Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

(Caster Chronicles, book 1)
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

I have to admit, there was only one reason why I found myself reading this book – the movie trailer. I heard of the series for the first time about a year or so ago, but I steered clear of it. Why? I heard soooo many people compare it to Twilight; I am not a Twilight fan. The books were just okay, and the movies were horrendous – but that’s another rant for another day. Back to Beautiful Creatures; I saw the movie trailer and immediately bought the book…and holy smacks, I am so glad I did. I fell in love with Lena and Ethan (and Link), and became enthralled with the Caster world in a completely unexpected way.

Just to clarify: this book is nothing like Twilight. The only reason why I can even assume people are making a comparison is strictly because it is a paranormal romance. Lena is a Caster (which is basically just a badass name for a witch) and Ethan is a mortal...well…sort of.  After realizing that Lena is the girl he has been dreaming about (literally), he makes every attempt to spend more time with her. There’s only one problem: Lena’s sixteenth birthday is approaching and with her life as a good or bad Caster hanging in the balance, she’s afraid to let Ethan get too close. Little does she know, having him close just might be what saves her.

I love that this is written from Ethan’s POV, not Lena’s. It’s super rare to read a romance that is solely from the male’s POV; it was a welcome change and not at all expected. While it does start off a little slow, and take a little while to really delve into the story line, I really enjoyed this novel. The unexpected plot twists made my jaw drop, and kept me on my toes right up until the very end. The strong character traits in Lena and Ethan are admirable and make you root for them even more – and while obstacles are thrown at them left and right, it kind of breaks your heart a little, too. 

My best friend and I went to see the movie after we both read the book, but unfortunately, I can’t give you feedback on that yet…because we only saw about 2 minutes. The stupid fire alarm went off and they herded everybody out like freaking cattle. I’ll definitely give y’all feedback on it when I have time to go see it again, but until then, if you haven’t read the book yet I highly recommend it. If you enjoy paranormal/sci-fi, romance, and little dashes of comedy, this is a perfect read for you. I can’t wait to start the second book in the series, and see where it takes Lena and Ethan. 

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The New Hunger by Isaac Marion

(Warm Bodies series, book 0.5)

New York is a bayou. New Orleans is a reef. The entire country has been devastated by natural disasters and governmental collapse, and on top of everything else there is the annoying problem of zombies trying to devour you at every turn. But sixteen-year-old Nora and her younger brother, Addis, are about to discover the most frightening thing yet: being abandoned in this horrific world by their own parents.

Left with only a bag of clothes and a first-aid kit, Nora and Addis begin a harrowing journey to connect with anyone who isn’t looking to rob them or eat them. A wounded man wrecks a meal of green beans and French fries at the top of the Space Needle in Seattle. An attempt to get a good night’s sleep in a fortified motel is ruined by an undead face staring at them through the window. And they just can’t seem to shake someone – something – that’s been following them everywhere they go…

Meanwhile, a girl named Julie is traveling toward the city in an SUV with her parents. She is only twelve, but has already seen friends die and her school burn. She has watched her father become nearly as cold and remorseless as the Dead. All she wants is someplace to call home, even if it never really will be.

And somewhere nearby, a tall man awakens in the woods, unsure of exactly where he is, or even who he is. As he struggles to remember details of his life, a single consonant comes to him: R. He is…a name that begins with R…

*I received an ARC from the publisher, Zola Books*

If you loved Warm Bodies, I would definitely recommend The New Hunger. This novella is a prequel to Warm Bodies that takes you on three separate journeys in the early days after the US collapse. You’ll follow alongside a brother and sister struggling to find food, weapons, shelter, and basically anything that will help them stay alive; a twelve-year-old girl traveling across the country with her father and mother as they try to find any city, town, or suburb that hasn’t been wiped out; and lastly, a newly Dead zombie who is trying to figure out just exactly what he is, who he is – and more importantly, what this new “life” means for him.

This novella was only 128 pages, so there isn’t a whole lot I can say without giving away spoilers. You’ll get live  R’s first days as a zombie, see how he stumbles (literally) upon meeting M, and he gets his first glimpse of Julie. As much as I love R and Julie, my favorite story line in this prequel was that of Nora and Addis, a sixteen-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy trying to survive on their own. They’re relationship was heartwarming and comical, yet tragic as you see Nora absorb the motherly role for Addis after their parents leave them to fend for themselves.

