Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna Dressed in Blood Series Book 1)

**SPOILER**

I really enjoyed this book. It really did seem like genuine high school students and not just another poorly written version of someone's perception of high school students.

I enjoyed the whole ghost killer thing it wasn't your usual vampire/zombie thing which is refreshing.

I did find the whole "he falls in love with a ghost" thing a little weird but it was well executed so it was a good weird.

The voodoo man thing could have been a little better but mostly because it was so little of the book I felt it could have been better had there been more invested in it to hold to the final battle

All in all a good book I will be reading the second one! Starting.... Now... ?

I love this book. I just recently finished reading this and I can't really describe how much fun I had with this. The whole thing had a very Buffy the Vampire Slayer-esque Scooby gang vibe to it. The characters in this book are well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book has mystery, it's got gore, it's got action, it's got love. Without saying too much, the "love" part is the only part holding this back from 5 stars. It didn't feel very believable to me, however it wasn't forced to much and it wasn't shoved in your face, so it didn't detract TOO much from the book. If you are looking for a good horror/YA novel, here it is.

I loved this book! Every ounce, every second! All action packed! It deserves more recognition than it really has. I loved the characters, Cas, Anna... They were great. If you don't like horror or get scared easily, don't read this. It is worth it though. I am going to tell you that. It is all horror with like 1% romance. Why do you think Cas constantly returns?
It is about a boy, Cas, who hunts and kills ghosts. Then he goes to a town to kill this ghost who goes by the name "Anna Dressed In Blood" and he goes, but something is stopping him from killing her.
Read this book if you have time, because believe me.. you won't be able to stop.
Rating: 8/10
Parental Rating: 14+

This is an extremely interesting book and I am glad that it is a series. This is a completely new idea - killing ghosts - and I love that. The characters interaction with each other seems really generic and very firmly young adult. Some of the idea development didn't seem to translate well on paper either. I have no doubt that the author had some amazingly vivid ideas in mind but they just didn't come out quite right! I look forward to this author developing more and will continue to read this series!!

My goodness, what a creepy, startingly beautiful, but scary tale! With amazing attention to details, Ms. Blake made me live through this whole tome with bated breath. There were some truly horrendous scenes, but they were there for a good reason, and the plot never took anything away from the story, or the characters. Cas is a young man with a tremendous job to do, and for the first time in his life, he gets friends, and falls in love.

I can't wait to see what will happen in the next book, there was never a dull moment in this one, and it is such a breath of fresh air, with a world that is new (at least to me) and with characters that are attaching and very real.

Wow, I flew through this book. The main character, Cas, was beautifully developed. You felt like you knew him in reality throughout the novel, and all the other characters that were introduced were very real as well. The plot was extremely interesting, and although it's about ghosts, the author made it seem so real. I couldn't put this book down, I just had to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. There were several sub-plots, and all of them were beautifully developed and equally exciting. I recommend this to anyone interested in the supernatural genre of novels. Truly a pleasure to read.

I absolutely loved this book. The narrator is witty and sarcastic, but not to a fault. At no point did I feel like the author was trying too hard to make him likeable. He was relatable, both strong and weak, and I adored his relationship with Anna from the start. The narration is fun to follow and the magic in the story is done very well. Anna is a powerful character without being overdone, Cas' friends are characters of their own (kind of reminded me of the trio from the Pendragon series?), and the story is really well-done. I adored this book, and will be thinking about it for a while.

This book started out extremely interesting. It really grabbed my attention. However, as it progressed, I felt like it got less exciting and the new characters that came into the story were not likable or enjoyable. It was pretty disappointing as I had high hopes from the great beginning.

I thought the storyline was great but not evolved enough. This story had the potential to be amazing but instead I finished the book with a shrug of my shoulders. Maybe I'm so used to reading longer books?? I definitely felt that the author tried too hard to make her man character "Cas" sound like a boy. It just seemed like Kendare Blake was new to the writing world (not sure if she is or not) and has room to grow. The artwork on the cover is stunning. Whoever they used for the artwork-- keep it up. I don't know if I would recommend this book... maybe if it was a rainy day and there was nothing left to do? It wasn't horrible, I just wasn't imporessed.

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.

I really enjoyed this book.
It was pretty fast paced with lots of action and a splash of gore thrown in here and there. I think any fan of the tv show Supernatural would really enjoy it. I will definitely be reading the second book in this series.

It is worth reading the reviews. The book was everything people said. I liked the concept, story line was lacking a bit, but over all worth the purchase. I, personally, dislike when a story goes stale b/c there is a lot of running around that goes no where; which, at times, this book did. But I kept coming back to it. It was descriptive enough I could imagine it as a teen horror/twisted love story.

I kind of wish it and the next book had been one book for a longer read. I was finished in three days. Oh well. I've preordered the next and can't wait.

Seventeen-year-old Theo Cassius is following in his father's footsteps as a ghost hunter. He's been pretty successful, too, until he meets Anna Dressed in blood. Her power may undo both his body and his heart.

I have to admit that I was tempted to give up after the first couple of chapters. I did not like the narrator's voice at all. In no way did he make me believe that he was a seventeen-year-old boy. His internal dialog sounded way too mature. I also did not like the fact that the book is written in present tense (this is a pet peeve of mine). The entire high school scenario was also packed with more cliches than a Disney TV show. Finally, the names - Thesius Cassio and Carmel (seriously? Not even 'caramel'?) drove me up the wall.

But...I'm so glad that I stuck with it.

This turned out to be a very solid ghost story. The plot kept me guessing (something that is very hard to do), but its twists and turns were never farfetched or over the top. The characters turned out to be well-developed instead of cliched. I even grew to like the narrator, something I did not think was possible.

My one caveat is that although this book was written as a YA novel, it is *not* YA. There were many needless F-bombs for one thing, and the descriptions, although vivid, were far too grotesque for younger readers imho. This is definitely a book for the sixteen and over crowd.

If you enjoy the gory suspense of writers like Stephen King, and the TV show Supernatural, then this book is probably right up your alley. Personally, I will be reading more books by this author.

Our October Bookclub pick. Fast read. Great plot and Cass is an awesome character. I really enjoyed the way he saw the world, and more importantly, the people in it.
One of the ladies in our Bookclub is from Jamaica so had a lot of voodoo stories which made our discussion so much more deliciously spooky!

This book was wonderful. I was recommended thus book by a friend and it truly blew my mind. I couldn't seem to stop and am so excited about the second book. Anna and Car are so perfect and the author really knows how to immerse you in the story.

OMG! This book had me screaming. In fear, in excitement, in frustration, in anger, it was that good. I mean, when Mike Andover got ripped in half, it sent me flying off of my bed, down the stairs, and in the snack closet for Cheeze-Its. When (SPOLIER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Anna and Cas kissed I was near tears, this story would be like totally mundane high school ghostbusters wannabe thingy, if it wasnt for how developed these characters were. Every move they make, we know the reason why. I mean, after a while of thinking Anna was this evil death goddess that Jack the Ripper would be proud of, you grow to love her, and feel sorry for her. But I also think of her as strong, well, as strong as any 50 years dead 16 year old girl can be. And Cas, I was pissed at him for falling in love with her at first. I knew he was going to love her the moment they started talking, and I was like "Cas, you freaking idiot. You're gonna end up like Mike... but worse... if possible." And I guess in a way he did end up worse because, Mike was dead, and Cas lost (SPOILER) his love. Okay, maybe not because, Mike literally watched one half of his body twitch as he died. Freaking disgusting.

Still, this book was so delicious that I even had girly girl moments, and I'm a pretty reserved person. So... yeah.... I can't wait for the sequel. Girl of Nightmares. (Fall 2012... I think.)

One of the best, heart-poundingly good books I've read - the introduction of Anna was thrilling, Cas was a good well rounded character and I loved his head space, and the over-all pacing and fast page-turning action in the first 3/4 the book was awesome.

The ending... not so much. Felt a little rushed and not well thought out, so we lose a star there. The plot kinda went a little off track, but my love for Cas and Anna kept me reading so I'm not too jilted.

The gore was also awesome, loved every minute of it.

