Monday, August 15, 2011

Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood
by Kendare Blake
Publication Date: August 30th 2011
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9780765328656
Source: ATW Arc Tours

Where to Buy:
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
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. (Goodreads)
I really didn’t know what to expect when I started reading Anna Dressed in Blood. I knew it was going to be a ghost story, but I didn’t know it was going to be a ghost story of epic proportions! If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be: Awesome.

In the beginning of the book, we meet our main character, Theseus Cassio Lowood, or Cas for short. Cas is a very strong and confident character, but he also has quite a sarcastic, funny side about him. He can kick ghost’s butts as well. I haven’t read many books with a male main character, but Ms. Blake did a wonderful job of making Cas’ character seem real. It was really interesting to read this book through his point of view.

Our second main character is Anna, who is another fantastic character. She’s a ghost that was murdered in 1958, and she murders every person that wanders into her home. I really liked Anna from the beginning. Her story really sucks you in, and you just have to know more about what happened to her. In the beginning she’s a bit scary, but we find that she has two different sides. Cas knows that she’s different than the other ghost’s, and I enjoyed watching their relationship form.

Most of the secondary characters in the book were very likeable. Thomas and Carmel are Cas’ new schoolmates and partners in crime. I think the three of them are a great team together. I also enjoyed reading about Cas’ mom and also Thomas’s grandfather. There are also characters you’re going to love to hate; Mike, Chase and Will for the most part. These are the school jocks, and they don’t make things easy for Cas and crew.

This book was very fast paced; it was a quick read for me. The writing is absolutely engrossing, and the story just keeps you hooked. The book has it all: Ghosts, Ghost Killers, Witches and even Voodoo. And it’s downright spooky too! There’s definitely never a dull moment when reading this book.

Overall, this book was amazing. I love it. It’s a MUST read. The characters, the storyline, the writing; all of it was great. It would be awesome to meet these characters in another book!

Happy Reading!

Book Giveaway for Anna Dressed in Blood via Goodreads.com
Goodreads is giving away six copies of Anna Dressed in Blood! Check it out!

21 comments:

  1. How scary does this book sound?? Ghost stories are way too creepy for me :( But I absolutely love the cover. It's creepy but strangely beautiful at the same time.

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  2. Sounds like an interesting read! Keep debating about this one, but I love a good ghost story, so who knows what I'll do!

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  3. GAH! I am dying to read this, and now you've made me even more excited to! Amazing review. All the characters sound awesome, and the storyline sounds really well developed and written.

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  4. I wanted to read this before, but now I'm dying to! (see what I did there? LOL) I love ghost stories, the creepier the better. Great review, Christy. :)

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  5. I couldn't agree more Christy! I absolutely adored this one, I got sucked in just like you did and could not put it down. I loved Cas and Anna and really hope we get more of their story:)

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  6. I have been dying to read this!! Great review!

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  7. I can't wait to read this one! Great review!

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  8. This looks AMAZING! I actually wasn't going to read this but I see so many good reviews of this! August 30 can't come soon enough. Cas and Anna sound like great characters.

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  9. Great review! This one sounds amazing :)

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  10. I've been hearing really good things about this book. I can't wait to read it. The cover is creepy cool.

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  11. Ooh, I've seen a lot of positive reviews for this one! It sounds really good - I like the fact it has spooky vibe! Glad you enjoyed it, I really want to read it now! Fab review :).

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  12. Nice review! I probably will never read this though ... I'm such a wuss, I can't handle ghost stories, heh.

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  13. Ha! Fun review. Love your enthusiasm. I keep hearing great things about Cas. I can't wait to meet him.

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  14. This book sounds awesome. It's on my to-read list :)

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  15. I want to read this one SO bad. I can't wait for it. Now I want it more. Great review!

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  16. Awesome review! I've been really looking forward to this one so I'm happy to hear it's good. Anna and Cas both sound like really interesting characters.

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  17. This book sounds soo good!! =D You have me so excited to read it now!!!

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  18. I don't think I've seen a negative review of this yet, it sounds amazing. thanks for your thoughts =] also, you really do need to read Divergent ;)

    The Cait Files

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  19. I really want to read this one because I want to read about ghosts. Like really really. I've been waiting to come across a ghost book but I haven't. I'll have to go get it myself.

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  20. I so can't wait to get a copy of this. I've been wanting to read it for so long and your review just makes me all the more eager!

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Thanks for stopping by! :)