Review: Girl of Nightmares

Title: Girl of Nightmares
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Sequel to Anna Dressed in Blood
Publisher: Tor Teen
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC, ALA

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.

My thoughts:

Anna Dressed in Blood is one of my favorite young adult horror novels because Kendare Blake does not hold back when it comes to blood and gore! I didn’t expect anything less when I picked up Girl of Nightmares and I’m so glad! All my favorite aspects from Anna Dressed in Blood were alive and thriving in Girl of Nightmares which made for a really exciting read!

One of the reasons why Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares are so amazing is because of the three main characters! They really came together in the former and continued to rely on each other in the latter. The dynamics of Cas, Thomas, and Carmel really works well and they play off of each other’s strengths which always makes for an exciting read! Thomas’ grandfather is one of my favorite characters! He made me laugh a lot! I really wanted to know more about the Obehman. Was he human before he became this monster? Was he a ghost who became super powerful? Is he a demon? I would have liked his origins explored more.

Going into Girl of Nightmares, all I really knew is that Cas was going to try to save Anna from wherever she was. Cas didn’t even know where Anna was! So I didn’t know where this book was going to take the readers but that almost made it more exciting because I had no idea! I really liked that the adventure took the gang outside of their little town into London and then into the Suicide Forest! The secret society of ghost hunters was also very interesting and I would love to see a side book that dives deeper into the history of it!

I really, really liked this book and I’m so glad that Kendare Blake has decided to write horror within YA! I give Girl of Nightmares 4 hearts because even though I loved it, it wasn’t as enthralling or all-consuming as Anna Dressed in Blood!

Review: The Vincent Boys

Title: The Vincent Boys
Author: Abbi Glines
Series: The Vincent Boys #1
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: Purchased

Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe That’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family. Beau is nothing like her perfect boyfriend. He’s the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, dangerous in ways she’s only day dreamed about, and the one guy she should stay away from.

Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble. Stabbing the one person who’s always accepted him and stood by him in the back, is the cost of finally holding Ashton Gray in his arms. Is she worth losing his cousin over?.... Hell Yeah.

My thoughts: 

Before I start this review, I’m going to tell you guys a little story of how I finally ended up reading this book. I was first introduced to Abbi Glines and all her indie author awesomeness when she was featured on The Bookish Brunette! Ashley said that The Vincent Boys was really good and I almost bought it but for some reason I didn’t. Fast forward a few months, I still hadn’t bought the book but I kept seeing it pop up more and more. Only just last month did I finally give in and buy the book. And now I’m a little mad at myself for waiting so long! It’s was really great!

So when I finally started reading this I could NOT tear my eyes away from the page! It is so freakin’ HOT I had to literally fan myself with my Nook while I was reading at work!! Beau captured my heart by the second chapter so completely that I don’t even care who this Sawyer character is! I was rooting Ashton on to cheat on her boyfriend! That’s the mark of an excellent writer; if I’m desperately hoping that the main character with do something bad!

Beau is the kind of bad boy that I like! He’s not the bad boy that is so hot that it doesn’t matter how he treats women. Some bad boys in books can walk all over their girlfriends or love interest and the girl will still come crawling back to him. Beau is not that bad boy. He mows Ashton’s grandma’s lawn out of the kindness of his heart! And he makes sure that Ashton gets treated with the utmost respect. He doesn’t push her to do anything no matter how bad he wants it. Honestly, I could gush about him for pages!

Sawyer is not in the book as much as Beau so the only read that I could get on him is that he’s the town all-star. He’s the all-American football player and most popular guy in school. He even has the most perfect girlfriend which is who Ashton is struggling to be. I have a feeling there’s going to be a lot more Sawyer in the next book. She wasn’t always perfect and putting up the façade that she was really wore her down. Beau finally had the chance to show her that the little bad girl deep down inside was still there!

This book is so much fun and because it’s short it can be read in one sitting. But don’t be fooled, it really packs a punch! I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait to read the next one! Thankfully, it’s already out! I give The Vincent Boys 5 hearts because it’s hot with just the right amount of sexy which makes it a perfect summer read!