A Review for Anna Dressed In Blood (Anna #1) by Kendare Blake

Posted by Jess

Expected UK Release Date:  July 5th, 2012

Finished Date: June 20th, 2012

Publishers: Orchard Books

Source: For Review

Format:  Paperback

Pages: 367
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...

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Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

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So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder 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.

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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: move, 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, but now stained red and dripping 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.

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And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

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The Review: “I’ve been Obeahed by an Obeahman? Is this like how the Smurfs say they smurfing smurfed all the time?” -Cas 
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Well this was deliciously creepy. This is the second ghost story I've read, and frankly the creepiest of the two. It very much reminded me of Supernatural. Cas is a fantastic character and you're pretty much sucked into his life from page one. He's a strong character who does his job well. I always enjoy male protagonists, I find them refreshing because there are so few in YA these days. And to have a male protagonist who is witty and smart, cute and strong pretty much sells the book. He's like a young Dean Winchester. (I know).
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Kendare has managed to creep out and intrigue the reader from the get go and as a reader that's pretty much what I want. With all it's creep-tasticness the book was a fab read.  If you enjoy creepy YA novels then this is pretty much the book you want to pick up. Anna Dressed in Blood is full of all the gruesome descriptions, all the ghosts and the spooky descriptions of the atmosphere surrounding Cas and his friends. Kendare Blake has a way with words. Her writing seems almost poetic with her dark descriptions and gory details. It really does just flow, you're never really left feeling denied with anything and you're always left with a shiver along your spine.
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As far as romance goes. There is some, but it isn't the sole focus of the story. And if anything I was sort of relieved. This may sound a little weird considering I enjoy reading vampire/human romances (they're dead too) the idea of a ghost being a love interest never really got me. I just never understood how that relationship would even work? However, having said that, when the romance between Cas and Anna does start to kindle it is executed beautifully. Which brings me to the ending. One hell of an ending that will pretty much have you thinking WTF?! It's going to make you want to read the next book. Sadly for the UK it isn't released until early next year I believe but US residents will have it in August. 
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Overall I enjoyed Anna Dressed in Blood a lot more than I thought I would. I wasn't scared like I thought I would be just thoroughly creeped out a lot along the way. If you want to read something fast and are looking for some new YA horror than definitely give Anna a go. You may be pleasantly surprised. Or pleasantly scared.
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Note: Thank you to Orchard Books for sending me an advanced copy. Please also note although this is for YA there is some coarse language and a fair bit of bloody horror that may not be for the easily scared or offended.