Review of "Anna Dressed in Blood" by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1)

Kendare Blake

Publication Date: July 3, 2012

Publisher: Tor Teen

Paperback: 316 pgs

Summary:

      Cas Lowood is just your average boy, who just happens to travel from town to town killing the dead. After his father is murdered Cas inherits the grisly, dark job of hunting down ghosts who prey on the living. Cas receives a tip from a trusted source which leads him to a new town in search of, Anna Dressed in Blood. Anna isn't what he thought, shes strong and filled with a deadly rage. Cas will have to use all his skills in order to survive.

Review:

     Anna Dressed in Blood is a dark tale about a boy with an unusual job. Cas is focused on the here and now, therefore his future really isn't something he thinks too much about. He rolls into a new town, finds the information he needs, kills the ghost and moves on. He lives a lonely life but seems to be okay with it, he has his mom, and his dads old contacts. Through Cas we get an inside look into why ghosts need to be killed. 

     We are introduced to a few of the characters that Cas interacts with. Cas's mom is a witch, though we don't learn a lot about what she can do. She picks up and goes where the ghosts are so her son can hunt ghosts. The two seem to have a strong relationship, his mom is supportive of her son and helps him as much as she can. We meet a few of Cas's new classmates and get a chance to see how Cas goes about getting information from them. He ends up hanging out with a couple of his classmates more than he would have expected. 

     The setting was just eerie enough so that I totally believed the town could be haunted. I was also a fan of reading from a males POV, which is something I don't do often. Though it would have been interesting to see what Anna was thinking during her interactions with Cas. All and all, Anna Dressed in Blood was a great story that had me wanting to know more about Cas and his world. I'm definitely looking forward to reading Girl of Nightmares. 

Cover:

     I really like this cover. The gray and white house in the background is creepy. Anna looks haunting with her flowing hair and bloody white dress. I think this cover fits nicely with what the book is about. Very Nice!