Girl of Nightmares Book Review

Author: Kendare Blake. Release date: 2012. Publisher: Tor Teen. ISBN: 9780765328663.

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?

 

 

 

The Shadowing: Hunted Book Review

 Author: Adam Slater. Release date: 2011. Publisher:  EgmontUSA. ISBN: 9781606842614.

Annotation:  Callum Scott has been able to see ghosts his whole life, a “gift” he’s tried to keep hidden from the rest of the world. After a bizarre string of gruesome murders wreaks havoc near his English village, however, Callum fears that he is being hunted by something not of this world, and that only his supernatural powers can save him.  

Personal thoughts:  I love a good ghost story, and I was definitely surprised (but pleased!) with how creepy this book was, especially since it is less than 200 pages. Although it is full of British lingo (kitbag, motorway, etc.), I think this novel would be great for reluctant readers, especially boys. The story gets going immediately, wasting little time between scares. It does manage to establish an interesting setting and cast of characters, however, providing opportunities for discussion or critical thinking. I look forward to picking up the second installment, both for the potential scares and the possibilities the series holds for sparking an interest in reading for young adults.

Plot summary: Callum Scott has been able to see ghosts his whole life. When he was younger, he would often embarrass himself by trying to talk to people no one else could see. Now he is in high school and has taught himself how to hide his “gift” from others: his friends, his teachers, and his Gran, who he lives with in a small cottage outside of his English village. One evening, however, Callum suddenly discovers that his powers have taken a startling turn: he now has the ability to see the future, sensing lurking danger when a tingling sensation overpowers his body. It also appears that the ghost population of Marlock has increased in size, with specters from all walks of life floating nearby wherever he goes. To make matters worse, Callum senses something evil. A bizarre and gruesome series of murders nearby have the village on edge. As more and more teenagers are killed, Callum begins to fear that whatever is hunting them is after him as well. Will Callum be able to use the powers he’s kept hidden for years to save himself and the people he loves from this new evil?

Review:  Short but creepy, this first installment in a new horror series for young adults packs a powerful punch for a book of its size. Author Adam Slater’s enthusiasm for the genre is evident throughout the novel. Suspense is built effectively throughout the story with genuinely scary moments, the right amount of gore, and an overall feeling of dread. Callum Scott is a likable protagonist, generally keeping to himself in school but still managing to be popular and easygoing. His relationship with his Gran is very pleasing, as are the descriptions of their quaint and cozy cottage in the woods. Juxtaposed with these more heart-warming aspects of the novel is the horror that is The Hunter. The Hunter narrates the book from time to time, describing in detail how it relishes murder and enjoys toying with Callum. Some of the scenes in the story are more than a little creepy and will certainly cause the reader’s eyes to dart around looking for signs of a monster lurking in the corner. Thrown into the mix are references to supernatural folklore, including chime children, churchyard grims, and various methods of warding off evil. Since it is so short, this novel would be especially appealing for reluctant readers who will respond to the quick pacing and entertaining story. It will also be equally enjoyable for both teen and adult horror fans as well. The second installment, The Shadowing: Skinned is set to be released in 2012.

Genre: Horror

Reading level: Grade 7+

Similar titles: Damage by Anya Parrish, Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki.

Themes:  Ghosts, demons, haunting, psychic abilities, murder, England.   

Awards/Reviews:  N/A  

Series Information: First installment in The Shadowing series. Second novel, The Shadowing: Skinned to be released in 2012.  

Discussion questions:

- Do you think Callum’s ability to see ghosts is a gift or a curse? Why?

- Research some of the supernatural folklore in the novel. Where does it get its roots? Is the novel true to the history?

- What do you think happened to Callum’s father?

- What would you like to see happen in the sequel?

After Obsession Book Review

Author: Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel. Release date: 2011. Publisher:  Bloomsbury USA Childrens. ISBN: 9781599906812.

Annotation:  Seventeen-year-old Aimee Avery is still struggling with her mother’s death years before, especially because she is worried that her prophetic dreams and strange healing abilities will make people think she’s as crazy as they thought her mother was. Her recent dreams have been pointing to impending danger in her small Maine town and the arrival of a boy with dark hair and tan skin. When Alan Parsons moves from his home in Oklahoma and meets Aimee, she soon realizes that he is the one she has been dreaming about, and that he is in danger.

Personal thoughts:  Although I did find myself genuinely spooked out from time to time, my overall feeling after finishing After Obsession was that it was simple okay. I really liked the River Man/possession concepts, but I was a little too distracted by the overwhelming hokey vibes that Alan’s Navajo rituals/traditions gave off. As a huge fan of Navajo culture, I think it would have been much more pleasing to not chalk up Alan’s faith in his heritage to frequent visits to websites that apparently instruct readers in how to be a proper Native American. I really felt like this put a damper on Alan’s powers, and since they are such an important part of the plot, kept me from really enjoying the novel. As a sidenote, the Cheeto in the shape of Marilyn Monroe was utterly out of left-field in an otherwise serious storyline.  

