Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Title: Club Dead
Author: Charlaine Harris
Rating: ☆☆☆☆(☆)
4/5 Stars

Another Sookie Stackhouse book under my belt and I have to say, I am now obsessed! I felt that this book, Club Dead, was the best book of the series so far.

In this volume, Sookie and Bill are going through a rough patch. Bill is working on a top secret project for the queen of Louisiana and is ignoring their relationship. Soon, Bill goes missing and Sookie realizes that though Bill may be betraying her, she is still compelled to save him.

The most interesting part of this book was the great character development of Alcide, the werewolf. Eric brings Alcide in to help Sookie infiltrate the underworld of Jackson, Mississippi and he is a great new addition to the cast of characters. I really appreciated seeing more of Eric and Alcide than Bill in this book because it gave things a new perspective. I also really enjoyed Sookie's internally conflict in terms of how to deal with Bill or who to have a relationship with. Unlike Bella of Twilight, I felt that Sookie had a real grasp of the fact that her vampire beau might not be the best match for her. Not that I don't love me some Edward Cullen, but Bella is pretty obnoxious.

Overall, I am really pleased with this series. I enjoy reading the Sookie Stackhouse books almost as much as I enjoy watching True Blood, the TV show based on the books.

ISBN: 978-0441010516
Price: $7.00, paperback
Pages: 258

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

Title: Living Dead in Dallas
Author: Charlaine Harris
Rating: ☆☆☆☆(☆)
4/5 Stars

I've got to hand it to Harris: she really managed to turn my opinion of her around. I really did enjoy book two in the Sookie Stackhouse series, Living Dead in Dallas. It could because I didn't know what was coming, but nonetheless, the added suspense really drove me to read this book at a rapid pace.

In this volume, Sookie is asked to investigate the disappearance of a vampire in Dallas. The story woven here is more intricate than in the last book, with more twists and turns than Dead Until Dark. Harris's wrting style seems much improved as well. Character motives are clearer and I found myself confused much less often.

I do find that the constant addition of new supernatural beings is a little much. Are we now expected to believe that every kind of mythological creature exists in Sookie's world? If so, Harris has a whole lot of explaining to do. She's opened a can of worms that I'm not really prepared for as a reader.

ISBN: 978-0441009237
Price: $7.99, paperback
Pages: 291

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Title: Dead Until Dark
Author: Charlaine Harris
Rating: ☆☆(☆☆☆)
2/5 stars

Dead Until Dark was, unfortunately, not nearly as good as I expected it to be. Of course I had heard from many people that the books by Charlaine Harris were quite different from the new HBO show inspired by them. However, I wanted to give this book a chance to stand on its own, as a separate entity. Maybe it would surprise me, as did The Reader, and turn out better than its already awe-inspiring Hollywood counterpart. Alas, I just couldn't sink my teeth into this one (pardon the pun).

Maybe if I had picked up this title before I became an avid viewer of the show True Blood, I would have rated it higher. It may have turned out to be a real page-turner if I hadn't known what was coming. It wasn't just the plot, though, that had me yawning. Harris's writing was disconnected at best. I found myself getting lost occasionally and having to go back and re-read passages to clarify. Sookie is the most oddly developed character I have ever encountered. She breaks up with Bill on multiple occasions for no apparent reason. Maybe I just wasn't good enough at reading between the lines, but I think that's a testament to Harris's poor writing. I just didn't understand any of Sookie's motives.

Despite my disappointment with Dead Until Dark, I have purchased book number two, Living Dead In Dallas. Hopefully, the fact that I don't know the ending of this one will reap a better rating.

ISBN: 978-0441008537
Price: $7.99, paperback
Pages: 260