reevereadsit's review against another edition
4.0
It was too explicit when I was young and it's too cringe now, but this books and tv show will always have a special place in my heart. So cringy it's cute.
polkadotbot's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
sarawgordon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
samflowerv6's review against another edition
I didn’t like the writing style and descriptions
doctabird's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars... If the writing was better, I could have rated this higher.
vellichora's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
laurenjodi's review against another edition
4.0
Dead Until Dark
4 Stars
Although small town waitress, Sookie Stackhouse, has lived in Bon Temps, Louisiana, her entire life, she has always felt like an outsider due to her ability to read people's minds. Viewed as crazy and preferring to keep to herself, Sookie leads a lonely life until the perfect man comes along; one whose thoughts she cannot listen in on - Bill Compton. Unfortunately, as a vampire, Bill is as much of an outcast as Sookie. So when a number of women in town are found murdered, Bill is a natural suspect and Sookie will have to use all of her skills to prove his innocence.
The popular television show, True Blood is based on Charlaine Harris's novels, and the first season closely follows the plot of this particular installment. Consequently, I was familiar with the storyline prior to reading the book, and this affected my reading experience in two ways.
First, the excessive, irrelevant and unnecessarily detailed sex scenes within the television series did not appeal to me, and resulted in my giving up on watching as well as choosing not to read the books. I have since read and enjoyed two other Harris series (Lily Bard, Harper Connelly), and as such decided to give Sookie a chance albeit with reduced expectations. Happily the book does not share the oversexed tone of the show, and the story, the setting and the characters are much more entertaining.
Sookie is a particularly likeable heroine and it is easy to sympathize with her plight and identify with her need to connect with another person. Unfortunately, Bill, despite his seeming perfection, does not really come across as the most suitable candidate. While he is charming, attentive and caring on the surface, there is something, nevertheless, insidious about his personality and behavior.
Sam, the other potential love interest, is much more appealing and it will be interesting to see how Harris develops his character and relationship with Sookie.
Second, the murderer's identity was known to me from the start, and as such the tension and suspense of the serial killer plot were diminished. That said, the small town setting and secondary characters more than compensate for this knowledge, and it still fun reading as Sookie attempts to solve the mystery.
In sum, the pros of the world building, the setting and the characters outweigh the cons of the romance and the weaker suspense plot. I do look forward to continuing with the next book, which has not been spoiled for me by watching the show.
4 Stars
Although small town waitress, Sookie Stackhouse, has lived in Bon Temps, Louisiana, her entire life, she has always felt like an outsider due to her ability to read people's minds. Viewed as crazy and preferring to keep to herself, Sookie leads a lonely life until the perfect man comes along; one whose thoughts she cannot listen in on - Bill Compton. Unfortunately, as a vampire, Bill is as much of an outcast as Sookie. So when a number of women in town are found murdered, Bill is a natural suspect and Sookie will have to use all of her skills to prove his innocence.
The popular television show, True Blood is based on Charlaine Harris's novels, and the first season closely follows the plot of this particular installment. Consequently, I was familiar with the storyline prior to reading the book, and this affected my reading experience in two ways.
First, the excessive, irrelevant and unnecessarily detailed sex scenes within the television series did not appeal to me, and resulted in my giving up on watching as well as choosing not to read the books. I have since read and enjoyed two other Harris series (Lily Bard, Harper Connelly), and as such decided to give Sookie a chance albeit with reduced expectations. Happily the book does not share the oversexed tone of the show, and the story, the setting and the characters are much more entertaining.
Sookie is a particularly likeable heroine and it is easy to sympathize with her plight and identify with her need to connect with another person. Unfortunately, Bill, despite his seeming perfection, does not really come across as the most suitable candidate. While he is charming, attentive and caring on the surface, there is something, nevertheless, insidious about his personality and behavior.
Sam, the other potential love interest, is much more appealing and it will be interesting to see how Harris develops his character and relationship with Sookie.
Second, the murderer's identity was known to me from the start, and as such the tension and suspense of the serial killer plot were diminished. That said, the small town setting and secondary characters more than compensate for this knowledge, and it still fun reading as Sookie attempts to solve the mystery.
In sum, the pros of the world building, the setting and the characters outweigh the cons of the romance and the weaker suspense plot. I do look forward to continuing with the next book, which has not been spoiled for me by watching the show.
kryskross's review against another edition
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual assault
geo_ix's review against another edition
5.0
Whyyyyyyyy are the chapters so long in these? Anyway I've always loved these! I only read the first 6 last time I read these, and excited to re read and continue the story!
lanica's review against another edition
2.0
I found my self thinking that this was a silly, fluffy book as I began reading it. That's not the type of book I like, so I almost set it aside. I'm glad I kept reading. It got darker and more serious quickly.
I enjoyed most of it, but wasn't really impressed by either the main character or the 'mystery' part of it. I figured out who did it about half way though, although I still liked the story. Sookie was too naive to be believed at the beginning and too boring to keep my attention at other times, but again, I'm glad I kept on reading. It's the first in a series and I'm hoping that the author makes her a stronger person as she sees more of the world. I'll read a couple more to see what happens to her, but I'm not waiting on the edge of my seat to get my hands on the next book.
A few things annoyed me. There were times where a thought was repeared several times, as though the reader might not have the intellegence to remember something. Twice would have been OK, but they mentioned that it's hard for Sookie to keep her walls up at least four times. That was only one example.
The bodyguard toward the end just seemed silly.
I'm not a romance reader, I don't like Harlequins or over the top bodice-rippers. So I didn't like the couple of sex seens that seemed a bit too detailed for me. I'm not a prude, I just think there are times when what's left unsaid, and left to the imagination, is more powerful than what's stated too bluntly.
I enjoyed most of it, but wasn't really impressed by either the main character or the 'mystery' part of it. I figured out who did it about half way though, although I still liked the story. Sookie was too naive to be believed at the beginning and too boring to keep my attention at other times, but again, I'm glad I kept on reading. It's the first in a series and I'm hoping that the author makes her a stronger person as she sees more of the world. I'll read a couple more to see what happens to her, but I'm not waiting on the edge of my seat to get my hands on the next book.
A few things annoyed me. There were times where a thought was repeared several times, as though the reader might not have the intellegence to remember something. Twice would have been OK, but they mentioned that it's hard for Sookie to keep her walls up at least four times. That was only one example.
The bodyguard toward the end just seemed silly.
I'm not a romance reader, I don't like Harlequins or over the top bodice-rippers. So I didn't like the couple of sex seens that seemed a bit too detailed for me. I'm not a prude, I just think there are times when what's left unsaid, and left to the imagination, is more powerful than what's stated too bluntly.