Amy :)

Congrats for the writer, the review is excellent!
Amy, thanks for the long comment of yours, it was very well-thought and I agree with you completely! (that, I think clearly says that I am Team Eric, too :D) I really hope that Ms. Harris will think the same way you do, about the sub plot thing, etc so we will be pleased with the ending. I gotta say, I got the 1st the books for Christmas, (but in Hungarian) and I was not totally convinced about it, but then i decided to read the 4th book in English. That was a week ago, and I have finished with the last available book (the 8th) yesterday, so now I will try buy the D&G tomorrow, I am completely and finally hooked in Sookie’s world :D (the translation was quite bad, the original language is always way better!) So, I just wanted let u guys know, that Sookie fans are everywhere, and thx again for the review! (and sorry for my English, after all, I am no native speaker :) ) Edith

I am totally team Eric, i ‘like’ Bill, but always preferred Sam over him until Eric came into the picture. Eric and Sookies relationship is complex and deep. I loved that Eric was more forthcoming with his feelings for Sookie in D&G, (though when i think about it he has always been honest in regards to his feelings for Sookie, they have deepened and intensified has the series progressed) I think Sookie is used to knowing or been aware of how men think and feel about her and with Eric he has never told her is words that he ‘loves her’ but shows it in his actions and in their conversations. I think the reason why neither of them wanted to discuss the ‘love’ issue any further is this book is because their relationship isn’t only intensely physical but also deeply emotional, something that is new to Eric in is 1000 year existence and frightening for sookie who has had a year filled with experiences and emotions that most people explore in a life time. Sookies relationship with Eric began as a love/hate relationship, extremely strong emotions, and we know that in most cases there is a very fine line between the two. I think Sookies reluctance to totally give her heart to Eric is her fear that she doesn’t understand the complexity and the deep connection that is their relationship and this frightens her. Sookie and Eric’s relationship is not black and white like her relationship is with Bill, Sam and rebound Quinn. Sookie and Eric are both confident, brave, stubborn and proud people, they are the reflection of the other. (soul mates)

I don’t think Harris would go to such lengths in books 1-9 to keep an underlying and burning tension sexually and emotionally simmering in the background between Sookie and Eric, subtly demanding to be further explored. I think the series will end with Eric and Sookie not Sookie and her ‘best friend’ Sam and definitely not Bill. Harris has made the Sookie/Eric relationship a sub plot in the bigger plots of the novels, its part of the story but not the whole story, therefore the reader is allowed to barrack for other Sookie/male relationships and other characters whilst keeping the chemistry and complex partnership between Sookie and Eric an intriguing and juicy element of the series. In saying this, Harris, has in no means made predicting the end of the series easy and i am very anxious to see what is install for the characters and their very complex relationships, but very excited!

I read the reviews before i begun reading D&G and expected to be disappointed with the book, on the contrary, it was the best so far. I think the conversation between Sookie and Eric in regards to his past was sweet and informative, in my opinion Eric didn’t share his past with Sookie to have an indepth conversation, i think he only wanted to share and Sookie was happy listening, what more could she have said?? In regards to Sookie blurting out ‘im married’ to Sam was an interesting and non-event in the story, i thought the conversation between Tara and Sookie was far more refreshing and shed some light on Sookies feelings on the subject and the relationship between her and Tara.

I must admit i love Sookie, but i was frustrated with her inability to decifer Eric’s actions and words when it comes to his feelings for her. I think Sookie is hiding behind the ‘blood bond’ excuse to dismiss the strength of her feelings for Eric, because as i said before she is terrified of the soul mate connection they share, so much so she even stops herself from freely admitting her feelings to herself. Here is a list of things that blurt out ‘Sookie i love you’ : The explanation of the ‘amnesia spell’ “be near your hearts desire with out knowing” – The ceremonial marriage (even though he was ‘high-handed’ with it, it still demonstrated his feelings for her) – The fact that he hasn’t shared his blood with anyone since Pam – his willingness for her to stay in his home (a private sanctuary for Eric) – His ability to protect and make available people for her during daylight hours – The most significant i believe was his dialouge at the end of the novel when he spoke about Bill and his indifference to him if Sookie had not survived, his anguish that he couldn’t get to her in time and the heart wrenching words ‘your killing me’ suggests that its his overwhelming love for her which is killing him, not her or her actions literally killing him, like some have suggested in their reviews. These are just a view examples of his devotion to Sookie and they began in book 8 and were just as significant and evident in book 8 as they are in D&G.

As it has been suggested by others i don’t think Eric would abandon Sookie to gain favor with vampire authorities, he demonstrated his willingness to expose himself to backlash from other vampires by interfering and protecting Sookie from a near bite and ‘bond’ with Sophie Anne’s right- hand man, in book 8.

In my opinion Eric from book 1 has always tried to protect Sookie, even if some of his motives had been for his own self gain. But as the series has progressed and their relationship developed and their shared experiences intensified, Eric has never truly faltered when it comes to the welfare of Sookie.

