Book Review - Living Dead In Dallas

Living Dead In Dallas
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Sookie Stackhouse #2
Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy | Adult
Release Date: 26th March 2001
No. Pages: 288
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Sookie Stackhouse likes living in Bon Temps, Louisiana, and she likes working as a cocktail waitress at Merlotte's. But she is having a streak of bad luck. First her co-worker is killed, and no one seems to care. Then she comes face-to-face with a beastly creature which gives her a painful and poisonous lashing. Enter the vampires, who graciously suck the poison from her veins (like they didn't enjoy it).

The point is: the vampires saved her life. So when one of her bloodsuckers asks for a favour, she obliges and soon Sookie's in Dallas, using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire. She's supposed to interview certain humans involved, but she makes one condition: the vampires must promise to behave, and let the humans go unharmed. But that's easier than done, and all it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly..

The following review may contain spoilers concerning earlier books in the series.
If you have not read the previous installments, please proceed with caution.

Sadly yet again I'm still waiting to be wowed. I think my biggest problem with the books so far is Charlaine Harris is trying to fit so much in such a small book. And due to that I feel like there are things just being brushed over when I (not sure if everyone else) would have loved to read more about it. In the book there's a group of people called The Fellowship of the Sun. They are stated to being like what the KKK are to African Americans but obviously to vampires, but there was hardly any back story to them and considering they were such a big part of the book (and still to be in the series according to Bill) I was left wishing for more.

A new character was introduced called Callisto, who was a maenad. Sookie uncounted her in the woods while fighting with bill and was told to give a message to Eric ( which was Sookie being on the brink of death). Yet again not enough information was given about what a Maenad was or where this lady had come from and if it wasn't for my trusty friend google I would have been left confused. But by the end of the book she had already moved on.

I'm getting the hump with the fact that when Eric says jump Sookie has to say how high. I know she made a promise to him but its made out that its also because of scared everyone is of him and instead of angering him they do what he says. I know Eric is supposed to be portrayed as a powerful vampire who would do unthinkable things to you if you crossed him but in no where in the first 2 books has it explained it let alone given you any insight to the things he has done in the past. All you keep hearing is his older and a Viking. Your left thinking and hoping that maybe they will explain more as the books go on, but that's how I feel about everything.

As far characters go I don't like Bill or Sookie. But then I never liked them in the show so that doesn't surprise me. I cant wait to see more of Pam and Sam (hopefully), I love Eric. Even though he's not the same temperamental hot headed vampire he is in the show I still have a soft spot for him. I've never been a fan of Jason in the show but I still wish to see more of him. All in all I think the book was ok. It wasn't amazing, didn't leave much to the imagination and lacked suspense like the first one. I was left feeling confused with so much happening at once.

(I know I would like the books so far a bit better if I hadn't watched True Blood first, but think most of what annoys me about the books would still stick.)

I think my biggest problem so far is having been a fan of the show for years I've grown very fond of the characters. Like Lafayette, he is without a doubt one of my favourite characters in the show, he has so much personality and in my opinion is a big part of the show itself. Yet he dies without the first chapter in the book, and its so upsetting to think that he won't be in it. I mean don't get me wrong, if he did in the book it should have happened in the show (even though I'm glad it didn't) but I still can't help but feel upset about it. Another thing In the show he's the cousin of Tara, but I can't see that in the book, maybe it wasn't made a big deal of like other things that I've missed it. Even though I don't like Tara she's Sookies best friend in the show too but not in the book and thats strange.

Another thing that upset me was Godrics death. I don't think enough was said about that considering he's very old and powerful. Sookie turned up, talked to him for a few seconds and that was that. I feel like there should have been at least a few pages on it. (also, as much as I hate to admit it, I was waiting for the scene where Eric is with him at the end. Godric was Eric's maker in the show, but yet again if it was talked about in the book its something I've missed)

I've just got to try and not compare it to the show while reading it. Because judging how its been one book to one season, I won't be surprised until book 5 as hopefully I wont know whats happening and can just judge the book for what is is. If I read it before 10th June that is.