Review: Anna Dressed in Blood

Anna Dressed in Blood
Kendra Blake
Release Date: August 30, 2011
Publisher: Tor Teen
Young Adult, Hardcover, 316 pages
Source: Kismet Book Tours + Publisher
Overall: Flippin Fabulous!
| Website | Blog | Twitter |

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.   Via Goodreads

My Thoughts:


Non-stop action.  Love.  Vengeance.  Ghosts and things that go bite in the night.  Anna Dressed in blood is a brilliantly painted tale of Cas a ghost hunter, Anna a revengeful ghost with a story, and everything that made them who they are.  Anna Dressed in Blood is a story that fully embodies everyone in the tale and will amaze you with its descriptive detail.

I can't remember the last time when I read a book with a protagonist like Cas.  His whole persona was a perfect mixture of witty and strong with a slightly vulnerable edge.  Usually when I come across male main characters their voice isn't very believable or they are beyond cocky with a head bigger than their body.  It was nice following a kick-butt character like Cas around.  His opening scene had me giggling then immediately gasping.  I was able to see what kind of potential Cas held all the while seeing who he really was. I think it is safe to say if I were a ghost I definitely wouldn't want to cross paths with Cas, I might just be heart broken to have finally found someone to listen to me then take me out just as quick.

Anna, our other main character albeit a ghost, was a little more complicated than Cas.  While her intentions were as clear as day there was still a part of her, a reviving quality, that made her not the monster I expected her to be.  Not to mention, she isn't what Cas fully expected either.  He knows who she is, knows what she does, yet there is that quality about her that makes it impossible to look away.  She is a mystery worth solving and worth risking.


Anna and Cas aren't the only characters that built their story.  Our secondary cast of characters all had their moments and their purpose. Thomas.  Carmel.  Morfan.  Cas' mom.  Cas' dad.  Will.  Mike.  They all played a part and had a story of their own which added to the tightly woven threads that brought Anna and Cas together.  Some were likable and others not so much.  The back story of Cas' parents also built this story up and shed light onto the story of what drove Cas, where his passion came from.

Kendare Blake told a fabulously brillant story of love and friendship paired with the chilling truths of loss and revenge.  I can't forget to mention the witty tone of humor that Kendare Blake laced throughout Anna's story that had me giggling even in the most stressful of times.  


If you want to try your hands at a hauntingly creepy tale I suggest you pick up Anna Dressed in Blood.  It is definitely a book worth reading even if it is slightly out of your comfort zone and slightly on the horrific side. It truly is unputadownable and completely re-readable.  


Don't forget to check out my Anna Dressed in Blood Blog Tour post on Tuesday, September 13 to find out more about Anna and have your chance of winning a Kindle3 WiFi complete with Anna Dressed in Blood skin and book.