Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, #1)

by Charlaine Harris

Sink your teeth into the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Sookie Stackhouse series—the books that gave life to the Dead and inspired the HBO® original series True Blood.

Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Bon Temps, Louisiana. She's quiet, doesn't get out much, and tends to mind her own business—except when it comes to her “disability.” Sookie can read minds. And that doesn’t make her too dateable. Then along comes Bill Compton. He’s tall, dark, handsome—and Sookie can’t hear a word he’s thinking. He’s exactly the type of guy she’s been waiting for all her life...

But Bill has a disability of his own: he’s a vampire with a bad reputation. And when a string of murders hits Bon Temps—along with a gang of truly nasty bloodsuckers looking for Bill—Sookie starts to wonder if having a vampire for a boyfriend is such a bright idea.

• ISBN10: 0786516240
• ISBN13: 9780786516247
• Publish Date: 1 May 2001
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Out of Print: 11 April 2013
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Ace Books
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[booksandcats]

I really couldn't get into this, I didn't buy the chemistry between Sookie and Bill, Sookie was a really weird character for me anyway, her whole "oh, don't be nasty, I'm a laaadyyy" thing got tired really quickly for me and Bill... just seemed weird to be honest. The interactions all seemed put on, like they were performing a play, which is not how it should come across, really. For me, not one character seemed real or made me want to care what happened. I'm kinda disappointed, because I have seen this recommended a ton.

[bestmessever]

What the actual fuck??? I only got about 100 or so pages in and I cannot believe how beloved this is. Why have I never heard anyone talk about how sexist, racist and homphobic this bullshit it??? Don't waste your time.

[HekArtemis]

Such good trashy fun, I love it. Surprisingly close to the first season of the show too, I was expecting it to be way different but it's practically identical. I know that changes as the books and seasons go on, but still, it was very close in this one. I like that in the book you get more of an understanding of Sookie - in the show you don't realise that actually she is much smarter than she seems, her apparent stupidity is actually her being so constantly worn out by trying to keep out of peoples minds and by being constantly distracted and overwhelmed by other peoples thoughts. It was an interesting thing to learn.

[liz089]

Reread 2019.
I'm currently cataloging my entire book collection (because why not) and I realised I never finished this series !? This series was my start with reading books in English, what made me switch over from Dutch. And well, I still love it. Though I do know some things now.. but, it has been.. well more than 10 years ago XD Great to read about Sookie and gang again, and how it all began.


Amazing, wonderfull. I really like this book and the series.

[Kate (Blogging with Dragons)]

I first read the Sookie Stackhouse series many years ago, but a recent guilty pleasure binge watch of True Blood on Amazon Prime inspired me to pick up the series at my local used bookstore and read them again. I was not disappointed. I immediately preferred Dead Until Dark to the television series. The characters were more complex and their actions are more understandable.



Sookie was more, relatable, capable, and less foolhardy. I liked that she attempted to hide her telepathic ability from the world instead of being so brazen about the fact that she can read minds, like in the show. I also enjoyed that the book took her characterization further, revealing her disappointment at her inability to succeed at college and also her discomfort at being intimate with anyone due to being overwhelmed with peoples’ thoughts. I adored that Sookie was firm in what she was willing to take from other people and seemed less flighty and more responsible as a whole. Instead of not showing up to work all the time due to vampire business—like in the show—in the book, she was the most reliable of all Sam’s waitresses. Overall, the novel painted her as much more of a lost soul and created more sympathy for her taboo relations with vampires.



But that's not the only thing the book does better. Characters that I disliked were suddenly worthy of another chance. Heck, I hated Vampire Bill, Sookie's new boyfriend, in True Blood, but even he was better in the books. Jason too, a character that often made me groan in the show, is more understandable and sympathetic. I thought the dynamic between Sookie and Jason was much more interesting. The two relied on each other, despite their constant struggle to comprehend one another. With this dynamic, the slapping episode made a lot more sense to me than it did in True Blood. And just like the first time I read the book, I loved Sam the best out of all Sookie’s potential paramours (except for Eric, of course).



There is nothing really earth shattering in this series, but it is a solid and quirky urban fantasy that every reader can enjoy—most especially fans of True Blood who were disappointed with the turn the series took. I especially liked the humor interwoven throughout the book and how Charlaine expertly designed and revealed her mystery throughout the novel. I was excited to dive into the next book.


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[brokentune]

"Ever since vampires came out of the coffin (as they laughingly put it) four years ago, I’d hoped one would come to Bon Temps. We had all the other minorities in our little town - why not the newest, the legally recognized undead?"

This is the first installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series, of which I had read so much that I just needed to find out what draws so many of my reading friends to the books about a waitress in northern Louisiana.

On the face of it, Dead Until Dark is based on a theme that would normally make me leave a book on the shelf - vampires and romance. It just screams "Beware of vampire fan fiction, because it might be another Twilight", doesn't it?

However, unlikely as it seemed, I actually liked the book. Sookie and Bill are quite different characters to what they might appear - Sookie, despite her low self-esteem and her concern over her "disability" is a feisty kick-ass kinda heroine who is not waiting to be saved by a knight in shiny armor (which is just as well as Bill is not around when a knight might be expected).
Bill, on the other hand, is a thoughtful and diplomatic guy, who doesn't exactly fit the vampire stereotype - of a bloodsucking menace.

The romance part - which is a huge part of the book - left me cold (as expected) but there are a couple of aspects about the book that really appealed to me:

The way that vampire "subculture" was portrayed reminded me a lot of The Godfather - I don't know why, but the governance/structure of the vampires did remind me of the mafia, which was a fun comparison to run while reading it.

