 Excellent Addition |
| Review Date: May 9, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Penny, Houston, Texas |
Make no mistake -- this is not a perfect book, but as it gets much more right than wrong and is much more in keeping with the earlier Sookie novels in tone, I give it the full 5 stars. There are spoilers herein, so beware!
What it gets right: Eric, Sookie gets her moxie back (mostly), Eric gets even more complex character development, the progression in Eric and Sookie's ability to express their love for each other, Bill getting his own Happily Ever After in such an unpredictable but welcome way to tie up his storyline, the return of some of the humor that endeared the early books to so many fans, the deepening friendship between Pam and Sookie, Jason maturing and acting the part of big brother for once, Claude's protectiveness of Sookie, and the more leisurely pacing overall.
I have long been a fan of Eric/Sookie, and I was definitely pleased with how things progress between them in this book. The mutual admissions of love were lovely (from Eric: "When my eyes open, I think of you, of every part of you" and "If this is not true love, it's as close as anyone gets"). It seems that Sookie is less and less concerned about the blood bond and is now acknowledging to herself and Eric that her feelings are as genuine as his. They laugh, banter, flirt, argue (and make up!), support each other, share emotions and secrets, express their love and protect each other fiercely.
I must say that I was surprised in reading the more negative reviews to see how many were penned by professed Eric/Sookie fans, who were lamenting the lack of sizzle and romantic tension. It seems to me that there is still sizzle between them, but the sexual tension is naturally tamped down to some extent now that the chase is over and they have settled into a relationship. I think Ms. Harris is attempting to show us what Eric and Sookie would be like as a couple leading their day-to-day lives, if they stay together. This is something many fans have long wanted, and I want to go on record as saying "Bravo!"
I absolutely loved the way that Ms. Harris gave Bill his own happiness -- it was such a unique and unpredictable plot twist (in my eyes anyway). Pam, as always, is hysterical with her dry humor and her sly teasing of Eric and Sookie.
It was a very welcome change for Sookie, albeit changed in some fundamental ways over the course of the series, to be more herself in this book. The characterization seemed so off in the previous novel, and I was glad to see it all back on-course with this one. One of the funnier moments was when Pam, looking disgusted at needing to relay this information on, tells Sookie that Eric says he is proud of her (for her part in a fight she and Pam end up in). I also welcomed Sookie starting to ask herself some hard questions about what she truly wants from life and what being a human or turned into a vampire might mean for her. We fans know that Ms. Harris has promised that Sookie will never be a vampire, but Sookie doesn't know this of course. So, it was good to finally see her debating the questions of aging vs. immortality (although with all these vampires dying a final death in Harris' novels, immortality is looking like it's not all it's cracked up to be!), having children and the fact that most vampires she knows were turned in the prime of their life.
Now, what did it get wrong? Well, I do agree with the reviewers who think the book suffered from lack of a cohesive driving plot line. It did feel more episodic than the other novels, but again, I thought the previous novel had far too many plot lines going on. The pacing was good for this one, but it lacked momentum and/or a central organizing plot. Ms. Harris did say that it wasn't until she finished the book that she identified the one unifying thread was the subject of family bonds.
Despite the news that Ms. Harris has at least two continuity editors reading the drafts (not to mention the publisher's paid editing staff), there are still lots of consistency errors and glitches. They were not as distracting in this novel, admittedly, but I do wonder why this many pairs of eyes are not catching some of these problems at the outset.
My biggest substantive complaint centers around the planned side-trip to Sam's brother's wedding. I wish Sookie would just tell Sam what she was thinking: that when she agreed to go, she and Eric were not in a solid relationship but now they are. But, as it seems this is the point of a novella coming out this winter, it looks like it is going to happen. So now I just have to assume that Eric was somehow persuaded to be in favor of this trip to family wedding with Sam. I'll be anxious to see how that all plays out.
Finally, I think many reviewers may not be aware that Harris was attempting to answer some fan questions from her site's boards and from signings in the early sections of this book. To those who weren't aware of what she was doing, it's easy to see how they might be confused by the "checklist" tone and by some of the information included as an aside here and there.
If Ms. Harris were reading this, I would say thank you for such a great novel, I thoroughly enjoyed the read! I also would suggest that she tell her publisher that she won't write to a deadline any longer. I think that the strain of putting out one Sookie book every May, in addition to her other writing and commitments like touring and conventions, is showing. Speaking as a huge fan of her work, I would much prefer to wait longer for the next books and have them be stronger works for having the extra time. |
My Favorite Next to Dead to the World
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| Review Date: May 6, 2010 |
| Reviewer: "Jen", Seattle, WA |
I loved this book. Loved it. I feel that it was very much in synch with Ms. Harris' earlier works in the series where the cohesion comes from a single mystery that runs like a river under the various plotlines (some resolved and some to be resolved). Also unifying the whole, was the theme of 'family' which allowed us to get to know our favorite characters on a deeper level --really nice at this late stage in the series.
The character developement overall in this installment was spot on and brilliant (ie: Taking one of the series' new characters a full, believable, 180 degrees from sympathetic to psycho). Sookie is still our beloved Sookie, her black humor and sass intact, but now with some welcome maturation and self awareness (Take that Stephanie Plum!)and an ability to actually have some empathy and concern for Eric --oh, and now she will "stake a b***h" if you mess with her or her man! Speaking of whom, it's still our beloved Machiavellian Eric, but now he's realizing that he's got to be more open and honest if Sookie's going to trust him.
There's a return of the likable Bill for Bill fans. (Yay old Bill! Give him a woman he can mollycoddle and talk adorably stilted to for pity's sake.) And even Sam was awesome and cool --his interactions with Sookie comforting and welcome instead of the yawn fest they've been lately. It was also nice to have Jason back to being Sookie's big brother and comic relief rather than the absent ne'er do well.
The author was on her game with her descriptions and dialogue as well. Some favorite quotes that come quickly to mind, "...he was not a happy camper. Well, he could pitch his tent right alongside mine." and "That looks painful. Would you like me to nurse it?" (Honestly, the book deserves 5 stars alone for the "chair" scene and Pam calling Sookie "monkey girl" --too much wicked fun.) I laughed aloud throughout the book.
Finally, there were a few "True Blood" shoutouts which I really enjoyed (and I include among these, a flipping of Eric's Maker storyline on it's head --way to own it, Ms. Harris, and give us something new along with a sly nod and a wink) and some clever references to past Sookie short stories --nice rewards for the faithful fan.
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