Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Release Date: August 30, 2011
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 320
Source: Purchased Copy
Rating:  
Buy It: Amazon | 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

Review:
I must be in the mood to get spooked because, along with Possess, this did just that!

Let me just start off by saying that I loved Cas! He was so charming and funny and, despite the fact that he has an unconventional occupation with his ghost hunting, Kendare Blake did an excellent job having him come across as a real teenage boy with his language, reactions, and behavior. The supporting cast was awesome as well — Carmel was especially surprising for me — because they allowed Cas’s layers to be peeled back and it was great to see him form attachments where he least expected them.

Some of the darkness in the book really took me by surprise! It’s not that it was extremely graphic or detailed, but I’m so used to a lot of YA tip-toeing around any violence. Though the summary obviously told me that Anna killed, it was shocking to see her in action. I definitely had an “Oh crap!” moment during Cas’s first visit to her house. Similarly, her story was haunting. What happened to her was awful and absolutely damaging.

As you might know by now, I love a good romantic storyline in most of my reads, but I have to say that I wasn’t quite feeling this one. I enjoyed Anna and Cas’s bond, and I loved them individually, but together? Ehhh. Sure, there were some sweet moments, but I felt that turning their relationship into a romantic one was unnecessary. Maybe it was because I had seen Anna’s violent moments, but I found the development between them to be rather “yikes!” worthy. It seemed to come up quickly and I didn’t quite understand it… Perhaps I’ll enjoy it more in the next book.

So, yes, there will be a sequel, but I thought Anna Dressed in Blood wrapped up well enough on its own while still leaving me wanting more. Definitely give this book a try — I think it will be a pleasant surprise for everyone who reads it. You might want to keep the lights on though!