Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Published: 2011, Tor Teen
Series: Anna, #1
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Library book
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We’re not children, neither of us. We don’t believe in fairy tales. And if we did, who would we be? Not Prince Charming and Sleeping Beauty. I slice murder victims’ heads off and Anna stretches skin until it rips, she snaps bones like green branches into smaller and smaller pieces. We’d be the fricking dragon and the wicked fairy.
By reading Kendare Blake's novel I accomplished two things: first, I read a (pseudo) horror book, and second, I read a book for my school's YA book club and actually attended the meeting. Yay! I'm not a fan of anything remotely scary, but enough reviews reassured me that I'd be fine reading this book. And then I was able to discuss it with real people afterwards. Even though the book wasn't my favorite, it was entertaining enough and fit these two criteria, so reading it was time well spent.
Ever since his father died, Theseus Cassio Lowood has inherited the family profession: he seeks out ghosts and sends their spirits onward with the help of his athame. By removing ghost after ghost from the world of the living, Cas feels closer and closer to his ultimate goal: destroying the ghost that killed his father. Only one ghost remains in Cas' way before he thinks he'll find himself prepared enough to take on his father's killer: Anna Dressed in Blood.
When Cas, his mother, who is a traveling herb witch, and their cat Tybalt travel to Thunder Bay, Ontario to find Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas finds the challenge is a bit more difficult than he initially expected. Not only is he no match for Anna's incredible power, but Anna herself elicits much more of his sympathy than any other ghost, and he begins to form attachments to the inhabitants of Thunder Bay — both human and ghost.
It was incredibly refreshing to read a book from a male perspective. Although there certainly is not a lack of male narrators within literature in general, and perhaps not even much of a lack in YA books, I myself have not read too many. I found Cas to be a believable teenage boy, for which Blake should be commended. It's not easy to write a protagonist of the opposite gender, and Blake is able to successfully integrate her readers into Cas' head. Cas is cocky, arrogant, a bit self-righteous, yet he's also a bit insecure and ultimately simply wants to find a way to avenge his father. His multi-faceted characterization is well-drawn out.
Just as equally is the focus of this story on the titular character, Anna Dressed in Blood. As Cas and the readers come to learn, there are two sides to Anna's character. There's Anna Korlov, the young, innocent girl who was so brutally murdered in 1958 on the way to a school dance in her white dress. And then there's Anna Dressed in Blood, the vengeful ghost who kills every person that dares to enter her family house. Anna Dressed in Blood is a terror to behold, with blood dripping from her once white dress, veins blackened against her pale skin, and a fury within her eyes like nothing seen before. Yet she still retains the sweet and innocent girl inside of her. The dynamic between these two is fascinating, and the story that unfolds over Anna's transformation is tragic. Along with Cas, these two are by far the most interesting aspects of the novel.
Against the impressive and nuanced characterizations of Cas and Anna, however, all other aspects of this novel fall a bit flat. None of the remaining character are fleshed out to any degree. Carmel is not quite the stereotypical popular girl, but that seems only because she's willing to listen to Cas against all logic. Thomas is simply too flat to be seen as Cas' true "best friend." Mike, Will, and their friends are disappointingly stereotypical jocks. Cas' mother is given an interesting backstory, yet Blake doesn't really expand enough on her character to make her sympathetic. She's there for Cas, but over and over I found myself questioning just why she'd allow her son to work in the same profession that got her husband killed.
Cas and Anna's relationship, while easily one that readers can root for, still left me with a lot of questions. Why doesn't Cas instill the same murderous desire inside of Anna that every other living human does? What makes him so special? The fact that their relationship consisted of a human and a ghost didn't bother me too much, however, since Blake does show how lost and lonely each are individually, and how, through each other, they're able to find strength.
Worldbuilding is another area that does not seem sufficiently explained. Near the very beginning of the novel, Cas mentions how important his job as ghost hunter is, because the world is teeming with unhappy and restless souls. He specifically notes that no place is free of ghosts; but, if ghosts really are as prevalent as Cas claims, then how are people able to willfully ignore them? Are there more ghost hunters out there that Cas doesn't mention? I just did not understand the relationship between ghosts and humans in this world. Nor do I understand the mythology that Blake builds upon for her ghost-hunting culture. There are mentions of voodoo and witchcraft, yet I did not feel as though anything was explained substantially enough.
