Club Dead

Level: Explicit Lite

Genre: Fantasy/Horror > Vampires/Urban Fantasy

Obtained: Purchased at Borders

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

   

About the Book:

Sookie is back in the third installment of the southern vampire series. Bill has been distant lately, and it seems the reason as to why is because he is working on a secret project for the queen vampire of Louisiana. Soon, Bill goes off elsewhere because of this secret business, leaving Sookie alone. It's not long until a motorcycle gang member shows up and tries to off her, but not only is he a biker, he is also a werewolf. Eric, the local sheriff of "area five" tells Sookie that Bill seems to have gotten kidnapped. To find Bill, Sookie teams up with a handsome werewolf and heads off to Jackson, MS. 

Rating: 5/10

Again, I have not found myself overly pleased with these books. I honestly could care less what happens to these characters they are so poorly written. The plots are mediocre, but remain decent enough that I don't find this a complete waste of time (perhaps my money though). I find myself getting fed up with these books rather quickly though, and I am thinking the second installment only seemed as good as I thought because I was so bored through most of the first one. Sookie seems like she could have been a likable character, but with the way Harris writes her characters, she has been grating me more than anything. To start off, Sookie has only been dating Bill a few months now, and already she constantly bringing up marriage in her mind. Although, wanting to get married and actually being engaged are separate, it seems to be brought up several times in the last two books. Also, Sookie, it seems EVERY main supernatural character wants to be with her (and as we know, they are the only ones that matter in paranormal romance). Luckily, it has gotten no where near as bad as Anita Blake or Bella Swan. Yet. Three books and she has three men pawning over her. 

And although the action of the plot kept me reading, the romance section had me sludging through. Granted, I am not a romance reader. However, I do like some romance in books as well. God knows, I really liked the romance drama in the earlier Anita Blake novels, but I can't help but feel like I am drinking store brand coffee. Even the sexual moments, I find dull and boring. These moments are not the most detailed, but that shouldn't matter. I found the sexual HINTS in Anne Rice's vampire chronicles stimulating yet Harris just has me going "Next!" The only part I did find somewhat erotic was when Sookie was feeding from Eric and he gets quite aroused (all over her back).

The other thing that bothered me was Sookie's reaction to Alcede, the werewolf. All through the book, she was saying how he looked like a REAL man, ate meat like a REAL man, and had a pickup truck like a REAL man. Maybe it's a Southern thing, but any time I saw this, I really wanted to toss the book across the room. Perhaps it is a part of Sookie's nature to like "real men" but all of Harris' vampires tend to be the pretty type. No, they are not as bad as Rice's or near as bad as Hamilton's or Meyer's, but still.

Easily, the best part was when they were in Russell's house. I was itching to know how they would get Bill out. However, even with the action of the plot, I found myself thinking that it felt dragged out. In fact, it felt like all the little problems in this book just kept repeating in similar ways such as Debbie and Alcide or the werewolf gangs constantly hunting Sookie.

So overall, the characterization is still poor while the romance and sex seems tedious and boring. The main plot was pretty decent, but the little ones that made up the overall plot ended up being repetitive, which caused the book to feel stretched too thin.

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