DEAD UNTIL DARK Mass Market Paperback – 1 May 2001

engaging

Make the second and third novel available!

The book looks stale.We expect a bit quality.I have the whole series of the Sookie Stackhouse, but the first book got missing. So I had to buy it online.But to my dismal, the dimensions of the book is different than of the books in the series and also the pages look yellowish.I wish it was as I expected it to be.

The standard of the series declines after Book 3, and this is the best of the first three books.It's a Southern Gothic packaged snack and as far as light vampire fiction goes, it is the best one out there.The characters are better fleshed out in the show, but if you are someone who is still recovering from the trauma of your brush up with Twilight, you can snack on this book. It's entertaining light reading material and realistic enough to keep you from throwing the book away.

Not a good book, just readable.

Ahem, I am probably gonna be in the minority here, had heard so much about the True Blood TV series and the Sookie Stackhouse book series on which it has been based, that I had been waiting to give it a try.After having read quite a few books with hidden vampires, Dead Until Dark gave a total flip to the ‘hiding’ element. The world created by the author was fabulous with vampire bars and words like vampire groupies, fang bangers and what not. The humorous elements in the book were absolutely delightful and I can see why it is so easy to conceptualize into a TV show. However, Dead Until Dark was, I should say like a cracker sputtering or it probably could be too many paranormal books in my bag right now, but I just couldn’t enjoy it wholly. Parts of the story were exciting and I loved how Gran uses Bill to talk about Civil War for her group, Sookie’s physic abilities, and the slow romance that develops between Sookie and Bill.The murder mystery adds an intriguing layer but there was something about the character of Sookie that just didn’t work for me. There were places that her naivety highlights the blonde bimbo stereotype and I hate it when waitresses are categorized in that way. All the same, I loved how the author showed Sookie’s courage in dealing with the murderer and there was no vampire always rushing in to save the damsel in distress.

Urban fantasy usually takes place in, you know, urban areas. Cities, big towns, and places where vampires and weres creep in dank alleys.But Charlaine Harris took a slightly different approach in the first novel of the Sookie Stackhouse series, "Dead Until Dark." While it has many of the genre staples -- werebeasties, vampires and superspeshul humans -- this series is solidly entrenched in warm Southern charm, humor and mellow mystery.In an alternate world where vampires have revealed themselves to the populace (courtesy of bottled faux-blood), waitress Sookie Stackhouse can read minds, which is more of a curse than a blessing.But when she encounters vampire Bill Compton, she discovers that she is unable to read vampire minds. Unfortunately she's run afoul of some vile people who want to cruelly drain Bill of his blood, so she charges out to save "the vampire Bill" from his silver bonds and blood-draining. They're mutually intrigued, and an odd little romance starts to bloom.But then Sookie's life is overturned by some supernatural personal problems -- a coworker dies with fang marks on her thigh, and her grandmother is viciously muredred. And as she tries to find the murderer, Sookie finds that the supernatural world is a lot more complicated -- and close to home -- than she ever dreamed."Dead Until Dark" does a great job of avoiding the usual pitfalls of urban fantasy -- it's not all doom'n'gloom, gothic pomposity and angst. In fact, Harris has a fun time spoofing it with the wannabe-seductive, cheesily-dressed "fang-bangers ". Instead, it's soaked in down-home Southern charm, the pleasant little town of Bon Temps, and a generally mellow, relaxed atmosphere.Of course, it doesn't stop Harris from piling on gruesome murders and some truly nasty people, both vampire (the vampire gang crashing at Bill's house) and human (the "Rats"). Her style is warm, steady and mildly tongue-in-cheek ("the traditional capes and tuxes for the men to many Morticia Adams ripoffs among the females"), but there are some decidedly bleak moments and moral dilemmas woven in there.Sookie is a likable character -- an unpretentious and no-nonsense waitress who doesn't go looking for trouble, but whose telepathic talents often draw it to her. And Harris handles some horrible topics through her, such as her childhood molestation and her bickering with her slutty, not-too-bright brother.The supporting characters are also pretty well-drawn -- her kindly boss Sam turns out to have his own supernatural secret (werecollies!), the gorgeous golden Viking Eric, and her lovable Grandmother. Bill is a rather bland character as love interests go, but Harris does give him a great sense of chilly "otherness" and great age ("It's hard for me to get used to young ladies with so few clothes on")."Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 1)" is a solid, pleasantly down-home little urban fantasy, with lots of vampires, the odd shapeshifter, and some nasty little murder mysteries. Fun little urban fantasy book.

Pra quem gosta da série True Blood, com certeza vai apreciar as diferenças e profundidades que o livro traz.Uma leitura envolvente, vale a pena!

Can't wait to get the other ones

El libro llegó en perfectas condiciones y antes del día que lo esperaba.En cuanto a la historia, me encantó, super recomendado!

Considering that this book was written five years before Twilight, it might be better to ask if Twilight is like the Sookie novels. Sookie is not an empty shell of a character like Bella, and though naive, she actually has a voice, a job, and a life before and during her Vampire liaison.This book is more adult and less YA.

Absolute brilliant was engaging from start to finish!!!!!This is a first time reading this author and it will not be the last.