Title: Anna Dressed in Blood
Author: Kendare Blake
Release Date: August 2011
Published By: Tor Teen
Pages: 316
Goodreads Rating: 4.13 stars
Review: Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother, spirit-smelling cat, and his father's legacy to kill the dangerous dead, with his future and friends at bay. They arrive in a new town in search of a ghost called Anna Dressed in Blood, but there's something different about her. Her past and present are irrevocably intertwined with her murder and curses, and she kills everyone who steps into her old home. Everyone, that is, except Cas.
ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD is, in a word, refreshing. From its unique premise to rich cast of characters, this is a novel that reads like a breath of fresh air. The idea of ghosts themselves and their desire for revenge isn't entirely new, nor is the idea of killing them, but the fact that the ghost-killer falls in love with the ghost is a fascinating concept.
I did feel, however, that the romance itself was not as good as it could have been. It wasn't bad in any way and didn't make me cringe, but I just felt like it was a bit lacking and not very developed. There was potential for it to grow into something more and I kept waiting for that to happen, but it didn't.
Still, I greatly enjoyed reading this book. The male point of view was authentic, and Cas's voice in general was strong, real, and humorous. While the novel isn't exactly a comedy, he made remarks that were quite funny and lightened up the atmosphere at times. Because of this, the story wasn't spooky, but I don't feel that's necessarily a bad thing.
All in all, ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD is a gripping, impossible to put down book with a well-shaped world and intriguing concept behind it. All the characters are fully formed, and the narration is on the funny side, which is always a plus. The romance could have been developed a lot more although it had potential, but I would still recommend this to anyone who loves a good ghost story.
I got a free copy of this book from the publisher for review. This in no way affected my review.
1 comments:
I want to read this book so bad, but I've cut myself off from buying any more books unless I get giftcards for Christmas. :)
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