on the horizon, trying to outrace a man who never sleeps, never stops, and never gives up on the idea of claiming what's his. She's the angel of the overpass, she's the darling of the truck stops, and she's going to figure out a way to win her freedom. After all, it's not like it can kill her.

You can't kill what's already dead.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 6, 2014
ISBN9781494570972
Sparrow Hill Road
Author

Seanan McGuire

Seanan McGuire was born and raised in Northern California, where she has lived for the majority of her life. She spends most of her time writing or watching television but also draws a semiautobiographical comic strip and has released several albums of filk music (science fiction and fantasy-themed folk music). To relax, Seanan enjoys travel and frequents haunted corn mazes, aquariums with good octopus habitats, and Disney parks. Seanan is remarkably good at finding reptiles and amphibians wherever she goes, sometimes to the dismay of the people she happens to be traveling with.

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Reviews for Sparrow Hill Road

Rating: 4.064935181818182 out of 5 stars
4/5

231 ratings23 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I've been a big fan of Seanan McGuire for a few years now, but I wasn't immediately interested in picking this one up. Short story collections tend to have a higher bar to cross for me than novels, and the fact that they're all based around the same character's adventures actually made it a bit less appealing. But then our main character Rose has a cameo in one of her other series, and that was that - I didn't have any other of her stuff left to read, and I was curious enough to try.So our story: Rose Marshall was forced into an accident on Sparrow Hill in her small hometown of Buckley, Michigan, by Bobby Cross, a man who made a bargain for immortality at the crossroads, and now can keep it only through taking in the souls of others who die on the road. But Rose, forever sweet 16 now, doesn't go away. She stays around as a hitchhiking ghost, and gains over the years a reputation - the Phantom Prom Date to humans, a knowledgeable road spirit in the ghost realm - and a greater knowledge of her powers and how the ghost roads work. Among those powers are the ability to become immaterial if she doesn't have a freely given jacket, and to sense upcoming death, and the scent of what kind it is - sometimes, she can stop it before it happens, and she takes it on herself to do so. Much of the action is driven by her working her way around accidents, or around tense situations; usually, they involve one or the other of those abilities.The stories span decades, and often will jump back and forth time-wise in a given story itself. But mainly, the book hits that sweet spot of ghost stories: a sense of fear and occasional horror, yes, since they're supposed to be scary, at least some of the time. But often, it's the wistfulness of time changing: the differences across time of the people she meets, and of herself, as well; her connections to the people she once loved, her family and the boy she loved; the feel of an America that's just left a bit behind, off the beaten track, shading into the spirit world. That sense of not quite being right and being there is pretty ghostly.And it's McGuire, so there's some good creativity on display in the stories, too. Some is in the locations: wandering down the Atlantic highway to meet a witch named Apple was very atmospheric, but my personal favorite was the Last Dance diner, the final place for a soul to stop before heading off into the darkness, and how it felt in contrast to the diners I've ended up in over the past few years. And some was in the scenarios: playing with ghost mythology, both for what you expect going in and then what gets et up by her over the course of the book, works well.The collection does rather have the problems short story collections often have, though: the stories do vary in strength, there are kind of diminishing returns on a couple close to the end, the repetition of the setup and who she is feels like it came from the stories being anthologized, and the ending to it all wasn't as strong as what I'd normally expect from her work.But overall, I'm glad I came around on Rose - enough that I already bough a Last Dance t-shirt. Hopefully, though, this won't be the last dance we have with the character or this view on America.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    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.


  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Interesting story, I hadn't read anything about ghosts before, but I did enjoy the story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Seanan McGuire really has a way to evoke the deepest emotional responses for her characters. I'm not going to give away any spoilers, but Chapter 16 had me hardcore bawling uncontrollably for about 20 minutes.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sparrow Hill Road (Ghost Roads, #1)by Seanan McGuireI loved this story! I love ghost stories and this has the charming and the not-so-charming ghosts. This is about a teen that was killed on her prom night. Later, that hit-&-run killer dies too and hunts the girl ghost because she got away. She has some of these stories and more stories of how she tries to prevent accidents and tries to be there for accidents to help guide the newly dead. My emotions were everywhere! Loved it!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Rose Marshall is a famous ghost. There are hundreds of stories told about her, usually over a campfire or during sleepovers.

