Our Review: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Well, this is a first---Amy & I actually read the same book at the same time! :) We both LOVED this one, so we both wanted to share a few thoughts on it!

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake
♦publisher: TorTeen
♦release date: August 7, 2012
♦hardcover: 336 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Anna, book 2
  Becky's review of Anna Dressed in Blood

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.

Review:
On Aquiring Girl of Nightmares:

 Amy: Anna Dressed in Blood was most likely one of my favorite reads last year, and one of the main reasons I went to ALA this year. I couldn't wait to meet the woman behind the amazing strong willed character, Anna. And I wasn't disappointed. Kendare Blake was a pleasure to meet and shake hands with. I asked her to sign the cover of my copy of Anna Dressed in Blood and she so obliged and did so with a red sharpie to boot.  I couldn't wait to bring the book home and front it on my shelf of favorites!

 Becky: Yes, after completely being blown away by Anna last year, Girl of Nightmares was one of those books that it didn't matter how long the line was, I would have waiting hours in line at ALA for the chance to meet Kendare and get the coveted second book! She was awesome---and she knew of Stories & Sweeties! I think my head spun a little at that. :) I was completely starstruck.

On the "GUTS" of the story ;)

Becky: Absolutely fantastic.  Every bit as good as the first, but so incredibly different.  Its been a few months since Anna saved them all, and Cas starts to see gory visions of her everywhere.  Is she in trouble? Has she crossed back over?  He knows he has to do something, but also knows everyone will think he's crazy.  So much more going on in this one emotionally, too---Thomas is an even more awesome character this time, always up for a challenge and always there to support Cas. Things get complicated with Carmel as she grapples with her part in all of it.  We get to see more of the mysterious Gideon and new characters come into the picture---one that I especially loved, Jestine.  She keeps us guessing where her loyalties lie (I don't think even she know for sure), but she is all spunk---her feistiness very nearly gets her killed in her very first appearance!  And the gore---OH, the GORE.  I have to say, there was way more gore this time around.  There are times when the ghosts are almost more like zombies.  Dark, dark, stuff happening all around.

Amy: EPIC!! That's all I can say about this book. I was almost trepidacious about cracking open the cover. Scared to start only because I didn't want it to end.  Girl of Nightmares doesn't disappoint, and is the perfect companion to the first book.  Anna winds herself back into Cas' life even though she always was present in his heart. Cas faces some tough choices throughout the book that only loving a dead girl can bring.  He leaves no stone unturned or detail unpolished, which keeps you captivated from cover to cover. And as Kendare Blake promised, there is no gore lost in this sequel. Horror and Gore abound in every last blood dripping detail. I don't know where she comes up with the story but it has fresh, new twists at every bend that almost leave you breathless. 

The End: 
Becky: I think this may be the end, my friends.  Sad as that makes me, this story definitely came to a complete, mind-blowingly exciting, but satisfying end.  I can't think of how the story might continue---but if anyone's imagination could do it, it's the brilliant Kendare Blake! I guess we'll have to wait and see!  If not, I'll definitely miss all of these amazing characters!

Amy's cupcake match: Dark chocolate for the color of Anna's hair, cherry pie filling in the center so it bleeds when you cut into it, with wild wispy chocolate dark frosting on top. Only a dark gooey chocolate cupcake can match the darkness of this book. 

 Visit Kendare Blake: Website  •  Facebook  •  Twitter

Purchase Girl of Nightmares:  Amazon  •  BN.com  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

Trailer: (watch it---it's awesome.)