Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Title: Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1)
Author: Kendare Blake
Pages: 316
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Genre: Horror
Release: August 30th 2011
Source: Purchased
Buy the Book at: Book Depository / Chapters.Indigo / Barnes & Noble / Amazon

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. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: 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.
But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

My Thoughts
Kendare Blake wrote one of the creepiest books I have read so far. If you like spooky, gory and a nice blooming romance, then Anna Dressed in Blood is your book!

Cas, our badass hero, kills the dead (I know, sounds weird, but is actually pretty cool). The story is told from his perspective and I have to say that I really loved that aspect of the book. His voice is so real! I can easily picture a teenage boy talking and thinking the way Cas does. I think Kendare Blake did an amazing job creating a character like Cas. He is confident, badass, brave and smart but he is still a teenage who needs some friends and the support of his mom to do the difficult jobs. He is so young, that even with all this confident and smartness, he doesn't realize when he falls for someone, at least not until everybody else has already noticed. I really liked the characters. Not only Cas but Anna too. She is one of those very creepy (probably the creepiest!) characters but very lovable. I'm excited to see more about her in the next book!. Cas, his mom and the creepy cat (a lot of things are creepy in this book!) are Americans but the book takes place in Ontario! Yey!! Cas takes jobs here and there and that's the way they have been living for the past three years until Cas confront himself to Anna. His most spooky and dangerous job ever! 

Blake's gory descriptions makes from Anna Dressed in Blood a disturbing and enjoyable read (enjoyable depending if you like blood and flying human body parts. Moahahaha -> totally my thing!). I really enjoyed this book!! I think this would be a perfect read for Samhain/Halloween! and I strongly recommend you to read it at night with only a flash light! because...well, Anna is Anna, and she is someone to be afraid of!

Watch the Trailer!

Visit Kendare Blake's website at http://www.kendareblake.com/