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.

Owl's Eye View #4 - Meet Kendare Blake!

It's that time again!  Today is the first Monday in August, so it's time to learn more about another awesome author.  This month Kendare Blake was gracious enough to accept the role of featured author.  Just in case you aren't familiar, she is the author of 2011's Anna Dressed in Blood (an amazing book that I adore) and Girl of Nightmares, the second book in the series which comes out TOMORROW!  Stand by later today for my review of Girl of Nightmares.  It's another fabulous book that shouldn't be missed.  Please welcome...

Kendare Blake

Marla: Hi, Kendare! Welcome to Owl's Eye View. Thank you so much for being here today.  Firsst question: How would you describe yourself in 3 words? 

Kendare: Hm. Thoughtful. Not like in, considerate (though I try to be) but like, I have a lot of thoughts. Animal-loving. It's a word, right? And...Hungry.

Marla: What inspired you to write and how long have you been writing? 

Kendare: I'm inspired to write by the things I read. The things I read now, and those I read as a kid, growing up. I've been writing since about the seventh grade. First novel, about a boy and his horse. I think I've gotten a little better at it now.

Marla: How would you describe Girl of Nightmares to someone via a tweet? 

Kendare: Cas Lowood has to find out what happened to Anna Korlov. Getting the answers might kill him.

Marla: I'm always interested in the stories behind characters. Where did Anna come from inspiration-wise? 

Kendare: Anna came from her name. Anna Dressed in Blood. I knew the ghost before I knew the girl. The girl I found in Thunder Bay, in a small, Finnish cemetery. Well, that's when I really started to learn who she was.

Marla: What book have you most recently read and loved? 

Kendare: We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson. I don't know how I went so long without reading it.

Marla: Do you have a favorite character to write about? 

Kendare: Yes. Right now it's Athena, from the ANTIGODDESS series (out next summer!). But in the Anna universe, I think I enjoyed the salty characters best. Morfran, and Thomas. 

Marla: One more question, just for fun: You find yourself in a spooky house that you're pretty sure is haunted.  What do you do?

Kendare: Run like the damned blazes. Or, I guess it depends on the ghost. Can it actually hurt me? Because if not, then....parcheesi. 

This or That!

Coffee or Tea? Tea. Truly. English Breakfast Tea with milk is incredible stuff.

Spring or Fall? Fall. That sensation of things ending always makes me want to take a road trip or run away or something.

Snow or Rain? Rain. but I have to say that, living near Seattle.

Day or Night? Hm. Used to be night. But now it's day. I like the outdoor activities.

Vanilla or Chocolate? Chocolate. What a silly question :)

Dog or Cat? Cats and dogs, living together, mass hysteria! (Thanks, Peter Venkman.)

Go to the movies or Watch the DVD? Depends on the movie. Big blockbuster like The Avengers? Theater. Small indie like Melancholia? Home with DVD and bottle of wine.

Thank you for having me by Starting the Next Chapter! So cool to be the featured author for August. I hope you like Girl of Nightmares :)

About Kendare

Kendare Blake is an import from South Korea who was raised in the United States by caucasian parents. You know, that old chestnut. She received a Bachelor's degree in Business from Ithaca College and a Master's degree in Writing from Middlesex University in London. She brakes for animals, the largest of which was a deer, which sadly didn't make it, and the smallest of which was a mouse, which did, but it took forever. Amongst her likes are Greek Mythology, rare red meat and veganism. She also enjoys girls who can think with the boys like Ayn Rand, and boys who scare the morality into people, like Bret Easton Ellis.

Visit the author's site: Kendare Blake
Add Kendare on Facebook
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Become a fan on Goodreads

About Girl of Nightmares

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.

Add Girl of Nightmares on

Creature Feature Review: Anna Dressed in Blood

Welcome to the very first review in Starting the Next Chapter's Bump in the Night Spooktacular! All this week, I will be reviewing books that relate to the topic of the day. Today is Monday, so that means that I will be kicking off the fun with my personal favorite, ghosts. The book I have selected for review is the delightfully creepy Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. Later today, I will have also be posting an homage to ghosts in the first round of the Bump in the Night Brawl, so I hope you will come back for that! Now, without further ado, I bring you the first review of the week.

Anna Dressed in Blood
by Kendare Blake
publisher: Tor Teen
date of publication: August 30, 2011
format: hardcover
pages: 316
source: purchased
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N

From Goodreads:

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

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered 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.

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: track, 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, now stained red and dripping with 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.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

What I Thought

Anna Dressed in Blood is the horrifying yet moving story of Anna Korlov, a murderous ghost in the small town of Thunder Bay, and Cas Lowood, a ghost hunter in search of the ghost that murdered his father. However, neither is what they at first seem and, as the events set in motion by their encounter unfold, what is revealed is nothing less than a terrifying, heart-breaking, and intriguing story. This is a tale of betrayal, redemption, and revelations that will make you gasp and your jaw drop in shock. Buckle up, for you are in for quite the ride!

The plot that makes up Anna Dressed in Blood can be described in several ways. Action-packed, riveting, deliciously creepy, and shocking are but a few of the phrases that come to mind. I simply did not want to put this book down. With each page turned, the spell woven by the story became more palpable. One chapter led to another until I found myself at the end of the book, wishing for more pages. I simply can't say enough about how well this plot line was constructed.

The characters found within the pages of this book are every bit as well done as the plot. From Cas to Anna, each character is vivid in construct, engaging, and well-developed. The interplay these characters exhibit is superb, the conversations held engrossing, and the behaviors demonstrated fully capable of being pictured internally. Cas is an interesting character due to his motives, quirks, and level of commitment to his cause. Anna, however, is my favorite out of all of the characters found in this story. She is very much a multi-faceted character that I found to be intriguing, likeable, and frightening all at once. If I may say so, she is probably the most formidable ghost I have read about in quite some time. I couldn't get enough of these two.

Finally, we come to the setting. Thunder Bay could not have been a more perfect backdrop for this story. The atmosphere has a tangible spookiness about it that lends itself perfectly to the tone of the book. Just reading the description makes it easy to imagine just what sort of ominous tales this town hides beneath its surface. I loved everything about it and think Blake did a great job bringing it to life.

To me, Anna Dressed in Blood rates as one of the top 5 books to come out this year. I am already eagerly awaiting the chance to read more about the world that Kendare Blake has created. If you are looking for a good ghost story with thrills, chills, and an excellent plot, I highly recommend this one. You can't go wrong.

Waiting on Wednesday: October 19, 2011

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event from Jill at Breaking the Spine. To participate, simply share that book(s) you are eagerly awaiting the release of and report back to Breaking the Spine with the link to your post. Clicking the image above will take you straight to her post and widget. (Special note: The nifty button above comes from Lindsay at The Violet Hour. Isn't it pretty?)

This week, I'm waiting on the follow up to one of my favorite books of the year, Anna Dressed in Blood. The title of the second book is Girl of Nightmares and the cover was released just last week! I'm waiting on pins and needles for this one due to the sheer fact that I was raving about Anna Dressed in Blood for weeks after reading it. I've lost count of how many times I've recommended it. It's going to be a long, long wait until release day!

No plot description or release date as of this date.