Title: Dead Until Dark
Author: Charlaine Harris
Published: 2001 Pages: 292
Genre: Vampire, Detective
Rating: 3/5
Buy | Borrow | Accept | Avoid
Buy | Borrow | Accept | Avoid
Plot Synopsis
Sookie Stackhouse has a special ability, a boyfriend who is a vampire, a loser-ish brother, and a killer who wants her dead. She's going about her business as a relatively normal, dateless waitress, when Bill Compton, mainstreaming vampire, walks in. From that moment on, Sookie's average life is kicked into high gear.
My Thoughts
The first time I heard anything about this series it was that the Stackhouse books were "Twilight for adults". I disagree. I don't see how these books are any more mature than Twilight. Yes, the couple actually does have sex, unlike the ridiculously puritanical Twilight couple, but Sookie and her vampire don't exactly get down and dirty like the couples in a Nora Roberts romance novel.
For the most part, there was nothing new in this book. The hero is the typical bad guy (vampire) with a heart of gold, the other vampires are your usual sexy, blood thirsty control freaks, and the murder victims are, of course, low-income females who enjoy rough sex. I felt like I'd read the book before...at least pieces of it.
I do think, however, that the series has some possibilities for me. For example, I did find Sookie's semi-quirky nature sort of fun - she flat out laughs at a vampire she's just met when she finds out his too-normal name - and I find Sam and Eric intriguing. I'm hoping that as I get into the other books in the series, the plot thickens and the characters deepen. Most who read this book, this series, seem to enjoy it, so I'm willing to give it some effort.
Other Reviews
My Life in Books
A Readers Respite
Melody's Reading Corner
Just One More Page
Lou's Pages
I read this one a while ago, and immediately bought the enxt three in the series, but for some reason I never got around to read them. That is going to change now that I am joining Beth's Sookie Stackhouse challenge :-) Here is my review:
ReplyDeletehttp://louspages.blogspot.com/2006/08/dead-until-dark-by-charlaine-harris.html
This is my all time fave series. Sookie is fantastic -- stick with it. I would never consider this 'Twilight' for adults, except for the vampires they really have nothing else in common. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteLouise - It's not drawing me in either.
ReplyDeleteJess - It's good to hear positive reviews. I'm hoping I get more in to the series as the plot moves forward.
While not precisely a paranormal reader myself, I love this series!!! They are the perfect books for "in between" books...you know, in between large books that require a lot of brain power. Sookie is the perfect cure for that!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link, btw!
Michele - I agree that the books are good for the downtime between more "serious" books! Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteThe first book in the series stinks, I warned you about that one though. I am not sure if her writing gets better or you become more involved with the series as it goes on. Perhaps I should have read Twilight before I told you that one huh :)
ReplyDeleteJay se ka