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Sookie Stackhouse #8
From Dead to Worse
After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the manmade explosion at the vampire summit, everyone human and otherwise is stressed, including Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who is trying to cope with the fact that her boyfriend Quinn has gone missing.
It's clear that things are changing whether the weres and vamps of her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie, Friend to the Pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, leader of the local vampire community is caught up in the changes.
In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death, and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood finished flowing, her world will be forever altered.
It's clear that things are changing whether the weres and vamps of her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie, Friend to the Pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, leader of the local vampire community is caught up in the changes.
In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death, and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood finished flowing, her world will be forever altered.
303 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 6, 2008
About the author
Charlaine Harris
282 books36.2k followersCharlaine Harris has been a published novelist for over thirty-five years. A native of the Mississippi Delta, she grew up in the middle of a cotton field. Charlaine lives in Texas now, and all of her children and grandchildren are within easy driving distance.
Though her early output consisted largely of ghost stories, by the time she hit college (Rhodes, in Memphis) Charlaine was writing poetry and plays. After holding down some low-level jobs, her husband Hal gave her the opportunity to stay home and write. The resulting two stand-alones were published by Houghton Mifflin. After a child-producing sabbatical, Charlaine latched on to the trend of series, and soon had her own traditional mystery books about a Georgia librarian, Aurora Teagarden. Her first Teagarden, Real Murders, garnered an Agatha nomination.
Soon Charlaine was looking for another challenge, and the result was the much darker Lily Bard series. The books, set in Shakespeare, Arkansas, feature a heroine who has survived a terrible attack and is learning to live with its consequences.
When Charlaine began to realize that neither of those series was ever going to set the literary world on fire, she regrouped and decided to write the book she’d always wanted to write. Not a traditional mystery, nor yet pure science fiction or romance, Dead Until Dark broke genre boundaries to appeal to a wide audience of people who simply enjoy a good adventure. Each subsequent book about Sookie Stackhouse, telepathic Louisiana barmaid and friend to vampires, werewolves, and various other odd creatures, was very successful in many languages.
The Harper Connelly books were written concurrently with the Sookie novels.
Following the end of Sookie's recorded adventures, Charlaine wrote the "Midnight, Texas" books, which have become a television series, also. The Aurora Teagarden books have been adapted by Hallmark Movie & Mystery.
Charlaine is a member of many professional organizations, an Episcopalian, and currently the lucky houseparent to two rescue dogs. She lives on a cliff overlooking the Brazos River.
Though her early output consisted largely of ghost stories, by the time she hit college (Rhodes, in Memphis) Charlaine was writing poetry and plays. After holding down some low-level jobs, her husband Hal gave her the opportunity to stay home and write. The resulting two stand-alones were published by Houghton Mifflin. After a child-producing sabbatical, Charlaine latched on to the trend of series, and soon had her own traditional mystery books about a Georgia librarian, Aurora Teagarden. Her first Teagarden, Real Murders, garnered an Agatha nomination.
Soon Charlaine was looking for another challenge, and the result was the much darker Lily Bard series. The books, set in Shakespeare, Arkansas, feature a heroine who has survived a terrible attack and is learning to live with its consequences.
When Charlaine began to realize that neither of those series was ever going to set the literary world on fire, she regrouped and decided to write the book she’d always wanted to write. Not a traditional mystery, nor yet pure science fiction or romance, Dead Until Dark broke genre boundaries to appeal to a wide audience of people who simply enjoy a good adventure. Each subsequent book about Sookie Stackhouse, telepathic Louisiana barmaid and friend to vampires, werewolves, and various other odd creatures, was very successful in many languages.
The Harper Connelly books were written concurrently with the Sookie novels.
Following the end of Sookie's recorded adventures, Charlaine wrote the "Midnight, Texas" books, which have become a television series, also. The Aurora Teagarden books have been adapted by Hallmark Movie & Mystery.
Charlaine is a member of many professional organizations, an Episcopalian, and currently the lucky houseparent to two rescue dogs. She lives on a cliff overlooking the Brazos River.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,112 reviews
June 23, 2021
(B+) 77% | Good
Notes: A housekeeping book. All loosed ends and continuing plot threads resolve and a new series paradigm is established.
Notes: A housekeeping book. All loosed ends and continuing plot threads resolve and a new series paradigm is established.
June 18, 2023
True Blood #8: In which there is a Were war, a vampire war and some big reveals. The darkly quasi-comical supernatural romantic serial continues in good form. 6 out of 12, Three Stars.
2010 read
2010 read
January 25, 2009
This book could have been subtitled "How to Wind About Four Different Tiny Storylines into One Relatively Small Book and Maintain a Ridiculous Level of Detail So That Readers Can Calculate Exactly How Much Coffee My Heroine Drinks Each Day". Yes, it would have made marketing the book a bit difficult, but might have given readers a better idea of what to expect.
Sookie encounters a war in the were community, then a war between the vampires, then she breaks off her relationship, then she discovers a long lost relative, then she discovers another long lost relative. Phew. I liked a couple of the storylines, but mashing them all together like that made them lose their potency and makes the book a lot weaker. This is the most recent published book in this series, so I can stop reading for a while now and feel a bit relieved at the prospect. I think the only thing that kept me reading these mediocre books was the fantastic TV series based on the series, True Blood - can't wait for season 2.
Sookie encounters a war in the were community, then a war between the vampires, then she breaks off her relationship, then she discovers a long lost relative, then she discovers another long lost relative. Phew. I liked a couple of the storylines, but mashing them all together like that made them lose their potency and makes the book a lot weaker. This is the most recent published book in this series, so I can stop reading for a while now and feel a bit relieved at the prospect. I think the only thing that kept me reading these mediocre books was the fantastic TV series based on the series, True Blood - can't wait for season 2.
May 13, 2008
I read an interview with CH saying she had started this book, got off an tangent, and realized she'd finished the book not just the tangent. This book has that feel... like it's really just 3 or 4 tangents and not a fully developed, interwoven novel. CH is an amazing author so I don't fault her. I chalk it up to this is the 8th book in a series of first person narrative that has gotten so complex with so many overlapping story-lines, it was bound to happen. This is, to me, a wrap-up book. Too many subplots have been left loose for too long. In order to move on to bigger and better things, these loose ends needed tying up.
Loose End #1 aka the Were War
My heart hurt every time a new Were died. It was HP7 all over again, but instead of Hedwig, Dobby, and Fred, it was Maria-Star, Christine Larrabee, and Amanda. Did CH realize she had far too many characters to for readers to keep up with, and some weeding needed to occur in order to introduce more characters? I’m keeping that theory because it works so well for happens later on. I have mixed feelings about Alcide as the new pack leader, but Sookie seemed to think he’d grown up a bit. Loss will do that to a person (Dad, girlfriends, packmates, etc). I was mildly disappointed Patrick Furnan was erased as a viable threat to Sookie so quickly and easily. A little deus ex machina, but whatever. This is a subplot I’m only mildly interested in anymore.
Loose End #2 aka the Vamp War
GAH! I loved Sophie-Anne. I wanted her to go down in a blaze of glory, not an afterthought or just a package delivered safely by lawyers to be poorly defended by Andre the giant. Where was Mr. Cataliades throughout all this? Did he go down with queen? Or save his own ass when the getting was good? Hmmm…
CH seems to want us to remember why Sookie should not be eloping with Quinn right this minute. All these sexual thoughts about the ever present Eric, and Bill being super sweet and available (good-bye Selah. No one will miss you or Portia). And Eric’s memories magically returned? (Har har). More sudden fortune or absurdly good timing?
I was completely in dire straits with Eric over the hostile takeover. LOVE that Pam. In light of finally meeting Felipe Castro, it seems like a good decision. I only say that b/c it all worked all well for Sookie.
Loose End #3 aka What happened to Quinn?
My heart completely jumped out of chest, ran down the road, and began kicking the shite out of this completely two-faced, blind main character who has lost all her good sense and ability to see the world clearly. She realizes she’s being selfish by wanting to be someone’s number #1, yet she tells Jason never to contact her again b/c of his selfishness? And who is this person who’s been bemoaning her lack of family for 7 books now coming down on someone else, who also has very little family, needing to be there for them? She even thinks her reasoning is faulty when she chooses what to say to Frannie and Mrs. Quinn. Sookie used to be great at self-evaluation and changing her mind when she was wrong. What happened? She does not know that he would always choose them above her. In real life, they’d compromise and make it work. She would be a huge help to him, and they would all be a big family. The Sookie of book 1 would know that. Sookie of book 8 has had too much vampire exposure and near-death experiences to understand ordinary life anymore. I’ve always been on Sookie’s side no matter what, her cheerleader through and through, but she’s about lost me on this one. It’s blind and stupid beyond belief.
