Monday, May 14, 2012

CBRIV: Book#8: Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

Pinky McLadybits





I will say that this book, the twelfth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, was much better than book 11. That doesn't mean I liked it as much as previous entries in the series, but thank goodness some stuff happened. 

Sookie Stackhouse, as everyone probably knows, is a telepath waitress that lives in a world filled with vampires and two-natured people. And fairies. Do not forget the fairies, though I would LOVE TO. 

Before I go further I would like to say, for the record, that I hate the True Blood show on HBO. I hate how Alan Ball changed the characters. I hate how he didn't just use the vast, action-filled book series to guide him. I hate how he added characters that don't exist in the books. I hate how he made Jason Stackhouse a jackassed dolt. I hate hate hate hate it. I do, however, like the people cast in the roles that are in the books and I envision them while reading. Mmmmm, Alcide Herveaux. And spoilers ahoy.


I can't remember exactly what happened in book eleven, though I know I was a bit bored and sick of the fucking fairy contingent and the whole affair bullshit. I have been so over the Eric and Sookie pairing for a while now since Sookie never really recounts any meaningful interactions with the vampire she supposedly loves. But I am supposed to believe that they love each other? Whatever. I'm still a Bill and Sookie gal and I don't think there is ever enough Bill in the books. ANYWAY. Sookie is still claiming to love Eric while questioning that love. She's still dealing with her fairy cousin Claude and fairy great-uncle Dermot living with her and questioning their motives. 

Then we have King Felipe, the death of his asshole number two Victor, and I almost forgot about that story line since there are so many in here. There are also werewolf problems, fairy politics, weddings, babies, and other stuff no one cares about. I DO NOT CARE ABOUT PEOPLE GETTING MARRIED. I care to hear that Sookie is trying to stay normal, but not as much as Charlaine Harris likes to dwell on that crap. 

Then there is the whole Sookie dealing with the same sort of betrayals and such every book but being wholly unable to discern people's motives for chapters and chapters. I mean, come on, Sookie! There is also the whole cluviel dor thing. I can't even get into it. Sorry. I do enjoy reading these for the most part, but it is also so easy to pick on them. They are fun reads, I swear! They go quickly and you like several of the characters. I just think that Harris is trying to fit too much into one book and not making the books long enough. I don't know if that is something she can't control or something she doesn't want to control since people will snap up the latest Sookie Stackhouse adventure without waiting to hear feedback.

I've gone all over with this review. In that way this review is just like the last few books in the series. Starting in one point and ending in another while leaving some questions and problems to hang or disappear. Sookie is the narrator, but we don't really get much in the way of her real feelings that don't include Southern cliches of colloquial expressions and chiding herself for how she ought to feel. When Sookie and Bill had their romantic falling out, I believed that she was hurting. I believed that she was struggling to do what was best for her. Now I feel like she's going through the motions of what she should be feeling and ignoring the pull of Bill. But I might just be hoping for the reunion I'd like to see.

And now, I'm ending this review as Harris ended the book: in an unsatisfying and open manner.

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