    She can tell when someone else nearby is about to die. And sometimes she can save them. Not always, but she has to try. She has witches and banshees and other random dead/not-dead entities in her "life". Oh and she hitchhikes everywhere and has a crazy un-dead ghost chasing her all over the country.

    This book is essentially a collection of inter related stories. At first I found it a little off-putting, but once I got into the rhythm of the book I really liked it. It's part of the InCryptid universe, and there are just a couple cross-over references to that series.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very cool book -- basically a collection of ghost stories that are also a memoir for a ghost -- more vignette than long narrative, it weaves gently into a whole, and lets us get to know Rose Marshall a little bit at a time. Fascinated by the fact that even though this story is set in the InCryptid universe, Rose only rarely intersects with family in this narrative (except for Bethany). Interested to see if that changes in book 2.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    NO explanation of Rose’s relationship with the Healey-Price family. Good stories, though. And, clearly, not all of them.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very good addition to the Incryptid world that doesn't involve the Prices. Rose is a hitcher, a specific type of road ghost. Some of the stories are true but you don't want to fool around on the ghost roads, the price can be more than your life.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Sparrow Hill Road follows the adventures of a hitchhiker ghost. Rose died on her prom night and stories about the ghost of girl in a green dress looking for a ride home are based on her. But most of the stories are not true and for the most part Rose tries to save those drivers she can or at least be there to lead their ghosts onto the next world. But Rose also is trying to keep one step ahead of the driver that ran her off the road that night and tried to steal her soul. I have to say that there were a few sections of this book that I got teary eyed at and it made me love it all the more.
    This book is set in the same world as McGuire’s InCryptid but you don’t need to have read any of the books to get the full enjoyment out of this one. There is a second book coming out this summer and Rose does appear in one other book.

    Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    While Seanan McGuire’s writing style shines, her storyline does not. At times Rose’s story seems repetitive and long winded. It is believable that, as a ghost, her perception of time must be skewed and perhaps that is why the chapters feel so fractured. Still, it felt like too much at times and it felt like a collection of short stories loosely linked by Rose’s overall mission and reason for haunting the Amercian Highway. The general premise for this text was what drew me in, and McGuire does not disappoint. If you’re ready for a new take on ghosts, the American highway, and the afterlife, pick this up. Driving down the interstate won’t ever be the same. (Review to come on my channel.)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was a very entertaining ghost memoir. Rose Marshall dies on her way to the prom, murdered by a man who has made a crossroads deal to stay eternally young. Unfortunately for Bobby, Rose escapes before he can claim her soul. Thus begins the story of Rose's afterlife. There's lots of interesting lore, different types of ghosts and non-human beings like banshees, and I defy anyone with a conscience to want to go on a ghost hunt after listening to Rose's exploits. I, for one, am good letting the dead remain dead and unmolested.I'm grateful to the B&N bookseller who recommended this book to me. I almost didn't buy it when she mentioned that Seanan McGuire also writes under the name Mira Grant, as my only attempt at a Mira Grant novel was a DNF, but this was a fun book and perfect for October. If you want ghosts without gore, this is your book. It was just the right level of spooky for me.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    wonderful set of short stories, some tender and sad, some exciting, some very romantic. One of the best things I've every read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wonderful set of side stories to the Incryptid novels. Really enjoyed getting to know Rose and the stories of the ghosts and Twilight world.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love the protagonist in this book, and the fresh take on some urban legends. Excited to see that there's another book in the series!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    See, Rose, the Ghost of Sparrow Hill Road, the Phantom Prom Date, isn't just all of the ghosts from all of the stories, she's also all of the stories from all of the Fifties songs about teens dying on the roads. And I love those damn songs.

    (Tell [Laura] I love her, says the dying boy--it's Seanan McGuire so maybe Laura's name is intentional, and maybe hers is the story of what happens after the death and the ghost.)