The only explanation that makes any sense to me is that happy, settled characters tend to end the series. Sookie can’t be happy in a relationship or there’d be nothing more to write about. She has to be conflicted and guy-hopping in order to maintain the sexual conflict of the books. Honestly, if CH wanted Quinn out of the picture, I would have preferred they get married and Bill/Eric kills him. That would have made more sense. My prediction: Sookie will realize her horrid mistake just in time for Quinn to die in her arms at a later date. She’s too smart to let this stupidity go on forever, but it will cost her.
On a brighter note, all this off stage action happening with Quinn has given me FABULOUS material for my Quinn perspective writings here and on MySpace. :)
Loose End #4 aka Family business, to be continued.
Hi Grandpa! How are you related to my sexually molesting uncle again? Oh how convenient Claudine and Claude are my cousins! Errrrr. Wonder if Niall knows about Hunter? That will be interesting. He might since Sookie pointed Remy out to him. I doubt Niall wouldn’t investigate this person I’m looking up for g-granddaughter. Hmm, I predict a flash flood coming for Remy and Kristine. Enemies of Niall again perhaps?
Who’ve I left out? Sam of course! Always discounted but coming in big to save the day in the Were war and playing a bit part in the Vamp war. I don’t see the Sandra/Tanya angle being dismissed so easily. Sandra is a witch too, if I recall. Time for a little love spell for Sam? And all the attention to Dawson was a little odd; he’s a little too similar a character to Quinn for me. And what’s with every single time the man speaks, “that’s practically a speech from Dawson.” We get he’s isn’t loquacious! Good lord. Simon R. Green, get out of my Sookie books.
All in all, this book packed a punch. I’m uber disappointed in the resolution of Quinn’s character. I don’t think Eric or Bill or even Sam is good enough for Sookie. She likes the nookie, but she won’t settle. Quinn was nigh on perfect and she turned it down. She’s self-destructive. I’ll give this to CH. MUST READ MORE! Write faster lady!
Loose End #1 aka the Were War
My heart hurt every time a new Were died. It was HP7 all over again, but instead of Hedwig, Dobby, and Fred, it was Maria-Star, Christine Larrabee, and Amanda. Did CH realize she had far too many characters to for readers to keep up with, and some weeding needed to occur in order to introduce more characters? I’m keeping that theory because it works so well for happens later on. I have mixed feelings about Alcide as the new pack leader, but Sookie seemed to think he’d grown up a bit. Loss will do that to a person (Dad, girlfriends, packmates, etc). I was mildly disappointed Patrick Furnan was erased as a viable threat to Sookie so quickly and easily. A little deus ex machina, but whatever. This is a subplot I’m only mildly interested in anymore.
Loose End #2 aka the Vamp War
GAH! I loved Sophie-Anne. I wanted her to go down in a blaze of glory, not an afterthought or just a package delivered safely by lawyers to be poorly defended by Andre the giant. Where was Mr. Cataliades throughout all this? Did he go down with queen? Or save his own ass when the getting was good? Hmmm…
CH seems to want us to remember why Sookie should not be eloping with Quinn right this minute. All these sexual thoughts about the ever present Eric, and Bill being super sweet and available (good-bye Selah. No one will miss you or Portia). And Eric’s memories magically returned? (Har har). More sudden fortune or absurdly good timing?
I was completely in dire straits with Eric over the hostile takeover. LOVE that Pam. In light of finally meeting Felipe Castro, it seems like a good decision. I only say that b/c it all worked all well for Sookie.
Loose End #3 aka What happened to Quinn?
My heart completely jumped out of chest, ran down the road, and began kicking the shite out of this completely two-faced, blind main character who has lost all her good sense and ability to see the world clearly. She realizes she’s being selfish by wanting to be someone’s number #1, yet she tells Jason never to contact her again b/c of his selfishness? And who is this person who’s been bemoaning her lack of family for 7 books now coming down on someone else, who also has very little family, needing to be there for them? She even thinks her reasoning is faulty when she chooses what to say to Frannie and Mrs. Quinn. Sookie used to be great at self-evaluation and changing her mind when she was wrong. What happened? She does not know that he would always choose them above her. In real life, they’d compromise and make it work. She would be a huge help to him, and they would all be a big family. The Sookie of book 1 would know that. Sookie of book 8 has had too much vampire exposure and near-death experiences to understand ordinary life anymore. I’ve always been on Sookie’s side no matter what, her cheerleader through and through, but she’s about lost me on this one. It’s blind and stupid beyond belief.
The only explanation that makes any sense to me is that happy, settled characters tend to end the series. Sookie can’t be happy in a relationship or there’d be nothing more to write about. She has to be conflicted and guy-hopping in order to maintain the sexual conflict of the books. Honestly, if CH wanted Quinn out of the picture, I would have preferred they get married and Bill/Eric kills him. That would have made more sense. My prediction: Sookie will realize her horrid mistake just in time for Quinn to die in her arms at a later date. She’s too smart to let this stupidity go on forever, but it will cost her.
On a brighter note, all this off stage action happening with Quinn has given me FABULOUS material for my Quinn perspective writings here and on MySpace. :)
Loose End #4 aka Family business, to be continued.
Hi Grandpa! How are you related to my sexually molesting uncle again? Oh how convenient Claudine and Claude are my cousins! Errrrr. Wonder if Niall knows about Hunter? That will be interesting. He might since Sookie pointed Remy out to him. I doubt Niall wouldn’t investigate this person I’m looking up for g-granddaughter. Hmm, I predict a flash flood coming for Remy and Kristine. Enemies of Niall again perhaps?
Who’ve I left out? Sam of course! Always discounted but coming in big to save the day in the Were war and playing a bit part in the Vamp war. I don’t see the Sandra/Tanya angle being dismissed so easily. Sandra is a witch too, if I recall. Time for a little love spell for Sam? And all the attention to Dawson was a little odd; he’s a little too similar a character to Quinn for me. And what’s with every single time the man speaks, “that’s practically a speech from Dawson.” We get he’s isn’t loquacious! Good lord. Simon R. Green, get out of my Sookie books.
All in all, this book packed a punch. I’m uber disappointed in the resolution of Quinn’s character. I don’t think Eric or Bill or even Sam is good enough for Sookie. She likes the nookie, but she won’t settle. Quinn was nigh on perfect and she turned it down. She’s self-destructive. I’ll give this to CH. MUST READ MORE! Write faster lady!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2008
OH, OH, OH. Sookie, Sookie, Sookie. This gal just cannot catch a break! In this book, we learn a little more about where Sookie's 'gift' comes from. She finally sees Quinn again. Eric has a couple of surprises for her, and gets a big one himself. There's death, mayhem, and magic all around...and Sookie has to figure out if she can learn to accept her life in this new world of danger, insecurity, and maybe....love?
If you've been following Sookie's story. GO...RIGHT NOW! Stop reading and go get this book.
If you haven't read this series yet...I'm not really sure quite how to describe it. It has humor and sadness, love and hate, supernaturals galore, and Sookie is the ?human? stuck in middle. Charlaine Harris will suck you right in to Sookie's world and you'll be caught like the rest of us...anxiously awaiting the next chapter in Sookie's life.
If you've been following Sookie's story. GO...RIGHT NOW! Stop reading and go get this book.
If you haven't read this series yet...I'm not really sure quite how to describe it. It has humor and sadness, love and hate, supernaturals galore, and Sookie is the ?human? stuck in middle. Charlaine Harris will suck you right in to Sookie's world and you'll be caught like the rest of us...anxiously awaiting the next chapter in Sookie's life.
October 25, 2011
Book Eight, and Harris can’t even get past the first line of the “Previously in this Series” summary before annoying me with her inaccuracy and stupidity. She begins:
This annoys me for three reasons:
1. Cate Blanchett doesn’t have a British voice. She is Australian.
2. There is no such thing as a British accent. Britain is made up of 3 countries (More if she means the British Isles). Each of these countries has many different accents associated with them. The fact that Sookie either negates Wales and Scotland or conflates them with England is racially and socially ignorant. The fact that she imagines that everyone (or indeed anyone) in England speaks like Galadriel in Lord of the Rings is ridiculous.
3. Speaking with any of the accents originating from Britain does not make you automatically sound smart. Not unless the person listening to you is as much of an irredeemable idiot as Sookie Stackhouse.
