Club Dead

Probably my favorite Sookie book so far. The clothes the author puts Sookie in continue to horrify and delight (she's 26 and un-ironically excited to wear a Christmas sweater with reindeer on it? Her dress has sleeves, but no shoulders? Is it possible this was written in 1992?), but it only makes the whole series more fun at this point. I'm especially glad she's on the outs with Bill in this one because he is BORING.

Warning: May contain spoilers

Finally I'm liking the series. I had heard that it had picked up in this book but after the last 2 books I can honestly say I wasn't optimistic. From start to finish I loved the book, I felt like Harris had settled and was comfortable with where she wanted the story to go, and it showed. It didn't feel like it was all thrown together, the character development was spot on and I was hooked.

I love Alcide. Like really love him. I did in the show and as most of my favourite characters have taken the back seat in the books I thought he would too. I'm glad to say I was more than pleasantly surprised. He was described just enough and for the first time I really felt like I knew one of the characters.

I still cant show more stand Sookie. Maybe more since reading this book. She's looking for her boyfriend who might or might not have been cheating on her and planning to leave her, only to fall in to the arms of both Eric & Alcide while on the hunt for him. I'm really misunderstanding what makes her so attractive. And to put it bluntly, in the words of Pam from season 4 of True Blood "Sookie, I am so over Sookie and Her Precious Fairy Vagina and Her Unbelievably Stupid Name Fuck Sookie!" (try to forget the 'fairy' part as technically i shouldn't know that bit already haha) Also.. I'm really not sure how I felt about Bill forcing himself on Sookie after she saved him and he was disorientated. That was something I felt the book could definitely do without.

All in all I really liked this book (for once). I saw a glimpse of the bad ass vampire that Eric is supposed to be, and wish I saw more of that side to Pam. Because I'm not really seeing it yet.
Everything else was great though, and everything I hated about the last 2 books thankfully were fixed show less

Club Dead
4 Stars

When her vampire boyfriend goes missing on a mysterious business trip, Sookie Stackhouse is shocked and saddened to learn that her relationship with Bill is not what she believed it to be. Determined to track him down and give him a piece of her mind, Sookie enlists the aid of enigmatic vampire boss, Eric Northam, who sends her to Jackson, Mississippi to learn what she can from the local supernaturals at their sinister stomping grounds known as Club Dead.

Although there are a host of new characters to keep track of in this installment, including a variety of vampires, werewolves, shifters and goblins, the plot is more cohesive with one storyline that is easy enough to follow.

As in the previous books, Sookie finds show more herself in some dicey situations, but manages to hold her own and even comes out on top despite being on the receiving end of stakes, fists and fangs.

In the romance department, it would seem that unlike human males, who view her as strange and unappealing, Sookie is like Catnip to supernatural men. Whether it is Bill or Eric or Alcide Herveaux, her charming traveling companion, Sookie is popular with vampires and werewolves alike. While Alcide's gentle, caring and protective nature (not to mention his heartbeat) gives him an advantage over Eric, the alpha-vampire is exceedingly sexy and also appears to be developing an emotional attachment to sweet Sookie. Regardless, both of these men are much more suitable love interests than the self-absorbed and slightly smarmy Bill.

In sum, this book clearly indicates that Harris is shifting focus away from Sookie and Bill's less than appealing attachment, and the new direction opens up far more intriguing avenues both for storylines and character development. Looking forward to the next book in which readers apparently learn more about Eric. show less

ALCIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the clouds parted and the angels blessed us with Alcide, the gloriously gorgeous werewolf that makes Team Jacob drool. Ah yes, as you can tell, I'm thrilled with the introduction of this character. I honestly loved this book because it revealed the nature of Lorena and made Bill look bad. It also showed Sookie can have a backbone, but that because she loves him, she'll forgive Bill for anything that happens. As a girl who has loved, I can relate completely to the justification of love in the face of otherwise debatable actions.

