Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, #1)

by Charlaine Harris

[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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