Isaac Marion once again shows off his tremendous ability to weave gruesome, heartwarming, and suspense into the perfect zombie apocalypse series. The New Hunger is a quick read, and it fuses the story lines together to set up the relationships in Warm Bodies perfectly. In all honesty, if you haven’t read Warm Bodies, I would suggest reading this novella first; it will give you backgrounds on some major characters, and won’t reveal any spoilers. If you’re looking for a gritty, yet funny zombie series – look no further, because this is it, y’all. 

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Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

(Warm Bodies series, book 1)

A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love – with a human – in this astonishingly original debut novel.

R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

Not just another zombie novel, Warm Bodies, is funny, scary, and deeply moving.

“I don’t know what happened. Disease? War? Social collapse? Or was it just us? The Dead replacing the Living? I guess it’s not so important. Once you’ve arrived at the end of the world, it hardly matters which route you took.” – R

I fell in love with a zombie.

Yep. My newest book boyfriend is a gray-skinned, brain-eating, escalator-riding, Frank Sinatra-listening, sweet-as-all-fucking-get-out, zombie. (He may also need to star in an episode of Hoarders, but I guess I’ll let him deal with one problem at a time, and the whole zombie thing seems a little more important.) I never expected to like this book so much and was beyond pleasantly surprised – the story of R and Julie was odd and a little bit creepy, yet wonderfully sweet and endearing.

R isn’t your typical zombie – he doesn’t enjoy eating people, he only does it because it’s necessary for him to remain alive…well…not alive, but you get the point. If he’s going to continue wandering the Earth instead buried beneath it, homeboy has to eat. While out on a “food run,” R finds Julie and has an overwhelming desire to save her – he could never have known that in actuality, Julie would be the one to save him.

Warm Bodies was the perfect combination of humor, romance, violence, and hope. I mean, it’s a romance, but come on – you can’t expect a zombie book to be completely devoid of gore and cringe worthy moments! The way Isaac wove details into the storyline was pretty perfect; I want to get a mental picture in my head without getting bored. One instance in particular sticks out in my head: the description of the stadium. This required pages of descriptive details for the reader to really grasp what this “stadium-turned-city” looked like…and never once did I find myself skimming. Isaac found the perfect balance between a scarcity and an overload of descriptive information.

The story line was compelling and original, and the characters were wonderful. I loved R’s charm and compassion, and Julie’s sarcasm and bluntness were a nice dose of comic relief. The gradual connection between R and Julie was wonderfully done, and I adored watching her grow more and more fond of him.

I really, really enjoyed this novel, and the ending made my heart happy. I can’t wait to see Nicholas Hoult bring R to life on the big screen next month, and am even more anxious to read the sequel! If you want a paranormal romance that will blow vampire boyfriends out of the water, pick up Warm Bodies and get ready to have a charming, unlikely zombie steal your heart. (He won’t eat it, don’t worry!)

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Last Night At The Stairways by Jon Lymon

Ever woken up with Beer Fear, the dread that fills you when you try and remember what you drunkenly got up to the night before?

Thank your lucky stars you’re not Lloyd Parker.

As his memory slowly comes back, he becomes convinced that he killed someone in a nightclub. But he’s about to discover that what he actually got up to on his Last Night At The Stairways was far, far more horrific.

*I was given a PDF version of this book for review on The Indie Bookshelf. I have tweaked this review a little bit from the original*

First of all, any book that has beer fear in the title automatically catches my attention. I mean, let’s face it…we’ve all contracted a case of Beer Fear. You have a little too much fun, drink a little too much, and wake up the next morning thinking, “how the hell did I get home?” or “did I really climb up on the bar and start dancing last night?” or even worse “I did what with who in the back of whose car?!” It’s never a proud moment and I’m not going to lie, my dignity took a severe hit on the few mornings I would wake up after a long night of drinking and immediately check to make sure I was still wearing my underwear. Luckily, I’m a little bit of a grown-up now and that doesn’t happen anymore…rarely ever…whatever, you get the point; beer fear is real and it sucks. Now…onto the actual review…

This book was not what I expected at all; in a good way. I expected a potential thriller about a guy who spent the whole book trying to cover his tracks and right his wrongs after a night of getting blackout drunk. Well, I was kind of right…but then again, not really. But kind of. Oy. Last Night At The Stairways was different than the books I normally gravitate to; it’s eerie, suspenseful, macabre, trippy, and you know what else? British. Yep, this nice little story takes place across the pond; I don’t think it’s any secret that I spend way too much time wishing I had a British accent and using words like “bollocks” and calling my guy friends my “mates.” In my mind, I read this entire book in a British accent and it just made my heart happy.