With a beginning this bad, the chances that Harris had suddenly developed some writing talent, or that Sookie had become a less appalling character, were slim. And indeed, this is yet another terrible book to add to the Stackhouse mound.
Apparently Sookie would rather think that her beloved grandmother, the woman who raised her and cared for her before being brutally murdered, was raped on at least two occasions and almost certainly more over a period of several years, rather than have her morality offended by the thought of her grandmother committing an infidelity. This is what passes for Christian sensibility in Sookie’s neck of the woods.
Or alternatively you could just leave the poor girl alone to practice her own religion or not as she sees fit. Although I suppose you can’t expect any better from a town whose inhabitants use the metaphor “about as welcoming as a church lady forced to entertain an atheist.”
Least Erotic and Most Badly Written Instance of Faux-Naïve Grotesquery
If you ever need evidence that Charlaine Harris is an appalling writer, this quote should cover it. The worst part, if I can possibly isolate an individual element from the overall horror, is the coy little stammer as Sookie can’t bring herself to say a rude word.
Stupidest Death
Sookie is attacked two or three times a book by ciphers, in a vain attempt to add some tension to the plot. After these attacks Harris routinely disposes of the attackers in a variety of contrived ways in order to avoid straining herself by having to create any more characters or provide them with any motivation. The methods of dispatch are usually any that absolve Sookie from moral blame, such as death by a nearby supernatural or death by accidentally throwing themselves on a stake Sookie is holding. However this book features a particularly poor effort. Sookie and an innocent bystander are attacked in a library. Sookie throws a book at the threatening assailant, trips him up, and he promptly accidentally falls on his own knife and dies instantaneously. Now, I’m not expecting a great deal of medical accuracy in these books, but I would like to know what type of wound Harris thinks an adult male is likely receive from falling on his own knife that would kill him so rapidly. I’m beginning to think “attacking Sookie Stackhouse” is a valid cause of death in Bon Temps.
Worst Personalised License Plate Owned by a Vampire
BLDSKR
Most Unreasonable Break-Up
Sookie, after finding out about her boyfriend’s mentally ill mother.
That, Sookie, is because you are a selfish bitch.
I particularly like the part where she tries to milk the situation for her own benefit. “I know all about hard rows.”. Not really the time or person to play for sympathy, Sookie. Particularly when you yourself as good as admit that you’re dumping Quinn because you’ve got a better offer from rich and powerful vampire Eric. From whom you’re receiving gifts about half a dozen lines later, like the classy independent woman you are.
Most Ridiculous Concept
Most Simultaneously Cruel and Nonsensical Insult
Sookie to Jason’s wife Crsytal, in response to catching her sleeping with another man:
Most Unnecessary Assault
Sookie breaks a friend’s fingers with a brick because some were-panthers told her to. Later she demands sympathy for having undergone this trauma. Any sympathy received by the injured friend goes unrecorded.
Most Clear Admission of Being a Self-Obsessed Manipulative Drama Queen
Worst Self-Invented Phrase
Stupidest Patriotic Statement
I assume that Sookie means since she is a citizen of America, the absolute gosh-darned best and most free country in the world, she herself has no monarch or aristocracy to bow to. I understand that Harris likes to point out how brilliant the USA is at least once a book, but this doesn’t make a lot of sense. Most citizens of monarchies are not “used to bowing”, as they usually don’t meet said monarch on a day to day basis. I myself have the misfortune to be a citizen of a country which still ascribes to the outdated notion of a monarchy, and I resent the assumption that because I wasn’t born in the “Land of the Free” I must be used to servility and self-humiliating gestures.
Most Unlikely Hostage Situation
Siebert the Vampire simultaneously capturing Sheriff Eric, new king Felipe de Castro and Sam the bartender. Leaving aside the poor effort of the two supposedly powerful vampires I would like to have an explanation for the capture of Sam. Unfortunately the only details we are given is :Sam had been tied to the bumper of his own truck somehow., which isn’t massively descriptive. But whatever the details I feel one very salient point is being ignored. Sam is a shifter. He can shift into any animal he likes. So surely he would shift into a mouse and crawl out of his bonds, or a mountain bear and tear them apart, or something of the sort? No. He just stands there until Sookie saves him, doing absolutely nothing.
Eventually the series of random events masquerading as a novel simply stops, without conclusion or cliff-hanger. I presume Harris simply got bored. So did I. Sadly, somewhat earlier than she did.
“If this was The Lord of the Rings and I had a smart British voice like Cate Blanchett, I could tell you the background of the events of that fall in a really suspenseful way.”
This annoys me for three reasons:
1. Cate Blanchett doesn’t have a British voice. She is Australian.
2. There is no such thing as a British accent. Britain is made up of 3 countries (More if she means the British Isles). Each of these countries has many different accents associated with them. The fact that Sookie either negates Wales and Scotland or conflates them with England is racially and socially ignorant. The fact that she imagines that everyone (or indeed anyone) in England speaks like Galadriel in Lord of the Rings is ridiculous.
3. Speaking with any of the accents originating from Britain does not make you automatically sound smart. Not unless the person listening to you is as much of an irredeemable idiot as Sookie Stackhouse.
With a beginning this bad, the chances that Harris had suddenly developed some writing talent, or that Sookie had become a less appalling character, were slim. And indeed, this is yet another terrible book to add to the Stackhouse mound.
It commences in possibly the most boring way possible, with a long and details description of a wedding. Apparently it’s an Episcopalian wedding, but since I am nowhere near as interested in Christian denominations as Harris’ assumes, I have no idea what this means or why I should care. At any rate, said wedding is massively dull. It does however give Sookie a chance to re-describe every character in the series once again, including the compulsory mention of Sam’s “halo of strawberry blond hair” , which she has somewhat of an obsession with. She also has another opportunity to display herself as the woman-hating bitch she is, when her ex-boyfriend Bill makes some tacky gesticulation in her direction to indicate that she is still in his heart, or some such mush. This she finds very romantic, despite the fact that his current girlfriend, Selah is sat next to him at the time. Selah’s feelings on the matter go unrecorded.
A few pages later Bill creeps up on Sookie whilst she is getting undressed and declares that he would love to sleep with her again. She is mildly annoyed at this voyeurism, but since being called fuckable is the greatest compliment possible for Sookie, she forgives him. To be fair, by this point Sookie has been repeatedly sexually harassed by all her soon-to-be-, current and ex-boyfriends to a point where this sort of incident must seem rather minor to her. She seems much more annoyed at Selah’s temerity in asking her about this episode than she does the matter itself, and certainly neither shows her any sympathy or evinces any interest in her situation. This is because Sookie has absolutely no fellow-feeling with women whatsoever and the only emotion they inspire in her is jealousy.
Sookie’s problems with other women, prominent throughout all the books in this series, reach a previously unmanaged level of vileness in this volume. During a meeting with her previously absent great-grandfather Sookie is led to give a slight amount of thought (which is the most she can manage in any case) to her most recent ancestors. She recalls some problems in her relationship with her mother, adds this to the new information that her father was ¼ fairy, and concludes that obviously her relationship with her mother, who died when Sookie was seven, was strained because her mother was obsessed with her husband, Sookie’s father, and thus felt sexual jealousy toward her young daughter regarding him. Personally I would have at least considered the fact that Sookie’s mother would have been coping with a child who exhibited unexplained supernatural powers, which could have contributed to her difficulty dealing with her daughter. But not Sookie. Sookie’s mother didn’t adore her. Sookie’s mother was a woman. Ergo, Sookie’s mother was a bitch who was jealous of Sookie QED.
If this damning indictment of her own mother and females in general wasn’t enough, Sookie, learning of her grandmother having born children to a man other than her husband, then proceeds to make one of the most disgusting statements I have ever had the misfortune to read:
“He raped her,” I said, almost hoping it was so. My grandmother had been the most true‐blue woman I’d ever met. I couldn’t picture her cheating anyone out of anything, particularly since she’d promised in front of God to be faithful to my grandfather.
Apparently Sookie would rather think that her beloved grandmother, the woman who raised her and cared for her before being brutally murdered, was raped on at least two occasions and almost certainly more over a period of several years, rather than have her morality offended by the thought of her grandmother committing an infidelity. This is what passes for Christian sensibility in Sookie’s neck of the woods.
This is not the first time by any means that Harris has made light of rape, but previously I was able to temper my repulsion somewhat with the hope that she spoke in ignorance alone. However in light of these remarks I am forced to assume that she is in fact a contemptible, narrow-minded, judgemental bitch. There’s certainly plenty of corroborating evidence for this assumption in each and every one of these awful books.
