"It's true what they say about answers only leading to more questions. There will always be more to find out, more to learn, more to do." (Cas Lowood)
All the answers that I was desperately asking for, finally got answered. That was definitely a one up from Anna Dressed in Blood. It made me happy! SO VERY HAPPY!!! As soon as the right questions about the athame and Cas's ghost-hunter origins started being ANSWERED, I wanted to give a whoop-de-doo. The best part is that Kendare Blake didn't just provide us with answers. She actually answered my questions by adding a new complication to the storyline.
This book takes place about six months after the events of the previous book. Cas Lowood starts to see Anna in his waking moments and his nightmares. She is always in pain. Cas feels as though Anna is trying to communicate with him, while others think that he is hallucinating. But all that Cas wants to do, is to bring Anna back to the world of living and he needs to find out how.
I loved that Girl of Nightmares didn't sugar-coat anything that happened in Anna Dressed in Blood. In fact everything that happened was 10 times worse. Cas is suffering the aftereffects of the events that occured in Anna Dressed in Blood. He keeps on seeing Anna and he starts to wonder if he is going psycho. Cas isn't the arrogant, I-know-everything-about-ghosts type of guy anymore and that was refreshing. It showed his growth as a character. However, he still retained his realistic outlook on life and his humor that I adored in Anna Dressed in Blood.
Cas might have been a cool character, but it was Carmel and Thomas who stood out for me. Thomas and Carmel are amazing friends to Cas, amazing characters and one of the cutest couples I have read about in a long time. Thomas is clumsy, but he is still powerful. Carmel is the queen-bee and while she's not a bad-ass fighter, she's one tough human being. Thomas and Carmel might be side-kicks, but they are the best and most realistic, quirky side-kicks that I have read about.
"I'm just saying it doesn't always have to be spirits and magic. Sometimes hauntings are in your mind. It doesn't make them less real." (Carmel Jones)
I was extremely glad that the romance between Cas and Anna took a back seat for most of the book. I didn't believe in their romance in Anna Dressed in Blood, but for some reason unknown to me, I wanted Cas and Anna's relationship to work. Even although, I was unable to think of anyway that it could work. But I actually wanted Cas and Anna to have a happily ever after and that's all that mattered.
Girl of Nightmares was a step up from Anna Dressed in Blood. It took the paranormal, blood, gore and ghosts and made it 10 times better. Questions were answered, characters developed and relationships took shape. However, the pacing in the middle was slow and problematic due to less action and ghostly grossness.
Two thing that I can say:
1)The stakes are higher than ever. It's basically do or die.
2)The ending of this duology is extremely satisfying