Dead Until Dark

Title: Dead Until Dark
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Sookie Stackhouse /Southern Vampire Series (Book 1)
Genre: Paranormal Romance



Jumping back on the Paranormal Romance wagon, I picked up Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. It is part of the Sookie Stackhouse story and the Southern Vampires Series. Interestingly enough, the books also inspired the HBO TV show entitled True Blood.

Dead Until Dark introduces us to Sookie, a waitress in a small town in Louisianna who can hear other people's thoughts. Because of this "disability" she doesn't have much of a social life and definitely doesn't date. In this time of the world, Vampires are now a legally recognized group of people. They are said to be suffering from a disease, but we later find out that's just what they want people to believe. They are able to be around everyone because there is a new synthetic blood made that they can live on.

Sookie is very excited when her town has it's first Vampire visitor/soon to be local. He comes into her workplace and she knows right away, due to his glow. She eventually learns through listening to others thoughts that a couple plans on draining him of his blood and leaving him to die. Vampire blood has lots of uses including: increased sexual stamina/response, healing properties and other things that we learn about later. Sookie saves him and learns that she cannot hear his thoughts. This of course leads into a relationship between the two.

Around the same time there are several women who are dying in town. They all have old bites left from vampires, which leads the town to dislike Bill (Sookie's Vampire). Sookie's brother Jason is also high up on the suspect list. These two suspects lead to Sookie investigating to find out who the murderer is, and unfortunately she finds out in a rough way.

This was an interesting read and I'm anxiously awaiting the next book, which I have on hold at the library. The legalization of Vampires leads to a whole new level of life that appears well thought out and interesting. There are fun new terms such as Fang Banger (my personal favorite).

One thing that just irked me, and I was ready to put down the book then and there was when Bill bit Sookie. I was angry for some reason. Perhaps it stemmed off the "no biting" attitude left over from Twilight.

I've started watching the True Blood series online (http://www.free-tv-video-online.info/internet/true_blood/). I can definitely see why it is on HBO - very graphic and highly sexual.