Sorry for the babbling, as you can probably tell i adore this series and have equally loved reading the reviews from people who are just as fascinated and love The Sookie Stackhouse Series as much as i do.

Can’t wait for May 2010 and the next installment. TEAM ERIC!!!

Also, the Eric/Sookie relationship is my favorite, and this book had a good dose of that. He is powerful, protective but has his own life, always willing to help and has a sense of humor. Bill…too late; Sam…great friend, but too much of a brother/sister relationship; Quinn…”babe”…yuck; Calvin…never an option

This book also didn’t have as much rehashing/explaining events and characters from prior books. That is the one thing I do not like about these books and I was happy that that didn’t happen too much in this one. If someone decides to start reading a series at book number 4 and they feel like they are missing something, then they need to read books 1, 2 and 3 so they know what is going on.

******************

ACTUALLY…regarding the romance storyline part, that is not true.

At San Diego Comic-con 2009, during a panel Q&A, someone asked Alan Ball:
“How will the romance play out with Sookie and Bill and Eric?”
AB answered: “It will play out the same as in the books.”
(Which I take to mean that Sookie drops Bill, and she develops her romance with Eric.)

If you go to http://www.YouTube.com, and search fo: Comic-con 2009 TrueBlood panel discussion – it is about 6 parts, each about 7 minutes long. It was fun to watch these Youtube segments.

AND…now that you’ve read books 1-8, I would very much want to hear your opinion of this last book. To me, it was sharply different from the prior 8 books. I found the last book to be a big disappointment. Molly, after you have actually read “Dead and Gone” -please post your comments on it, too.

I get the feeling Sookie will end up with either Eric or Sam and have had that feeling from the beginning. I warn you, I am seriously on Team Eric. I am not familiar with Ms. Harris’ other writing, but I do believe she does foreshadow- if only a little bit. My initial signal that there would be something more with Eric was his attempt to lure Sookie away from Bill (who can be staked for all I care, he’s just awful). If vamp law is so sacred and worthy of being upheld, why would he try to circumvent it? Secondly is that he was the ONLY vampire she was capable of hearing initially (was she able to at The Pyramid? I found that part confusing). The next part that steers me to Eric is during his amnesia episode. Every exchange they had was based on his purest most true feelings, was it not? He is nearly her ideal as she proclaims it to Quinn (he was interesting initially but got rather flaccid quickly). She wants someone who will be there for her and take care of her (even though she swears not. Why would she be so very upset about Bill and his donation to the Bellefleur’s if she did not want to be aided?) Eric thus far has proven to be reasonably available to her emotionally and financially when the need has been required. Although he may not always be physically present, he uses his power and influence to assure her safety and happiness (Alcide, Bill, Charles, Pam). He also swears that the love is not based on the blood bond, which at this point I believe (unless that is refuted in this latest installment).

Sookie believed Eric love her before she found out about her fae blood, why would it make any difference now? I agree with many who say that she has gone through her adolescent stage of dating in the earlier books. She is unsure of the supe’s true feelings for her because she cannot honestly tell what they are, she finds this refreshing, I see it as a disadvantage to her psyche. She is far more the fragile flower than she feels she is. She is not a wilting violet, but she not tough as nails as she tries to be (in my opinion). However, I do find her to be far less of a user than I did Bella of Twilight fame… but I digress.

I am not a fan of Sam as a lover for Sookie. He seems to have always been too dishwater. His standard shifter form is enough to make his seem as a non-threat and someone who will never be bold enough to take what he wants. However it is her constant need for his approval and wisdom that intrigues me. I suppose Sam is a familiar face both pre- and post- supe knowledge… however he is also the first supe she encounters in finding out she could not read his mind.

It is my opinion that people should not discount Sookies’s love interest as being relatively inane. Were it not for her interest in Bill she would not have been drawn into such situations. Many of the actions she has performed have been done out of love: rescuing Bill from Lorena, rescuing Eric from the side of the road as well explosion (it was never an intent to discover Bill, she just happened to find him; he assumed she would be the one to rescue him), calling Quinn to get out of the explosion. wrestling Pricilla off of Sam’s back. Many of her most dangerous rescues have been the ones where vamps are involved- and she has rescued Eric the most.

I fear the wrath of the machine and that Ms. Harris may end up pairing Bill and Sookie together for the sake of media promotions. Now that Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer have announced their engagement, even the show has announced that it may diverge seriously from the story line. But then again, that’s show business.

I hope my ramblings have not offended anyone. I came in here new and as it jsut so happens I pick up subcontext much more quickly than main points when reading. It makes for difficult and frequent re-reading. I have very much enjoyed the synopsis and commend the work as well as enjoying the character dissection. Well done ladies (and gentlemen if you are about)!

This blog entry is for the review of the book, “Dead and Gone”.

