Annotation:
After
Anna sacrificed herself to save him and his friends, everyone in Cas’ life
seems to think it’s best that he just forget the girl who used to be the
vicious ghost known as Anna Dressed in Blood. Cas is convinced, however, that
Anna is trapped in Hell, and once he begins having nightmarish visions of Anna
being tortured, he knows that he must join her to set her free.
Personal
thoughts: Anna Dressed in Blood was
one of my favorite books of 2011 and something I like to recommend to teens who
are interested in a good, scary story. I was eagerly anticipating the release
of Girl of Nightmares, but was also a
little nervous because I have read a few sequels this year that didn’t impress
me. Thankfully, Kendare Blake delivered and managed to create a story that,
while different from the first, was just as enjoyable! I was very intrigued by
Anna’s disappearance, Cas’ uber-creepy visions of her in various stages of torture,
and the history and secrets behind Cas’ weapon, the athame. I also was really
happy with the the relationship between Cas, Thomas and Carmel, and like that
the author doesn’t skim over the support characters but takes the time to let
the reader get to know them as well. I haven’t seen anything as far as an
announcement about a third Anna novel,
but I hope that Kendare Blake decides to keep the story going!
Plot
summary: Six months have passed since Anna sacrificed herself to save Cas
and his friends, Thomas and Carmel, from the Obeahman: the evil ghost who
killed Cas’ father and nearly ended his life as well. Cas doesn’t know where
Anna went; where does a ghost go when it dies? Everyone in his life seems to
think that he needs to forget Anna. Cas is convinced, however, that Anna is
trapped in Hell. When he begins having nightmarish visions of Anna being
tortured, he knows in his heart that his suspicions were correct. Determined to
find a way to bring Anna back, Cas begins to investigate the origins of his
athame: the knife that he, his father before him, and so on have used for
centuries to kill vengeful spirits. Unsure of how a living person can cross
into Hell without first dying, Cas soon learns that the answers he’s seeking
might lie in the very tool he uses to send ghosts on to the afterlife. But how
far is Cas willing to go to save the girl who saved his life and with whom he
has fallen in love?
Review: Kendare
Blake continues her sharp and scary series with Girl of Nightmares, the sequel to the 2011 best-selling novel, Anna Dressed in Blood. Oftentimes, books
that achieve a lot of success lose steam in the stories that follow.
Fortunately, Blake manages to maintain the creepy vibe of her first novel in
the sequel, delivering a story that is just as gruesome, scary, and exciting as
its predecessor. One of the most interesting parts of both Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl
of Nightmares is acid-tongued but courageous Cas and his best friends, Thomas
and Carmel. The trio’s relationship was well-established in the first novel,
and their dynamic is the majority of the reason why the second book is as
enjoyable as it is. The reader feels like they know the characters, they care
about their fates and wonder how they are going to survive going through,
literally, hell and back. Anna is only a very minor character in this novel,
mostly appearing in Cas’ horrifying visions of death and torture. Blake
certainly has an eye for creating scenes of horror, and non-squeamish readers
will get a good squirm from all of the scenes of terror. As with the first
novel, teachers, parents and librarians should be aware that this book is
definitely for an older teen audience. There is quite a bit of swearing and a
great deal of gore. For readers who are mature enough to venture into Hell with
Cas, however, this series is quite a ride.
Genre: Horror
Reading
level: Grade 10+
Similar
titles: Anna
Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, Hereafter series by Tara Hudson, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, Everneath by Brodi Ashton, Falling
Under series by Gwen Hayes, Lightbringer
by K.D. McEntire, Soul Screamer series
by Rachel Vincent, On the Fringe by
Courtney King Walker, Wake Unto Me by
Lisa Cach.
Themes: Ghosts, death, Hell, Wicca, occult, ghost
hunters, witches, friendship, loyalty, revenge, England.
Awards/Reviews:
Starred review from Kirkus, sequel to positively reviewed novel.
Series
Information: Sequel to novel, Anna
Dressed in Blood. Third novel not yet announced.
Discussion
questions:
-
Which novel did you like better: Anna Dressed in Blood or Girl of Nightmares? Why?- How do you think Cas changed between the two novels? Thomas? Carmel?
- What do you think was the source of Cas’ visions of Anna? How did those visions impact the story?
- Do you think that Jestine was a friend or enemy of Cas? Why?
- How do you explain the ending of the novel?
- Would you like to read a third Anna novel? If so, what would you like to see happen to the characters?
