Author: Kendare Blake
Release Date: August 30, 2011
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 316
Source: KPL
Stars: 4.5/5
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.MY THOUGHTS:
So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.
(summary taken from Goodreads)
First, let me just say that I'm a baby chick when it comes to this kind of stuff. I'm not into anything terrifying or gory or even remotely scary, because I get nightmares way more often than I dream. But even with all of that, Anna Dressed in Blood was awesome!
It was everything I was expecting and more! There were ghosts and blood and mystery and a surprisingly sweet romance that made me smile. Not only that, but this book was funny. Like, right after a scene that gave you shivers, one of the characters would say something and you'd burst out laughing even though you knew it wasn't really the right time.
(And nope, they weren't just morbid jokes!)
I can't even explain how much I loved Cas! Anna Dressed in Blood was another one of the few examples that could pull off a male narrative written by a female author. Cas was just awesome, and his other awesome friends (like Carmel and Thomas and even his mom!) made it doubly awesome!
Clever and suspenseful, Anna Dressed in Blood is a book I think tons of people would enjoy, whether they're into horror books or not! It wasn't overly gory, but it didn't lack in those shiver-inducing aspects either. I would definitely recommend it, and I can't wait for the sequel to come out!
BUY or BORROW?: This is a horror book fan must-have! Even if you don't like horror though, this one would be awesome because of the great plot and beautifully haunting cover! :)
-Mimi
Posts
Yay so glad you enjoyed it. I also loved Cas he was a great protagonist and MALE!! Awesome review!
ReplyDeleteGiselle
Xpresso Reads
I am sooooo DYING for this one!! I absolutely need it!
ReplyDeleteIm glad you liked it! it is really creepy and ideal for this time of the year ^_^
ReplyDeletetake care! happy reading!
http://dazzlingreads.blogspot.com
I'm definitely not a horror reader but this actually sounds really interesting. I had never read the synopsis so I thought Anna was a human doing something but it sounds really cool that she's actually a ghost.
ReplyDeleteI am scared of scary books! lol! but good to know it is not all gory. Thats encouraging!
ReplyDeleteAnna Dressed in Blood has been on my TBR for weeks...if the library doesn't add it soon, I'm going to have to order it myself. Looks really good, in a dark and spooky way.
ReplyDeleteAwesome review, Mimi!
I will be the last person ou doesn't have this book yet... I've heard so great things about it, I'm glad you liked it too !
ReplyDeleteI really want to read this one, but I hadn't read too much about it yet! Did you find that it scared you still after reading it (you know how horror movies can stick with you for a while afterwards? Was it creepy in that way)?
ReplyDeleteI love male narrators though, and I've been looking for some good creepy reads.. maybe it's time to give it a shot!
I had the exact same concerns as you did about the music aspect of it! I'm not a huge music person, so I was afraid that it would be difficult for me to relate to it. Maybe I'll still give it a shot, but we'll see.. I do keep eharing such good things about it (such as your review)...
Thanks for sharing! You've given me some things to think about now lol
Brenna from Esther's Ever After
I'm so excited to read this one!! Mostly because her name is Anna :) But still, if you liked it then I definitely will! Great review, now I'm stoked!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, I want to read this one! I don't usually like to read scary books, but this one looks so good! Especially since you mentioned it's funny and has romance too!
ReplyDeleteGood to hear about the funny stuff and sweet romance.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed.
You're like the millionth person whose sung the praises of this book. I'm not sure if I have the nerve to read a ghost story but if ever I do this will be the one that I try out!
ReplyDeleteWOW! I was expecting the chills but not the laughs. Good to know that I'm in for some surprises with this one. And of course, I'm always a sucker for romances that cause goofy smiles. Can't wait to meet Cas.
ReplyDeleteI am totally NOT a horror person, but if you say it's good, I'll read it. :p
ReplyDeleteGreat review! :). This one surprised me and I really liked it too :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so thrilled that you loved Anna! One of my faves for the year, too. So creepy and so perfect for Halloween. :D
ReplyDeleteI have this one waiting for me to pick up on my shelf at home, a physical copy, which is rare for me because I predominately read ebooks. After reading your awesome review, I want to run back to my room and start reading asap.
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