So, I got myself a copy of the latest Sookie Stackhouse novel, Dead and Gone. (We are on Book 9 now). I’d been waiting, so avidly, for this book ever since December 2008, when I discovered the Southern Vampire Mysteries and gorged through Books 1-8 in less than two weeks! (Treadmills, stretches and diets forgotten, natch.)
First, let me just say I absolutely loved the Sookie books, especially Book 4, the part where Eric got amnesia and Sookie took care of him and where the Sookie-Eric saga began. The pairing was very unexpected, since Sookie and Eric were always love/hate. But perhaps predictable, also, since women always fall for the wrong guy who turns out to be the right one. Think Joey/Pacey. Is it wrong that I am comparing Sookie/Eric to Joey/Pacey?! LOL.
Book 4 to Book 8 was like Dawson’s Creek Season 3! Yes, where we sit and watch Joey and Pacey bicker and fight and we despair, because, omigod why can’t they see they’re perfect for one another?? Just do it already!! Well Book 9 was supposed to be like the culmination of that wonderful season (where Joey and Pacey literally sail off into the ocean), except, Sookie and Eric had a fuck, and then, nada. No resolutions.
* * * * * Dead and Gone Spoilers Below * * * * *
So, the verdict is: I am truly very disappointed with Dead and Gone. So many things happened during this book, there were so many characters involved, but not a single character was given depth. Here’s a list of some “What’s the point???” or otherwise WTF moments from the book:
- Octavia Fant (the older witch staying with Sookie) gets a boyfriend from out of nowhere and leaves the Sookie house in about two pages (Okay maybe the point was so Sookie could have sex with Eric, but heller, couldn’t she just have gone to town for a bit?)
- Quinn the tiger comes to visit his ex-paramour and rehash their lost love but gets headbutted by Bill instead and then we don’t hear from him ever again. (Was it even necessary for him to show up in Book 9? Thought that was over and done with. What a waste of pages.)
- Sookie’s telepathic baby cousin’s father gives her a call only to be brushed aside by Sookie saying “Call me in a month, am busy.” (Okayyy.)
- Claudine the fairy gets pregnant, then nothing for pages and pages, then at the end of the book, she is suddenly dead. We don’t even see any action. It only comes from Niall’s mouth, as though it was the author’s afterthought to kill off some major characters in Book 9 so Book 10 wouldn’t be so messy.
- Pam and Amelia who? (Where were they??)
So, yeah, am really bummed out. Aside from the crazy stuff I mentioned above, the biggest question from Book 8 was never answered. What question, you say? Well look at the DAG cover. It’s Sookie in between Eric and Bill. Yeah that sandwich hasn’t been eaten in four books, so it’s just about rotting by now. You wanna know how Book 9 ends? Here it is:
“The vampire is not a bad man, and he loves you,” Niall said. He rose. “Good-bye.” He bent and kissed my cheek. There was power in his touch, and I suddenly felt better. Before Jason could gather himself to object, Niall kissed his forehead, and Jason’s tense muscles relaxed.
Then my great-grandfather was gone before I could ask him which vampire he meant.
Ohmaygahd doesn’t she know yet?? *Rolls eyes*
Sigh. I still love Sookie. She’s my girl. I’ll take her over Bella any day. But just like sometimes I want to tear the ends of my hair out because I just cannot see why Bella loves/wants/needs Edward so much to the point that she wastes her life away when he leaves (which is really why I cannot stand the Twilight books, Bella just rubs the feminist in me the wrong way), I am getting incensed with Sookie for being so on the fence with Eric!
Obviously the vampire loves her. Book 9 is all about Eric telling Sookie he loves her. (He risked his life, and those of his underlings, to save Sookie.) And all she can think about is whether or not her feelings are real or blood bound! (They swapped blood a LOT of times already. Makes their relationship complicated.) And she’ll have sex with Eric but she won’t cement the status of her relationship because she can’t make a decision. Ugh! So Bella-like! (You know, where she was pining for Edward the whole time leading Jacob on?) Wanting a man to make the decision for her! Get your spine back, Sookie!!
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed DAG. Just. Just not as much as the other books. It just feels like Charlaine Harris didn’t put much thought to this book. Like she knew it wasn’t perfect but she had a deadline to meet so she shrugged and rushed it off to the presses. That’s really how I feel.
I’ll still be here for Book 10. But maybe now, a little less avid.
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