Sookie # 11

My reading's been so hit or miss lately...My iPad has really cut into my reading time because it's just so darned fun! But I did make time to fit in the newest Sookie Stackhouse...and as always, it fits the bill in so many ways.

In Dead Reckoning, things should be going well for Sookie: her relationship with Eric is solid, her most recent enemy is dead, and she's still got all her close friends and relatives nearby. Naturally things cannot stay this way, and the book begins with a fire bombing of Merlotte's and ends with...well, lots and lots and lots of carnage. And amid all this, Sookie must face some ugly truths about herself, Eric, and her family.

I don't go into a Sookie Stackhouse novel expecting literary development of characters and with that in mind, I'm never disappointed. Even so, Sookie is definitely changed in this novel: how can she not be, with all the trials and traumas she's faced over the span of the previous novels? Still, I expected (read: hoped) that her relationship with Eric would be the one constant, and apparently this isn't something that's going to be in the cards. It's going to be interesting to see how Eric's contract with the Queen of Oklahoma plays out and whether he's willing to give up the lure of power for the human he loves.


There are indeed a few timeline discrepencies in Dead Reckoning, but beyond that, it's still a solid entry in the series. I love that Sookie was able to stand up to interfering friends and family, but her resignation that the way she has to live her life now (plotting murder, dealing with demons, looking out for enemies) shows that her life is actually out of her control in many ways. I love her relationship with Pam, and Dermot's earned a place in my heart with his determination to "help" Sookie as best he can. I just wish I could smack some sense into Eric...but then again, that would make life kinda boring for Sookie if she didn't have to worry at all about her love life.


Dead Reckoning is a page turner, especially towards the end, and it's filled with the gore and characters we've come to expect. Is it always consistent with previous novels? Nope. Are there characters who are acting oddly? Yep. Will I continue on with the series? Absolutely. Ms. Harris's world of Bon Temps and its inhabitants still engages and brings me in touch with people I've grown to love. I could nit pick all day but that's not what Sookie's about. I'm just going to continue to enjoy the ride.
 
~taminator40