dlberglund's review against another edition
2.0
A teenager with ghost killing in his blood and vengeance in his dreams. He works alone. He has a tragic back story and a winning smile. And we assume we can look forward to a scary yet beautiful (and beautifully dressed) ghost. My reaction? Meh.
I listened to the Audiobook, and I don't recommend it. The accents are terrible, and the characters are stereotyped by their voicings. Carmel, the beautiful queen bee in the Thunder Bay, Ontario high school, talks like a valley girl. Revealing some of her depth of character and bad ass-ery was unconvincing in the audiobook, but I hope slightly more believable in the print version.
I listened to the Audiobook, and I don't recommend it. The accents are terrible, and the characters are stereotyped by their voicings. Carmel, the beautiful queen bee in the Thunder Bay, Ontario high school, talks like a valley girl. Revealing some of her depth of character and bad ass-ery was unconvincing in the audiobook, but I hope slightly more believable in the print version.
chloemariexo's review against another edition
3.0
Okay I was so excited about starting this, ready for a really creepy read and I was so disappointed. It did get better in about the last quarter of the book so that's why it redeemed itself and got 3 stars, but I wanted to DNF it so many times.
I didn't like the characters, didn't feel any connection between any of them like there was meant to be. When it finally picked up it was a lot better and now I do want to read Girl of Nightmares so I can find out what happens with Anna. Glad I did finish it bc the ending made the rest of it kind of worth while.
Full review on my blog https://chloemariewonderland.wordpress.com
I didn't like the characters, didn't feel any connection between any of them like there was meant to be. When it finally picked up it was a lot better and now I do want to read Girl of Nightmares so I can find out what happens with Anna. Glad I did finish it bc the ending made the rest of it kind of worth while.
Full review on my blog https://chloemariewonderland.wordpress.com
arabellasbookshelves's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5
Kendare Blake’s writing style is so easy to follow and get you immersed into the world however, with this book I didn’t feel as immersed in the characters which may have been a factor to my lowered enjoyment of this book as opposed to others. That being said I did find the characters and the storyline unique compared to what I usually read, it just wasn’t my style I think.
Kendare Blake’s writing style is so easy to follow and get you immersed into the world however, with this book I didn’t feel as immersed in the characters which may have been a factor to my lowered enjoyment of this book as opposed to others. That being said I did find the characters and the storyline unique compared to what I usually read, it just wasn’t my style I think.
sadiecass's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, I admit, I did NOT expect to like this as much as I did - even with my awesome editor's recommendation. Especially when I realized that it was written 1st person...from a boys POV.
Still...OMG, it took a turn I was so not expecting. It was awesome, surprising, fun. I liked all of the main characters, even the Prom Queen. :) Great mix of people and magic and so much action. Definitely worth it, and I will continue to always listen to my editor if this is the result!
Still...OMG, it took a turn I was so not expecting. It was awesome, surprising, fun. I liked all of the main characters, even the Prom Queen. :) Great mix of people and magic and so much action. Definitely worth it, and I will continue to always listen to my editor if this is the result!
kryskross's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Gore
jlove731's review against another edition
5.0
I really NEED this sooner than the end of August. Someone help me!!! This book looks so amazing, it's taunting me!
----
If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. Best. Book. Ever.
----
1) "And she, for whatever reason, spares his life." - How much does that last line pull you in? It seriously grabs me, and yanked me right into the story before I even started reading it.
2) The cover is too perfect for words. The model is beautiful (from behind at least). The dress is gorgeous and stained blood! How awesome! The creepy Victorian in the background... the cover is just too amazing. I love it. I need a poster of it.
3) In my opinion, this book is perfect in almost every way. It's a terrifying ride that taunts you with the cover, pulls you in with the first page, and keeps you entertained all the way to the final words. I couldn't have asked for a better book.