After discussing such a serious and offensive matter my usual glib criticism seems rather shallow. But since Harris has worked so hard to earn my animosity so fully, I shall continue with the denigration she so richly deserves.
The plot seems even weaker than usual, although perhaps that’s only due to it beginning to wear out through overuse. Once again Sookie is harassed, sexually and generally, by a variety of characters. The plot combines the mystery of her missing boyfriend, which goes nowhere, with the mystery of yet another random spate of werewolf attacks, which meanders through the first half of the book in constant danger of petering out. These plots eventually lead to yet another supernatural battle or incredible dullness. Meanwhile we hear a lot more about Sookie’s prowess at cleaning houses and her more limited culinary abilities, which is obviously fascinating. There’s also a spate of boyfriends and ex-boyfriends letting themselves into Sookie’s bedroom, often whilst she’s asleep. For some reason she’s not even slightly perturbed by this obsessive stalker behaviour. In other random events, Sookie confesses to murder several times to random friends and acquaintances, all of whom are similarly unperturbed, and the parents of Sookie’s murder victim suddenly turn out to have died together in a car accident, thereby allowing a boring plot from several books back to proceed. This is partially resolved when Sookie deals with a woman with whom she has a slight disagreement by having said woman’s current boyfriend (an ex love-interest of Sookie) kidnap her, and helping two witches to erase her mind of all thoughts that Sookie doesn’t like. This seems like the actions of a crazy, self-obsessed bitch to me, but as none of the characters other than the girl herself share my view the mind and character alteration proceeds. After this Sookie participates in catching her brother’s pregnant girlfriend cheating on him. Meanwhile Sookie’s flatmate has a brief lesbian relationship with Pam the vampire before deciding “Pam and I are more buddies than honeys” as soon as a man shows a sexual interest in her; this homophobic dismissal oddly earns her no apparent animosity from Pam, although it does save Harris from having to describe anything other than a heterosexual relationship. Then there is a random vampire-related attack which makes very little sense. Finally, Sookie decides to visit her long-lost nephew for some reason. This accomplished, the book ends. None of the various plot-strands are tied together, or at any point rendered interesting.
Stupidest New Character Names
Hamilton Tharp
Copley Carmichael
Octavia Fant
Remy Savoy
Niall Brigant
Corbett Hale Stackhouse
Police Chief Parfit Graham
Tyrese Marley
Dove Beck
Hunter Savoy
Most Worrying Inconsistency
Hoyt Fortenberry was previously described as Maxine Fortenberry’s grandson. He is now described as her son. There are three possible explanations for this:
1. The Fortenberry family is more inbred than I was previously aware.
2. Harris has been watching True Blood.
3. Harris is an idiot.
Most Unremarked-Upon Small-Minded Evangelism
Maxine Fortenberry on her son(?)’s new girlfriend:
“Holly’s not much of a churchgoer, but we’re working on getting her to come with us and bring Cody. We better get moving if we’re gonna be on time.”
Or alternatively you could just leave the poor girl alone to practice her own religion or not as she sees fit. Although I suppose you can’t expect any better from a town whose inhabitants use the metaphor “about as welcoming as a church lady forced to entertain an atheist.”
Least Erotic and Most Badly Written Instance of Faux-Naïve Grotesquery
“Eric took my hand as we walked across to the restaurant, and he ran his thumb absently across my palm. I was surprised to find out there was a direct line from my palm to my, my, hootchie.”
If you ever need evidence that Charlaine Harris is an appalling writer, this quote should cover it. The worst part, if I can possibly isolate an individual element from the overall horror, is the coy little stammer as Sookie can’t bring herself to say a rude word.
Stupidest Death
Sookie is attacked two or three times a book by ciphers, in a vain attempt to add some tension to the plot. After these attacks Harris routinely disposes of the attackers in a variety of contrived ways in order to avoid straining herself by having to create any more characters or provide them with any motivation. The methods of dispatch are usually any that absolve Sookie from moral blame, such as death by a nearby supernatural or death by accidentally throwing themselves on a stake Sookie is holding. However this book features a particularly poor effort. Sookie and an innocent bystander are attacked in a library. Sookie throws a book at the threatening assailant, trips him up, and he promptly accidentally falls on his own knife and dies instantaneously. Now, I’m not expecting a great deal of medical accuracy in these books, but I would like to know what type of wound Harris thinks an adult male is likely receive from falling on his own knife that would kill him so rapidly. I’m beginning to think “attacking Sookie Stackhouse” is a valid cause of death in Bon Temps.
Worst Personalised License Plate Owned by a Vampire
BLDSKR
Most Unreasonable Break-Up
Sookie, after finding out about her boyfriend’s mentally ill mother.
““So you’re breaking up with me because of my mother,” he said. He sounded bitter and I didn’t blame him.
“Yes,” I said after a moment’s inner testing of my own resolve. “I think I am. It’s not your mom as much as her whole situation. Your mother will always have to come first as long as she’s alive, because she’s so damaged. I’ve got sympathy for that, believe me. And I’m sorry that you and Frannie have a hard row to hoe. I know all about hard rows.”
…
“Yet, knowing all this, and knowing I care for you, you don’t want to see me anymore,” Quinn said, biting each word out. “You don’t want to try to make it work.”
“I care for you, too, and I had hoped we’d have a lot more,” I said. “But … your mom and Frannie , they’re . . . dependent. They have to have you. They’ll always come first.” I stopped for a moment, biting the inside of my cheek. This was the hardest part. “I want to be first. I know that’s selfish, and maybe unattainable, and maybe shallow. But I just want to come first with someone. If that’s wrong of me, so be it. I’ll be wrong. But that’s the way I feel.”
“Then there’s nothing left to talk about,” Quinn said …
I felt like a bad person. I felt miserable and bereft. I felt like a selfish bitch.”
That, Sookie, is because you are a selfish bitch.
I particularly like the part where she tries to milk the situation for her own benefit. “I know all about hard rows.”. Not really the time or person to play for sympathy, Sookie. Particularly when you yourself as good as admit that you’re dumping Quinn because you’ve got a better offer from rich and powerful vampire Eric. From whom you’re receiving gifts about half a dozen lines later, like the classy independent woman you are.
Most Ridiculous Concept
“the Elvis Undead Revue with all‐vamp Elvis tribute artists.”
Most Simultaneously Cruel and Nonsensical Insult
Sookie to Jason’s wife Crsytal, in response to catching her sleeping with another man:
“I said the worst thing I could think of. “No wonder you lose all your babies.””
Most Unnecessary Assault
Sookie breaks a friend’s fingers with a brick because some were-panthers told her to. Later she demands sympathy for having undergone this trauma. Any sympathy received by the injured friend goes unrecorded.
Most Clear Admission of Being a Self-Obsessed Manipulative Drama Queen
“This was totally unfair. I’d expected tons of sympathy when I finally confessed the reason for my bad mood. But now Sam and Eric were so wrapped up in being irritated with each other that neither one of them was giving me a moment’s thought”
Worst Self-Invented Phrase
” This was definitely an Oh, shit! moment. (An OSM, as I called them to myself .)”
Stupidest Patriotic Statement
” “I did an awkward sort of dip in the king’s direction (American! Not used to bowing!)”
I assume that Sookie means since she is a citizen of America, the absolute gosh-darned best and most free country in the world, she herself has no monarch or aristocracy to bow to. I understand that Harris likes to point out how brilliant the USA is at least once a book, but this doesn’t make a lot of sense. Most citizens of monarchies are not “used to bowing”, as they usually don’t meet said monarch on a day to day basis. I myself have the misfortune to be a citizen of a country which still ascribes to the outdated notion of a monarchy, and I resent the assumption that because I wasn’t born in the “Land of the Free” I must be used to servility and self-humiliating gestures.
Most Unlikely Hostage Situation
Siebert the Vampire simultaneously capturing Sheriff Eric, new king Felipe de Castro and Sam the bartender. Leaving aside the poor effort of the two supposedly powerful vampires I would like to have an explanation for the capture of Sam. Unfortunately the only details we are given is :Sam had been tied to the bumper of his own truck somehow., which isn’t massively descriptive. But whatever the details I feel one very salient point is being ignored. Sam is a shifter. He can shift into any animal he likes. So surely he would shift into a mouse and crawl out of his bonds, or a mountain bear and tear them apart, or something of the sort? No. He just stands there until Sookie saves him, doing absolutely nothing.
Eventually the series of random events masquerading as a novel simply stops, without conclusion or cliff-hanger. I presume Harris simply got bored. So did I. Sadly, somewhat earlier than she did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2021
3.5 stars. Most of this book wasn't super enthralling, but was just okay. The surprise ending was exciting though!
November 18, 2015
This was another enjoyable instalment in this series, and there were several things that surprised me.
Sookie of course ended up in mortal danger at points in this book, and she was lucky to end up alive really. There were some problems between the wolf packs, and problems between the vampires, as well as the arrival of an unexpected relative to deal with, and Sookie really did find herself in some shockingly bad situations! That being said, there were some things that surprised me, and a couple of interesting moments, as well as a little bit of a cliff-hanger at the end
7 out of 10
Sookie of course ended up in mortal danger at points in this book, and she was lucky to end up alive really. There were some problems between the wolf packs, and problems between the vampires, as well as the arrival of an unexpected relative to deal with, and Sookie really did find herself in some shockingly bad situations! That being said, there were some things that surprised me, and a couple of interesting moments, as well as a little bit of a cliff-hanger at the end
7 out of 10
March 12, 2009
I liked this book so much better than the one before it and I’ve been trying to figure out why but am coming up empty-handed.
Without going overboard, this is basically what happens (mild spoilers only):
--Sookie meets some new relatives
--Quinn and his warm penis go missing
--the Debbie Pelt issue will.not.DIE!
--there’s a Were war
--a bunch of Weres die
--Amelia’s dad shows up and says some stuff
--Amelia’s mentor shows up and says some stuff
--Amelia engages in some girl-on-girl action with Pam
--there’s a hostile takeover
--a bunch of vamps die
--vampire Bill still sucks
--Bob the cat moves out
--Eric remembers his week of sexxin’ with Sookie and begins referring to her as “lover”
So even though I can’t figure out why I liked this one more than the one before (they’re both equally silly) but it’s left me eager for the next one to be published!
Without going overboard, this is basically what happens (mild spoilers only):
--Sookie meets some new relatives
--Quinn and his warm penis go missing
--the Debbie Pelt issue will.not.DIE!
--there’s a Were war
--a bunch of Weres die
--Amelia’s dad shows up and says some stuff
--Amelia’s mentor shows up and says some stuff
--Amelia engages in some girl-on-girl action with Pam
--there’s a hostile takeover
--a bunch of vamps die
--vampire Bill still sucks
--Bob the cat moves out
--Eric remembers his week of sexxin’ with Sookie and begins referring to her as “lover”
So even though I can’t figure out why I liked this one more than the one before (they’re both equally silly) but it’s left me eager for the next one to be published!
May 15, 2008
I want to give this one a four-star because it's C.Harris and she's amazing. Her voice is utterly unique and delightful and I love her characters. What's more, her world is very real, her vampires are interesting, and I love that she's taken all of her carefully laid-out plots and sent them topsy-turvy in the wake of Katrina. Very little has driven home the tragedy of Katrina as well as CH's last few books.
But this was clearly not a whole novel -- it was more like a handful of short story ideas all tumbled together into a book-length collection. A fistful of (largely) unrelated things happened all about the same time, pretty much willy nilly. The pile up of coincidences is too much for me.
Also, Sookie is unusually cranky in this book. Okay, there's a lot of crap piling up on her head, but she's usually so sweet.
However, all that said, CH is clearly setting up some really really interesting stuff for the next four or five books. I understand when series need these "set up" books -- it's hard to keep over-arching plots going four or five books ahead without taking a pause. But they are usually the ones that become my least favorites.
But this was clearly not a whole novel -- it was more like a handful of short story ideas all tumbled together into a book-length collection. A fistful of (largely) unrelated things happened all about the same time, pretty much willy nilly. The pile up of coincidences is too much for me.
Also, Sookie is unusually cranky in this book. Okay, there's a lot of crap piling up on her head, but she's usually so sweet.
However, all that said, CH is clearly setting up some really really interesting stuff for the next four or five books. I understand when series need these "set up" books -- it's hard to keep over-arching plots going four or five books ahead without taking a pause. But they are usually the ones that become my least favorites.
May 21, 2008
The book was entertaining, but something is beginning to bother me about the writing as I continue with this series, although I can't quite put my finger on it.
Maybe it's that Sookie's inner voice is starting to sound like that of Harper Connelly, the protagonist of Harris' other paranormal series, and that's not a good thing. Like Harper, Sookie seems detached, reacting to events without really feeling anything. The shallow writing style also makes it seem as if Sookie isn't very bright. (Her Southern dialect is much more pronounced in this book. I remember smiling at the occasional Southern-style phrasing in the earlier books, but now it's really thick.)
Maybe it's that every scene seems incomplete, and every conversation gets cut off before any real discussion takes place - especially any conversation with Bill or Eric, who drop in for 15-second sound bites and then disappear. It's very unsatisfying.
The author includes a lot of mundane details about Sookie's life. She paints her toenails, goes grocery shopping, and cleans up at the bar. I like these kind of details, I really do, but this book isn't long enough to support them. It feels like the author has padded out a short story into a novel.
And on a final whinging note, this book is a full-sized hardback, which means it doesn't match the rest of my set.
Maybe it's that Sookie's inner voice is starting to sound like that of Harper Connelly, the protagonist of Harris' other paranormal series, and that's not a good thing. Like Harper, Sookie seems detached, reacting to events without really feeling anything. The shallow writing style also makes it seem as if Sookie isn't very bright. (Her Southern dialect is much more pronounced in this book. I remember smiling at the occasional Southern-style phrasing in the earlier books, but now it's really thick.)
Maybe it's that every scene seems incomplete, and every conversation gets cut off before any real discussion takes place - especially any conversation with Bill or Eric, who drop in for 15-second sound bites and then disappear. It's very unsatisfying.
The author includes a lot of mundane details about Sookie's life. She paints her toenails, goes grocery shopping, and cleans up at the bar. I like these kind of details, I really do, but this book isn't long enough to support them. It feels like the author has padded out a short story into a novel.
And on a final whinging note, this book is a full-sized hardback, which means it doesn't match the rest of my set.
June 19, 2020
I just want to say two things.
1. I’m feeling generous so this gets 4 stars because it is by far my favourite of the series why might you ask? Please look at point number two.
2. I think I may love Eric. Very unhealthy, but there I said it I can’t take it back. Eric is the best thing/person out of those series.
The End.
1. I’m feeling generous so this gets 4 stars because it is by far my favourite of the series why might you ask? Please look at point number two.
2. I think I may love Eric. Very unhealthy, but there I said it I can’t take it back. Eric is the best thing/person out of those series.
The End.
January 4, 2024
Charmaine Harris keeps churning out books in this supernatural series, intriguing many. Harris presents a great story and links the books together nicely. While vampires and shapeshifters may have been a major buzz topic a number of years ago, Harris pushes the ideas effectively and keeps the reader in the middle of all the action. Shocking to me, I have become completely hooked by the series and cannot wait to see what is to come.
After Hurricane Katrina and a massive manmade explosion at a recent vampire summit, there is much tension around the state of Louisiana. Humans are particularly concerned, which includes waitress Sookie Stackhouse. She has decided to straddle two worlds, keeping herself safe while protecting those she respects in the supernatural world. Her shapeshifting boyfriend, Quinn, has gone missing, which adds more stress to her life.
They’re are a number of changes in the vamp and changeling world around Louisiana, which has Sookie ready to see how she can help. Vampire Eric has been trying to assert his authority, though some are not entirely keen on his holding reins of power, which creates new cleavages in the power structure. Sookie’s old flame, Bill, has returned to create new trouble for her.
The battle lines have been drawn and Sookie finds herself in the middle of it all. People will be brought down and the supernatural community is open for a new leader, though no one is quite ready to hand over power. Sookie must wait and watch, as the death and threats are sure to be high. Harris develops a strong story that keeps the series moving in a forward direction.
A friend recommended this series and I have come to surprise myself by becoming completely subsumed with the topics and stories. Charlaine Harris has been able to keep me intrigued and ready to learn a little more. A strong narrative base guides the reader through a number of trying topics and the book soon gains momentum. Chapters get detailed and permit some deeper exploration. I am eager to see how all the well-developed characters will progress, as well as what will change the direction of the larger story arc.
Not only are the characters quite well presented, but the plot twists emerge to keep things moving. The predictable nature of the stories change with each new revelation and I am left to see how I will enjoy each new turn. Harris knows how to pace things and add just the right amount of scandal to keep the reader sated. With a handful of other novels to come, I will keep myself bust trying to unravel it all.