While I did not love this book and there are certainly many aspects that could use improvement, I enjoyed reading Anna Dressed in Blood and definitely plan on reading its sequel, Girl of Nightmares, in the near future.
Huh you know, I had never thought about the possibility that there were more Cas's in the world but that's a good point and definitely something to ponder. I did really enjoy this one which was a total surprise to me because I didn't expect to at all. I'm happy that you were able to find more positive than negative in it and enjoy it overall. Great thorough review!
ReplyDeleteAt first I totally expected to enjoy it less than I did. But the positive reviews (and it being a book club pick) convinced me to give it a try. I should try to find out if Kendare Blake ever expressed the possibility of other ghost hunters. :) And thank you!
DeleteOh I never thought of that either! There being others like him. I didn't LOVE this book as much as some (though it was still a 4 for me) I did really love the sequel it was such a great and perfect ending which sealed the deal for my 5 stars. I do like that we get a male POV too they're getting more popular but it's still refreshing! Great review, chickie!
ReplyDeleteThat is so great to hear you liked the sequel better. Gives me even more justification that I really do need to read it. Because that just can't be the end for Anna like that. I'll definitely try to read it soon! Thanks, Giselle!
DeleteI'm so confused whether or not I should pick this up. On one hand, I know I'll enjoy it, but I also know the lack of world-building will frustrate me. Not to mention the sequel has gotten very mixed reviews, so I think I'll wait to see what your thoughts are on it before picking this up. Great review, Amanda! :)
ReplyDeleteI say go for it! If you approach it with the right mentality you should be fine. It's kind of paranormal fluff. Reading for a readathon or as a beach read would be perfect, I think. But okay haha I should get to book two one of these days! Thanks, Keertana!
DeleteI felt pretty much the same way about this book, though I listened to it instead of reading it. I don't recommend the audiobook, some of the voices are really annoying--and if you felt like some of the side characters weren't very nuanced, I think you would've liked them even less in audio format. I thought I would read book two after I listened to book one but I haven't been rushing to read it. I wonder if either of us will ever read book two:)
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine the narrator quality for some of these characters haha. I do think I'd like to read book two someday. Maybe as a lazy summer day read, when it actually starts feeling like summer around here. :)
DeleteBooks often seem better or at least more valuable when we can discuss them with others. Also, I agree that Cas' narration is one of the best parts of this book. He really made it pop for me, though I really liked Anna too. As crazy as some of it was, you're right it wasn't actually that scary. I felt about the same about this as you did and don't plan to pick up the second in the series. But glad you got to read and talk about this one!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it! I had some of the same issues, but, overall, I still found Anna Dressed in Blood to be a good read, just like you. I am excited to read Girl of Nightmares and there's no excuse for why I have neglected it so long. Beautifully written, Amanda! I hope you try some more horror books in the future! Although this one wasn't as scary as others.
ReplyDeleteYes! You read Girl of Nightmares first and make sure it's a good book before I read it. ;) (Honestly, though, I am glad I mostly enjoyed it.)
DeleteI enjoyed this book rather recently as well. :) Interesting what you say about not reading many YA books from the boy's perspective. I had been thinking about that recently. I tend to enjoy books written from the guy's perspective better because they tend to be more focused on story and less on love triangles (which I'm getting royally sick of). I think most teen books these days are from the girls' perspective, and most YA books written from the guys' perspective are more appropriate for middle-schoolers. Perhaps teenage boys transition more quickly into adult literature than teenage girls? Or perhaps teenage girls read more than teenage boys? I don't know.
ReplyDeleteOh, I try to avoid love triangle books. I'm always on the hunt for YA books that don't focus solely on romance in general. So many just feel so cliched.
DeleteAnd I think there are probably many reasons as to why male narrators aren't as common as females in YA. One being that I feel like more women write YA than men (and it's so much easier to write a character of your own gender). Also, I think in general teen males aren't as voracious readers. And perhaps it's easier to market books to a girl audience? Definitely something to look into further!