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Cas Lowood, armed with his late
father's athame knife, kills ghosts. In Thunder Bay, Anna, forever 16, drips blood on her white dress from throat slit in 1958, and rips apart anyone who enters her house - except Cas. He makes new friends - high school queen Carmel, jock Will, admiring nerd Thomas and Tom's voodoo grandpa Morfran - to fight this demon.
Lissa's Rating: 4 of 5 Spooky Stars
What can I say… I am a huge horror movie fan. Have been for as long as I can remember. When I found out my reading group was reviewing a horror book I was all over it with a hell yes!
Then reality hit… it was a YA book and I was extremely hesitant knowing the author was going to hit the mute button. WOW!!! Was I surprised… Anna Dressed in Blood packed the perfect punch for a YA book.
The plot was refreshingly original, fast- paced, suspenseful and nonetheless predictable. I loved the large dose of horror with the witchcraft and voodoo thrown in for good measure.
I also loved how KB took it one-step further and held nothing back. She took off the kid gloves most YA author wear and socked it to the reader. KB vivid realistic details of the gore and violence will have a timid reader sleeping with the lights on.
And it is impossible for us to forget how bold KB is and that she is unafraid to drop and f- bomb here and there to bring together a story that mercilessly haunting.
Anna Dressed in Black is the perfect read for the haunting time of year. The publisher recommendation is for ages 12 and up and with as jaded as kids are today I can see that, my 11-year-old loved it!
Christina's Rating: 4 of 5 stars
When I first picked up the book I was a little hesitant about reading it because, well, I get freaked out with ghost stories. But since it was the book of the month for my book club I dove right in to it hoping I wouldn't be to terrified. I was wrong, this book was so well written with a perfect amount of description that I had trouble sleeping the first night. :-) And when you think about it that's what a book is about, being able to feel what the author wants to portray. Anna Dressed is blood is a great read! I found myself scared, sad, and happy throughout the whole book.
As for the characters. Cas, is you typical hard at work trying to fulfill his fathers destiny type character. He's all about killing ghosts and moving on. That is until he goes after the one ghost that truly intrigues him, Anna. Anna was murdered and sentenced to living the rest of the her dead life in the house she despises. Because of that Anna becomes someone tormented and evil. That is until she meets Cas and he appeals to her true side. We also have secondary characters like Carmel and Thomas who help Cas with his ghost issues. I can't wait to see what happens with all these great characters.
Although I wish the love story was a little more evolved I thought the book was what it was meant to be, the beginning of Cas and Anna's story. I can't wait to continue the series and find out what happens next. Major cliff-hanger at the end. You will continue asking yourself, did it really happen or not?
I would recommend this book to anyone that love ghost stories.
All I can really say about this book is WOW!! I was on the fence about reading it and only did because it was a book club book. I don't normally read books like this because I like to sleep at night, but I am really glad I read this one.
I hadn't heard of the author before so I wasn't sure what to expect from the writing. This book is very well written and keeps you entranced from the first page. It is pretty freaky and disturbing at times, which did cost me a little bit of sleep. The author gives you just enough detail to let you form your own images. I enjoy this because it allows you to see it how you want instead of someone else's thoughts.
I liked the characters and the fact that they were all very different from each other. Cas is a ghost hunter who actually kills ghosts. I found that I really liked his character because of his drive and his no-nonsense attitude. Thomas, the telepathic witch, and Carmel, the prom queen, are great supporting characters. My favorite character, however, was Anna, the ghost. Her story is tragic and sad, but she is still a very strong female. I loved how aware she was of her situation. She is terrifying and likable all at the same time.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had many twists in the story and it didn't end at all like I thought it would when I started. I'm so glad that there is going to be another book in the series. The idea of killing ghosts is intriguing, and then you throw in the witches and voodoo, and you are in for a good time. I highly recommend this book!!
H. Lee Rating: 4 of 5 starsThe storyline to this book is unique and intriguing. I have yet to read anything YA about a ghost hunter.
At first, I could not get really into this book, but once Anna came into the picture, I could not put it down. Ms. Blake knew exactly how much blood, guts and gore, we the readers could handle. I am a big fan of horror flicks, so a spooky story was right up my alley.
The characters fit together perfectly. You have the ghost hunter, the strange geeky kid, the queen of the school, a couple of small brained big muscled jocks and the scariest ghost you will ever read about! Not to mention the Mom and Grandpa! What a crew! It made for a very interesting read!
At first, my favorite character was Thomas, the strange geeky kid. He just seemed so innocent, shy and just wanted a friend. BUT, then I was introduced to Anna! Her story was gut wrenching and all the rage that she has inside of her. I could not help but shed some tears as I was reading. It is no wonder the way that Cas feels about her, she really could not help what she had become.
The ending was surprising and I do look forward to a sequel. I am very curious to see what the future holds for Anna and Cas. I just hope that Anna can finally get some happiness in her life, even if it's after she is dead.
My review will post on 9/30/11 at http://wp.me/p1n2P9-rG
I Gave Anna Dressed In Blood 5 stars!I've picked up this book before, and didn't read it until just the other day. First off, the book jacket does NOT give the story justice. There are so many layers to this story that I couldn't believe.
This is NOT your typical ghost story. This is NOT your typical get-rid-of-ghost story. This is NOT your typical love story. Yes, for those that haven't read the book, there is an otherwordly romance that actually warms the heart.
I agree with Lissa. This author gave us a no holding back, in your face, ghost story of epic porportions. There is so much going on, but the reader doesn't get lost in it all and finds them rooting for those that in the beginning they wouldn't have.
I found all the characters to be pretty down to earth. There are some that I'd like to get more of the story on, ie Thomas and his grandfather. The story wasn't out of the world wacky, which can be hard for those trying to tell a good ghost story. Magic here, Voodoo there, just the right mix altogether.
Kendare Blake is an author to watch. I look forward to reading more from her and more of Anna and Cas in
.
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