Set in Bon Temps, Louisiana, Dead Until Dark is the first in the incredibly popular Southern Vampire Series. The heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, is a small town waitress with a gift (or disability as she sees it) of being able to read people's thoughts. She is a sweet natured and naive girl, who keeps people at arm's length and her psychic problem makes it hard for her to conduct a normal relationship. So all her prayers seem to have been answered when a vampire walks into her bar, and she can't hear a peep from his mind. Soon she becomes drawn to the mysterious vampire, though many people disapprove, perhaps one in particular. Women are being murdered in the local area, and all have one thing in common...their relationships or such with vampires.
What I haven't mentioned of course, though most people need no such explanation...is that in this series, vampires have "come out of the coffin" so to speak. This is the idea that appealed to me most for this series, as I love the idea of vampires wandering into a 7-11 to buy a four pack of synthetic blood! And these vampires are by no means the good, we're going to save the world a la Buffy/Angel type vampires. They are just the same as any other person, they have the ability to be good and the ability to be truly evil. Although they also have far superior strength, the ability to glamour and a thirst for your blood...
I really wanted to love this book. I enjoyed watching the first series of True Blood, which is perhaps the only reason I picked up the book in the first place, but I felt mightily underwhelmed by it. Sookie's character is indeed sweet and generally not one would expect for a heroine in a vampire series, and Bill is as expected every bit the Southern gentleman (for a vampire). But I could not bring myself to care particularly much for either character, and there was certainly no chemistry between them that leapt out at me from the page. Its's a shame, as I really enjoyed the series, which may have given me different expectations and thus ruined the book for me. Bill in particular, I fell for on the screen, but his character ironically comes across as quite 2-dimensional on the page. I am certainly in the minority here, as these books appear to be very popular, and I know I shouldn't judge a series solely by its first installment (look at potter), but let's just say I have a hunch that they won't grow on me.
Pre-Twilight, I have never particularly been into fictional vampire-romance series like this, so I very much doubt I will be reading more, though I am tempted to watch series 2 of True Blood and see how that goes...
Other blog reviews:
the bookworm
Books & other thoughts
Melody's Reading Corner
Stella Matutina
Medieval Bookworm
(let me know if I have missed yours)
8 comments:
The television show does seem to have that effect on people who haven't read the series first, unfortunately. I've been a fan of the book series for years now and so didn't have the preconceived notions that the television show created in the newer fans. The two are very different from other another. I like the lightness and comic relief that the Sookie books offer. I also really like the TV show--but for different reasons. I definitely like Bill from the TV show better than I ever have in the books.
You tried. That's all one can ask. Now go watch the second season and tell us what you think! :-) It's much darker than the first season.
I have read the Stackhouse books. They were fun, not literary marvels but fun. The show Alan Ball created for HBO is quite another creature entirely. I was hooked instantly... give it a try even if you never pick up another Harris book I bet you'll get hooked on "True Blood"
I havent watched the tv series yet, but I do agree, in the book Bill fell short for me. He wasnt intense enough. I might pick up the second in this series and give it a shot though.
Thanks for linking my review, i've linked yours too :)
http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/
Literary Feline - Yes, I do find that way with books sometimes. They aren't the same when I already have images of the characters from the show in my head. The show seems very different than the books, much darker. I have season two, so will give that a try!
Lisa Marie - Sometimes fun is all you need from a book! I do like the show I must admit!
Naida - I was disappointed, as I'm always drawn to those sexy brooding male characters, but Bill just didn't seem to be written in enough depth. I have far too many books on my reading list to be too worried about these anyway! Thanks for the link.
Both characters change for the better over time. She stops being so naive and gets a much more interesting boyfriend too.
Ladytink - Curiosity got the better of me yesterday and I read the cover blurb of one of the newer titles. Seems like a lot happens in the series!
Aww, what a shame. I read the first book before I started the series. Now I can see how very different the two are, and maybe if I'd seen the show first I might not have made it through the books either. As it happened, I got quite hooked on the books and read them all within 6 weeks or so!
Clover - I can imagine how addictive these could be, especially being such quick reads.
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