I now blog over at The Eyre Guide! This blog is an archive of my past posts.


Monday, October 29, 2012

Review: Anna Dressed in Blood

Posted by Charlene // Tags: , ,
Anna Dressed in Blood
by Kendare Blake

Plot Summary:

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder 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: move, 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, but now stained red and dripping 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.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Expectations:

PictureMeReading’s fabulous review was a great recommendation and when I received the book, my Mom got to read it before me and also loved it (she’s also started the second book before me!!), so two glowing reviews was very encouraging and I had high hopes that I would enjoy this story.

Review:

Cas is the real star of this book. With his snarkiness as he goes about his job sending ghosts to where they should be it sounds like it would be horrifying as well as exciting, but with Cas it is also funny. The set-up of the Lowood family being the new family in town (as they constantly travel to hunt ghosts) is familiar, along with the dynamic of people gravitating towards the new kid, Cas. Cas becomes fast friends with the popular girl (for reasons relating to his work) and when the first meeting with Anna Dressed in Blood occurs, the book takes a fantastic turn from the familiar. Anna is terrifying yet with Cas she becomes more of a lost soul that is easy to relate to. It is also easy to see why Cas increasingly finds it difficult to deal with her like any other ghost.

The horror aspect in this book was unexpectedly descriptive, as Anna is quite a rage-filled ghost, but it also made the danger visceral and explicit. There is suspense and plot twists that make Anna Dressed in Blood an exciting page-turner, almost up to the last page. I can’t wait to read the next in the series!


Share this post: Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Email This Pin This Share on Google Plus Share on Tumblr
Scroll Up

10 comments:

  1. I need to get to this book. I see so many great reviews and I have it on audio. Jut have not had time to fit it in. I am glad to see you liked it. awesome review.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh I am curious how the audio would be for me - I already have a set idea of how Cas and the other characters are, the audio would be interesting to compare. I hope you enjoy it when you get a chance to listen!

      Delete
  2. I read this one too. I liked it, but I'm not quite sure where they are going to go with the sequel.
    <3 Mei

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've read the sequel and enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting! Thanks for commenting!

      Delete
  3. Everyone has been raving about "Anna Dressed in Blood". I wish I grabbed it when it was available in my bookstores. Now it's sold out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, sold out!? I hope they get it in stock again soon! Or maybe you could try the library?

      Delete
  4. Yay!! I am so glad you liked it :) I haven't read the sequel yet but I am really eager to get to it soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am really looking forward to your review of the sequel - I hope you get to it soon!

      Delete
  5. I really enjoy this book too! Great review.

    ReplyDelete