Book Review #5: Anna Dressed In Blood

*Note: Another post for Literary Exploration Challenge! 

Genre: Paranormal

"You make me want things I can't have."

This is probably the first book about ghosts that I read in one sitting. As we all know, bookstores are now flooded with story plots of a girl-who-meets-someone-not-human. When you see Anna Dressed In Blood in the bookstore, you’ll probably think… “Oh goodness, not again.” But I’m telling you, this one’s different. 

Cas inherited his father’s ‘power’ of killing ghosts. With fury because of his father’s death in the hands of an unknown ghost, he does the job perfectly. "Move, hunt, kill. Like lather, rinse, and repeat." Then he moves to a town where Anna Dressed in Blood resides. But then he finds out that Anna is different from the other ghosts he killed. She has killed every person who stepped inside her house… well, except for Cas. 

The story didn’t just revolve around Cas and Anna’s romance- actually, half of it was about Cas’ killing-the-dead profession. It’s not like other YA books that make you want to throw up because of too much ‘cheesiness’. This book is definitely NOT like one of those books. They didn’t have too many cheesy moments but I assure you that you will smile when the romance finally blooms. 

I am a lover of gore so I was ecstatic on the action scenes. This is one of the things I loved about it- how Blake described what happens when Cas kills. It made the read more exciting. 

And of course, there are some things didn’t like. I think most of the characters are not developed properly. I would love to read more about Thomas, Carmel and even Gideon! My favourite character is Anna. The victim-slash-killer that Blake made her got into me. Her past made me like her even more. I like that she has story of her own.

I enjoyed reading this book. This is the kind of book that will never stop haunting if you don’t finish it in one sitting. I swear, your curiosity will never let you stop reading.

If you're reading this at night, prepare your athame. ;)
★★★★

P.S. I am reading the second book right now! :)

Book Review #4: The Night Circus

Note: Hi people! Sorry for my lack of audio posts. I promise to post one later. :) Anyway, this is my first post for The Literary Exploration Challenge! 

Genre: Magical Realism

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.”

I remember myself two weeks ago in the bookstore- contemplating on whether I should or should not buy this book. I was having second thoughts because of the reviews but the child inside me is longing for a ‘magical’ read, so I gave in to the temptation… and I’m glad I did.

The way Morgenstern described the Le Cirque des Reves was magnificent. She can make you feel like you are watching Celia Bowen perform magic, clapping as Tsukiko, the tattooed Japanese contortionist, situates her entire body into a small glass box, feeling the warmth from the heat of fire from Marco’s bonfire and smelling the ‘cinnamon things’ as you confusingly decide which tent to enter first.

I love how Morgenstern wrote the chapters from past to future. The questions you are longing for from the last chapter you've read would be answered by the next one. The way all the puzzle pieces fall into the right places in the end was splendid.    

I wanted to give the book five stars. The inner giddy child in me wanted it to be perfect. But I have to admit that it’s not. There are flaws- there are only few chapters that were exciting but the rest were dull. I was expecting for a climax; something exciting to happen. I was expecting for a battle between Celia and Marco but it did not happen. I found the part of Murray twins and Bailey even more interesting.

There are flaws in this book but I have to admit that I still loved it. It brought back my dreams of witnessing magic when I was still a child. Reading this book had been magical.

Keep believing in magic, my fellow rêveurs!   

★★★★(4.5)

The Literary Exploration Challenge 2013

Hi guys! I've been looking for challenges online when I stumbled upon the Literary Exploration Challenge 2013. I find the challenge interesting and different(in a good way, of course). This is how it works: they will give you a genre and you are the one who will pick the book. There are three different stages you could choose from: easy, hard and insane. I will be participating in hard category because I don't know if I can already handle insane. Maybe next year! The great thing about the challenge is they also posted the genres along with a Goodreads link so if you don't know what book to read, you'll just click the link for examples.

Anyway, here is the list of genres for hard category:

1. Adventure
2. Auto-Biography/Biography
3. Chick-Lit
4. Classics
5. Drama
6. Fantasy
7. Graphic Novels
8. Historical Fiction
9. Horror
10. Humour
11. Literary Fiction
12. Magical Realism
13. Mystery
14. Non Fiction
15. Paranormal
16. Philosophical
17. Poetry
18. Pulp – (Hard-Boiled or Noir)
19. Romance
20. Science Fiction
21. Steampunk
22. Thriller
23. Victorian
24. Young Adult

Join me, maybe? Visit their website if you want to know more details! 

I'll update about it soon. :) 

Xx