PaperbackOne of my friends is all about True Blood television series and the Sookie Stackhouse books on which it's based. I was interested anyway, due to extensive coverage in EW, so when she brought me a copy of the first book, I happily agreed to read it. This book singlehandedly blew the reading "buffer" I'd built up...I have to read 52 books this year and I WAS about four ahead but it was such a slog to get through these pages I'm now simply on-pace.
What a sophomoric mess. The sex scenes (and there are lots of them) honestly read as though they were written by someone who's never HAD sex, but has fantasized a lot about it. I read several passages out loud to my husband just for the guffaw factor; e.g. at one point a naked shapeshifter (don't ask) is described as having a "neat butt." Since he had until seconds before been a collie, I momentarily pictured a literally neat -- as in tidy -- anus, which I honestly think isn't any weirder a thing to think than the phrase "neat butt" as a compliment rather than "hot ass."
The book's sloppy plot revolves around the mystery of a serial killer bumping off fang-bangers (i.e. people who like having sex with vampires), and the culprit is 1) out of left field and 2) given the added crime of post-mortem incestuous sex -- as though killing women for their choice in sexual partner wasn't enough to make sure the reader would hate him. Oh, and also, Elvis -- sorry, "Bubba" -- is a dimwit vampire. Though for some obtuse reason, Ms. Harris thinks it's clever to never outright confirm what she hints all around about his identity. Since having Presley show up as a vampire is the one clever thing about the book (so that's why people keep seeing him! Oh, and that explains the "Aaron" rather than "Aron" on his stone!), I don't understand her coyness in copping to it.
Boy this book sucked.
F
Note: When I upload the photos to go along with these reviews, I save the jpeg under the acronym of the book, so City of Thieves was "cot" and The Risk of Darkness was "rod." I had to laugh at the appropriateness of the name I gave to the Dead Until Dark book cover's jpeg.
