For nigh on sixty years Rose Marshall has been “living” the urban legend life as “The Girl in the Green Silk Gown” or sometimes “The Phantom Prom Date,” maybe even “The Girl in the Diner.” Whatever incarnation she takes, Rose has had a long time to come to terms with her death and she’s content right where she’s at, helping travelers on their way across the country, or if not, then helping to lead them on to the next great adventure. Plus, now that her high school sweetheart Gary has joined her on the twilight roads, there’s very little she’s left wanting that a milkshake and a cheeseburger from the Last Dance Diner can’t cure.

Unfortunately for Rose, it appears that Bobby Cross, the one who drove her off the side of the road all those years ago, isn’t quite finished with her yet. He’s determined to get his hands on Rose, and no one wants to find out what his intentions are; seeing as how Bobby sold his soul for immortality, they can’t be anything good. But when Bobby ends up cutting off Rose’s only line of defense against him and sends her into the world of the living, she’ll be faced with the decision of finally getting the future she was denied, or trying to figure out a way back to the Ghost Roads.

Where Sparrow Hill Road felt like a lamentation for the life and the future Rose lost, The Girl in the Green Silk Gown goes in the opposite direction as her “death” life is the one that’s threatened. I kind of liked the juxtaposition of the two.

I was really excited when I learned that Seanan McGuire had more stories for Rose as I was completely sucked in to her life and death the first time around. I’ll admit this second book surprised me in terms of where the storyline went, but I loved feeling the vastness of the open road, that there’s still so much we have yet to learn about Rose’s world and the various beings she comes into contact with. And that Rose herself—despite being alive for sixteen years, and dead for around sixty—has missed out on so many experiences for obvious reasons. I really liked seeing her trying to come to terms with her own potential mortality and the vulnerability that sparks.

I was a smidgeon disappointed with the way Rose’s sweetheart Gary was dealt with. For anyone who’s read the first book, you’ll remember that when Gary passed in the real world, he was able to bring himself back as Rose’s muscle car in the twilight. A completely interesting twist to their relationship. Through various magics, we do get a human-form Gary in Silk Gown, but I wanted a little more to be settled between him and Rose since the struggle for them to be together went on for literal decades. Fingers crossed these are things that will develop over time.

Despite Bobby Cross being the catalyst for all of Rose’s problems—both in life and in death—he still doesn’t detract from the fact that this is Rose’s story first and foremost. Where I felt Sparrow Hill Road ended on a more final note (probably in case a sequel never happened), I feel like Silk Gown makes no mistake that things between Bobby and Rose are far from finished.

Hopefully, we won’t have to wait so long for the next book, but I guess time has no meaning to The Girl in the Green Silk Gown so she’ll get to it when she’s good and ready.

This is another great installment in the series, although it did take me a few chapters to reacquaint myself with the story and the setting. Seanan McGuire expounds on Rose's story even more and this time around she really grew on me. The whole cast of characters gave the story the same depth that I expect from McGuire's other series, so it was fantastic to see this ghostly story develop.

I love Seanan Mcguire and the first volume came out a while ago and I did not think that we would have a sequel. Also, I was surprised and delighted to see this new novel while continuing the adventures of our dear Rose Marshall.

Always avoiding her former torturer, Rose will unfortunately face him again and the consequences will be disastrous. Become human again to better torment and kill her once and for all, Rose will have to find how to adapt in this new world and especially find a way to return from where she came from! Yet it will be far from easy and she does not know how bad Bobby is when he wants something!

I had a good time with this story. It was a pleasure to see Rose again and see one of her new stories. Besides, we learn a little more about mythology and I found it quite nice!

I enjoyed seeing Rose again even if I admit that I expected a bit more.

I loved this book!

It is a sequel to "Sparrow Hill Road", but is standalone enough that McGuire is able to give enough of the backstory organically, new readers should be able to pick up all they need without reading 'Sparrow" first. (I do recommend reading "Sparrow", it is enchanting as well.)

The action in this one moves along pretty briskly, a McGuire hallmark, and the various ins and outs of the supernatural world are explained very well. McGuire brings in musings about the family we create vs. the family we have and pros and cons of each. There is also a sweet, melancholy subtext about one's high school relationships and I won't say anymore about that due to not wanting to spoil anyone. (But I'd be interested to see if anyone else sees this)

This universe (Ghost Roads) is a splinter from the InCryptid universe and there is a bit of crossover. Fans of InCryptid should love this and vice versa, although I can't really see a McGuire fan missing either. I love Rose and her travails and hope for many more!

The Girl In The Green Silk Gown by Seanan McGuire, 2nd book in the Ghost Roads series. Mcguire has done an admirable job of tying the tales of hitchhiking ghosts together and giving us a grand tale of the supernatural.