Although it did start off a little slow and seemed a little bogged down with descriptions, it picked up around the 25% mark and only escalated from there. The storyline was unique and anxiously kept me wondering just what did Lloyd do? Why was his best friend, Will, acting so strange? What in the every loving crap happened to his girlfriend?

There is a healthy amount of foreshadowing; however, I have to say I was shocked when I realized what was really going on with not just Lloyd, but everyone around him. I honestly felt for Lloyd; he seemed genuinely concerned and worried about his actions, but no matter what he said or did, he wasn’t getting any answers from anyone. Instead, he was trapped inside this nightclub and forced to endure some pretty grisly stuff. While he was clearly the antagonist of the story, he wasn’t really unlikable and I was rooting for him to make things right.  

Overall, it was an intriguing read. I would recommend Last Night At The Stairways to anyone who enjoys a chilling thriller with a mind-warping twist. With a little gore, a little more creepiness, and a lot of “something else” (I can’t give away everything, silly) I think it was pretty perfect to read this book right before Halloween, because bloody hell…it was a ghoulishly good read. Yep, I used the phrase bloody hell; I told you I wanted a British accent ;)

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The Devil's Metal by Karina Halle

(Devils series, book 1)

It’s the summer of 1974 and 21-year old Dawn Emerson has only three things she wants to do: compete one last time in the Ellensburg Rodeo, win back her ex-boyfriend Ryan, and become the best damn music journalist at Central Washington University. But all her plans are left in the dust when she’s contacted by Creem magazine to go on the road with one of her favorite groups, the up-and-coming metal band, Hybrid. 

At first the assignment reads like a dream come true. Not only will Dawn land some much-needed credibility as a female music journalist, but she’ll finally get to experience life from the other side of the stage, and maybe crack the drunken, enigmatic code that is guitarist Sage Knightly. Instead, Dawn finds herself on an aging tour bus filled with ego-maniacs, band politics and a whole lot of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. When monsters start showing up in dressing rooms and some of Sage’s groupies become increasingly strange and dangerous, Dawn discovers the band is not only going places – they’re going straight to Hell.

And Dawn has a backstage pass.

*I was given an ARC of this book for review on The Indie Bookshelf. I have tweaked this review a little bit from the original…*

Sex, drugs, and rock & roll; that’s what this book is about. Oh, did I forget to mention demons? Yeah, throw some demons in there, too. Intrigued? Yeah, that’s right, you should be. The Devil’s Metal is an absolute trip that will leave you feeling like you were right there on the tour bus with Dawn, Jacob, and Hybrid experiencing all the highs (literally) and lows with them. Karina Halle perfectly captures the 1970’s lifestyle and uses extensive, but not overbearing details to paint a picture of life during the bellbottom-wearing, Quaalude-popping, rock and roll era. I’m a late 80’s baby, so I never experienced the rock & roll, hippie, Woodstock craziness of the 70’s, but this book made me feel like I was going through the motions right along with Dawn; from living on a sweaty, dirty tour bus to watching the shows backstage to being surrounded by a cloud of pot smoke in the middle of the concert crowd. Karina knows how to paint a picture, no doubt. She also gets a couple extra points in my book for the several Led Zeppelin references (they are one of my favorite bands), and a reference to Lawrence, KS (home of the KU Jayhawks!!) Yeah, I’m a nerd and get excited about things like that; don’t judge me.

There is an omnipresent hair-raising factor that casts a shadow over the entire book that will make you always feel like something just isn’t right; there is just always something or someone that is a little off. There is quite a bit of foreshadowing that leads you to believe maybe the band knows exactly what’s going on and they just aren’t telling Dawn, like this line for instance: “We all lost our souls when we joined this band…” Hmm…do they mean that figuratively or literally?? However, even with all the hints and foreshadowing, the cause behind everything happening isn’t super obvious; Karina picks the perfect moment to pull you out of the dark and bring to light the reasoning behind all these strange happenings…and strange is putting it mildly. I mean, it is just a big bucket of crazy topped with a nice, heaping pile of WTF?!