Second, the portrayal of how the "minority" was treated by "normal" society, the prejudice, the rumors, the curiosity with which the "normal" population engaged with the vampires, obviously related to how other minorities have been viewed in society throughout the ages - mostly with suspicion and fear. Although, Dead Until Dark was mostly a fun read, this was an aspect that brought some depth to the story, and I was pleasantly surprised to find this level of social commentary in a vampire rom-com murder mystery. But then, maybe not all vampire books are as dire as Twilight, and maybe I should have expected something a little more though-provoking. After all, Dracula was a social commentary on its own time.

[jamiereadthis]

This has that fanfic quality I love that’s hard to find anywhere else but fanfic: just somebody’s thoughts, spelled out, unfiltered, but in the form of a story. I like getting inside somebody’s head like that. (Yes. Sookie’s a telepath. I see what I did there.)

[Edited to add: by “get inside somebody’s head,” I mean the writer of the story, not the character in the story. That too, sure, but you can’t read a story like this, unfiltered, without reading about the writer. That’s the part I like.]

It’s not perfect, it’s candy, but hell, the people are conflicted and capable of complicated things in ways that I miss in other, better books. It’s good at heart and full of flaws and fairly bounces with energy. Reminds me what was so great about that first season of True Blood.

“You don’t have to be perfect, Sookie.”
“You mean I get to screw up and be less than understanding and forgiving, from time to time? Thanks, boss.”

[angelarenea9]

This review is full of spoilers.
This review is posted on my blog

Before I start, I think it's important to say that I watched True Blood before I read this book and so it somewhat colored my opinion of the characters, and events, that being said, I didn't care for the first season of True Blood so I went into this book hoping that it would be better than the show, but not expecting much.

I was not overly impressed with this book, although it did have it's moments. Right off the bat I found Sookie to be irritating, but I can't quite place my finger on what about her irritated me. It could have been her un-modest self introduction of her own looks that just rubbed me the wrong way, or the way that she calls her telepathy a disability. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand that she was trying to show that she did not consider this a gift, but to call it a disability is uncalled for in my opinion. Whatever the reason I just found her frustrating from the start, but I can't think of a book that I've read about telepath, and I found the concept interesting.
Unfortunately, the story begins with Sookie meeting Bill, the vampire. I enjoyed the first few pages of their meeting, which was not full of the cliche love at first sight or obsession before they even speak. She was justifiably intrigued by him because as a vampire, she could not hear his thoughts. I also enjoyed a story starting out with our leading lady saving the male love interest.
The story was set up as a mystery, but because I saw the show first I already knew who the killer was, so I can't speak on the suspense (although that story line is kept fairly well on screen, and I enjoyed the suspense there).
I was very unhappy with the portrayal of relationships in this book. The thing that made me most upset was the fact that, on the night her grandmother died (or perhaps her funeral? I can not remember) Bill thinks it is a good idea to comfort this distraught young girl, by having sex with her for the first time, and her first time for that matter. Now call me crazy, but I do not think that when a person loses their grandmother, and only parental figure, and is grief stricken, it is a good time to make them make those big decisions. It is not the time to try to move the relationship to 'the next level' nor is it the time to make decisions of virginity. I know that if I were in Sookie's position I would have felt extremely taken advantage of, although perhaps not until after the fact, and Bill, being incredibly old, should know better. I also cringed at nice-guy-Sam-Merlotte. I was very upset at the way that the author brushed aside Sam mascaraing as a dog and watching Sookie undress. To be honest that one thing that I will take away from this book was how distressing it was reading about Sookie's relationships, because on top of the large events I mentioned, there was a terrifying aspect to her relationship with Bill that stemmed from his controlling and jealous attitude towards her, and her feeble objections to being treated like his property and then content acceptance of it all.

I would recommend this to people who liked the Vampire Diaries books, or someone looking for a quick romance-mystery for a vacation of something, but not to someone looking for a good mystery. The book had it's moments but overall it left a bad taste in my mouth and the desire to read something with a healthy relationship.

[CrowNoYami]

An interesting take on classic vampires (notice not sparkles?) I look forward to reading more.

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

Usually I am a "books before movies" kinda gal, but I watched the first three seasons of True Blood plus some before picking up the first Sookie Stackhouse book. Fortunately, the long haul with the Harry Potter series has taught me to view books and film as separate entities, so I appreciate the television show while still loving the book. This is not to say that there weren't difference (boy were there differences) but I have learned not to get enraged about them.

Sometimes, reading the book after seeing the films/show allows for an added appreciation, and this was the case for me. While I enjoy the writing style and the culture Harris breathes into the pages here, I am impressed at how well the actors have brought the characters to life. My one critique here would be that I found the characters a little flat, especially Bill Compton, the dashing vampire who catches Sookie's heart. Knowing the way the story is going to end really allows for a more careful investigation of the elements that make up the story.

The detail is perfect. Some of my cherished authors (JRR Tolkien) use so much detail that scenes can get frightfully boring. Others use so little that one needs a remarkable imagination to bring the book to life. Harris is right in-between. She gives away the details that matter, but in "murder" she's dealing with a grisly subject and she manages to give the reader the idea without sickening them. Anyone who has watched the first season of True Blood knows that the first season in particular is overflowing with sex. Not this book. Well, yes. We know that Sookie is having hot, steamy sex with her handsome vamp, but Harris does us the courtesy of not describing it in detail, which gives her an extra thumbs up from me!

The cast of characters is a little different in the book (at least from my memory) and the story even swerves a bit differently. Even for those who have watched the series, I would recommend the books. They are well-written, easy reads that further open up the world of vampiric Louisiana.