Book Title: Anna Dressed in Blood
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Anna #1
Series: Anna #1
Date Started: July 29th 2013
Date Completed: July 31st 2013
Genres: Romance, Horror, Fantasy, Thriller, Action, Mystery
Rating: Four stars
Review:
I was really debating whether to give Anna a four or five star review - but I decided on four because I absolutely loved reading this book and it actually managed to have me glancing over my shoulder more than one in the couple of days it took for me to read it - but looking back on it there were a few things that I would have preferred a different way. Having said that, I still think it's an amazing book. I knew Anna Dressed in Blood was going to be good, but I didn't think it would be good to the point of making me not be able to put the book down at all.
Anna Dressed in Blood follows the story of Theseus Cassio Lowood - or Cas for short. Cas is a ghost hunter, like his father before him, and travels across the country banishing homicidal ghosts from our world. But when Cas hears about the infamous Anna Dressed in Blood, he's immediately drawn to the case. But he gets more than he bargained for when a young witch and prom queen decide to get in on the action of Cas' job - and Anna turns out to be the most powerful ghost he's ever seen. And there might be more than just the mysterious Anna lurking in the shadowed town...
I really liked the writing. It was quite easy to read, and I flew through the whole book partly because of this. It was quite simple, but still had all the relevant information and description. The action was written well, I wasn't always able to picture exactly what was happening, but I got the general gist and the style did make it really exciting throughout.
The atmosphere created did manage to make me quite paranoid. However, this was only really at the climax parts of the hauntings - I would have liked to see Blake freaking me out when nothing was happening to prove that she really could make people start jumping at their shadows.
It's the first book I've come across in a long time that you can definitely pick out a very individual character from the narration - without it being too stereotypical etc. Cas definitely has a personality that's very clear in the text, and really adds to the story and how I was influenced by everything that was going on. I found myself getting worried when Cas was, and understanding that things were more under control at other parts. I also felt like I was Cas at some parts - and at others I was able to fully understand and empathise what he was going through. This consequently made him a very real character to me.
I was a little bit put off right at the beginning, because it had the very typical and worn-out start of a new kid at school trying to get in with the cool kids and ultimately getting picked on or targeted by the big testosterone-driven males. In Blake's defence, I think it would have been hard to introduce the characters and beginnings of the story another way - but it still was a bit too unoriginal for me.
Luckily, that didn't last for long, and Blake's unique story began. I really liked the way you couldn't really predict what was going to happen, since the plot has so many twists and turns. The story really does go a long way, as well. Within the space of a few months, an awful lot of things happen to Cas and the others and I was surprised that so much was able to be packed into actually quite a small book.
The romance was really, really good. It wasn't even apparent until quite late into the book, where they didn't beat around the bush: they got right into it rather than spanning it out for ages and drawing all attention away from the other parts of the story. I also thought the actual romance was very well done; it was realistic in that it was almost shy at first, but then got bolder. Other people noticed it before the characters as well, which is always a good sign that the author knows what they're talking about and are willing to wait for the full affect of such a story device, rather than rushing into it (if that makes sense).
The ending could have been a tiny bit more climactic by maybe building up to it a little, but I think it was still done very well, and that it's a very good ending for this type of book; it definitely left me wanting more, so I'll be reading the sequel as soon as I can.
The characters are quite important in a horror book like this, because you really need to be scared or, at the very least, worried about what's going to happen to them and if they're going to be okay. I think Blake succeeded in this with some of her characters - but unfortunately not all of them.
Cas is now one of my favourite characters of all time. He's a great protagonist because he's always really on top of it, and you can tell that, although he might not always have the answers, he doesn't ever really stop and feel sorry for himself and give up. He's got a determination that I haven't really seen before in a Young Adult character. He's very realistic to me because his narration is so unique, and he has this certain flare that makes him both a very good person, and a force to be reckoned with. I really enjoyed learning his story, and I think he was masterfully written.
Anna was a very interesting character. I was never sure what to think about her, and that mystery added to the atmosphere of the whole book. I loved the way she had split personalities, with her defiant, vulnerable and sweet self that was more like her before she died - and then her angry, violent, destructive alter ego. I liked the development of her character once she got to know Cas and understood what was happening with the whole plot. I really wanted her to be okay.
Thomas was quite irritating at first, but then he's designed to be likeable once you know him. I did experience this, but when he started to get more obsessed over Carmel, my respect for him started to lower, and by the end I didn't really have much of an opinion of him. I do like him, but that's about it. I think there was potential to really make the reader connect with him, but it just didn't happen in the end.
Carmel really annoyed me. By the end, I could tolerate her, but I've never liked her. I was terrified more than a couple of times that she was going to end up with Cas. Luckily she didn't. But I just couldn't accept the arrogant prom queen turning all sweet and innocent. I know I am being rather judgemental and little unfair here, since she did go through hell during the book, that would have softened anyone up, but I just couldn't connect with her and didn't really want to.
The pace was up and down, because that's how books like this work. But even in the down-time it was still really interesting and relevant.
I found the action and climaxes extremely engaging and I think that Blake did a great job of creating a really diverse and dynamic plot that had its ups and downs, but for a reason that ended up making the whole thing more interesting.
(I am aware I may not be making much sense in this review, and that's because I'm just really tired, but I needed to get my thoughts down. Sorry about that.)
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes romance, supernatural things. There's definitely some mystery in there, and some well written action. I wouldn't read it if you're squeamish because it is quite graphic in its goriness. It's also very violent and times and quite disturbing - so make sure you're happy with that before you start reading.