Are you writing in your posting, that you are reviewing this book “Dead and Gone”, even though you have not read it?

it seems that maybe people shouldn’t be getting too into the whole break-down of all the characters and sookie’s love interest(s) and everyone should cut charlaine harris some slack. it’s hard writing 9 books from one character’s perspective but i think she should end the series soon…or perhaps it seriously should have already ended. with these many books and such a complex storyline some of the points and the characters’ thoughts and feelings and relationships just get jumbled up and lost in translation…much to the dismay of the fans.

im hoping that ms. harris can pull through; it’s awfully difficult reading a book that literally weighs you down while you’re reading it let alone writing it.
GOOD LUCK…and i will keep reading until the end of the series.

I finished reading Dead and Gone. Finally. I was disappointed with how quick a read it was more than anything else. It seemed short in comparison to the rest of the series. This book has “set-up” written all over it.

As for Sookie’s character changes in the book, I’m not sure she really did change as much as everyone seems to think she has. I think she’s definitely matured as a character, but her basic ways of thinking and handling situations seem very much the same to me. Ridiculous amounts of self-imposed guilt and so on. Growing up is about losing preconceived notions. I’d say that this book was the beginning of the fruit of Sookie growing up. Whereas most people mature as children, Sookie didn’t have the social interactions to do so. Harris decided to give them to her as an adult. So, it’s going to seem like Sookie is a completely different person as she loses her naivety and blind trust in people, when she’s really just “wising up.” No, she most certainly would not have stopped to check and see if Arlene was being square with her in the first few books, even with her being a member of FoS. The fact that she did reflects a marked change in her perceptions of those around her and their motives. I think Sookie’s actions in the book were meant to be interpreted as cautions and thoughtful, rather than passive. And, yes, she did some rather stupid things for someone who was supposed to be on alert(like checking the mail), but, honestly, I think we can all admit that it’s a little difficult to break old habits and ways of thinking instantaneously.

As for who Harris is setting her up to be with, there’s no real way of knowing. I suspect Sam, mostly because Sookie’s feelings for him haven’t been fully explored yet. He’s definitely in her thoughts more. Sookie spends a great deal of the book lamenting being unable to discuss her problems and feelings with him because she feels like she would be burdening him during his own time of crisis. I don’t think she would have done that before, and it hints of a more mature blossoming of feelings on Sookie’s part. For those of you who would nay-say Sam because he’s the “friend,” just keep in mind that Harris has shown there to be a sexual tension between Sookie and Sam before. Also, any lasting, meaningful relationship is with someone who is your friend and your lover. My husband is not the man that I was the most deliriously and ridiculously attracted to in life, but he is the man who’s always been there for me and stood by me. He’s someone I can talk to about anything. He’s everything to me, and he’s definitely the man who was best for me, whether I, in my more youthful state, could understand that or not. True, solid love is about more than basic, instinctual attraction. The concept of which is very teenage and immature, by the way. As for Sookie blurting out that she was “married” to Eric, I think you’re reading into that way too much. I think it was just her interpretation of the situation summed up in one word. Sookie’s word choice was pretty poor though. Eric is my favorite character in the series, by the way, and I squee with joy to see him with Sookie, but I don’t think he’s the man that’s going to make her happy in the long run. And why even bring up Alcide? He’s one of the worst ones in the bunch as far as I’m concerned. First he asks Sookie for her help, knowingly putting her in danger, then, when she does exactly what he asked and it goes unfavorably, he drops her like a rock. It’s not her fault that things turned out the way that they did with the pack and his father so he shouldn’t have treated her like it was. I hope he stays gone.

This book definitely took a darker turn. I found it refreshing, though, especially with all this Twilight stuff going on where vampires are all warm and fuzzy and sparkle like diamonds in the sunlight. Perhaps Harris was sort of speaking out against that kind of happy-go-lucky vampire/supernatural writing? I admit that everyone dying does get a little old, though. I’m pissed that Claudine died, particularly right after we find out that she’s pregnant. I’m not a big fan of killing pregnant women. I’m a little overly sensitive to that right now anyway, being pregnant myself. So, I found Harris’s writing a little disturbing in that sense. Most of the deaths in this book seemed rather pointless. Although, I suspect that Tray Dawson’s death is a set-up for some kind of change with Amelia.

To address the issue of Sookie not wanting to forgive Jason, I very much doubt it’s because she wants to feel like the superior one in the relationship. That’s a tad on the silly side. I think she’s just still having trouble dealing with her feelings on him using her like that with Crystal and then making her break Calvin Norris’s hand. I haven’t really noticed a point where she stops and truly deals with her feelings about all that in this book. She seemed too busy with other feelings and thoughts most of the book, like her romantic attachment to Eric. What I did see was her warming up to her brother again. I think she’s already started to forgive him.

These were my thoughts on the book. It was not my intention to offend anyone. I apologize if I did.