This novel continues the story of Rose Marshall, killed in the 1950s when her car was forced off the road by a lunatic bent on immortality. She’s bound to the “ghost roads” (the name of this series), taking on physical form to steer drivers safely away from avoidable accidents and guide the newly dead to a more peaceful place. But Rose’s nemesis isn’t done with her, and now he’s scheming to harvest her soul to buy him more time. After he strips away her supernatural protections, she makes a desperate bid to be rid of him, but he’s a step ahead of her and she ends up in a mortal body. From there, as to be expected, matters descend into chaos as Rose realizes that she has become, essentially and forever, a road ghost. The changes a living person experiences, whether a cold or a cut or the slow aging of her cells, are now intolerably terrifying. The way back to her ghostly condition involves a journey to Hades to petition Persephone for aid, but a journey that depends entirely upon a human ally, the woman who had sworn vengeance on Rose for the death of the drag racer boyfriend.
The “Ghost Roads” series continues to delight me with its combination of angst-ridden narrative voice, plot convulsions, and moments of unexpected compassion and wisdom. My suggestion is to start at the beginning, because on the Ghost Roads, the ride is the destination.

The Girl in the Green Silk Gown is the second novel in the Ghost Roads series by Seanan McGuire. Once again we are back with Rose Marshall, the phantom hitchhiker who lives in the twilight. Fans of urban legends ghosts and the world betweens will want to sink their teeth into this.

The first book in the series, Sparrow Hill, originally was told as a serial and followed a non-linear timeline and while interesting it was hard to totally sink your teeth into the story however, The Girl in the Green Silk Gown, picks up where Rose's story left off and McGuire delivered an engaging story that held me firmly in its grasp.

A more comprehensive review will post at Caffeinated Reviewer in July.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Holy cow, was that book a ride! I love Seanan McGuire (she's one of my favorite authors, if you hadn't noticed), and her Incryptid series is fantastic. I love that she's melded this ghost world into the Incryptid world, and chose to expand on Sparrow Hill Road's storylines. Sparrow Hill Road was originally a bunch of different short stories that got tied into a package deal, so while it is still really good, the overarching narrative was a little disjointed. This one, however, continues the story with aplomb.

Fair warning: the events of Sparrow Hill Road are vital to understanding what's going on in Girl in the Green Silk Gown, so make sure you read that first.

Rose Marshall is trying to move on with her afterlife following the misadventures of Sparrow Hill Road, but that danged Bobby Cross just won't leave her alone. He creates an intricate plan and acts on it, and Rose has to live out the dangers (literally) and try to find her way back to what she calls home.

Because this one was planned as a full book, it was plotted and planned and developed. And boy, did Seanan do a great job! It took everything I loved about the first book - Rose, routewitches and phantom diners, interesting ghost and afterlife lore - and not only pulled all of that back into a new story, but expanded on it, kept it interesting, and kicked it up multiple notches.

I won't say more because I'd gush over it like a fanboy and spoil something, but I hope you'll pick up this one and follow Rose's shenanigans as she takes on the last thing she'd ever expect to have to face after dying at 16 and being a ghost for so long -- life.

Not quite as spine-tingling as the first one, but still really good. The characters are well-written and the plot is compelling. I read it in a day and it's not a short book!

The Girl with the Green Silk Gown by Seanan McGuire is the 2nd book in her Ghost Roads series. This is a fantasy novel revolving around the twilight, mythology, ghosts, the dead, and gods.

Rose Marshall is our heroine, and Rose has been dead for 60 years. When she was 16, she set out to go to her prom and meet her boyfriend, Gary, only to be killed by Bobby Cross, who wanted her soul. Seems Bobby Cross made a deal to be immortal, and stay young, but he needs to steal lives of young girls to keep his car running with the souls he takes. The only one who got away was Rose, who though now dead, managed to escape Bobby, and live in the twilight as a hitchhiking ghost. Rose has become an urban legend, as the Girl in the Green Silk Gown (still in her prom dress), also known and the Phantom Prom Date. Rose is used to her life on the roads, walking across America, helping truckers and other travelers in danger or those passing on to the twilight.

Bobby Cross is determined to find and get the one who got away, and despite Rose’s protection tattoo ( from a god) keeping her safe from Bobby, he finds a way to get to her. When Rose is pulled into a Halloween ritual, she miraculously is now alive, and Bobby is on his way. Rose is desperate to find a way to return to the only life she knows…return to the dead.

We get to meet the friends that Rose has made all these years in the twilight, including powerful beings such as Queens of the roads, routes, lake, ghosts, etc to help her find her way to the gods to help return to where she belongs, before Bobby finds her.

The Girl with the Green Silk Gown was written very well by Seanan McGuire, and was an interesting and at times exciting story. I did feel it had a lot of details that made some parts a bit slow, but the last third of the book was exciting. If you like fantasy, with ghost legends and mythology, then I suggest you read The Girl With the Green Silk Gown.