Karina does a wonderful job of giving each character their own, very distinct personality traits. It’s obvious she spent a great deal of time developing each character into their own, which makes it so easy to love these characters. Well… some of them. The relationship that forms between Dawn and Sage is slow moving, ridiculously teasing, and eventually crazy hot; the friendship between Dawn and her best friend, Mel, is heartwarming, hilarious, and in one particular scene, gut wrenching. One of my favorite lines of the whole book actually comes from Mel when she’s referring to Dawn’s ex-boyfriend: “He’s good for sloppy kisses and cherry popping and looking slammin’ at our prom.” That line makes me laugh every time! Dawn’s relationships with her Tourette’s-ridden brother Eric, Jacob, and the other members of Hybrid add to her likability as well.

The end seriously gave me chills, and I'm pretty anxious to read the sequel. I don't believe this is classified as YA, and most of the material really isn't appropriate for young adults; there is sex, drug use, profanity, and some pretty scary stuff, y'all. The only paranormal books I had read previously involved vampires, werewolves, things like that; I can't remember reading a book that involved demons and all that other freaky jazz that showed up in Lake Shasta, but I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed that different aspect of paranormal craziness. I'm not big on horror because I'm a big baby, but this book had my interest from almost the very beginning. If you want to read a dark, paranormal, creep-tastic novel with a little romance and a lot of rock & roll on the side, check out The Devil's Metal; it'll take you on one Hell of a ride...

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White Walls by Lauren Hammond

(Asylum series, book 2)

Adelaide Carmichael knows that she lost her mind. She’s aware that she’s being sent to The Oakhill Institution, but she’s been told that she’s being sent there to get better. She’s been told that the staff is there to help.

And it doesn’t take Adelaide long to discover that she was very, very wrong about The Oakhill Institution. Patients roam the halls like zombies. Electric current vibrate through the plaster walls. Patients are fed sedatives like mashed potatoes and now Adelaide knows one thing for sure, she wants out.

And she’ll do whatever she can to escape.

“Something else tells me that we just might be what each other needs to keep each other from falling apart.” – Addy

Lordy, Lordy, Lordy. I’m kind of at a loss for where to start with this review...in a good way. Although White Walls wasn’t quite as good as Insanity, I still absolutely loved it. First of all, I have to admit something… when I started this book, I didn’t know it was going to tell the story of Addy’s first trip to Oakhill and finally tell us why she always felt a connection to Dr. Watson in Insanity; I thought it was picking up where we left off so I was all sorts of confused. Whatever, I’ll chalk it up to having a blonde moment I guess. Secondly, I loved that this book had a different feel to it; Insanity was kind of a f*cked up, heartbreaking rollercoaster ride, but White Walls kind of has the overlying feelings of hope and contentment. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still intense, but I think the crazy is dialed down a notch or two.

Addy seems a little more lucid while she’s at Oakhill during this book, and isn’t quite as defiant and batsh*t crazy as she is in Insanity, although she’s definitely a few crayons short of a box. She’s dealing with finding out the truth about what really happened to her mother, the aftermath of father’s trial, and of course, Damien. You know, I’m just not really digging Damien anymore. The way Addy sees him and how he “acts” towards her makes me want to punch him in the throat…if I could, of course. And honestly, who needs Damien when you have Elijah Watson?!

My, oh my…Elijah Watson. I swooned over him more than I ever did for Damien to be completely honest. The relationship between him and Addy had me grinning like the freaking Cheshire cat, and the more I learned about Elijah’s background, the more I was convinced that he and Addy are two peas in a pod; they just belong together.

I loved this book, just not quite as much as Insanity. I am super antsy to read the third book, and judging by the short excerpt at the end of White Walls, it’s going to blow my freaking mind!

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Insanity by Lauren Hammond

(Asylum series, book 1)
Sometimes love…can drive you crazy.

Adelaide Carmichael and Damien Allen couldn’t be more opposite. Adelaide’s mother abandoned her when she was ten years old, leaving her to be raised by her abusive and alcoholic father. Damien on the other hand came from a wealthy family, was a local celebrity, and seemed to have a bright future ahead of him.