Plot summary: Seventeen-year-old Aimee Avery’s seemingly happy existence is a facade: still struggling to cope with her mother’s apparent suicide years before, Aimee must now help her best friend, Courtney, who has just lost her father in a tragic fishing accident. To make matters worse, Aimee’s often prophetic dreams have become more and more intense: she senses that danger is lurking nearby, ready to pounce on everyone living in her small Maine town.  Aimee has also been dreaming of a boy her age with dark hair and tan skin, someone who is important but in as much danger as she is. In the meantime, seventeen-year-old Alan Parsons has just moved from Oklahoma with his mother to help his cousin, Courtney (Aimee’s best-friend), and Aunt Lisa following the death of Courtney’s father. Alan immediately stands out in the small Maine town: he is half Navajo, has long dark hair, tan skin, and wears a medicine pouch full of sacred items at all times. Like Aimee, Alan can also sense what’s coming with the help of his spirit guide, a cougar he calls Onawa. Onawa has been showing him visions of a girl his age with red hair and piercing green eyes. When Alan and Aimee finally meet in school one day they realize the truth: they have been dreaming of each other. Despite their immediate attraction, they also realize that their meeting signifies that the danger they both sense is also real. It seems that the small Maine town has been plagued for decades by an evil spirit, one many refer to as simply the “River Man.” Aimee is convinced that the River Man is the one who killed her mother, and, when Courtney begins acting strangely, that he has decided to possess her best friend next. Will Aimee and Alan be able to use their powers to stop the demon once and for all?

Review:  Told in alternating voices between its two protagonists, After Obsession offers an often muddled but frequently creepy collaboration between two successful authors. The high and low points of the novel are easily distinguished. An appropriate amount of suspense is created by the many spooky moments in the story: dark figures appearing in windows, phantom dust storms, knives standing on end and spinning, and more. The gradual deterioration of the town is also unique: it seems that the evil entity does not limit itself to one person, but instead affects everyone in the vicinity. These positives, however, are a bit hampered by some of the weaker elements of the plot. In terms of character development, Aimee and Alan live a bit to be desired. Aimee’s strange abilities never seem to be explained, only that she thinks they might be genetic. Alan’s transformation into a Navajo warrior is chalked up to a heavy amount of internet research into the practices of his “ancestors.” The romance between the two seems a bit forced at times. At the start of the novel, Aimee is described as having dated her boyfriend, Blake, for “a long time.” After Alan arrives, however, she quickly shrugs off her steady beau (fortunately, he makes some racist remarks that justify the break-up), and immediately begins to date the new guy in town. In fact, the events of the entire story transpire over roughly a week, making the intense “spiritual connection” between Alan and Aimee seem unlikely, even for a young adult novel. Thrown into the mix are some other oddities as well: there is a running plot line about a Cheeto in the shape of Marilyn Monroe, for example. Despite the moments of lag, After Obsession does, when it is all said and done, prove to be, at the very least, entertaining. No mention is made of a sequel, though the ending does leave it somewhat open to continuation.

Genre: Fiction/Horror

Reading level: Grade 7+

Similar titles: Soul Screamer series by Rachel Vincent, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake.        

Themes:  Ghosts, demons, possession, death, murder, supernatural powers, rivers, Maine, Navajo, dreams.  

Awards/Reviews:  Written by best-selling authors.   

Series Information: No mention of sequel.   

Discussion questions: 

- Did you like the dual perspectives style of narrative in the novel? Why or why not?

- Which character did you identify with more: Alan or Aimee? Why?

- Do you think that Aimee’s mom was crazy? Why or why not?

- Alan is described as having learned most of his Navajo traditions and rituals online. Do you think the internet is a reliable source of spiritual information? Why or why not?

Sweetly Book Review

Author: Jackson Pearce. Release date: 2011. Publisher:  Little Brown and Company. ISBN: 9780316068659.

Annotation:  Brother and sister Ansel and Gretchen are thrown out by their stepmother and find that memories of the sister who was stolen by a witch in the woods years earlier haunt them even in their new home across the country.

Personal thoughts:  I am a huge fan of fairy tale spin-offs and this is definitely one of my favorites. The whole concept of the creature lurking in the woods, waiting and watching really creeped me out, but also increased my enjoyment of the novel even more. Pearce really knows how to set the stage for a dramatic climax in the story. I also found myself genuinely caring about the fates of Ansel, Gretchen and Sophia, which made the novel that much more engrossing. I hope Pearce continues to write novels like this! I will certainly be reading them!  

Plot summary: One sunny afternoon in the forest turns into a nightmare for Ansel and Gretchen when Gretchen’s twin sister is stolen by a witch. When the girl never returns, Ansel and Gretchen’s parents both eventually die from grief, leaving them to the care of their stepmother who throws them out of the house shortly after Gretchen turns eighteen. Not sure what the future holds, the pair head cross country in hopes of starting a new life. When they make it to South Carolina, Ansel’s Jeep gives out, and the pair find themselves in the town of Live Oak with only a few dollars to their name. Soon, they find themselves working for Sophia, a beautiful and charismatic candymaker who’s house and shop are on the outskirts of town. Ansel and Gretchen are useful in the chocolatier, and the three become fast friends. Gretchen is still haunted by the memories of her sister, however, and is plagued with fear of the woods surrounding Sophia’s house. Her fears are worsened when she learns that Live Oak has a terrible secret that seems to involve Sophia, a secret that sounds eerily similar to what happened to her sister years before. Could the witch have followed Ansel and Gretchen to their new home in Live Oak?

