Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day

by Seanan McGuire

Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day is a new standalone urban fantasy novella from New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire.

When her sister Patty died, Jenna blamed herself. When Jenna died, she blamed herself for that, too. Unfortunately Jenna died too soon. Living or dead, every soul is promised a certain amount of time, and when Jenna passed she found a heavy debt of time in her record. Unwilling to simply steal that time from the living, Jenna earns every day she leeches with volunteer work at a suicide prevention hotline.

But something has come for the ghosts of New York, something beyond reason, beyond death, beyond hope; something that can bind ghosts to mirrors and make them do its bidding. Only Jenna stands in its way.

• ISBN10: 0765391422
• ISBN13: 9780765391421
• Publish Date: 10 January 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 5 April 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Tor Books
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 192
• Language: English

Reviews

[smartflutist661]

Perhaps the longing for a small-town home got to me, but I ended up loving this one. It was a bit of a rough start, with the first 20-30 pages not exciting me at all, but I sped through almost the entire rest of it. A bit light on plot, and definitely not particularly logically consistent, but these didn't detract from the real point of experiencing the process of moving on from the point of view of someone who's already dead (which may also explain some of the inconsistencies, now that I think about it - why does Jenna need to earn the time she takes? Maybe it's not supposed to make sense).

[Quirky Cat]

Dusk or Dawn or Dawn or Day is a novella by Seanan McGuire, and if you've read any of her previous works, you'll have a decent idea of what you're in for. A lot of themes that have fascinated Seanan McGuire for years make an appearance here; ghosts, debts, love and loss. So much is woven into this single tale.
This is actually one I've been meaning to read for a while now, as her fan groups are constantly quoting it online. Halloween seemed like the right time of year to give it a try, so here I am.
Jenna has carried the weight of her loss and blame for decades. First, she lost her sister. Then, she lost herself. Now Jenna is trying to pay back that debt, while getting back the years her life should have had. Well, that was before a new danger came blowing through her town. And she's not the type to overlook another's pain. So naturally, Jenna got involved.
Jenna is perhaps the most honorable ghost I have ever read about. She's got a very strong sense of right and wrong and seems to sincerely want to do good, regardless of the cost to herself. And that's the reason why she was stuck on this earth for as long as she was. Because she insisted on doing things the right way.

“These days, everyone wants to eat, but no one wants to take the time and care needed to coax the land into giving up its glories. People don't change. We're always selfish, and we're always hungry. We've just gotten better at looking at greed and saying 'Oh, that's self-interest, that's all right.' We've forgotten the way the world 'enough' feels on the tongue.”

Warnings: Dusk or Dawn or Dawn or Day contains within it two suicides. Both happen at the beginning of the book, and with relatively little warning (all things considered). There are also mentions of other unnamed characters committing suicide, and the main character works at a prevention hotline.

Dusk or Dawn or Dawn or Day was an absolutely enthralling read. Seanan McGuire sure does know how to weave a ghost story. I could happily read a dozen more stories like this one, and not feel the least bit sick of the theme.
Part of the reason I love her ghost stories is because she adds weight and cost to them. Her ghosts have rules that they must follow – rules that cannot be broken. They also have individual policies that they seem to prefer to practice, which adds to the complexity. And it's something I cannot get enough of (I adore the Ghost Roads series, in case that wasn't obvious).
I absolutely adored the writing in this novella – though I'm not in the least bit surprised by that. What was surprising was how McGuire was able to write in so many points about humanity (for better or for worse, though usually for worse). It was an enlightening read, and admittedly one full of quotes worth remembering and referencing. I can now understand why I've heard so much about this piece.

For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[kimbacaffeinate]

From its cool concept regarding ghosts and witches, I found myself wanting more of this world McGuire created. We meet Jenna, who as a teen died after her sister Patty committed suicide. Jenna ends up living in New York. Without giving too much away, when a person passes before their "end date," they become a ghost with a debt of time owed to this plane. To move on, she must give time to humans. While most humans would gladly have their life extended by a week or even years, Jenna feels the time she gives must be earned. She volunteers at a suicide prevention hotline.

There are many supernatural creatures in this world who all avoid interacting with Witches. The witches can trap ghosts and are feared by them. However, Jenna friends Delia, a corn witch who owns a local dinner. When all of the ghosts in the city suddenly go missing Jenna and Delia investigate.

McGuire's story is rich, well written and as always fascinating. She mixed ghostly myths and beliefs while adding her own spin regarding spirits. I wish this tale were full-length, as so many scenes could have been expanded. I enjoyed DUSK OR DARK OR DAWN OR DAY but felt the ending was rushed and the climatic battle could have been so much more. The bits that were shared were brilliant, dark and had me holding my breath, but I wanted a full meal and was only treated to an appetizer. I am going to hope that this was only the beginning and that McGuire satisfies my appetite with a main course. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer