I’m telling you, these books are just so clever and funny, you forget that you, a grown person who likes to think of herself in a literarily snobby manner, are really having a great time with a book series about vampires. Plus, the author adds redeeming value by her continuous thread highlighting and satirizing prejudice against groups which have not gained total acceptance.
Book 2 of the Sookie Stackhouse vampire romance-mystery series does not disappoint. More “supes” (supernatural beings) are added, but once you accept the premise of vampires, it doesn’t seem to matter anymore. (…yet one more affirmation of the efficacy of Kierkegaard’s “leap of faith.”)
Sookie Stackhouse is a saucy and sassy 25-year-old barmaid in Bon Temps, Louisiana, working at Merlotte’s bar by day and dating Bill the Vampire by night. She also is telepathic, and once the vampires in the area catch on to this, they encourage Bill and Sookie to start up a “detective agency” of sorts so they can find out which humans are betraying them.
Because the Japanese perfected synthetic blood drinks, vampires have been able to come out of the closet and live in the “mainstream” of society (at least, during the evening hours) since they no longer need to feed on humans to survive. But there is still a lot of prejudice against vampires, and hate crimes are becoming a problem. In fact, “the fastest growing cult in America” is the Fellowship of the Sun. Its members are convinced that vampires are an abomination to God, and aim to kill all they can, along with any sympathetic humans. The vampires don’t want to exacerbate the situation by killing enemies indiscriminately. Thus, the need for Sookie’s telepathic skills.
Living Dead in Dallas is action-packed and has not a few moments of sex, but like the first book, the sex is rather tastefully depicted.
I particularly like this one passage that would be so poignant if there were such a thing as vampires. After both vampires and humans have a brush with death, the air is electric with erotic energy. Sookie observes:
…let’s face it, brushes with death have that effect. You want to reaffirm the fact that you’re alive. Though vampires actually aren’t, it seems they are no more immune to that syndrome than humans…”
Evaluation: Ack, I know I should feel shame: a bodice-ripper with vampires and shape-shifters and throbbing body parts… but I loved it anyway! Please don’t tell anyone….
Rating: 4/5
Filed under: Book Review | Tagged: Book Review
I really need to get back to these — Talk about guilty pleasures!
Hee hee! I laugh! I am the same way, I would be every so slightly embarassed to admit I love a bodice-ripper with throbbing things, especially when I go around talking about all the fine literature I read! I have not read any Sookie. I mean, it is a project, right? I would have to set everything aside and read them all, because this is my personality. You guys are working on me though. Someday, I just may do that.
I’m a little embarrassed too, but I love this series. Living Dead in Dallas was my favorite so far (I’ve only read three). The third one was a bit of a letdown for me, but I’m still eager to read the fourth.
I think we might have swapped book taste. I’m really into older books (The Woman in White, for one) and non-fiction right now, which is not like me at all.
You are so funny! The first one in the series was just okay for me, but I’ve heard the series improves so I’ll probably read at least one more.
Oh – it’s *you* reviewing Jill! I thought maybe it was your husband. Or does April Fool’s Day fall in November in the US?…
Whatever. You’ve sold it to me. I’ve clicked. (Resistance was futile.)
Your review gave me a good laugh. I can tell you’re having a good time with these Sookie stories.
I sense something serious in the middle of the review, however. Was this interesting because you could see parallels between fictional groups and real-life groups that foster prejudice and hate? Was this the author’s way of poking fun at or shaming these groups?
Ha! Ha! Your secret is safe with me!! I love this series too!!!
I’m almost afraid to start this series. It seems like it could be a little bit like the paper version of crack!
LOL, I have this one on my shelf still to read,
really enjoyed the first one…although…I had to only read it inside the house where no one could spot me! Literary snobiness at work abounds ;)
Yet another series I’m going to start soon. Why do you keep preempting me this way????? Are you reading my plans? Why yes … you are … on my blog. I’ll probably be posting these same reviews but in 2010! : )
I’m glad to hear this series is so fun as I’m blindly accumulating them one by one!