Dead Until Dark - Sookie Stackhouse #1 (Charlaine Harris)

"Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life - and one of her coworkers checks out.... Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.

Dead Until Dark is the first book in the Sookie Stackhose Series. I am not a True Blood watcher, so I cannot make any comments on similarities or difference between the books and the television series.


When I first started to read the book, I disliked both the writing style and the main character. "You can tell I don't get out much. And it's not because I'm not pretty. I am." This did not endear me to Sookie at all. Then the physical description of her after this didn't help me to like the writing style. However, the writing style did improve. I didn't ever learn to like Sookie, but I'm hoping to become more attached to her as a character in the subsequent books.


I have problems with Sookie's romantic life. Sookie and Bill declare their 'love' for each other way too soon. The fact that Sam has feelings for Sookie makes Sookie's love life reflect that of Bella Swan. I'm sure Stephenie didn't have many original thoughts whilst writing Twilight. (I really enjoyed The Host though!)


Reading this book, I have a hard time understanding 'fangbangers'. "A human who enjoys having have sex with and allows vampires to drink their blood." Just...no. 


The Good:  

• The vampires don't sparkle
• Everyone is aware that vampires exist! I've never read a book before where everyone is aware of the existence of vampires.
• Elvis is a vampire!

The Bad:

• Some of the descriptions at the beginning are awful. Especially Sookie's conceited description of herself
• I found Sookie irritating at first. I thought she was like eighteen, then it turns out that she's twenty-five!

I give this book 2.5 stars out of 5. I did like it, and I will read the rest of the series, but I wouldn't really recommend it except for a light read in between more serious - and hopefully better written - books