My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
This book has received rave reviews from some of my favorite bloggers, so I knew I had to try it. And boy, were they right. It's so hard to be truly original these days, and Anna Dressed in Blood has it in spades with with a freshly, unique protagonist and voice.
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake is one of my favorite reads of the year. The protagonist Cas is a ghost killer. He is one of very few people who can do this, and he is determined to track down the ghost that killed his father. He moves from place to place to put these spirits to rest, and meets new friends when he tracks down Anna Korlov, the girl dressed in blood who has terrorized the town. What happens is so unexpected and right, and everyone who loves YA (and even those who don't read horror) should read it.
I had the pleasure of reading this bit by bit, and I couldn't wait to race home to get to read more. The characters are terrific, three dimensional, and very deftly drawn. I loved the voice of the protagonist, Cas, and Anna herself, is probably one of my favorite characters ever written. The mean girl, Carmel, is another star in her own right, and breaks out of the typical popular girl mold, which I really appreciated. Women are probably the most powerful characters in the novel, despite the protagonist being a skilled ghost killer, and I appreciated that.
Overall, a smashing success by Blake, and terrifically well written. A must read for any YA fan. I am thrilled to see what else Blake has up her sleeve.
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Amazon Review link: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2JZ79B2PV7SLI/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
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I loved this book too! Can't wait for the next one to come out next month!
ReplyDeleteSJ
http://anonbookslut.blogspot.com/
This book looks good. I nominated you for the Sisterhood award: http://breathofbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/sisterhood-of-world-award.html
ReplyDeleteThis is an award free blog, but thanks for the nomination!
DeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed this book! I absolutely loved it as well and can't wait for the sequel to come out next month.
ReplyDeleteJenny
A Bookish Co-Op
Thanks, Jenny! I have to say your blog is one of my new favorites :-)
DeleteI read it in June, and found it much more enjoyable than I had thought it'd be at first. I absolutely loved Anna. She was strong and terribly scary, I couldn't get enough of her. And having a male narrator was a nice change, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm really interested in reading this novel! Great review :)
ReplyDeletePossession of Books
I really need to catch up and read this still. The story seems to be something I'd definitely love! Great review.
ReplyDelete