Review: This clever spin-off of the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel makes for a very entertaining and unique read that is scary at times but always enjoyable. The novel opens with Ansel and Gretchen as children playing in the woods with their sister, Gretchen’s identical twin. When their sister is stolen by a witch with golden eyes, Gretchen is haunted not only by memories of the terrible incident, but with guilt over the fact that she survived but her sister did not. When the pair wind up in Live Oak, South Carolina, the author does an excellent job of slowly building up the suspense over what will inevitably be another encounter with the witch from their past. One of the major ingredients in the sense of foreboding that the novel invokes are the forests surrounding the small town. Anyone with any sense of trepidation over forests will undoubtedly find what lurks within the trees unsettling and sometimes downright creepy. Pearce does an excellent job of taking the novel to some scary places, but never pushing it over the edge into pure horror. Overall, an original take on an old tale that readers are sure to enjoy.

Genre: Fairy Tale/Horror

Reading level: Grade 8+

Similar titles: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce, Entwined by Heather Dixon.  

Themes:  Hansel and Gretel, siblings, death, witches, werewolves, small towns, candy.   

Awards/Reviews:  Positive reviews from VOYA.

Series Information: Companion novel to Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce, but not a sequel.

Discussion questions:

- This novel is a spin-off of the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel. What is your version of the old tale, and how would you create your own spin-off?

- Why do you think Ansel was not as consumed by the loss of his sister as Gretchen?

- Do you think that Sophia was the “patron saint of candy” or the “sign of Live Oak’s last days”? Did your perception change throughout the story?

- Why do you think Gretchen was so afraid of the woods? Was it more than just her fear of the witch?

- Were you surprised to learn the truth about the witch?

The Nightmarys Book Review

Author: Dan Poblocki. Release date: 2010. Publisher:  Random House Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780375842566.

Annotation:  What would you do if your worst fears and the things from your nightmares haunted you during the day? Timothy and Abigail must find a way to put an end to the curse that is causing them to be plagued by terror even when they’re awake.

Personal thoughts:  If I’m being completely honest, this book terrified me. As I was reading it, I kept having to remind myself that it is a young adult novel, and therefore not “worthy” of making my eyes dart around and covering my head with the blanket at night. I admire Poblocki’s ability to create a sense of absolute horror with no gore or violence. The idea of the waking nightmare is quite scary, and I would only recommend this book to brave readers. Younger readers are likely to have nightmares themselves after reading this story.  I know I did.

Plot summary: Seventh-grader Timothy July has been plagued by nightmares ever since his brother was wounded while serving in Iraq. These nightmares are terrifying and keep Timothy awake for hours. During the day, he sometimes finds himself imagining horrifying things while he’s awake. To make matters worse, Timothy isn’t sure what to think when he gets partnered with strange and quiet new girl Abigail for a field trip to the local museum. His best friend, Stuart Chen, is his usual partner, and is angry that Timothy unwittingly volunteered to team up with Abigail. Things get even more odd while the class is at the museum. Abigail seems nice, but Timothy can sense something different about her. When the two venture into the museum basement, the horrifying images from Timothy’s nightmares converge upon him, causing him to panic. When he confesses what is happening to Abigail, she tells him that she has also been plagued with terrifying nightmares. It seems that a curse has been placed on people connected with Abigail that is causing the things from their nightmares to torment them even after they wake up. Can Timothy and Abigail determine the origin of the curse and stop it before the terror consumes them?

Review: This truly frightening tale from Dan Poblocki is full of twists, turns, mystery and, above all, scares that will delight brave tween readers. Almost from the first pages of the novel, the reader develops a sense of dread at the horrifying images that seem to be haunting the characters. At the center of the waking nightmares is a mysterious man in an overcoat and hat. Timothy begins to experience these terrors as well, and is determined to fight them, with the help of his new friend Abigail. As the primary protagonists, Timothy and Abigail are very likeable. Timothy is kind to the new girl who everyone else makes fun of, and is also brave in his resolve to overcome whatever is cursing him and his friends. The story contains many different plot lines that converge in the nail-biting finale. Overall, The Nightmarys is an entertaining and terrifying adventure that readers are sure to enjoy.

Genre: Fiction/Horror

Reading level: Grade 6+

Similar titles: The Stone Child by Dan Poblocki, The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn.

Themes:  Nightmares, curses, mystery, horror.  

Awards/Reviews:  Positive review from School Library Journal and Booklist.

Series Information: N/A    

Discussion questions:

- Did this book frighten you? What do you think are important elements in a scary story?

- Do you believe in curses? Why or why not?

- What do you think causes us to have nightmares?

- Describe a nightmare that you can remember. Why did it frighten you?