The Great Destroyer

“Cassio,” she whispers. “Get me out of here.”Girl of Nightmares starts with Anna being gone. Remember the previous book? The whole jump straight into a fiery pit thing? Anyhow, it’s beet months since the little “accident," and Cas can’t stop obsessing over her. He hears her laugh and sees her, or things that remind him of her, everywhere he goes. He can’t focus on his ghost killing job. School sucks, and his friends can’t seem to stand him because of his douchey attitude. No surprise there.Cas also can’t stop trying to get himself killed. Ok, maybe he’s not trying to get himself killed, but he’s not doing a good job staying away from trouble either. All of this is in the name of love! He will stop at nothing in order to get Anna back into the world of the living. Even though, you know, she’s dead and all.I could tell there’s something fishy going on with Girl of Nightmares since page one. First of all, it did not suck me in since the beginning like Anna Dressed in Blood had and secondly, I could tell that it was obviously different than the previous installment. My main problem regarding the book is Cas. He seems to have been replaced with a bitter old man. Yes, I know that it could be understandable. He lost his lover girl. He is suffering. He is constantly moping over Anna. Boo-hoo. However, this is not a decent enough reason to get on my nerves and ruin a perfectly good book. If only Girl of Nightmares was a perfectly good book, that is.I liked the first book, Anna Dressed in Blood, and I was ok with the romance that was going on between Cas and Anna. Now, it’s been a year, give or take, since I read it, and I’m starting to have different thoughts about the two “lovebirds." The whole “I miss you, and I might just love you” part seems a bit unhealthy for Cas.I mean, ok, hooking up with a ghost. Good luck getting to second base with that. But a ghost that is capable of mutilating people? And is full of blood, stab wounds and gore most of the time. Well, I think one would need a strong stomach even to think about going to second base with her. Just sayin’.“ […] in the third chair in, Anna winks at me. Or maybe she just blinks. I can’t tell. She’s missing half of her face. I mean come on. You’re still starry-eyed after this? Earth to Cas. She’s missing half of her fucking face. Just scream and hide under the desk already. Let’s pretend this never happened.“Anna is waiting in my bedroom. Her head lolls as if on a broken neck; her eyes roll up to mine. Cas , don’t you feel like kissing her? Not even a little bit?“I don’t try to read her lips. Too much black blood spills through them. He’s so going to make out with her right now. His girlfriend. Ghost girlfriend. Someone’s going to die a virgin. I think the moral of this story is: love prevails over all. Or something.“ “I love her.” “She’s dead.” “That doesn’t mean to me what it does to other people.” That means you’re having a shitload of problems coming your way, kid.Do you see what I’m talking about? How can I even remotely like this book with all this nonsense going on? A short conclusionI admit I don’t have the best memory out there. This means that I don’t remember much from Anna Dressed in Blood. I do remember the main events but not the little details. However, the thing that impressed me the most in Anna Dressed in Blood were the terrifying ghosts, carnage and the environment's overall dark and chilling feel. All these elements are absent in Girl of Nightmares, which reads more like teenage angst slash romance than horror. This is a very sad thing because Kendare Blake has a good talent in creating amazing horror concepts. I am extremely disappointed.Favorite quote:“She’ll see her dressed in blood, her hair floating like it’s suspended in water, eyes black and shining. And when she does, she won’t be able to catch her breath. P.S. I’m still waiting for the real Anna #2 to come out. This one was probably just an April’s Fool joke.Barely 3 stars.