    Anyway, this is a collection of shorts about Rose Marshall, hitcher ghost and psychopomp, and I love them all.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    slow to start, for me anyway, but a wonderful wandering tale
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I've been a big fan of Seanan McGuire for a few years now, but I wasn't immediately interested in picking this one up. Short story collections tend to have a higher bar to cross for me than novels, and the fact that they're all based around the same character's adventures actually made it a bit less appealing. But then our main character Rose has a cameo in one of her other series, and that was that - I didn't have any other of her stuff left to read, and I was curious enough to try.So our story: Rose Marshall was forced into an accident on Sparrow Hill in her small hometown of Buckley, Michigan, by Bobby Cross, a man who made a bargain for immortality at the crossroads, and now can keep it only through taking in the souls of others who die on the road. But Rose, forever sweet 16 now, doesn't go away. She stays around as a hitchhiking ghost, and gains over the years a reputation - the Phantom Prom Date to humans, a knowledgeable road spirit in the ghost realm - and a greater knowledge of her powers and how the ghost roads work. Among those powers are the ability to become immaterial if she doesn't have a freely given jacket, and to sense upcoming death, and the scent of what kind it is - sometimes, she can stop it before it happens, and she takes it on herself to do so. Much of the action is driven by her working her way around accidents, or around tense situations; usually, they involve one or the other of those abilities.The stories span decades, and often will jump back and forth time-wise in a given story itself. But mainly, the book hits that sweet spot of ghost stories: a sense of fear and occasional horror, yes, since they're supposed to be scary, at least some of the time. But often, it's the wistfulness of time changing: the differences across time of the people she meets, and of herself, as well; her connections to the people she once loved, her family and the boy she loved; the feel of an America that's just left a bit behind, off the beaten track, shading into the spirit world. That sense of not quite being right and being there is pretty ghostly.And it's McGuire, so there's some good creativity on display in the stories, too. Some is in the locations: wandering down the Atlantic highway to meet a witch named Apple was very atmospheric, but my personal favorite was the Last Dance diner, the final place for a soul to stop before heading off into the darkness, and how it felt in contrast to the diners I've ended up in over the past few years. And some was in the scenarios: playing with ghost mythology, both for what you expect going in and then what gets et up by her over the course of the book, works well.The collection does rather have the problems short story collections often have, though: the stories do vary in strength, there are kind of diminishing returns on a couple close to the end, the repetition of the setup and who she is feels like it came from the stories being anthologized, and the ending to it all wasn't as strong as what I'd normally expect from her work.But overall, I'm glad I came around on Rose - enough that I already bough a Last Dance t-shirt. Hopefully, though, this won't be the last dance we have with the character or this view on America.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    That is fantastic. Ghost stories, yeah, but dealing with people, and all the myriad ways people think and feel and act. They're really a bunch of short stories packed together into a book - same protagonist, a very twisty timeline (particularly since several of the stories happen in at least two times), and a really nasty Big Bad (who isn't in all the stories, just a few). There are some really unhappy stories - ones where there's nothing that can be done - and some that are rife with possibilities. Death isn't the end...sometimes it's a beginning, or a beginning again. I do love Seanan's stuff, and this one is among the best. There's also a couple tiny mentions of the family in the Incryptid series - one mention of the Healys, and an appendix with Price family descriptions of some of the creatures Rose comes across. Fascinating.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Read for Fun (Library Book)Overall Rating: 3.50Story Rating: 3.50Character Rating: 3.50Read It File It Review: Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire is a collection of stories that were originally published in serial form. I wish that I would have looked that up before reading it because my problems with the book were those that I also associate with reading serial stylized stories: constant repetition every time a new story is started, reintroduction of characters, and reestablishing of the world building. If you strip that out of every new story then I otherwise enjoyed this collection of stories. It isn't Seanan's fault--I know I don't like serials and I need to start paying closer attention to books with short stories to make sure they aren't serials!However, I do want to say this: These ghost stories were fantastic in general. I especially liked the Strogoi named Dimitri (nod to VA)
