Girl of Nightmares: Review

Title: Girl of Nightmares
Author: Kendare Blake
Release Date: August 2012
Published By: Tor Teen
Pages: 332
Goodreads Rating: 4.03 stars

Review: It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on. Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears. She saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

GIRL OF NIGHTMARES was a thrilling, fast-paced follow-up to Anna Dressed in Blood, but even though the suspense was notched way high and the plot never stopped, I almost wished for, well, less. Not necessarily a slower-paced book, but I did want more development, which I felt the last book had a lot of and this one, eh, not so much. There was plenty of potential to see Cas growing, but it seemed like not all the opportunities were used as much as they could have been. And not just development character-wise - the ending too seemed rushed.

I also had my quibbles with Anna's character. In Anna Dressed in Blood, she was fan-freaking-tastic, but here, she was more torn than strong. I completely understand she's literally in Hell in this book, but I felt like the "pathetic" aspect was overdone. I wanted to see strong Anna cresting over her troubles or at least trying to, and instead I saw weak Anna depending entirely on Cas.

This is not to say I didn't enjoy reading this book, because if there's one thing Kendare Blake is a complete master at, it's narration, and she definitely proves her mettle here. Just like in the prequel, plenty of humor is weaved in with the darker aspects in Cas' voice, leaving the reader to alternately laugh out loud and recoil in fear. At some points it seemed like there were gems of wit on every page, and that was certainly well-appreciated!

All in all, GIRL OF NIGHTMARES was somewhat disappointing but not entirely so. I wanted more in the way of development, both through the characters and in the ending, but Kendare Blake's masterful writing was still present. From Cas' voice to the un-put-down-able thrills of the plot, this book will keep readers on their toes. I recommend this to anyone who read the first book, even if they didn't like it.
 

Anna Dressed in Blood: Review

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.
 

Cover Reveal: Girl of Nightmares

I was scrolling through my Reader feed and saw this, and I just stared at it. When I started to continuing scrolling, I just had to stop and go back up, and this continued for a while. I love love loved the cover of Anna Dressed in Blood, but this - this is just perfect.

The eerie red destruction, and the way she's extending her hand out like that, as if she's both beckoning to you and offering to take your hand, is just amazing.

What do you think of this cover?