Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I read a paper copy of this book when it first came out. I just reread it on audio, during a very long car trip. It was a different experience, and not just because I was listening to Mary Robinette Kowal's narration. This book contains breadcrumbs of clues to later revelations. Also, it was a lot of fun to meet characters who later become a lot more important to Toby.
The first time I read Rosemary and Rue was at a convention. I got through most of it while standing in line for an autograph, with music blaring all around, and people stepping over me. There were a lot of remarks to the effect of, "Must be a good book!" I just nodded, let them see the cover, and kept reading.
The premise of Rosemary and Rue is that October Daye (Toby, to her friends) is a half-fae changeling, who has every reason in the world to avoid her fae heritage. But then a friend is murdered, drawing her back in through a curse that'll kill her if she doesn't find her murderer.
The book is still a good read, even without the sense of urgency to know what happens next. The bad guy is telegraphed fairly early, which didn't bother me the first time I read it, and bothered me even less now.
The most bothersome part of the entire narrative was how often Toby drifts off to sleep, in immensely comforting terms. When it's 4 AM, you're somewhere in Ohio, and your parents are snoring in stereo, it's difficult to listen to how soothing it is to drift off to sleep.
Rereading this book (so to speak) made me see a lot of the reasons why I would declare Seanan McGuire my favorite author with her latest book. This debut shows so many of her strengths, so many of the things I love about her writing. It's still a debut novel, but one set in an intriguing world with a fascinating protagonist.
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