Anna's back story was amazing and twisted, and really made me sympathies with her. As was Cas'. He made this book for me, and I cannot wait to read the sequel.

This book was fantastic! From the very first page I was hooked. I loved how Ms Clarke just kept delivering the goods on every page to the point where I actually felt irritated when I had to put the book down, because I knew that if I kept reading, just one more line I would discover something new in the story.
I don't even know if that makes sense, it probably doesn't but this book was everything. I highly recommend!

Yet another book that was bumped from 5 stars due to a cliffhanger ending. But, beyond that, this was an AMAZING book.

Follows a ghost hunter named Cas. It is written in first person, which I love and it is very well written. It was blessedly absent of a love triangle and had some great gory scenes (a guy literally gets ripped in half). It had twists that I wasn't expecting. Overall, great book that I highly recommend.

Cas kills ghosts. Anna is a particularly deadly ghost. And yet, when Cas enters Anna's home, she ends up sparing Cas's life. Why?

This was a fun ghost story with a lot of unexpected twists. There is the backstory of Cas's ghost-hunting lineage and the mystery of Anna's death, as well as an eclectic group of minor characters. All in all, this was a fun read that left me wanting more.

When I started reading this book, I was immediately captivated. This is a very peculiar story because most of the stories about ghosts are about people casting ghosts away, but this was different. And it really shocked when Cas kissed Anna, I couldn't actually believe that the cold blooded Cas would actually fall in love with a ghost, no matter how sorrowful their history and life were. But what actually disappointed me was that it ended too abruptly. It was not a great ending, I was anticipating for more. I was wondering how would Cas kill the Obeah, but it just ended too quickly, there should be more description.

But after reading the entire book, it was exciting and well written. I was hoping that there would be a trilogy, which would be awesome if Cas continues on with his new life, and if there is a trilogy i hope that there would be the decision whether Cas stays at Thunder Bay or not.

Plot Summary

A young man with a mystical knife must hunt down violent ghosts left on this world and send them to where they belong. He leaves alone those who harm no one. After his father's death, this job passed on to him and he and is mother travel around looking for those spirits who do the most harm.

Review

This is both a book about death and a book about friendship. Since his father's death, Cas has been focused on becoming better and better at sending ghosts back to where they belong with the hope of becoming better than his father and someday tracking down the spirit that killed him. Cas hasn't had time for friendship or for love, until he arrives in a small Canadian town looking for a ghost called "Anna Dressed in Blood." When he finds her, he finds out that there is more to the violence she commits - she is propelled by a sadness and cannot seem to stop even though she really doesn't want to hurt anyone. Cas, with the help of the first friends he's ever really had, must unravel the story behind Anna and either kill her or save her - a choice he struggles with.

The book handles Cas's relationship with death through how he is still dealing with the loss of his father and those questions we all have of what is on the other side. He begins to question where he is sending the ghosts he kills when he is forced to consider killing Anna. Though in the horror genre, the violence is fairly tame. This isn't a truly frightening book, though it is suspenseful. The characters are likeable and the first person perspective is believable.

The book is competently written and very enjoyable. This is for lovers of the horror genre and would make great beach reading. I went on to read the next book, and while I didn't enjoy it as much as this one it concluded the story nicely.

Genre - Fantasy/Horror/YA

Rating - 3.5/5

I enjoyed this book immensely. I loved the characters and the story was a fresh and new (to me, at least). Cas was an intriguing narrator and the story was well-paced and the dialogue was punchy. I would definitely read another book by this author.

I would, however, watch reading it at night! I am a night reader and some nights I was a bit leery of going to sleep. This was mainly at the beginning of the book, when Anna was a whirling terror of fearsome-ness.

As I have written before, supernatural is very in right now. Werewolves, vampires, faeries etc, all have had their time to shine in recent months. Now it is the ghosts turn, and they don't disappoint. Or at least, this one didn't.

Though the plot at first appears to follow the common boy meets girl pattern, it quickly changes things up. First off, the romance is so subtly playing out in the background, that you might miss out on much of it happening. So when it comes into the light, it seems so natural that it almost feels like it has always been there the whole time. I really admire that kind of light touch because more often love blooms over time gradually and rarely right on sight as many romance books would have you believe.

