I was so super excited that one of my favorite reviewers agreed to write a guest post about one of my favorite books! How great is that!! I started following Wendy's reviews some time ago and am always amazed by how insightful and eloquently stated her reviews are. Wendy Darling loves Anna as much as I do and she’s going to tell everyone the top 5 reasons why Anna would be the perfect gift to find in your stocking this holiday season! Welcome to the Happy Booker Wendy!!!!!!
Be sure to check out more of Wendy Darling’s awesome reviews at her blog The Midnight Garden!!
5 Reasons Why Anna Will Kick Your Ass
If you haven’t read Anna Dressed in Blood yet, it’s possible you may be missing out on a new favorite. In a YA market cluttered with middling paranormal books, Kendare Blake’s terrific debut novel stands out as a fresh and funny new voice in the genre.
Here are some reasons why Anna is one of the best things to hit the shelves this year:
1. Anna is incredibly creepy. There aren’t a whole lot of horror novels written for young adults, and this story about Cas Lowood, a boy who “kills” ghosts, will give you chills with vivid imagery and tense action scenes. I wouldn’t want to be stuck in a cellar with a vengeful Anna, and I don’t think you would, either!
2. Anna is seen through Cas’ eyes. The book is actually narrated by a 17-year-old male, and it’s a refreshing change from all the other first person female narratives out there. It’s nice to see action scenes—as well as friendships and romantic thoughts--from a boy’s POV.
3. Anna is laugh-out-loud hilarious. Through skillful writing and a great eye for detail, the author somehow manages to make the book both scary and darkly funny at the same time. Cas’ wry observations about his job will tickle your fancy, and the book is filled with humorous scenes like "..the cupboards start opening and closing by themselves, drawers slamming shut and the walls starting to bleed. Slamming doors and smashing plates. Anna is acting like a common poltergeist. How embarrassing.”
4. Anna is beautiful. While there are some pretty brutal things that happen to some of the characters and the book may make you shudder a little, it’s in an exciting way, not in a gross one. The writing is gothically beautiful and evocative, and sets the mood in a really nice way. If you enjoy dark humor and have the tendency to let your imagination get a little carried away when you hear inexplicable noises in your house, this book’s style may be right up your alley.
5. Anna would make a addition to your bookshelf. If you’re looking for a great gift for an imaginative YA lover this holiday season, Anna just might fit the bill. The book’s cover art is gorgeous, with a lovely windswept black and white illustration and shiny rose petals. The lettering inside is also in dark brownish-red ink, which looks a little bit like blood! If ever there was a time to invest in the hardcover over an ebook, this is it.
Do consider meeting Anna sometime if you haven’t already. Just be warned that it may be a good idea to keep her tucked safely away between other books when you’re not around to keep an eye on her. You just never know what kind of mischief she might get up to when left to her own devices.
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Wendy Darling is hopelessly addicted to YA books, cupcakes, and kickass heroines. Please stop by and say hello on her blog The Midnight Garden or keep in touch with her on GoodReads. The full text of her Anna Dressed in Blood review may be found here.
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13 comments:
I'm so glad this book is getting so much attention. Amazing post, Wen. I'm so excited about all this. :)
This book is at the top of my "Me Want Now!!!!" list! Now I have even more reason to want to read it! I've told all my kids this is what I want for Christmas, but since they rarely listen when I talk, I'm not holding out much hope! Maybe I'll get an Amazon GC and I can get it with that! But I digress ... What an amazing guest post, Wendy! Thanks for giving me even more reasons to want to read this awesome book!!
jwitt33 at live dot com
I've got to get a copy of this book now!
I want to read this book SO bad! I have been lusting for a while I need to just break down and buy it next month if I don't get it for Christmas :)
I'm such a huge fan of male POV. It's so refreshing to not have to always listen to a girl go on and on. I need this book!
I just got this book and really want to read it. Glad you guys all loved it. Definitely can't wait to start it.
Wonderful guest post, Wendy! I agree on all counts. I laughed out loud when I first read that quote about Anna acting like a common poltergeist.
"I wouldn’t want to be stuck in a cellar with a vengeful Anna"
I most definitely would NOT like to be stuck in Anna's basement! Yikes! :P
Great post! If I wasn't already determined to buy it, you would've convinced me :D I love male PoV & all the covers from this artist (Nekro) are amazing (5 of my favorite covers in 2011 are from him) & I can only imagine how this one looks in real life. I learned about the red ink last week & I was quite pleasantly surprised! Can't wait to get my hands on a copy.
I love this post! I really like the fact that it was seen through a boy's POV too, it's something that's so rare to see in YA. I really liked the line about Anna acting like a common poltergeist too, the humour took me a bit off guard because it's serious and then gets light again. I absolutely love the cover for Anna too, I think it's very evocative.
Great post! I have this one on my wish list.
Look forward to it after everyone's tremendous appreciation for it.
Ooooooh. I really like this post. And I am really considering reading this one. Sounds good. Hang in there, Anna. Wait for me. :)
Great Post! I already want to read Anna Dressed in Blood and this post pushed me over the edge. I really need to get this book it sounds amazing.
Amazing post, Wendy! :) I've always wanted to read Anna Dressed in Blood but I just can't seem to do it. Now I really will.
Sarah @ Smitten over Books
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