Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

Book Summer (Via 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.

Book Review:
So, I have this TBR pile...like a mile long. I had promised myself that I wasn't going to buy any more books until said stack was somewhat more depleted. Epic fail. I started reading reviews on Anna Dressed In Blood, and I just couldn't wait to get my hot little hands on it. Best. Decision. Ever. I was entranced into Cass's world within a matter of pages. Cass, the main character, immediately felt like an old friend versus a new character, to whose world I had to warm myself up to. I loved his wit and neurotic sense of self. I loved his spunky attitude and somewhat warped outlook on life. He is one to overcome tough obstacles in life, brush himself off, and look forward to the next adventure instead of dwelling on his misfortunes. Love it! I loved the dark setting of the Canadian town, and the tie he forms to Anna. Anna's story is well worth the wait, and disturbingly engrossing. The supporting characters were just as quirky and fun. Simply said, there isn't anything about this book I didn't love. The author, Kendare Blake, has a distinctive voice that shines through every page of this story. Her blog is deliciously witty and can be found here. Be sure to also check out her website here. Ms. Blake, you have won me over. I can't wait to see what happens in the follow up, Girl of Nightmares.

Favorite Quote:

"Getting everything into the cars took forever...I keep thinking of nomadic native tribes, and how they could pack up an entire civilization in an hour to follow some buffalo. When did human beings start acquiring so much crap?" p. 291

Cover Art Commentary:
I actually was drawn to the cover before I knew a thing about this book. I was at the bookstore and remember seeing it, and thinking, wow...that looks rather interesting. Later that week, a bunch of rave reviews popped up, and I knew it would be the next book I read.

Rating: