Girl of Nightmares

by Kendare Blake

Grade: 3 stars
Story: Cas's crazy, ghostly, murderess girl-friend has had spoilery things happen to her from the previous book, Anna Dressed in Blood. Now Cas and his Scooby gang have to rescue her--a process involving many ghost fights, a deathly test in Suicide Forest, a feisty British chick, and lots of creepy nightmares.

Thoughts: Like the first book, very entertaining in a Buffy and Supernatural sort of way. Also like the first book, it sports a pretty, pretty cover and dried blood coloured text!!! that immediately lifts this book into a "Good" grade. And finally, again like the first book, I didn't mind the central Romance. Wow. Mostly because it was not between the main side-kick girl and the hero, but also because it was, in the words of author Holly Black:

"[T]he old boy-meets-girl story, if the boy is a wry, self-destructive ghost hunter bent on avenging his father and the girl is a homicidal ghost trapped in a house full of everyone she's ever murdered."

Most of the rest of my thoughts are very spoiler-y. I'm going to talk about them for the rest of the review, so do try not to look if you haven't read it yet.

SPOILERS

I knew it could never work out with Anna, but I just wish Cas hadn't met Jestine right before he made his heroic sacrifice and let go of Anna. I suppose it's not definite that she becomes the new love interest, but it seemed so. And she annoyed me. She was too cocky. Not that I have anything against cocky heroines, it's just... Anna was so awesome and Jestine was too ordinary in character. It seems like I've seen dozens of her before.

Thomas and Carmel's relationship was a little better, but I wish it had gone into it a bit more. There was this abrupt "Oh no, they're breaking up!" twist, but then a short while later it was all better again, and it was never fully explained.

So all in all, it was slightly less enjoyable for me than the first, but still a satisfying sequel. I will read any further books Kendare Blake writes.