Blake, Kendare. Anna Dressed in Blood. 316 p. Tor. 2011. Hardcover $17.99. ISBN 9780765328656.For whatever reason, I ignored the buzz about this book, even though there was a LOT of it. But once my library’s copy came across my desk, I found myself absolutely hooked from the first page. I love it when a book takes me by surprise like that!
The premise is awesome: a creepy Victorian house haunted by the wrathful spirit of a murdered teenage girl who kills anyone who enters the house... except our ghost-hunting main character, who’s there to put an end to her slaying spree? HELLO, SIGN ME UP.
And the book delivers on that awesome premise, making for a fast-paced, genuinely engaging read. Really, I have no idea why I didn’t pick it up sooner.
Anna Dressed in Blood reads like a really awesome episode of the TV show, Supernatural-- before the show got all convoluted with demons and angels, back when it was just monster-hunting, I mean. There’s lots of legends and lore, and the horror is pitch perfect in this book. There are some genuinely chilling scenes and really creepy, gruesome imagery-- things I’d cover my eyes to avoid watching on a screen, but don’t traumatize me in print. Scary, but fun!
It’s kind of unfortunate that this book has a girl on the cover and a girl’s name in the title, because it's not just for girls-- guys will totally dig it too. It’s got a gruff, street-smart male protagonist who delivers some truly great hilarious one-liners. It’s light on the romance and heavy on the action and suspense. It’s got gore. I know, I know-- the cover and title shouldn’t matter, guys should transcend stereotypes and read it anyway… but I can tell you from experience pitching books to teen guys, most of them are pretty self-conscious about reading a potential “girl” book. Alas! So it might take some convincing, but I would definitely recommend this title to girls and guys.
But speaking of the cover… BONUS! There’s a dead girl depicted, but unlike so many other dead girls on book covers, she’s clearly not a victim. She looks strong and imposing. Dead girl empowerment! It’s about time.
I enthusiastically recommend Anna Dressed in Blood to anyone looking for a slightly scary story to curl up with on a chilly Fall night.
I LOVED this book. I totally agree that it's a great read for both guys and girls but that cover sure takes some convincing with the boys.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about guys not reading books that might be "for" girls. Maybe they'll give it a try since it sounds creepy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting! The whole issue about "guy" books and "girl" books is such a bummer. We'd all like to think it's not an issue, but it is... so hopefully I can convince some guys to read this one, because I think they'd love it!
ReplyDelete