The Sookie Stackhouse Novels 1-3

After reading three of the Sookie Stackhouse novels (The books which are the basis for the HBO series, True Blood), I have decided to do a comprehensive review of the series so far. I’m going to skip the summaries, but I’ve included the publisher’s summaries below if you are interested in reading more about the plots of these books.

My friend Darla recommended these books to me as a sort of “Twilight patch” just in case I was still jonesing for a vampire story. I started with Book One: Dead Until Dark. At first I was disappointed. Bill, the heroine’s vampire love interest, is certainly no Edward Cullen. I said this to Darla and she said something like, “Oh no, he’s no Edward, but the books get better. Keep reading.” So after a long break, I read books two and three: Living Dead in Dallas and Club Dead (By the way, while the novels are no great works of serious fiction, the titles make them seem cheesier than they actually are.) I read books one and two while on winter vacation, and I have to say they were a good fit for the occasion. A nice escape, but no heaving thinking required. I liken them to the guilty pleasure I get out of watching bad reality TV (Like The Hills or Rock of Love). Though, I will say they are not as mind numbing. J

I don’t have a huge investment in either Sookie or Bill at this point. Some of the minor characters (Eric and Alcide, and Bubba!) are actually my favorites. I’m not really sure why Sookie is so in love with Bill. He’s a nice enough guy, and she can’t read his mind because he’s a vampire, but that’s all I’ve got. I’m not really rooting for the two of them to stay together. In Club Dead the character Alcide (a werewolf) is introduced. And quite contrary to my loyalties in the Twilight world, I am very much “Team Werewolf” in this series.

Now is probably the time to bring up the point that there are a lot of similarities between this series and the Twilight series. Both stories have a young human female in love with a male vampire. In both stories one of the main characters is a telepath, but in Twilight it’s the vampire, and in the Sookie Stackhouse books it’s Sookie, the human, who is the telepath. In Club Dead it seems that Sookie may have to choose between a romance with Alcide (werewolf) and Bill (vampire). Coincidences? Probably not. I haven’t researched it yet to see what Stephanie Meyer has to say about the similarities (Her first book, Twilight was published after Dead Until Dark. But even if I find out that she says she has never read a Charlaine Harris book, I probably won’t believe it. HOWEVER, as I heard Tyra Banks advise once, (Yes, on another guilty pleasure reality show) “Steal from the best, and make it your own.” In no way do I think that Charlaine Harris qualifies as “the best,” but I do think she had some very original ideas. Voltaire said, "Originality is nothing by judicious imitation.” Stephanie Meyer may have used some very similar ideas, but she took it to such another level that I don’t fault her for it AT ALL. Her books are hands down, more intriguing, more well-crafted, and yes, even more original than Charlaine Harris’s books. Many parts of the Twilight world are completely original compared to any vampire lore I’ve ever watched or read.

Moving on…..I would definitely NOT recommend the Sookie Stackhouse novels to anyone who is not an adult. There is way too much sexual material for the teen set. Parental guidance is needed at the very least. So there you have it. I probably won’t be writing any more reviews for this series, but will I read another? You betcha. I’m all for guilty pleasures. ;-)

Summaries From the Publisher:

Dead Until Dark

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.

Living Dead in Dallas

When a vampire asks cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse to use her telepathic skills to find another missing vampire, she agrees under one condition: the vampires must promise to behave and let the humans that are involved to go unharmed. Easier said than done. All it takes is one delicious blond and one small mistake for things to turn deadly.

Club Dead

There's only one vampire Sookie Stackhouse is involved with (at least voluntarily) and that's Bill. But recently he's been a little distant - in another state distant. His sinister and sexy boss, Eric, has an idea where to find him. Next thing Sookie knows, she is off to Jackson, Mississippi, to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead. It's a dangerous little haunt where the elitist vampire society can go to chill out and suck down some type O. But when Sookie finally finds Bill - caught in an act of serious betrayal - she's not sure whether to save him...or sharpen some stakes.