Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Description:

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. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: 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.

Yet she spares Cas's life.

Review:

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

5 out of 5

OMGoodness!  This is one of the best books that I've read in a while.  There is a beautiful sense of mystical romance and mysterious adventure.  But don't read it in the dark!

Thunder Bay sounds like a beautiful Canadian town.  Of course, it is also filled with haunted places and paranormally gifted people.  Might be a lovely place to visit, but not to live.  

Thomas is such a cute character.  You can't help but want him to succeed in getting Carmel.  

I love all the references to Ghostbusters!  I couldn't help but laugh at how everyone but Cas wanted to be like the Ghostbusters... Poor Cas needs to grow a sense of humor!

Carmel is a wonderful girl, who definitely is the "normal" glue to this paranormal team.  

Poor Anna. Her life was bad, her death and undead life were worse.  I wanted to hurt her mother for her evilness.  To do that to her own daughter was horrible.  

I find Will to be an ass.  I know he is hurting, but he still is an ass.  Yet, I do feel sorry for what happened to him.  No one deserves that.  

Cas is a good guy who carries an unnecessary burden of killing ghosts.  I like how he tried to figure out his first time having friends.  It was kinda sad and humorous at the same time. 

I really loved that Anna wasn't the whole story.  Yes, she is a major player, but not the plot twist.  And how Anna is both the villain and the hero, lover and friend, a mystery wrapped up in a poor haunted girl, I loved it!

The ending was so sad.  I wanted to cry with the sacrifices made.  Anna and Cas deserved so much more.  

Overall, this is a great book!  I highly recommend it!  

Happy Reading!

Cana