Second book in the Ghost Rode series and this is one long adventure, as opposed to last book which was short stories that helped introduce you to the world and characters.
Bobby Cross really screws over Rose in this book and she has to find her way back to the life (so to speak) that she loves. This is very fast pace and both Bobby and Rose are smart with their resources and it's constantly cat and mouse between them.
It doesn't have as much of a definite ending as I wanted but if that means that there will be more in this series then I don't mind.

In 1952, Rose Marshall set out for her prom and instead became an urban legend, known to most as the Girl in the Green Silk Gown or the Phantom Prom Date. 60 years later, she's still sweet 16 and hitchhiking her way across America, helping travelers get to their destination unharmed or holding their hand to guide them in to the twilight. Her boyfriend Gary is now dead and has become a car in order to spend his afterlife with Rose, so their relationship (as well as the rules of being dead) is obviously complicated.
To complicate matters more Bobby Cross, the man who killed Rose, has never stopped looking for her. He made a deal on the Crossroads to live forever and keep his youth, but it's all tied to his iconic car. He has to keep his car on the road and the tank filled with souls. Rose is the only soul that got away and he intends to correct that.
Summoned through a ritual, Rose finds her protections from Bobby have been weakened and she has to survive Halloween night as mortal for her protection to return. Unfortunately, Bobby has thought of everything and when Halloween is over, she's still alive. If there's one thing Rose is more afraid of than Bobby Cross, it's living.
Traveling through the twilight and depending on help from unlikely allies, Rose attempts to escape her killer and return to her life of ... well, being dead.
A thrilling ghost story filled with all the rules of the road you didn't know about, The Girl in the Green Silk Gown is a clever combination of urban legend, greek mythology, and paranormal fantasy.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I've been looking forward to this since read Sparrow Hill Road earlier this year. As I said then, I became a Seanan McGuire fan only within the past few years, and I think I'm mostly caught up with her works at this point. The Girl in the Green Silk Gown is a continuation of the short stories assembled in Sparrow Hill Road, more cohesive and linear.than the previous volume. Rose Marshall's nemesis, Bobby Cross, has schemed and cheated to have her brought back to life, and now Rose is trying to get back where she belongs, dead again, while evading Bobby's clutches! I really enjoyed Rose's journey, and the mythology McGuire brings together for this series. Many thanks to NetGalley and DAW for the digital ARC in return for my honest opinion.

Love this new chapter of rose’s story. Mixed in some greek mythology, and some new creatires, too. Great storytelling from mcguire, as always.

Electronic ARC provided by NetGalley.

"The Girl in the Green Silk Gown" is a full length follow up to the short story collection "Sparrow Hill Road." As someone who is not always a huge fan of short stories (they always leave me wondering what happens next, or what parts of the world exist just outside of the story), I really enjoyed getting a more in depth look into the world that Rose Marshall occupies.

"Sparrow Hill Road" touched on a lot of the rules and mythologies of Rose's world, but here we finally get to see more about how all of this fits together. If you read the earlier book and came away wanting to know more about the different types of ghosts, more about the Twilight world where they reside, and more about the rules and hierarchies that govern the roads, then this is your book. Even better, all of this mythology is enveloped in a great ghost story about a resurrected spirit who just wants to be dead again.

When we meet Rose again she's still getting used to having her high school boyfriend Gary suddenly with her again. They've barely begun to figure out their new dynamic when Bobby Cross, the somewhat immortal man who killed Rose and has been pursuing her ever since, cheats and charms his way into getting Rose brought back to life. The problem with this--aside from the fact that being alive puts her in direct danger from Bobby--is that Rose is quite happy with her existence in the Twilight and has no interest in being alive. It'll take a lot of luck, a lot of bravery, and help from some unusual allies to get Rose back where she belongs.

Like many of McGuire's books, "The Girl in the Green Silk Gown" is ultimately about belonging. It's about wanting to go home and wanting to be with the family you've made, despite the fact that these things might not be conventional, or recognizable to anyone other then yourself. The book also fills in a lot of details for an impressive and truly American feeling mythology, one that makes the most ridiculous details feel almost plausible. I really enjoyed Rose's journey and I hope that we get at least one more book set in her world.

This sequel to McGuire's Sparrow Road (2014/2018) gives the reader another look at Mary and the world of ghosts portrayed. A villain is back to stir things up and bring danger into the plot.

Ghosts and murder! Heck yes! I was so excited that McGuire wrote a second book for this character. I really enjoyed Rose from the first book and didn't think her story was quite over yet. I am a little biased on Seanan McGuire. I have been reading her for almost ten years and I love almost all her series. She is a masterful storyteller and you don't want to stop reading her material. I whole heartedly recommend this book.