SB's Bookshelf: Dead Ever After

Dead Ever After

SB's rating: 2 out of 4 stars

I get it. Kind of like the TV show Lost and how the creators knew how they wanted it to begin and end when they started, that's how Charlaine Harris was with Sookie. I was mad. Sook didn't end up with the person I wanted her to; however, that's something I can deal with. But, the lackluster plot and rushness to the ending was what made this book fall short for me. I was really hoping since the last two books were kind of meh that this one would be good. I figured the last two books were sort of a bridge to get to this point. Those books were needed to connect the beginning-ish to the end. But this one was short--it's rushed, an undeveloped plot (could have been way more detailed) and just ended. I figured all along that Charlaine would have Sookie choose this person, but I didn't want her to. When I ended this book, I wanted to be sad, nostalgic as in wanting to reread the whole series, but it did not do that to me. Do NOT read any more of this post unless you want to spoil the book!

Ok, I SO wanted her to end up with Eric. He, ahem Alexander Skarsgard, is so, well, yum is the word that comes to mind. And Sam, yup you guessed it, is just sooooooo predictable. And that, my friends, was Charlaine's plan all along: for Sookie to end up with a human just like herself. I get that is what Sookie has been working on for awhile. But, still... That is the author's way, and I respect it, but what I cannot fathom is why she closed the series with such a dud. It's almost as if she was just tired of writing this series and wanted it done to finish it out and her contract. I don't know, but as a huge fan of the books, I was left with the are you serious whipping of the head and rolling of the eyes moment. Did you know that Eric had another child? That was just thrown in in this book. And the lack of Eric in the book because he was mad really irked me. I had become invested in this character! I felt Charlaine had humanized him, made him less of a villain, and more likeable. There was no closure for Eric and Sookie. He just left and married Freyda. I understand that Eric and Sookie's relationship is like a 9th grade romance: hanging up, rescinding invitations, ignoring each other, fighting, making up, etc. But there was no closure for the reader. No big drama fighting over her and her choosing the "good guy" in the end. None. nada. In the beginning of the books, I hated Eric. I loved Bill for his human-like qualities, but as the books went on, the less and less I liked Bill.  One aspect I didn't foresee was Pam becoming sheriff. I LOVED that. Pam is tough, but she has a soft side. I love Kristin Bauer van Straten who plays Pam on True Blood. I feel like she really captures Pam and how I imagined her to be! And the Steve Newlin/Arlene plot wasn't entirely terrible but the way it was executed in the book felt rushed. It felt like when someone is having to tell you a condensed version of a really good story. It falls flat. You miss the humor, the drama, and characters... I just feel this book was a lackluster close to the Sookie story. I hope someone writes some fan fiction to end this series the right way. If you've followed the series, I'd love to hear your thoughts!!!! I'm afraid I've been too harsh because I was expecting a book with the same umph as the first one.