Image Source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--Dxihnx0UjM/T7vyucHmy6I/AAAAAAAAAYw/
AsOpjtv7W6M/s1600/Anna-Dressed-in-Blood---Kendare-Blake.jpg
I was really debating whether to give Anna a four or five star review - but I decided on four because I absolutely loved reading this book and it actually managed to have me glancing over my shoulder more than one in the couple of days it took for me to read it - but looking back on it there were a few things that I would have preferred a different way. Having said that, I still think it's an amazing book. I knew Anna Dressed in Blood was going to be good, but I didn't think it would be good to the point of making me not be able to put the book down at all.
Anna Dressed in Blood follows the story of Theseus Cassio Lowood - or Cas for short. Cas is a ghost hunter, like his father before him, and travels across the country banishing homicidal ghosts from our world. But when Cas hears about the infamous Anna Dressed in Blood, he's immediately drawn to the case. But he gets more than he bargained for when a young witch and prom queen decide to get in on the action of Cas' job - and Anna turns out to be the most powerful ghost he's ever seen. And there might be more than just the mysterious Anna lurking in the shadowed town...
I really liked the writing. It was quite easy to read, and I flew through the whole book partly because of this. It was quite simple, but still had all the relevant information and description. The action was written well, I wasn't always able to picture exactly what was happening, but I got the general gist and the style did make it really exciting throughout.
The atmosphere created did manage to make me quite paranoid. However, this was only really at the climax parts of the hauntings - I would have liked to see Blake freaking me out when nothing was happening to prove that she really could make people start jumping at their shadows.
It's the first book I've come across in a long time that you can definitely pick out a very individual character from the narration - without it being too stereotypical etc. Cas definitely has a personality that's very clear in the text, and really adds to the story and how I was influenced by everything that was going on. I found myself getting worried when Cas was, and understanding that things were more under control at other parts. I also felt like I was Cas at some parts - and at others I was able to fully understand and empathise what he was going through. This consequently made him a very real character to me.
I was a little bit put off right at the beginning, because it had the very typical and worn-out start of a new kid at school trying to get in with the cool kids and ultimately getting picked on or targeted by the big testosterone-driven males. In Blake's defence, I think it would have been hard to introduce the characters and beginnings of the story another way - but it still was a bit too unoriginal for me.
Luckily, that didn't last for long, and Blake's unique story began. I really liked the way you couldn't really predict what was going to happen, since the plot has so many twists and turns. The story really does go a long way, as well. Within the space of a few months, an awful lot of things happen to Cas and the others and I was surprised that so much was able to be packed into actually quite a small book.
The romance was really, really good. It wasn't even apparent until quite late into the book, where they didn't beat around the bush: they got right into it rather than spanning it out for ages and drawing all attention away from the other parts of the story. I also thought the actual romance was very well done; it was realistic in that it was almost shy at first, but then got bolder. Other people noticed it before the characters as well, which is always a good sign that the author knows what they're talking about and are willing to wait for the full affect of such a story device, rather than rushing into it (if that makes sense).
The ending could have been a tiny bit more climactic by maybe building up to it a little, but I think it was still done very well, and that it's a very good ending for this type of book; it definitely left me wanting more, so I'll be reading the sequel as soon as I can.
The characters are quite important in a horror book like this, because you really need to be scared or, at the very least, worried about what's going to happen to them and if they're going to be okay. I think Blake succeeded in this with some of her characters - but unfortunately not all of them.
Cas is now one of my favourite characters of all time. He's a great protagonist because he's always really on top of it, and you can tell that, although he might not always have the answers, he doesn't ever really stop and feel sorry for himself and give up. He's got a determination that I haven't really seen before in a Young Adult character. He's very realistic to me because his narration is so unique, and he has this certain flare that makes him both a very good person, and a force to be reckoned with. I really enjoyed learning his story, and I think he was masterfully written.
Anna was a very interesting character. I was never sure what to think about her, and that mystery added to the atmosphere of the whole book. I loved the way she had split personalities, with her defiant, vulnerable and sweet self that was more like her before she died - and then her angry, violent, destructive alter ego. I liked the development of her character once she got to know Cas and understood what was happening with the whole plot. I really wanted her to be okay.
Thomas was quite irritating at first, but then he's designed to be likeable once you know him. I did experience this, but when he started to get more obsessed over Carmel, my respect for him started to lower, and by the end I didn't really have much of an opinion of him. I do like him, but that's about it. I think there was potential to really make the reader connect with him, but it just didn't happen in the end.
Carmel really annoyed me. By the end, I could tolerate her, but I've never liked her. I was terrified more than a couple of times that she was going to end up with Cas. Luckily she didn't. But I just couldn't accept the arrogant prom queen turning all sweet and innocent. I know I am being rather judgemental and little unfair here, since she did go through hell during the book, that would have softened anyone up, but I just couldn't connect with her and didn't really want to.
The pace was up and down, because that's how books like this work. But even in the down-time it was still really interesting and relevant.
I found the action and climaxes extremely engaging and I think that Blake did a great job of creating a really diverse and dynamic plot that had its ups and downs, but for a reason that ended up making the whole thing more interesting.
(I am aware I may not be making much sense in this review, and that's because I'm just really tired, but I needed to get my thoughts down. Sorry about that.)
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes romance, supernatural things. There's definitely some mystery in there, and some well written action. I wouldn't read it if you're squeamish because it is quite graphic in its goriness. It's also very violent and times and quite disturbing - so make sure you're happy with that before you start reading.
Image Source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--Dxihnx0UjM/T7vyucHmy6I/AAAAAAAAAYw/
AsOpjtv7W6M/s1600/Anna-Dressed-in-Blood---Kendare-Blake.jpg
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