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?

 

 

 

Dreaming Awake Book Review

Author: Gwen Hayes. Release date: 2012. Publisher: NAL Trade. ISBN: 9780451235541.

Annotation: After Theia Alderson made a deal with demon queen Mara in Under, she returns to the world of the living, half-human, half-demon like her boyfriend, Mara’s son, Haden. Unsure about her new powers, Theia struggles to get back to her normal life of high school and hanging out with her friends, Donny and Amelia. When students at her school begin to mysteriously fall ill, however, Theia worries that she brought something sinister back with her on her return from Under.

Personal thoughts: Falling Under was easily one of my favorite novels of 2011, so I was really excited to finally pick up the sequel. Although some of the elements of the first book that I loved so much were still there (Theia’s journeys to Under in her dreams, Haden’s charm, etc.), I wasn’t nearly as into the story as I was in Falling Under. There was too much fluff in the first half of the novel, leaving the action that occurred at the end feeling rushed and unsatisfying. I also felt that the author opened many doors in Dreaming Awake, but didn’t ever close them. I hope that she does write a third novel that can return the story to the level of originality and intrigue that was the first book. If she doesn’t then I think a series that had loads of potential would be squandered.

Plot summary: After Theia Alderson made a deal with demon queen Mara to protect Haden, Mara’s son and Theia’s boyfriend, she thought she would be stuck living in the beautiful but deadly world of Under for eternity. Thanks to her friends Donny, Amelia and Varnie, however, a summoning spell returns Theia to the world of the living. Reunited with Haden and her father, who thinks she ran away, Theia must now return to her normal high school routine while coping with the fact that she is now half-human, half-demon like Haden. Strange things start occurring in the weeks following Theia’s return from Under, however. Students at her high school begin to fall ill, she is plagued by dreams of a darkly beautiful garden next to a black, slow-moving river, and she can’t seem to shake the feeling that Mara is trying everything in her power to return her and Haden to Under. Will Theia have to choose between saving her friends and family or leaving them forever to spend an eternity as Mara’s servant in a land of skeletons, blood and nightmares?

Review: Following up her creative and riveting novel, Falling Under, Gwen Hayes continues her paranormal romance series for young adults with Dreaming Awake. The story picks up right where the first book left off, with Theia returning from several months in Under to a life on the surface that is different from the one she left behind. The same cast of characters are back: Theia’s wise-cracking but caring friends, Donny and Amelia, sweet, cross-dressing medium, Varnie, and Theia’s darkly handsome boyfriend (and reason for the events of the first novel to have taken place), Haden. What hasn’t returned for the sequel, however, is the captivating story that was Falling Under. Theia spends the majority of the sequel soul-searching (both figuratively and literally), trying to determine the nature of her new “demon blood” and wondering if she and Haden’s relationship will really work out. The mystery surrounding Haden himself is gone, replaced instead by a somewhat controlling, jealous boyfriend who can’t imagine why Theia has doubts about their amour. Mara, Haden’s demon mother, is arguably the most interesting part of the book. Icily beautiful and completely evil, she wants nothing more than to seek revenge on Theia for betraying her and leaving Under. The book ends with everything resolved more or less, but still open for another novel, which the author says may or may not be published. Fans of the wonderful Falling Under will likely want to read this novel, but not many will enjoy it with as much fervor as its predecessor.

Genre:  Fiction/Romance

Reading level: Grade 8+

Similar titles: Falling Under by Gwen Hayes, The Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent, Misfit by Jon Skovron, Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey, The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff, Everneath by Brodi Ashton.  

Themes:  Demons, Hell, love, romance, trust, revenge, friendship, spells, magic, witches.

Awards/Reviews:  Sequel to positively reviewed novel, Falling Under (2011).

Series Information: Second installment in Falling Under series. First novel, Falling Under, released in 2011. Third novel in series may or may not be written.   

Discussion questions:

-     Which novel did you like better: Falling Under or Dreaming Awake? Why?

-       How do you think the characters in the novel changed between each book?

-      How did Theia and Haden’s relationship change between the two novels?

-       Why do you think Mara is so intent on seeking revenge against Theia?

-     How do you explain what happened in the series of chapters called “Up Is Still Down?” Did you like the author’s use of a shift between narrators?