We start off with Theseus Cassio, or Cas as we know him. Cas is a ghost hunter, just like his father until he was brutally murdered. Now Cas, his mother, and his cat travel to wherever they need to be so that Cas, with his father's athame, can continue to kill ghosts. After a friend tips him off, Cas and his family go in search of a ghost named Anna Dressed In Blood, who as her name says wears a dress covered in her blood and kills anyone who comes into her home. Cas feels strangely drawn to this particular hunt, and will quickly find out that she is the most powerful ghost he has ever come in contact with... so far.
I am sure I will tell you how much I loved this book in every other sentence... so beware.
Anna Dressed In Blood is the ultimate, perfect ghost story. Well, there was one part that I was very distraught about because it made me super sad... but, I guess that's just another reason why this book is so perfect to me. Because, it was able to pull at every one of my emotions. If you know me, you know I love creepy, eeries, intense books and normally, I even read them at night and they don't freak me out what so ever. At one part during Anna, my stomach actually dropped. At the end of the chapter I was like 'GTFO, no way, RUN!'. So thank you Kendare for that! :)
When I say every emotion, I mean it. There were parts where I was some-what frightened, sad, laughing, wanted to punch someone in the face, surprised, sighing from happiness, I was just hanging onto every word. Believe me when I say Kendare has wrote one phenomenal story, one that has 100% ended up on my favorites list in my top three.
I loved all the characters, as well. Actually... I disliked a few... BUT with very good reason. Read the book and you'll see exactly what I mean! Anna, Cas, Thomas, and Carmel though take my character love prize. They are all so smart, so strong, so different from one another yet all coming together, and they have everything you could ask for in characters. PS. Super sexy alert on Cas!!! ;)
This story doesn't just have amazing characters though. It has lessons, witty lines, romance, suspense, murder, family, sacrifice, laughs, which all wraps up into one perfect ghost adventure that will have you turning page after page until the very end. And, when it's all over you'll be begging for more. I know, I did. The end is absolutely mind-blowing awesomeness. And I was jumping for joy when I found out there is a sequel that will be released in 2012!
I cannot rave about this book enough. So as I've done before I'm going to cut myself off. A few final words though. Kendare Blake, you are a genius. I adored your writing and this story. I believe it would an amazing movie and I am SO, so (beyond words) excited to read the sequel! To everyone reading this, go pre-order/buy this book! You will not be disappointed. If I could give this book a million stars out of 5 I would. Best. Ghost. Story. Book. Ever.
----
If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. Best. Book. Ever.
----
1) "And she, for whatever reason, spares his life." - How much does that last line pull you in? It seriously grabs me, and yanked me right into the story before I even started reading it.
2) The cover is too perfect for words. The model is beautiful (from behind at least). The dress is gorgeous and stained blood! How awesome! The creepy Victorian in the background... the cover is just too amazing. I love it. I need a poster of it.
3) In my opinion, this book is perfect in almost every way. It's a terrifying ride that taunts you with the cover, pulls you in with the first page, and keeps you entertained all the way to the final words. I couldn't have asked for a better book.
We start off with Theseus Cassio, or Cas as we know him. Cas is a ghost hunter, just like his father until he was brutally murdered. Now Cas, his mother, and his cat travel to wherever they need to be so that Cas, with his father's athame, can continue to kill ghosts. After a friend tips him off, Cas and his family go in search of a ghost named Anna Dressed In Blood, who as her name says wears a dress covered in her blood and kills anyone who comes into her home. Cas feels strangely drawn to this particular hunt, and will quickly find out that she is the most powerful ghost he has ever come in contact with... so far.
I am sure I will tell you how much I loved this book in every other sentence... so beware.