Kudos, Madam Harris, for never disappointing.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
After Hurricane Katrina and a massive manmade explosion at a recent vampire summit, there is much tension around the state of Louisiana. Humans are particularly concerned, which includes waitress Sookie Stackhouse. She has decided to straddle two worlds, keeping herself safe while protecting those she respects in the supernatural world. Her shapeshifting boyfriend, Quinn, has gone missing, which adds more stress to her life.
They’re are a number of changes in the vamp and changeling world around Louisiana, which has Sookie ready to see how she can help. Vampire Eric has been trying to assert his authority, though some are not entirely keen on his holding reins of power, which creates new cleavages in the power structure. Sookie’s old flame, Bill, has returned to create new trouble for her.
The battle lines have been drawn and Sookie finds herself in the middle of it all. People will be brought down and the supernatural community is open for a new leader, though no one is quite ready to hand over power. Sookie must wait and watch, as the death and threats are sure to be high. Harris develops a strong story that keeps the series moving in a forward direction.
A friend recommended this series and I have come to surprise myself by becoming completely subsumed with the topics and stories. Charlaine Harris has been able to keep me intrigued and ready to learn a little more. A strong narrative base guides the reader through a number of trying topics and the book soon gains momentum. Chapters get detailed and permit some deeper exploration. I am eager to see how all the well-developed characters will progress, as well as what will change the direction of the larger story arc.
Not only are the characters quite well presented, but the plot twists emerge to keep things moving. The predictable nature of the stories change with each new revelation and I am left to see how I will enjoy each new turn. Harris knows how to pace things and add just the right amount of scandal to keep the reader sated. With a handful of other novels to come, I will keep myself bust trying to unravel it all.
Kudos, Madam Harris, for never disappointing.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
April 1, 2019
2019 Re-Read
How true! We all try to arrange our lives to keep ourselves safe and sound, but in reality we have little control over those matters. But as John Lennon wrote, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Ms. Stackhouse could write a dissertation on this subject.
This is the volume where I fell in love with Bill Compton. Yes, he’s a vampire, so inherently untrustworthy, but I just love that fact that he stays in Sookie’s life and just keeps on quietly being her friend and admirer. I adore his loyalty.
*****
Original review:
Flufftastic. The Sookie soap opera rolls along in yet another installment. Life in Bon Temps, Louisiana, is never dull. This series is showing its longevity at this point, with an awful lot of threads to keep weaving, making this book very much a busy pattern.
Relationships are always the main focus of these novels, and lots of things shake out in this installment. Quinn gets kicked to the curb for being a mama’s boy, Alcide becomes an also-ran but gains in werewolf pack status, Bill attempts to re-enter the running for Sookie’s affections, Eric regains his memory of his time as Sookie’s favourite, Calvin has successfully moved on, and it seems to me that Sam is still quietly in the running. On the friend front, Sookie gains another female roommate who has potential to be a friend as well as a witchy helper. Yay for women friends!
There’s a lot of conflict in the book, as there are upsets in both the Were and Vampire worlds that Sookie must adjust to. She, of course, ends up in the middle of both of them, but at least not grieviously injured in either. In fact, she proves once again to be more street-smart than her vampire friends on at least one occasion. We also learn more about Sookie’s genealogy and about fairy lore in the Sookie universe (which I am glad to report is not all flowers and unicorns). When questioned by Sam about whether she would like her quiet “before” existence back, Sookie declares that all the trouble that she has been through has been worth it for the shake-up of her previous boring existence.
The writing is still not the best quality, but the story line is fun and pulled me along in the best serial-adventure style. The series is getting a bit convoluted and somewhat tired, but I’m still enjoying them.
”The security light made me feel safe, though I knew that was an illusion. If there's light, you can just see what's coming for you a little more clearly.”
How true! We all try to arrange our lives to keep ourselves safe and sound, but in reality we have little control over those matters. But as John Lennon wrote, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Ms. Stackhouse could write a dissertation on this subject.
This is the volume where I fell in love with Bill Compton. Yes, he’s a vampire, so inherently untrustworthy, but I just love that fact that he stays in Sookie’s life and just keeps on quietly being her friend and admirer. I adore his loyalty.
*****
Original review:
Flufftastic. The Sookie soap opera rolls along in yet another installment. Life in Bon Temps, Louisiana, is never dull. This series is showing its longevity at this point, with an awful lot of threads to keep weaving, making this book very much a busy pattern.
Relationships are always the main focus of these novels, and lots of things shake out in this installment. Quinn gets kicked to the curb for being a mama’s boy, Alcide becomes an also-ran but gains in werewolf pack status, Bill attempts to re-enter the running for Sookie’s affections, Eric regains his memory of his time as Sookie’s favourite, Calvin has successfully moved on, and it seems to me that Sam is still quietly in the running. On the friend front, Sookie gains another female roommate who has potential to be a friend as well as a witchy helper. Yay for women friends!
There’s a lot of conflict in the book, as there are upsets in both the Were and Vampire worlds that Sookie must adjust to. She, of course, ends up in the middle of both of them, but at least not grieviously injured in either. In fact, she proves once again to be more street-smart than her vampire friends on at least one occasion. We also learn more about Sookie’s genealogy and about fairy lore in the Sookie universe (which I am glad to report is not all flowers and unicorns). When questioned by Sam about whether she would like her quiet “before” existence back, Sookie declares that all the trouble that she has been through has been worth it for the shake-up of her previous boring existence.
The writing is still not the best quality, but the story line is fun and pulled me along in the best serial-adventure style. The series is getting a bit convoluted and somewhat tired, but I’m still enjoying them.
December 27, 2019
This book was sort of slow compared to its predecessors. It focused a lot on the politics of the supernatural world, such as the Were wars and vampire hierarchies. Sookie even meets another relative, her fairy great-grandfather. I understand why this book is a little slower. It's key plot information that will be relevant later on. But it definitely suffered from a lack of our favorite characters such as Eric, Sam and Bill. Hopefully this set up for an amazing book 9.
March 26, 2019
Imagine my surprise when on an unwanted trip to WalMart I found the new Charlaine Harris, on sale, and newly printed on paperback! Book 8 was read super fast by me, but relished like super spicy green coconut thai curry, as I now realize that only sporadically will I be afforded the opportunity to read up on Sookie & pals.
I must admit my initial fondness for something that began masterfully enough but has since degraded itself to comedy, cliche and confusion. Sookie is still the same--as are the handful of minor characters--and this is what makes me return to these outlandish novels.
Book 8's first half is about the end of the Were War, and the second half is about the new installation of Ruling Vamps to the Louisiana legion. More characters are killed off while new ones or met... making the Sookie Stackhouse saga even more unpredictable. Yup. But this is the end of the line for me.
I must admit my initial fondness for something that began masterfully enough but has since degraded itself to comedy, cliche and confusion. Sookie is still the same--as are the handful of minor characters--and this is what makes me return to these outlandish novels.
Book 8's first half is about the end of the Were War, and the second half is about the new installation of Ruling Vamps to the Louisiana legion. More characters are killed off while new ones or met... making the Sookie Stackhouse saga even more unpredictable. Yup. But this is the end of the line for me.
January 26, 2015
From Dead to Worse is the eighth Sookie Stackhouse book and, after reading it, definitely a comfort Sookie for me. Meaning, of the eight books so far, this is one I'll go back and reread when I want to feel good about things again. Right up there with numbers four and five-- Dead to the World and Dead as a Doornail. And, yes, I realize that my favorite Sookie books are also the ones with a high Eric factor. That's just the way it is. Fortunately, Ms. Harris seems to be channeling the good Eric vibes as well, because I continue to like where his and Sookie's relationship is going. And I like that it's not speeding but taking its time. Although, I will put in a request for "that conversation" to happen in the next book, please thank you.
This installment sees Sookie and company recovering from the repercussions of the disastrous vampire summit in the last book. Post-Hurricane Katrina Louisiana is also still recovering and several new people come into Sookie's life as a result of this necessary shifting around of their state and their lives. This story seemed very real to me. The trademark humor is still there and as charming as ever. But Sookie makes several weighty decisions throughout the course of this book. Forces herself to, in some cases. And where a few new characters come in, a few older ones make what I would term exits. Wisely chosen ones, I thought.
Sam maintains a quiet but firm presence in Sookie's life. Bill determinedly lingers around the edges. And, even though I will always despise him, he did remind me (and Sookie) of a few of the reasons they got together in the first book. And Eric and Sookie continue to navigate the deep waters between them (their increasingly powerful blood bond, that pesky long-term amnesia thing Eric's got going on, etc). I enjoyed this installment because it was low key, but carried simmering consequences and intriguing possible developments under its calm-ish surface. Sookie was superb. Extremely mature, unafraid, and determined. In all the best ways. Another hit for Charlaine Harris. Can't wait for book nine.
