Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Review: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Girl of Nightmares
(Anna # 2)
By: Kendare Blake
Pub. Date: August 7, 2012
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 304
Source: Southern Book Bloggers ARC tours
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.

I absolutely loved Anna Dressed in Blood, the first book in the Anna series. I read it in one day, and was completely enthralled with Anna, Cas, and the rest of the cast of characters. I was very excited to receive an ARC of Girl of Nightmares through the Southern Book Bloggers ARC tours. Girl of Nightmares did not disappoint and I thought it was a perfect ending to the Anna series!

Six months ago, Anna saved Cas, Thomas and Carmel by sacrificing herself, and Cas can't stop thinking about her and what she did. When Cas starts to see her in random places he knows something is wrong. She is beat up, she has cuts all over her body and she looks scared. Cas knows exactly what he has to do, he has to save her, even if that means him dying in the process. Even when everybody else tells him to let her go, Cas still will stop at nothing to help her.

I loved Cas so much Anna, and in Girl of Nightmares, he has same sarcastic humor that made me fall in love with him and kept me laughing out loud. For example, when Cas said "He smiles at me like he's Yoda and I'm just a dumbass without the force", I nearly fell off my bed I was laughing so hard! Cas has grown since the first book and for the first time, he has friends who go along with him on his hunting escapades. I love how loyal and protective he is of Thomas and Carmal. The three of them really care for each other.

Anna is not as prominent in this book, but she is always in the background. When we do see her, we see the fierce ghost that she has always been, the ghost that would do anything for Cas.

Girl of Nightmares is about a lot more then just ghost hunting and I was interested to see where the story was going to take us. We learn more about the history of the athame and the secret society that created it.

The ending was absolutely perfect! Everything made so much sense and I was very happy with it. I don't think I could have asked for anything better.

Side note: When I first saw a picture of the cover for Girl of Nightmares, I was not impressed, but seeing it in person, I think it is amazing! I wish they would have kept it completely red on the finished copy.

Overall, the Anna series is a creepy, fun and original read. I would highly recommend it!

Books in the series: 


5 comments:

  1. OH GOODIE, YOU LIKED IT!!!! AND THE ENDING WAS PERFECT, YOU SAY?!! -faints in bliss- I absolutely loved the first book as well! <3 So glad to hear the awesomeness hasn't changed... I didn't expect this to be the last one though O_O so soon?

    Anyway, like the way you described Anna's presence in this one. You put it very nicely ^_^ and sounds great that this one's spreading out from just ghost-busting XD

    Awesome review! <3

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  2. OMG! I loved this cover! I can't wait to read the first one.

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  3. LUcky! I'm so glad you had the opportunity to read this and that you enjoyed it! I'm really looking forward to my chance.

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  4. I need to work that Yoda quote into my daily conversations, somehow :) I thought this was a string follow-up to Anna and the ending *was* perfect, wasn't it?? Great review!

    Kate @ Ex Libris

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  5. Sounds like you really enjoyed this one, too, which is great. Usually the second book is a bit disappointing. I just got Anna Dressed in Blood and although it doesn't _sound_ like my type of read, I've seen so many rave reviews, maybe I'll like it after all!

    "He smiles at me like he's Yoda and I'm just a dumbass without the force." That quote alone makes me want to read this series. Haha!

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