Dead in the Family: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel Mass Market Author: Visit Amazon's Charlaine Harris Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0441020151 | Format: PDF
Dead in the Family: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel Mass Market Description
From Publishers Weekly
Still reeling from the deaths of her fairy cousin, Claudine, and many others in 2009's
Dead and Gone, Sookie Stackhouse struggles with paranormal politics in her entertaining if slow-moving 10th outing. When Claudine's triplet, Claude, appears at her doorstep, Sookie reluctantly allows him to move in. The government threatens two-natures with mandatory registration, and tensions run high in the local Were pack. Then Eric's maker, a Roman named Appius Livius Ocella, arrives without warning, bringing along Alexei Romanov, whom he rescued from the Bolsheviks and turned into a vampire. Though the action often builds too slowly, the exploration of family in its many human and undead variations is intriguing, and Harris delivers her usual mix of eccentric characters and engaging subplots.
(May)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
"One of the reasons Charlaine Harris has been able to maintain the series so successfully is that she varies her pace between the novels, rather than bring on more massive enemies and events. Sookie has always been a very human sort of heroine and the fact that she needs a quieter time and is still recovering from what happened to her in Dead and Gone sets her apart from other heroines or urban fiction." SFX "Charlaine Harris's latest novel is as witty, quirky and sassy as ever, with strong characters and plenty of mystery and moral dilemmas to keep readers enthralled." PRESS ASSOCIATION "The normal world of barbecues and malls co-exists with the secret one of werewolves, witches and fairies in Harris's cocktail of domestic drama and supernatural adventure." THE DAILY MAIL "Sookie is the literary equivalent of TVs Buffy and is a far superior heroine to Twilight's pushover, Bella. This tenth outing tackles orgasmic Viking sexcapades, hair-curling violence and romance that doesn't make you heave. A gripping read." SCI FI NOW
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
See all Editorial Reviews
- Series: Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood (Book 10)
- Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Ace; Reprint edition (March 29, 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0441020151
- ISBN-13: 978-0441020157
- Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
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.
"Dead in the Family" has a very appropriate title -- all sorts of family members pop up, and not just for Sookie. Charlaine Harris still can whips up a pleasant warm Southern vibe for her not-so-urban fantasies, but unfortunately this latest novel isn't quite up to her usual standards: it's basically a mass of fluffy in-between storylines that rarely go anywhere.
Just after Amelia leaves for New Orleans, Sookie's cousin Claude appears at her home and asks to move in with her, since he's a lone fairy who needs the presence of another. Bill is suffering from silver poisoning AND depression, and Sookie has to find a "relative" who can help him. And Eric has some family issues as well -- his maker Appius Livius Ocella shows up on Sookie's doorstep, along with his "son"/lover Alexei.
To make matters worse, unidentified fairies and weres have been crossing Sookie's land,, and it also turns out that there's a dead body buried back there. And it's not Debbie Pelt's. Now Sookie must unravel the secrets plaguing the supernaturals around her, or there might be even more deaths.
"Dead in the Family" feels like Charlaine Harris wrote half-a-dozen short stories, ripped them apart at the seams, and then sewed them back together. There's no central plot to this book, just a mass of fluffy subplots woven loosely around each other. And some of the stories don't really have much point to them, so the book feels cluttered and fragmented.
The saving grace is that some of those subplots ARE interesting, mainly the ones that develop the characters -- the whole subplot involving Bill and the elderly Caroline Bellefleur is quite sweet and touching, and it should be interesting to see where Harris takes the religious/political pressure on the weres.
Dead in the Family: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel Mass Market Preview
Link
Please Wait...