After Anna saved Cas' and his friends' lives at the end of Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas hasn't been able to stop thinking about her. He wants to know where she went, and he really wants to bring her back.
His friends, as well as his mother, Gideon, and Morfran, think its dangerous for him to pursue Anna. But, either Cas is going crazy or Anna is trying to contact him. Because Cas sees her all over the place -- and his friends, even Thomas, who is a witch and can read minds, can't see her.
Thomas and Morfran end up helping Cas figure out how to get to Anna and bring her back, although they believe that Cas might die in the attempt. Of course, Thomas and Carmel aren't going to let Thomas do this alone. So all the old characters are back, and there's a new character Jestine, who is important too and may allow for another episode in this series.
Girl of Nightmares, just like Anna, is a bit gory, especially at the end. There is a nice steady build up of tension throughout the entire book, which Blake seems to be a master of. And the way things worked out was unique and surprising, and I loved the resolution. Girl of Nightmares also has enough "regular" teen stuff (Thomas and Carmel's relationship, for example) to give some relief to the tension -- but never for very long.
I wouldn't say Girl of Nightmares was frightening, but it is creepy just like Anna. It moves fairly quickly and once I got about halfway through, it was difficult to put down. Anyone who has read Anna Dressed in Blood will definitely enjoy reading the further adventures of these characters. Girl of Nightmares has the same feel and style, but I still really enjoyed it. And, if you like some ghostly creepiness, you should start with the first book.
Published by Tor Teen, August 7, 2012
Copy obtained from the library
332 pages
Rating: 3.5/5
I'm not a very big horror fan, especially where lots of gore is involved, but I loved this two book series because it reminds me a lot of old school horror where there is a good build up of suspense and just enough details for you to fill in the specifics. Though I'm sad to see these characters go, I'm glad they are happy with where they end up. Blake is definitely an author that I'll be watching.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it!! I loved 'Anna' but for some reason this one didn't appeal to me quite as much. I still love the tone of the story, though. That whole talk about the suicide forest or whatever? *shivers* So, so creepy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review. I loved Anna, and still have to get around to reading this one, but it does sound interesting.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked these books :) I like how they somehow balance scary and heavy stuff with light stuff, like you mentioned. The ending surprised me, too. I liked it a lot, even if it wasn't entirely what I thought I wanted.
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