This installment sees Sookie and company recovering from the repercussions of the disastrous vampire summit in the last book. Post-Hurricane Katrina Louisiana is also still recovering and several new people come into Sookie's life as a result of this necessary shifting around of their state and their lives. This story seemed very real to me. The trademark humor is still there and as charming as ever. But Sookie makes several weighty decisions throughout the course of this book. Forces herself to, in some cases. And where a few new characters come in, a few older ones make what I would term exits. Wisely chosen ones, I thought.
Sam maintains a quiet but firm presence in Sookie's life. Bill determinedly lingers around the edges. And, even though I will always despise him, he did remind me (and Sookie) of a few of the reasons they got together in the first book. And Eric and Sookie continue to navigate the deep waters between them (their increasingly powerful blood bond, that pesky long-term amnesia thing Eric's got going on, etc). I enjoyed this installment because it was low key, but carried simmering consequences and intriguing possible developments under its calm-ish surface. Sookie was superb. Extremely mature, unafraid, and determined. In all the best ways. Another hit for Charlaine Harris. Can't wait for book nine.
May 25, 2008
From Dead to Worse is the eighth book in Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series. After not liking the last installment overmuch (All Together Dead), I thought FDTW was a nice return to Sookie's roots and the foundation that made the series so good in the first place - Sookie being herself back home in Bon Temps, Louisiana.
This book seemed like somewhat of a transition. After the huge events of the last book and the vampire summit, this book seemed to take a breath and recover a bit.
The cast of characters expands as Sookie meets a relative (or two) that she didn't know she had, and we're also introduced to some witches as Sookie's group of supernatural friends grows. And as always, Sookie's romantic interests are a source of tension in the book as she tries to work out who and what's right for her - shifter, weretiger or vampire.
It also contracts a bit as some characters were written out or killed off. No spoilers here, but it did seem a bit like Harris was wrapping up some loose ends so the story/series can move on.
Alan Ball has created a series based on these novels for HBO... and after reading this latest addition to the series I'm back on board (I wasn't so sure after the last one) and looking forward to the show and the next book.
This book seemed like somewhat of a transition. After the huge events of the last book and the vampire summit, this book seemed to take a breath and recover a bit.
The cast of characters expands as Sookie meets a relative (or two) that she didn't know she had, and we're also introduced to some witches as Sookie's group of supernatural friends grows. And as always, Sookie's romantic interests are a source of tension in the book as she tries to work out who and what's right for her - shifter, weretiger or vampire.
It also contracts a bit as some characters were written out or killed off. No spoilers here, but it did seem a bit like Harris was wrapping up some loose ends so the story/series can move on.
Alan Ball has created a series based on these novels for HBO... and after reading this latest addition to the series I'm back on board (I wasn't so sure after the last one) and looking forward to the show and the next book.
August 4, 2018
Can't get any worse.
When you don't care about Bill,Quinn,Tanya,who will Sookie date and whatever is happening with Jason and Crystal, it's kinda hard to care about anything that is happening in this.
When you don't care about Bill,Quinn,Tanya,who will Sookie date and whatever is happening with Jason and Crystal, it's kinda hard to care about anything that is happening in this.
May 7, 2022
"Ein Vampir für alle Fälle" ist der 8. Band der "Sookie Stackhouse" Reihe von Autorin Charlaine Harris. Für mich war das ein Reread in Hörbuchform.
Ich kann euch wirklich nur empfehlen, zwischendurch auch immer die Kurzgeschichten zu lesen. Sie füllen teilweise durchaus wichtige Lücken und man liest die am besten alle chronologisch.
Die Geschichte ist wieder sehr actionreich, was ich richtig toll finde. Mir gefällt, dass Sookie sich ständig weiterentwickelt und sie genau weiß, wie sie sich ihr Leben vorstellt. Ich mag die Entwicklung in diesem Buch, auch wenn es mir für einen gewissen Charakter wirklich leidtut. Für mich ist das alles stimmig, da es einfach nicht gut gegangen wäre. Ich kann hier nun aber nichts dazu schreiben, da es spoilern würde.
Von mir gibt es natürlich wieder 5 Sterne und eine klare Leseempfehlung. Irgendwie bin ich jetzt schon traurig, dass ich bald mit meinem Reread durch bin und mich danach von der Serie verabschieden muss. Zum Glück habe ich noch ein paar andere Bücher der Autorin. Ich liebe ihren Schreibstil einfach und hoffe, dass sie noch ganz viele Romane schreibt.
Hier folgen noch einige Infos zum Hörbuch:
10 Stunden und 51 Minuten / Ungekürzte Ausgabe
Sprecherin: Ann Vielhaben
Die Sprecherin bekommt 5 Sterne von mir.
Verlag: Audible Studios
Ich kann euch wirklich nur empfehlen, zwischendurch auch immer die Kurzgeschichten zu lesen. Sie füllen teilweise durchaus wichtige Lücken und man liest die am besten alle chronologisch.
Die Geschichte ist wieder sehr actionreich, was ich richtig toll finde. Mir gefällt, dass Sookie sich ständig weiterentwickelt und sie genau weiß, wie sie sich ihr Leben vorstellt. Ich mag die Entwicklung in diesem Buch, auch wenn es mir für einen gewissen Charakter wirklich leidtut. Für mich ist das alles stimmig, da es einfach nicht gut gegangen wäre. Ich kann hier nun aber nichts dazu schreiben, da es spoilern würde.
Von mir gibt es natürlich wieder 5 Sterne und eine klare Leseempfehlung. Irgendwie bin ich jetzt schon traurig, dass ich bald mit meinem Reread durch bin und mich danach von der Serie verabschieden muss. Zum Glück habe ich noch ein paar andere Bücher der Autorin. Ich liebe ihren Schreibstil einfach und hoffe, dass sie noch ganz viele Romane schreibt.
Hier folgen noch einige Infos zum Hörbuch:
10 Stunden und 51 Minuten / Ungekürzte Ausgabe
Sprecherin: Ann Vielhaben
Die Sprecherin bekommt 5 Sterne von mir.
Verlag: Audible Studios
July 26, 2023
is charlaine harris the most talented writer around? no. is her prose above average? barely. does she plot with the haphazard hand of someone throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks? all the time. but i am seated nonetheless 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍 (for eric/sookie)
May 6, 2013
Rating: 3.75* of five
The Publisher Says: After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the manmade explosion at the vampire summit, everyone human and otherwise is stressed, including Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who is trying to cope with the fact that her boyfriend Quinn has gone missing.
It's clear that things are changing whether the weres and vamps of her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie, Friend to the Pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, leader of the local vampire community is caught up in the changes.
In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death, and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood finished flowing, her world will be forever altered.
My Review: After being sorely, sorely disappointed in book 7 of the series, All Together Dead, this was a refreshing, unsaggy unbaggy pointed read. It feels so good to be in Bon Temps again, and to have Sookie acting in her accustomed tartly self-possessed way. She's facing huge changes to the supernatural universe, of course, after the events of the last book, but she's doing so with a sense of purpose...which is what the last book lacked.
Among my most favoritest moments of all time in the series is the un-catting of Bob. 'Nuf sed.
Felipe de Castro, the new King of Louisiana, is memorably vile, and leaves you eager to see how Eric and Sookie will cope with his bland, banal evilness. His catspaw Victor Madden...well, nothing too bad can happen to someone like that, undead or not.
But the shocker of this book, the big baddie, is so horrible that I was compelled to put the book down and breathe deeply for a minute or two. Just, well, it's as bad as anything in the series. For sure and certain.
Better than I'd ever thought to hope, after last outing.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Publisher Says: After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the manmade explosion at the vampire summit, everyone human and otherwise is stressed, including Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who is trying to cope with the fact that her boyfriend Quinn has gone missing.
It's clear that things are changing whether the weres and vamps of her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie, Friend to the Pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, leader of the local vampire community is caught up in the changes.
In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death, and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood finished flowing, her world will be forever altered.
My Review: After being sorely, sorely disappointed in book 7 of the series, All Together Dead, this was a refreshing, unsaggy unbaggy pointed read. It feels so good to be in Bon Temps again, and to have Sookie acting in her accustomed tartly self-possessed way. She's facing huge changes to the supernatural universe, of course, after the events of the last book, but she's doing so with a sense of purpose...which is what the last book lacked.
Among my most favoritest moments of all time in the series is the un-catting of Bob. 'Nuf sed.