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Disappointing ghost story about Rose, killed on her prom night and walking the roads of America trying to save people and to outrun the man who killed her, who bought his eternal youth with the souls of road-killed people. I didn’t check its provenance, but the book feels very much like a bunch of short stories collected together, and the repetitions that can help the audience remember things in a series of connected short stories or a serial can become very annoying when encountered in rapid succession; I think that’s part of what annoyed me. Also, amidst all the evocation of Americana, so much of the narration was generic/unspecific that I didn’t engage. For example: “when you’re dead, you learn the art of the compromise. You learn that sometimes ‘almost’ is the best option of all.” How did Rose learn that? Your guess is as good as mine. The final blow: the book is set up as Rose’s slow realization that she has to fight back against, not just run from, the man who killed her. And then—well, let’s just say that’s not how it ends. I like McGuire’s other stuff, but this is subpar.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I bought a copy of this book through Audible to read. I have pretty much adored everything I have ever read by Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant, so I was very excited to read this book. This was a very good read, although I think one of the weaker books McGuire has written.The audiobook was very well done. The narrator did an excellent job with different character voices and conveyed emotion well. This is a book that I would recommend listening to on audiobook if you are into audiobooks.This is a well done book about Rose Marshall, she is a famous hitchhiking ghost. The book ambles back and forth throughout time following various stories and adventures in the 60 years since Rose has been dead. I did look online and this “book” was originally released as a series of twelve individual stories in The Edge of Propinquity over a time period of twelve months (one story per month). Unfortunately you can kind of tell, the book doesn’t flow like a book and there is a lot of repetition from story to story.Despite all of the wandering there is a point to the story; Rose was driven off the road by a man named Bobby Cross. Bobby Cross has been haunting the highways and sacrificing people he kills on the road for eternal life. Rose has decided that enough is enough and starts to seek out a way to stop Bobby Cross. I really enjoyed all the ghost mythology and urban legends throughout. I loved reading about the different types of ghosts. Rose is an interesting character and she was fun to read about. Rose is an interesting blend of innocence and experience; she is sixteen years old but in the last 50 years she has experienced all sort of things no sixteen year old should ever have to experience.If Rose is offered a jacket/coat and puts it on she can become human. This makes for a number of interesting implications. When she is wearing an gifted jacket she can eat, she can feel people, and she can interact just like a human. You can imagine what a lot of the guys who pick her up want in payment for giving her a ride, this is never really gone into in detail but it is definitely discussed. So this “gift” of being able to be human for a time is both a gift and a curse.I did have a couple problems with this collection of stories as a book. It ambles around...a lot. It's a very wandering story and (while this may accurately portray the life of a ghost) there were times when I wondered if we were ever going to get to the point or the story. This is less of an issue if you approach this as a collection of stories and not as a novel.The second problem I had is that the story gets very very repetitive. This is probably because this was originally released as separate stories, but Rose repeats herself a lot at the beginning of each part in the book. She explains what the different smells (ashes, lilies, honeysuckle) mean to her over and over. I got a bit tired of the repetition.Overall though, I did enjoy the world and the story. There is some small tie-in with the Price family from the InCryptid series as well. I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy urban fantasy. This was a creatively done story that was very engaging...if a bit repetitive and wandering at times.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book. It was fun, fascinating and so different from the usual paranormal or urban fantasies I've been reading. Books like this are what makes reading exciting and re-energizing. Rose Marshall is a wonderful, fully realized character and I found myself caring about her and her story just about immediately. All of the side characters felt just as real and I want to learn more about them.I also absolutely loved the world and mythology that was created for this book, it felt so real, like it should work the way it was described and nothing pulled me out of it and made me want more. I also enjoyed how each section was a little mini-story in it's own right, it almost felt like a collection of linked short stories with each one flowing in to the next. I haven't read anything else by this author though two of her series are on my to be read list, I will make trying them a priority after this one and I am really, really looking forward to more in this series. Thinking more on this, the author reminds me strongly of the early Charles DeLint books and the believable and complicated worlds he created, I've missed urban fantasies like that and this makes me all the more excited for more in this series.If you enjoy urban fantasies but are tired of the typical vampires, witches and werewolves definitely give this one a try.