Review: Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake

Where I got it: ARC from Amazon Vine

Rating: 5 stars  

Cover Rating: 4 stars (I like it, but why doesn't the wind move her dress?)  

Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: August 30, 2011

Publisher: TOR Teen

Page Count: 316 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Cas is a ghost hunter. He finds ghosts that are killing people and gets rid of them with the family Athame. He's not sure where they go when he dispatches them, but he knows that they aren't killing anymore. Cas had to take up the business when his father was eaten by something while on a routine hunt. Now Cas has been researching the circumstances surrounding his father's death, to figure out what killed him and how he an kill it back. Until then though, he's been taking leads and doing his job...until Anna. Anna is unlike all the other ghosts he's dealt with before. She seems aware, almost alive. She can also toss Cas around the room like a rag-doll with barely any effort. Somehow though, Cas is spared his life by Anna, even though everyone who has ever set foot in her house has died violently. There is certainly something different about Anna, about this town, and Cas will just have to figure it out. This time though, he might not be able to do it solo and may have to let some other people into his circle, or he might get himself killed.

This was a fascinating read. There were a lot of similarities between this novel and the TV show Supernatural. Not similarities that seem like Kendare Blake stole the show, but if you like Supernatural, chances are you'll like this book. Cas flies solo though, no witty or protective brother to banter with. Cas has quite the inner-dialogue though, so no worries. I really loved Cas, he had a lot of interesting thoughts and was just a fantastic and caring character. I want to be his girlfriend. The paranormal aspect of this story was very interesting. I liked his ghost stories, and seeing the different personalities when ghosts were offed a certain way. It was nice the Cas was a empathetic protagonist and not just a blood-thirsty meathead. It made his reactions towards Anna seem realistic and not out-of-the-blue. There was a lot of grotesque imagery throughout this novel, so if you are faint of heart, you may want to skip this. Some of the scenes were written so well that you could hear the squish of limbs beneath their feet. Gross, but superb writing. Anna was a great character too, and I loved that there was a whole story behind her to make her a rounded character. Really I like a lot of the characters in this novel. Cas's mom was great too, a white witch taking care of her ghost-hunter son. Definitely a unique family. I really liked the focus around Cas's Athame that used to be his father's. I liked the story of how it came to be and the fact that there is some sort of tie to his family in particular. All in all this was a fantastic, creepy but sweet story about a guy, a ghost and a cat(okay not so much about the cat, although horrors of horror!that end bit). Definitely don't forget to check out this novel when it comes out August 30th.

First Line:
"The grease-slicked hair is a dead giveaway—no pun intended."


Favorite Lines:
"'Yes. Smashing. You'll be just like those four chaps in the movie. You know the one, with the oversized marshmallow.' 
You've got to be kidding me."