Felipe de Castro, the new King of Louisiana, is memorably vile, and leaves you eager to see how Eric and Sookie will cope with his bland, banal evilness. His catspaw Victor Madden...well, nothing too bad can happen to someone like that, undead or not.
But the shocker of this book, the big baddie, is so horrible that I was compelled to put the book down and breathe deeply for a minute or two. Just, well, it's as bad as anything in the series. For sure and certain.
Better than I'd ever thought to hope, after last outing.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
February 8, 2017
4.5 stars
From Dead to Worse is the eighth full-length novel in the Sookie Stackhouse series by popular American author, Charlaine Harris. Sookie attends the society wedding of the year, expecting to go as a guest, but ending up as a bridesmaid and a barmaid. Enlisted for her telepathic powers, Sookie’s efforts to reconcile opposing factions of the Shreveport weres deteriorates into a battle that sees many dead. She also finds herself in the middle of a hostile takeover of the Louisiana vampires, a takeover that results in several of her vampire friends permanently dead.
Spells are cast, a killer exposed and a fledgling relationship ends. Sookie breaks a finger (but not one of hers), does a bit of mediating and saves quite a few lives. There are several attempts on her life by the end of this instalment, so Sookie is surprised and rather satisfied to find herself now under the protection of three powerful individuals. And after her brother Jason’s disappointing behaviour, Sookie is pleased to learn she has two more living relatives of whom she was unaware. Questions remain unanswered so there’s plenty to be going on with in the next book, Dead and Gone, but the last few pages will warm the heart of the most cynical reader. Another entertaining read.
From Dead to Worse is the eighth full-length novel in the Sookie Stackhouse series by popular American author, Charlaine Harris. Sookie attends the society wedding of the year, expecting to go as a guest, but ending up as a bridesmaid and a barmaid. Enlisted for her telepathic powers, Sookie’s efforts to reconcile opposing factions of the Shreveport weres deteriorates into a battle that sees many dead. She also finds herself in the middle of a hostile takeover of the Louisiana vampires, a takeover that results in several of her vampire friends permanently dead.
Spells are cast, a killer exposed and a fledgling relationship ends. Sookie breaks a finger (but not one of hers), does a bit of mediating and saves quite a few lives. There are several attempts on her life by the end of this instalment, so Sookie is surprised and rather satisfied to find herself now under the protection of three powerful individuals. And after her brother Jason’s disappointing behaviour, Sookie is pleased to learn she has two more living relatives of whom she was unaware. Questions remain unanswered so there’s plenty to be going on with in the next book, Dead and Gone, but the last few pages will warm the heart of the most cynical reader. Another entertaining read.
August 25, 2024
Entertaining fantasy relationship listening. 🎶🤔🎆😘🎉
This kindle e-book novel is from my local library book 8
Sookie Stackhouse has a witch living with her and a cat that was a human before the she turned him. The witch has left from New Orleans because of the hurricane. All kinds of things are going on between vampires, changlins, witches, fairies, and others. A great story with lots of interesting characters lots of action, misdirection, and violence leading to the conclusion.
I would highly recommend this series and author to readers of fantasy family and friends relationships action novels 🏠😡🐅🤗 2024
This kindle e-book novel is from my local library book 8
Sookie Stackhouse has a witch living with her and a cat that was a human before the she turned him. The witch has left from New Orleans because of the hurricane. All kinds of things are going on between vampires, changlins, witches, fairies, and others. A great story with lots of interesting characters lots of action, misdirection, and violence leading to the conclusion.
I would highly recommend this series and author to readers of fantasy family and friends relationships action novels 🏠😡🐅🤗 2024
January 10, 2020
The Queen is dead, long live the King. Sigh, it’s the end of an era but vampires are adaptable, they have to be. There was also a werewolf war, Jason/Crystal drama, a reasonable end to the Quinn relationship, an expanded family cast, and Eric regaining his memory! I have dearly enjoyed the tempo.
August 10, 2024
The one where Quinn is kicked to the curb... All these years later, I'm only slightly less mad at Sookie.
But it's also the one where Eric remembers. So that subplot couldn't have gone on without getting rid of the current love interest.
The one where Sookie finds a new grandpa... but she won't get to fish with him...
Also witches, new houseguests, and vampire politics!
4 Stars on the re-read
But it's also the one where Eric remembers. So that subplot couldn't have gone on without getting rid of the current love interest.
The one where Sookie finds a new grandpa... but she won't get to fish with him...
Also witches, new houseguests, and vampire politics!
4 Stars on the re-read
November 25, 2009
This is the eighth book about Sookie Stackhouse, psychic barmaid, and it shows. There is a lot of history and a whole mess of background characters and ex-love interests clogging up the works. But the premise that made these books so popular holds true. Sookie remains a good, though far from perfect, person, and I enjoy reading her adventures from her kind-hearted but slightly catty point of view. Although Sookie's mind-reading gives her an edge in many situations, she's wildly underpowered compared to the rest of the supernatural creatures she rubs elbows with. Sookie worries about the violence and manipulation that comes with being friends with vamps and weres, but her loyalty toward her friends always pulls her back into dangerous situations.
Overall, the plot is wobbly and far from air-tight. Both the weres and the vampires are involved in bloody struggles for power, but each conflict fizzles, with little build or climax. This book is mostly about wrapping up old plot threads.
Overall, the plot is wobbly and far from air-tight. Both the weres and the vampires are involved in bloody struggles for power, but each conflict fizzles, with little build or climax. This book is mostly about wrapping up old plot threads.
November 14, 2018
***November 2018 Update***
So this one wasn't quite as action packed but a lot happened. Not only does Sookie have protection of the Shreveport Were's now we has Vampire protection as well. We also got to meet Hunter - he seems like the cutest little boy and he's a telepath as well. Also we get to meet Niall - Sookies great grandfather in this one, another Fairy. He is an interesting character. FINALLY Eric remembers everything from his time with Sookie - things with them should be picking up soon!!!!!!
This was one of my favorites because there is a lot going on in this book. The last book didn't have a lot of action so this one makes up for it. Debbie Pelt, man that woman pisses me off to know end. I really enjoyed all the Eric in this book. I am sad Quinn is gone though he was delicious. I also love Sam, he is always there when Sookie needs him. I think as much as I like Eric I would much prefer Sookie and Sam together....
So this one wasn't quite as action packed but a lot happened. Not only does Sookie have protection of the Shreveport Were's now we has Vampire protection as well. We also got to meet Hunter - he seems like the cutest little boy and he's a telepath as well. Also we get to meet Niall - Sookies great grandfather in this one, another Fairy. He is an interesting character. FINALLY Eric remembers everything from his time with Sookie - things with them should be picking up soon!!!!!!
This was one of my favorites because there is a lot going on in this book. The last book didn't have a lot of action so this one makes up for it. Debbie Pelt, man that woman pisses me off to know end. I really enjoyed all the Eric in this book. I am sad Quinn is gone though he was delicious. I also love Sam, he is always there when Sookie needs him. I think as much as I like Eric I would much prefer Sookie and Sam together....
June 13, 2017
❤ 5 From Dead to Worse ❤
This book has it all, we have Erik.. ohhh baby.. He remembers!!! Yay! But there are things he is having to deal with, and he can’t devote his time to Sookie right now.
Sookie is going through some crazy emotional roller-coasters. Her boyfriend the Weretiger isn’t who she hoped he would be. :( This made me sooo sad.
Jason needs to be smacked I don’t care that he is Sookie’s brother what he did was wrong and I for one am glad Sookie laded down the law.
Learning about more family is a treat I am glad Sookie got. She needed a pick me up in this book and I am glad it was with more family. She needs it.
Over all I enjoyed this book. I am on to the next!!
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
This book has it all, we have Erik.. ohhh baby.. He remembers!!! Yay! But there are things he is having to deal with, and he can’t devote his time to Sookie right now.
Sookie is going through some crazy emotional roller-coasters. Her boyfriend the Weretiger isn’t who she hoped he would be. :( This made me sooo sad.
Jason needs to be smacked I don’t care that he is Sookie’s brother what he did was wrong and I for one am glad Sookie laded down the law.
Learning about more family is a treat I am glad Sookie got. She needed a pick me up in this book and I am glad it was with more family. She needs it.
Over all I enjoyed this book. I am on to the next!!
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
February 10, 2021
This installment is just all over the place, in my opinion. I feel like Harris feels the need to ‘shake things up’ so she pulls on some VERY LOOSE threads of plot to disrupt the story and move it in a new direction. Idk. I’m starting to remember that this is the point in the series where I started to be unimpressed, bored and annoyed....we shall see.
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