Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Along the same lines of Ghostbusters and Supernatural, Anna Dressed in Blood is about exterminating a ghost. When the ghost is an attractive teen aged girl and the hunter is a teen aged boy, things get a little complicated.

Cas Lowood is following in his father's footsteps, which means killing ghosts. After his father was murdered by the ghost he was trying to kill, Cas takes over his job and travels the world dealing with the local haunts who have a habit of not resting peacefully. If a ghost is responsible for mysterious deaths, you can count on Cas to handle the problem. His latest target is "Anna Dressed in Blood," a teen aged girl who had been killed on her way to a dance and now dismembers her victims who dare to enter her house. Cas first meets Anna during a prank gone wrong and was startled - not by the appearance of the ghost, but by the fact that she didn't kill him, unlike other unsuspecting prey. He soon discovers that Anna isn't exactly what she seems and that other forces are at play. With the help of new friends, Cas works to free Anna and to come to peace with the monster that killed his father years ago.

This was an enjoyable book. Supernatural books aren't my usual genre, but there's nothing like a creepy ghost story that makes you double check under your bed before going to sleep. This novel has a good amount of creep factor, although I don't think it will keep you up at night. It's intriguing, though, because like Cas, you start to feel sorry for Anna as you discover this struggle she's dealing with since she feels guilty about killing. As a romance blossoms, you realize that this book appeals to both males and females. Overall it's an enjoyable book. In light of it being an Abe Lincoln award nominee, I'm not as impressed compared to the other Abe books I read. This one is a good story, I liked reading it, and I might even consider reading the sequel Girl of Nightmares. Thinking of it as a book up for an award, though, I feel like there needs to be more to it - something that I walk away with when I finish the book. I didn't feel that way with this book. It's a great story and I enjoyed it, but I don't think there's enough behind it to make it an award winner.

If you're looking for an enjoyable ghost-busting, local-lore-hunting novel, this is the book to pick up. It's a great story that pulls you in with likable characters that you want to see succeed. It might not keep you up at night trembling in fear, but it is a great story.
MMK