-      If a third book is written in this series, what would you like to see happen? Do you think a third book is necessary to make the story feel complete? Why or why not?

 

 

 

Anna Dressed in Blood Book Review

Author: Kendare Blake. Release date: 2011. Publisher:  Tor Teen. ISBN: 9780765328656.

Annotation:  Seventeen-year-old Theseus Cassio “Cas” Lowood has an unusual life: he hunts murderous ghosts and sends them to their permanent graves. But nothing can prepare him for his next target: the ghost of Anna Korlov, a beautiful sixteen-year-old who was murdered fifty years earlier.

Personal thoughts:  I love a good ghost story, so I was really looking forward to reading this novel. I was not disappointed! Although it took a few chapters for me to get used to Blake’s writing style, I really enjoyed Cas’ narrative and thought it did a lot to help tone down some of the absolutely horrifying scenes in the novel. I got a little grossed out at times with all the dismemberment, dead bodies, etc. but I think that this novel would be really enjoyable for older teens who want something scary and creepy with a bit of romance thrown in. I’m looking forward to the sequel.

Plot summary: Seventeen-year-old Theseus Cassio “Cas” Lowood spends his life on the move. Following in his father’s footsteps, he hunts murderous ghosts and sends them to their permanent graves with the knife he inherited after his father was killed in the line of duty. Hoping to somehow avenge his father’s brutal murder, Cas, his mother, a white witch, and their cat travel the country dispatching the not-so-restful dead. Nothing can prepare Cas for what he encounters upon arriving in Thunder Bay, Ontario. After receiving a tip about a spirit called “Anna Dressed in Blood,” Cas feels a strange pull to the case that he isn’t used to. It seems that the ghost of sixteen-year-old Anna Korlov has been haunting her old Victorian mansion since she was murdered in 1958. To say that Anna has simply been rattling chains and slamming doors shut would be the understatement of the century: she has killed over 25 people since her death, ripping limb from limb anyone who dares enter her house. In an effort to learn more about Anna, Cas befriends Carmel, the “queen bee” at his new high school, and Thomas, a nerdy telepath who comes from a long line of witches himself. When Cas is lured to Anna’s mansion by Carmel’s jealous ex-boyfriend, he makes his first encounter with Anna: a beautiful but frightening ghost with jet-black eyes, wearing a dress dripping with her blood. For reasons unknown, however, Anna spares Cas’ life, and he is left wondering whether he should, or can, kill her like the rest of the ghosts he has hunted.

Review:  Told in a bitingly sarcastic tone with blood-red type, Anna Dressed in Blood is not your typical boy-meets-girl love story. Almost from the beginning, it is clear that Blake’s writing-style is unique. Cas is the narrator of the story, and the character’s jaunty wit permeates what would be an otherwise horrifying plot. Cas is a very likeable protagonist, and his job as a ghost hunter makes for an interesting twist in his dealings with Anna. Oftentimes in ghost stories written for young adults, the characters seem to haphazardly stumble upon their spectres. Cas, however, seeks Anna out, despite tales of her dismembering the townsfolk for fifty years. The result is a fun and fresh approach on horror that makes for a very exciting read. With that said, parents, teachers and librarians should be warned. Although it is a very good story with a lot of the typical young adult cast of characters (i.e. the outsider, the queen bee, the nerdy sidekick, the overprotective mom, etc.), Anna Dressed in Blood is a novel for older teens. The book is chock full of cussing, gore, violence and horror that would likely land it on the no-fly list for parents of anyone under fifteen. For older teens, however, it is a well-written, enjoyable, and genuinely creepy ghost story that is sure to leave readers clambering for the sequel, Girl of Nightmares, set to be released in 2012.

Genre: Horror

Reading level: Grade 10+

Similar titles: Hereafter by Tara Hudson.

Themes:  Ghosts, Wicca, occult, murder, ghost hunters, witches, friendship, death.   

Awards/Reviews:  Positive reviews from Kirkus and Booklist.

Series Information: First installment in Anna series.  

Discussion questions:

- Did you learn any new words from Wicca or VooDoo lore after reading this novel?
- Where do you think the spirits that Cas killed were sent?
- What was the scariest part of the novel in your opinion?
- Why do you think Anna was murdered?
- What would you like to see happen in the next installment?