dead ever after

dead ever after
sookie stackhouse #13
charlaine harris
supernatural/horror/romance
ace hardcover
published 2013

There are secrets in the town of Bon Temps, ones that threaten those closest to Sookie—and could destroy her heart....

Sookie Stackhouse  finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.

Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.

But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough…

The last Sookie Stackhouse book.  *sigh*

Let me tell you first off that this review will have spoilers because I can't talk about this without talking about it.  We do start off with a rant here, not necessarily about the book, but about the whiny naysayers out there.

After I finished the book I looked at some reviews on GoodReads and Shelfari and I was surprised to see so many one star reviews.  I mean, it wasn't the best book in the series, but shit got tied up and that's good enough for me.  Charlaine Harris isn't writing the Great American Novel.  She's written a tacky romance series with bad sex scenes and for some reason it's incredibly appealing.  So shut up already.  One of the most common complaints was that Sookie didn't end up with Eric and wasn't turned.  I'm sorry, but if you want to read a book where the 'heroine' ends up a vampire and married to a vampire go read Twilight.  This is a different story.

It's completely ridiculous the entitlement that readers have.  You did not write this series.  You did not create this world or give birth onto pages these characters.  Sure, you invested money into the books and fell in love with characters, but come on.  You don't get to say what happens to anyone and you shouldn't whine when it doesn't go the way you wanted it to.  I get being disappointed, truly I do, but seriously, get over it.  If you don't like it there's this thing called 'fan fiction' - go write some.  But I suppose like most, if you can't write, critique.

Oh, and to those people who said that the whole Sam thing was way out of left field?  You're idiots.  Plain and simple.  Since the first book I knew that someday Sookie would end up with Sam.  Good god people, Harris has been building that one up for YEARS.  If you didn't see that coming I don't know what to tell you.

And all that above is the reason why so many gave the book one star reviews.  Because they were being children who didn't get what they wanted.

That being said, the book was different.  We were taken out of Sookie's head for the first time ever as she touched upon different characters.  It was disconcerting and I truly didn't feel like I was reading a Sookie book until I was back with her.  It wasn't bad, it was just different.

There was too much going on.  I understand that she wanted to bring back as many characters as she could to tie up loose ends and to cement Sookie's life in place, but the whole devil/Copley thing was completely unnecessary.  Didn't need it, didn't add anything to the story as a whole and ended up being pretty anticlimactic.  And instead of having that business in there maybe she could've given more attention to the Eric/Sookie debacle.  I mean, it has been this huge thing that's driven the entire series so maybe spend a little more than a couple chapters on the demise of the relationship.  It was all so rushed.  We're introduced to a major new character (Karin) and then just kind of, 'well, see ya, bye.'

Everything did work out in the end and maybe that's what pissed people off?  But like I said, this stuff is fluff.  It was entertaining, but I don't need to sit and ponder about it.  It did what it should have done and entertained me for a couple of hours.

I can't say I'm sad it's over.  After probably the 5th book I was just kind of, 'meh'.  I was reading just because it was something to read.  But I'm glad there's an ending and I don't have to read about Bill anymore.

dark magick

dark magick
sweep series #4
cate tiernan
ya/supernatural/romance
speak
published 2007

Morgan inherited a talent for witchcraft from her parents, and now she is the holder of her mother's Wiccan tools: a green silk robe, an ivory-handled knife, silver bowls, a cauldron, and a long carved wand. The tools are awesome in their power, and Morgan's boyfriend Cal wants to see them, perhaps to seize power for himself. "We are muirn beatha dans, and we will always be together," he reminds Morgan, and she wonders if this is really true. Loyalty to Cal has led her to use her powers in ways that feel wrong. Is Cal the one she is destined to be with? Does she have a choice? Hunter, a member of the Wiccan High Council, says she does. But what is Hunter after? Who should Morgan believe?

This girls idiocy knows no bounds it seems.

When she goes to Practical Magick and David asks her who she can trust and she replies that she can trust herself.  Her own instincts told her to run when Cal mentioned people who wanted to meet her.  Her own instincts told her to get out of his secret room because the vibrations were bad, yet she thinks Hunter is 'misguided'.  Any information anyone gives her she takes as they just don't know even though they've been witches their whole lives and she's been one for a couple of months.  She's an idiot.  During the chapter where she meets with David and Hunter I thought, finally, she's going to get her shit together....but no.

But truly, the line that made me laugh out loud was when she said, 'I'd always thought of Jenna as being kind of needy and dependent on Matt.'  That is a perfect example of the pot calling the kettle black.

Awful things happen and the entire time I couldn't help but think that if she'd just listened to her instincts she would have avoided this whole mess and still have found out all about her birth mother & father.  I just can't feel sorry for her, or think she's brave or smart because she's none of those things.

But now, because of all of this revelation business I'll have to keep reading so I know what happens.....*sigh*

book of shadows

book of shadows
sweep series #1
cate tiernan
ya/romance/supernatural
penguin group
published 2007

Morgan never thought she'd be a witch. But during a cermony led by Cal, the popular new student at her school, Morgan feels a shock. Suddenly everything looks brighter, clearer. Morgan doesn't want to get involved with witchcraft-but she feels like witchcraft is choosing her.

There were things I could do without in this book.  Cal, of course he was the most beautiful boy ever to grace the Earth.  Isn't that how it always is?  And the beautiful best friend who will, I'm sure at some point, become the mortal enemy after previously mentioned most beautiful boy chooses the plain main character over her (a la Haven in the {I greatly hated} Immortal series).  Then of course there's the goth/porn/emo chick who will undoubtedly become best friends with recent made ex-best friend of Morgan.

Yeah, I suppose that's what makes it a story, right?  And it wasn't bad it was just formulatic.  We've all seen that story play out before.

But the Wicca.  It brought me back to my late teenage/early twenties years when I studied.  I still have, tucked away in my closet, my 'tool chest' of Wicca things and books line my bookshelf.  Cate Tiernan does the religion well with her own little tweaks here and there.  For me it was nostalgic and comfortable.

I did like Morgan, though she was a little too goody-goody for me.  She's no Nasty, but she's growing on me.