Overall, I loved that Tara has more of a part in the books, but I cannot appreciate how shallow she seems compared to her character on True Blood. While I was thrilled to see her show more resurface instead of being written off, I get the feeling she's a fairweather friend. I got the same sense from Arlene in the first books, but we'll see. The lack of insight from other characters is making that thought harder to understand. Still love the characters, couldn't put the book down.

Oh, and Debbie........argh that woman is a BITCH! show less

Imagine this: your biggest problem for the day is not whether to clean the bathrooms or how to get your errands done but this: what do I wear to go to a nightclub for supernaturals frequented by vampires so I can find out (by reading minds while I’m there) who kidnapped my vampire boyfriend?

I know that sounds ridiculous, but books about the waitress/barmaid Sookie Stackhouse are delightfully addictive: Sookie is endearing (just ask the two vampires and two shape-changers who are vying for her affections!), the author has a fantastic feel for humor in absurdity, and the romantic moments have just the right mix of tenderness, lust, and realism.

This is book 3 of the mystery-vampire-romance series featuring sassy Sookie, now 26, who works show more by day and hangs out with vampires by night. In Club Dead, Sookie’s boyfriend Bill has gotten so involved in playing on the computer he seems to have lost interest in her, and then he disappears. His vampire boss Eric arranges for the werewolf Alcide Herveaux to help Sookie find Bill. Alcide turns out to be a “big rough man” who eats real food (as opposed to drinking blood)! Sookie is somewhat smitten. (Okay, when there's a full moon he eats raw animals on the hoof, but that's just a once-a-month thing.)

Alcide has a vicious ex-girlfriend Debbie who resents Sookie and who still has an emotional hold on Alcide. She throws a lot of obstacles in Sookie’s path. And “sinister and sexy” Eric is getting more attached to Sookie, although, as he tells her, “I don’t like having feelings.” Will Sookie rescue Bill? Will Alcide dump Debbie for Sookie? Who will Sookie choose? All these flying hormones will keep you glued to your reading chair!

Evaluation: These books are like the candy you can’t stop eating. When I’m not stopping to laugh out loud, I’m whipping through the pages and having a rip-roaring good time. show less

I have to say, I love Sookie Stackhouse. I'm still not so sure about those vampires!Sookie takes off to track down (ex?-)boyfriend Bill. She performs feats of great bravery, every sentient male she meets falls at her feet (except a couple that are gay) and (big surprise) all is well in the end.OK, so it is ridiculous. But ridiculous is what I wanted when I picked up these books. I missed it in the previous book (that may have just been me), but this time, full speed ahead.

Finishing this book meant another late night for me because even though I was tired, I just couldn't put it down. I found the tone of this book to be a bit different from the first two in the series. In the first two, Sookie is desperate to find love and acceptance and eventually finds that in Bill. While she may get injured or face tremendous danger, she knows (and the readers know) that Bill is there to look after and ultimately take care of her. This time around, though, while she's still in life-threatening danger, Bill may or may not be there after all. It's disconcerting for both Sookie and the reader.

Added to that, we're introduced to a world with other shape shifters, werewolves, kings and queens of the vampire world and so much show more more. Ms. Harris has created an amazing world that feels every bit as real as anything else you will find on TV or in other books. Even though there is much that is quite fascinating in the world Ms. Harris created, what makes this a truly compelling read is the fact that Sookie must face what millions of other women face in their lives - the possibility of a cheating lover/spouse/significant other - as well as what to do about the situation. Suddenly, her supernatural life has taken quite a normal turn of events.

Her pain and confusion about this turn of events is all the more real to the reader because of the time and effort spent during the first two books building up their relationship and love for each other. Ms. Harris could have had Sookie wallow in her pain, misery and doubt, but it is a testament to how much Sookie has grown as a character that she not only stands up for herself but takes things into her own hands and resolves the issue in a way that is best for her.

This book took me even less time to finish than the first two. I've already resigned myself that I will be finishing the series before starting anything else. I'm having fun, though, reading through them. They are a perfect summertime read. I'm anxious to see what else life has in store for Sookie, to see if she ever gets her happily ever after, whoever it may be, and if she can find the acceptance and love she so desires and deserves. show less