Reviews: All Together Dead and From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

When I first heard that Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Series was being turned into a television show, I was skeptical. It would never work, I thought. As time went by, however, my excitement grew and I became more and more curious as to how HBO would handle the show. I convinced my husband that subscribing to HBO for the final season of our favorite show, The Wire, and for the upcoming True Blood series was a good idea. I talked one of my coworkers, a diehard Harry Potter fan, into reading the series and, despite the strain it put on her budget, she didn't hesitate too long before subscribing to HBO either.

My husband and I watch the show faithfully every Sunday, and when I arrive at work every Monday morning, two of my coworkers and I get together to discuss what we thought of that week's episode. True Blood is edgy and fun. I love the spin the television show has added to the series. For those who demand every detail be the same between book and movie, it probably comes as a big disappointment. While some of the details are similar, many others are very different. I haven't been too keen on television's take on vampires in the past and there are certainly some things about True Blood I could offer up a complaint about, but I do enjoy the show. My husband and a coworker who have never read the books have had no problem following the show and are quite smitten with it as well.

The coworker I convinced to read the Southern Vampire Series finally caught up to me in the book series and cajoled and pouted until I agreed to set aside my current reading commitments to read the last two books published in the series. She wanted someone to discuss the books with and did not want to have to hold back for fear of giving away spoilers. And so, it was with great anticipation that I picked up All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris.

Some might think that the television show would harm my reading of the series, inserting the characters from the television show straight into the images of the characters I was reading about. And sure enough, I did hear Anna Paquin’s voice, southern accent and all, as I read the novel narrated by Sookie Stackhouse. I saw Stephen Moyer in the place of Bill. And even Eric took on the look of Alexander Skarsgård (the jury is still out on whether I like the casting for this role). Despite that though, my enjoyment of the series has not been compromised in any way. It's been enhanced, if anything. I'm even more excited about the book series (if that is even possible, as it's always been among my favorites).

All Together Dead was an exciting and fun romp with old friends. I hadn't realized just how much I missed them until I began reading the book. Charlaine Harris has created a cast of characters that are memorable and interesting. In this edition of the Southern Vampire Series, Sookie joins the Louisiana contingency of vampires for a summit in Rhodes, Illinois. The vampire queen needs Sookie's expertise, her gift of reading the minds of humans. The queen is not only facing murder charges but also is in a weakened position after the damage to her area caused by Hurricane Katrina and is not sure who she can trust. When the vampire bringing the charges against the queen is murdered, it sets off a chain of events that Sookie finds herself neck deep in. Sookie reunites with fellow mind reader, Barry, and the two join forces to try and find answers as well as to save lives. If that isn't enough, the sparks are flying between Sookie and her new beau, weretiger Quinn, while Eric, the vampire sheriff, struggles with his own feelings for the blond mind reader. All Together Dead was impossible to put down and I had my own little read-a-thon as I raced to the end to find out what would happen next.

I was so entranced in Sookie Stackhouse’s world that I jumped right into the next book of the series, From Dead to Worse. Sookie finds herself in the middle a were war, a vampire coup, and a completely unexpected family discovery. With her boyfriend, Quinn, missing, an old enemy in town, and her brother’s marriage on the rocks, Sookie is feeling rather desperate. Thank goodness for her shape shifting boss, Sam, and her roommate, Amelia, the witch. From Dead to Worse seemed to be a bringing together of the series, reminiscing of past events and tying up loose ends while adding to the story lines here and there. The novel read more like a series of short stories, with the main story arc was much more personal and internal this time around.

It has been interesting to see Sookie grow over the course of the series. She led a relatively simple life when Dead Until Dark opened. In the eighth book of the series, Sookie has come into her own. Her life is much more complex and dangerous. Whereas so much in the world seemed so black and white once upon a time, Sookie finds herself straddling the line more and more. There are many more shades of gray than she ever could have imagined.

The Southern Vampire Series continues to be one of my favorites. The characters grow even more interesting with each book and the stories are intriguing. Charlaine Harris had yet to let me down.

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
ACE, 2007
Fantasy; 323 pgs
Rating: (Very Good)

From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
ACE, 2008
Fantasy; 359 pgs
Rating: (Very Good)

Check out the author's website for more information about her books.