Anna Dressed In Blood is the ultimate, perfect ghost story. Well, there was one part that I was very distraught about because it made me super sad... but, I guess that's just another reason why this book is so perfect to me. Because, it was able to pull at every one of my emotions. If you know me, you know I love creepy, eeries, intense books and normally, I even read them at night and they don't freak me out what so ever. At one part during Anna, my stomach actually dropped. At the end of the chapter I was like 'GTFO, no way, RUN!'. So thank you Kendare for that! :)
When I say every emotion, I mean it. There were parts where I was some-what frightened, sad, laughing, wanted to punch someone in the face, surprised, sighing from happiness, I was just hanging onto every word. Believe me when I say Kendare has wrote one phenomenal story, one that has 100% ended up on my favorites list in my top three.
I loved all the characters, as well. Actually... I disliked a few... BUT with very good reason. Read the book and you'll see exactly what I mean! Anna, Cas, Thomas, and Carmel though take my character love prize. They are all so smart, so strong, so different from one another yet all coming together, and they have everything you could ask for in characters. PS. Super sexy alert on Cas!!! ;)
This story doesn't just have amazing characters though. It has lessons, witty lines, romance, suspense, murder, family, sacrifice, laughs, which all wraps up into one perfect ghost adventure that will have you turning page after page until the very end. And, when it's all over you'll be begging for more. I know, I did. The end is absolutely mind-blowing awesomeness. And I was jumping for joy when I found out there is a sequel that will be released in 2012!
I cannot rave about this book enough. So as I've done before I'm going to cut myself off. A few final words though. Kendare Blake, you are a genius. I adored your writing and this story. I believe it would an amazing movie and I am SO, so (beyond words) excited to read the sequel! To everyone reading this, go pre-order/buy this book! You will not be disappointed. If I could give this book a million stars out of 5 I would. Best. Ghost. Story. Book. Ever.
wrxtacy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
CAWPILE score: 5.29 (37/70, Good)
FRTC
FRTC
suhbreenah's review against another edition
5.0
LOVED. THIS. BOOK.
Cas Lowood kills ghosts. He inherited this chosen career from his father, who was killed while trying to finish off a ghost. When Cas gets a tip about "Anna Dressed In Blood" at Thunder Bay, he goes off to kill her. When he arrives, he finds Anna much stronger than he originally thought, particularly when she rips a boy in half right in front of him. With help from his newfound friends Carmel and Thomas, Cas tries to unearth more of Anna's story. Once he discovers more about the ghost girl, he decides that maybe she isn't what everyone thinks she is.
I thought that this book was amazing. I was hooked from the first page. Though this book wasn't terrifying, it did have its moments of suspense. It was a bit confusing when it came to the voodoo and magical parts, and it did have some bad language and gory bits, but I didn't really care. The story made me want to continue on. I didn't pay much notice to the flaws in this book because I was too busy freaking out about what was happening. This book was one I read at a bookstore, but now I must go buy my own copy to keep. It's that good. I completely recommend this book, and I hope that everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.
Cas Lowood kills ghosts. He inherited this chosen career from his father, who was killed while trying to finish off a ghost. When Cas gets a tip about "Anna Dressed In Blood" at Thunder Bay, he goes off to kill her. When he arrives, he finds Anna much stronger than he originally thought, particularly when she rips a boy in half right in front of him. With help from his newfound friends Carmel and Thomas, Cas tries to unearth more of Anna's story. Once he discovers more about the ghost girl, he decides that maybe she isn't what everyone thinks she is.
I thought that this book was amazing. I was hooked from the first page. Though this book wasn't terrifying, it did have its moments of suspense. It was a bit confusing when it came to the voodoo and magical parts, and it did have some bad language and gory bits, but I didn't really care. The story made me want to continue on. I didn't pay much notice to the flaws in this book because I was too busy freaking out about what was happening. This book was one I read at a bookstore, but now I must go buy my own copy to keep. It's that good. I completely recommend this book, and I hope that everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.
musingsfromamandalyn's review against another edition
3.0
I struggled getting through this one. I really thought the description was right up my alley but I think it was a little too out there and a tad young. Maybe if I would have stumbled across this book 15 years ago. It definitely has Supernatural vibes but very high school. Anna's character also made me so conflicted.