Review - Girl of Nightmares

by Kendare Blake
publisher: Tor Teen
date of publication: August 7, 2012
format: ARC
pages: 332
source: from the publisher for review

From Goodreads:

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on. 

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live--not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

Last year, Anna Dressed in Blood completely rocked my world.  Being a huge fan of ghost stories, I was looking forward to an eerie story with lots of action.  Did it ever deliver!  As I prepared to read Girl of Nightmares, I was nervous as I always am with sequels to beloved books.  Would it have the same level of spookiness, the same punch as Anna Dressed in Blood?  There was really only one way to find out, so I immersed myself into the world of Thunder Bay once more.  What I found was nothing short of amazing.  Girl of Nightmares delivered in every way and was a fantastic follow-up for Anna Dressed in Blood.  It is now left up to me to write a review free of spoilers and excessive gushing.  I'll do my best, though, because every single one of you seriously need to read this series!

We find Cas with much the same personality but a lot more forlorn.  He is visited nightly by visions of Anna undergoing horrible tortures due to his inability to determine whether or not he is losing his mind in addition to his inability to do anything to help.  As he determinedly searches for a way to pull Anna out of Hell, he shows the true extent of his resolve.  He's all the better for it as it adds even more to his character and gives him further depth.  Anna is truly heart-breaking this time around.  She is trapped in a bleak and brutal place without any hope of escaping the torment she is going through.  She cemented my opinion of her and she continues to be my favorite ghostly character ever.  She is so unique in that one moment she can bring you to tears and the next she can scare you as well as any movie monster can.  You've got to give her credit where credit is due.

I thought the premise for Anna Dressed in Blood was compelling, frightening, and thrilling.  Little did I know that Girl of Nightmares was about to turn up the level on all of the above, and then some.  From start to finish I was sucked in and did not want to put it down.  This story line is tear-jerking, spine-tingling, and breath-taking.  The settings are nothing short of spooky and provide the perfect backdrop for the events that take place.  I dare you to read the factory scene and tell me you weren't even a little freaked out.  Once again, Ms. Blake's writing wins the day with great characters, eerie settings, and a gripping plot.

To say that I loved Girl of Nightmares would be a vast understatement.  This has become one of my top 5 favorite series and I very much doubt that any other ghost series can ever top it for me.  If you haven't read either book, take my advice and do so.  If you've read Anna already, go get Girl of Nightmares now!  These books should be read frequently and are perfect for a chilly fall evening read.

Buy Girl of Nightmares at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.