Book Review: Girl in the Green Silk Gown (Ghost Roads) by Seanan McGuire

Girl in the Green Silk Gown is the second book in the Ghost Road series, set in the same world as the InCryptid series) by Seanan McGuire. I do recommend reading the series in order so that the relationships have more meaning to readers. You do not need to have read the related series however, to fully enjoy this one.

For Rose Marshall, death has long since become the only life she really knows.  She’s been sweet sixteen for more than sixty years, hitchhiking her way along the highways and byways of America, sometimes seen as an avenging angel, sometimes seen as a killer in her own right, but always Rose, the Phantom Prom Date, the Girl in the Green Silk Gown.The man who killed her is still out there, thanks to a crossroads bargain that won’t let him die, and he’s looking for the one who got away.  When Bobby Cross comes back into the picture, there’s going to be hell to pay—possibly literally. Rose has worked for decades to make a place for herself in the twilight.  Can she defend it, when Bobby Cross comes to take her down?  Can she find a way to navigate the worlds of the living and the dead, and make it home before her hitchhiker’s luck runs out? There’s only one way to know for sure.

Girl in the Green Silk Gown is the next chapter in Rose's story. I was glad to get more of her story, and to get a better understanding of Laura's character. I was so proud of Rose for her ability to resist temptation at several turns, it would have been so easy for her to end up at the crossroads. However, her struggles with the changes she faces during the trip alternated between being hysterical and a little annoying as she whined about things. I really enjoyed her journey, and the lengths she goes through not just to get back to where she could be, but to also help others when she can, had me eager to see how things would resolve this time around. I am still waiting for Bobby to earn his due, and for a few other bits to resolve, but I am surely enjoying the ride.

Girl in the Green Silk Gown is another fantastic book from McGuire. My only problem is that her audio book reader is too good, and so I often hold out for that version rather than reading right away. But, the wait is oh so worth it!