Cas and Anna are another highlight of this work. Cas especially is a very well-developed character. He is a prime example of a what if situation. What if you are raised to 'kill' the ghosts of victims of tragic crimes? What if your father was murdered by a ghost? What if you always lived in the dark with the monsters? You'd probably end up like Cas, a cynical but professional hunter. This cynical-ness does at times makes it hard to connect to him as a character. However, to balance this out, Ms. Blake gives us many incidents where Cas's more sensitive side is on display. A prime example of this is how fixated Cas is about looking into the ghosts eyes. It's like he is looking for their humanity. Brilliant writing.

If you would like to read more of my review of this book, please visit my blog at isabelamadaun.hubpages.com It's worth a visit, trust me. Happy Reading.

Theseus Cassio Lowood is a born ghostbuster. Although you shouldn't call him that. Kendare Blake has written a gripping novel of ghosts and a spiritual world along side ours. A good read, one that has plot twists and turns that keep you engaged. Cas is hunting for a ghost that literally rips it's victims apart. However, when he finds her, the unexpected appearance of a ghost from his past complicates events.
I hope to see more from Kendare. I rated it a 4 instead of a 4 because some of the assumptions you must make about the characters were a bit of a stretch. High School students would be expected to react a bit differently than presented and likely would not be so willing to believe certain supernatural and occult events. Aside from that, I'd certainly recommend it and look forward to Cas next adventure.

As I have written before, supernatural is very in right now. Werewolves, vampires, faeries etc, all have had their time to shine in recent months. Now it is the ghosts turn, and they don't disappoint. Or at least, this one didn't.

Though the plot at first appears to follow the common boy meets girl pattern, it quickly changes things up. First off, the romance is so subtly playing out in the background, that you might miss out on much of it happening. So when it comes into the light, it seems so natural that it almost feels like it has always been there the whole time. I really admire that kind of light touch because more often love blooms over time gradually and rarely right on sight as many romance books would have you believe.

Cas and Anna are another highlight of this work. Cas especially is a very well-developed character. He is a prime example of a what if situation. What if you are raised to 'kill' the ghosts of victims of tragic crimes? What if your father was murdered by a ghost? What if you always lived in the dark with the monsters? You'd probably end up like Cas, a cynical but professional hunter. This cynical-ness does at times makes it hard to connect to him as a character. However, to balance this out, Ms. Blake gives us many incidents where Cas's more sensitive side is on display. A prime example of this is how fixated Cas is about looking into the ghosts eyes. It's like he is looking for their humanity. Brilliant writing.

If you would like to read more of my review of this book, please visit my blog at isabelamadaun.hubpages.com It's worth a visit, trust me. Happy Reading.

Theseus Cassio Lowood is a born ghostbuster. Although you shouldn't call him that. Kendare Blake has written a gripping novel of ghosts and a spiritual world along side ours. A good read, one that has plot twists and turns that keep you engaged. Cas is hunting for a ghost that literally rips it's victims apart. However, when he finds her, the unexpected appearance of a ghost from his past complicates events.
I hope to see more from Kendare. I rated it a 4 instead of a 4 because some of the assumptions you must make about the characters were a bit of a stretch. High School students would be expected to react a bit differently than presented and likely would not be so willing to believe certain supernatural and occult events. Aside from that, I'd certainly recommend it and look forward to Cas next adventure.

I really enjoyed the story. Fast read. But couldn't get over the solidity of the ghosts, his mom letting him do this from age 7, & why the most popular girl in school was so keen on him when he just walked by her his first day. And did they have to kill the cat? But loves Anna. She's one kick-ass girl ghost

This book started out really well. The ghosts and the descriptions where graphic enough that I could totally see a movie version playing out. However, once the kids start talking to Anna she doesn't seem like a ghost anymore and it took the creepiness out of the book for me then things seemed weird and rushed. I hope the second book is better paced!

I absolutely loooooooved this book! There was definitely blood all over the story. And it was refreshing to have strong and fierce female roles instead of weak as they usually are. All the characters were unique and wonderfully written. There is lots of action and it keeps the fun rolling.