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Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

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Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare BlakeAnna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1)
Kendare Blake
Published: Aug. 30, 2011 (Tor Teen)
Purchase at: Book Depository, B&N or Amazon

Rating (out of 5): 4 stars

Kendare Blake’s Anna Dressed in Blood was refreshing for me. It’s not light and it doesn’t shy away from creeping you out a bit. It tackles the ghost story and urban legend tale from a different angle.

The wry wit of protagonist Cas prevades the novel, and even when he’s scared the snark level remains high. He knows he’s putting on a front of being calm, but his confidence keeps Anna from being scary and instead remains rooted in character development and progressing the mystery plot.

Cas is a ghost hunter. His dad was a ghost hunter. And the family tree continues on thusly. His mom is a witch and does her best to be supportive of Cas killing ghosts. She helps clean his athame — the same one his dad used — while generally coming off as a cool mom. Cas has come to Thunder Bay to kill Anna. The legend is huge, a young girl who dismembers those idiotic enough to come into her house. She’s always seen in a simple white dress dripping with blood. Only no one really knows her story. There are bits and pieces, but just who killed Anna and why remain elusive.

Anna has killed everyone who entered her home since her death, but she doesn’t kill Cas. She can’t explain it either. She’s more powerful than any ghost he’s met before, and she doesn’t want to kill. Their loneliness unites them and while both fear one another — the goals are on the table: killing one another is what’s supposed to happen — there’s a sense of security when near each other.

Anna Dressed in Blood is part ghost story with chill-inducing descriptions, two parts murder mystery (not just Anna’s) and a touch of romance. The wry tone will draw you in, you’ll stay for the clever Cas and the enigmatic Anna.

Sexual content: Kissing

5 Responses to “Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake”

  1. I really loved this book. I thought it was so wonderfully creepy and dark. Great review, Chelsea!

  2. Jessica@a GREAT read says:

    Skimmed the review a bit since I’m waiting to read this one! Reading a lot of good reviews on it though! So can’t wait to read it! Great review!

  3. Marina says:

    I didn’t like the book! Although the tension and the scary-factor was rather high I didn’t like how it all resolved!

  4. mckenzie says:

    ive read alot of great reviews i just cant wait to read this. i had to make sure i like this book so i can download it on my e-reader and not waist my money. sounds like a great book so i guess i should download.
    if anyone who wouldlike to download this book, it is 10.00. .p.s. im eleven

  5. digitalChocolatechips says:

    I feel that you’ve described Anna Dressed In Blood perfectly. Nice to know there are people out ther who enjoy a good horror story. My friends don’t. I just got it yesterday and finished it and I can not, not, NOT, wait for the sequel. I just turned eleven but I’ve read over hundreds of books (not kidding! my friends made me count how many books I read per month and it was like 450) but this one just sticks to my brain. It is definitely gruesome and I like how Kendare Blake didn’t limit the gore like most of those kinds of novels. This book has a solid 11 on a scale of 1 to 10 of scariness (1 being least creepy and 10 being most) and it has a very deep message

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