Despite their differences, Adelaide and Damien were young, wild, and fiercely in love. And they had a plan. They were going to run away. Be together forever. And their plan was set in motion, until tragedy struck and for some reason, Adelaide wound up in The Oakhill Institution for the insane.

Adelaide has no idea what she did to wind up at Oakhill, but she knows one thing for sure…she wants out. And after Damien follows her there to aid in her escaping, Adelaide slowly begins putting together the pieces of her memory that are missing.

And it doesn’t take Adelaide long to figure out that sometimes…that one true love never dies.

“I’m like a whirlpool in the middle of a choppy sea, once you’re in my grasp I’ll have no choice, I’ll snatch you by the leg, and pull you under.” –Addy

I just…How can I…WHAT THE F*CK JUST HAPPENED?!? I finished this book a few hours ago, and I am still trying to put this review into words. I had heard that Insanity would mess with my head but I had no idea just how much! It seemed like just when I was starting to maaaaybe understand what was going on, I got sucker punched in the back of the head and lost my bearings…again! There were several instances throughout the book that I went back and read again because I’m not gonna lie, I felt dumb. I hate when I read a book and I feel like I might know what just happened but I’m not completely certain. I’m sitting here talking to myself saying, “well, I think she did…but maybe she didn’t…or maybe HE…” Yes, I was sitting here having a conversation with myself trying to decide if I had just read this sh*t right…I started feeling like maybe I should be committed to Oakhill! Kidding…maybe ;) 

The crazy love story of Addy and Damien is just freaking wonderful. The sacrifices he was willing to…and did make…just to be with her proved that she really was his whole world. They were the couple that never should have been; he came from old money, planned on going to Yale for college, and was the hottest bachelor in town. She came from nothing, felt like she had no future, and dealt with an abusive, drunk father on a daily basis. With his mother telling Addy that she didn’t want her son “slumming it” with her, and her father never letting her ride in a car with a boy…let alone DATE a boy…they had the odds stacked against them, and they never let it matter. They found a way and made a plan to run away together.

The parts of the book with Addy in Oakhill…just…wow. I feel like I can’t really say a whole lot because I absolutely don’t want to give away any spoilers and ruin it, but sweet sassy molassy! Oakhill is just…not right. The pills that make people go mentally numb, the screams they hear from time to time coming from the basement because of electroshock therapy, her crazy roommate, and the handsome but terrifying Dr. Watson all make up the horrifying reality that is now Addy’s world…but she’s determined to escape with the help of Damien, because she’s not crazy. She’s not. Or is she???

This is one of the best books I have read this year and the ending, of course made me freaking cry! Honestly, could I be any more emotional?! Let’s all hope not…cripes. Any who, if you like trippy books, I would absolutely recommend Insanity. But hey, don’t say I didn’t warn you…prepare to be mindf*cked!! (I would say mindfreaked to keep it clean, but that makes me think of Criss Angel and that guy is a douche.)

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Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

(Sookie Stackhouse series, book 11)
With her knack for being in trouble’s way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte’s, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. But Sookie suspects other, and she and Sam work together to uncover the culprit – and the twisted motive for the attack.

But her attention is divided. Though she can’t “read” vampires, Sookie knows her lover, Eric Northman, and his “child” Pam well – and she realizes that they are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, she is drawn into the plot – which is much more complicated than she knows.

Caught up once again in the politics of the vampire world, Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human – and that there is a new queen on the board…

Well, here we are eleven books into the series, and Sookie still can’t manage to just settle into a normal life. No matter where she goes, trouble seems to find her. She’s working a shift at Merlotte’s when the bar gets firebombed…and from what Sookie can tell, the bomber wasn’t fully human. It turns out an old enemy just might be out to seek revenge on Sookie.

Sookie also has her faerie cousin Claude and faerie uncle Dermot living with her, and call me crazy, but it seems to me that Claude is up to something. I have said before that I didn’t care for the faerie aspect of this series, but I like this new Claude. There’s just something about him…

Ohhh, and will Eric and Sookie ever just be happy together?? I’m starting to think that might be impossible…even if they are married. Well, the marriage is only legal in the vampire world; if you didn’t already know that, you probably should read the previous books before jumping to this review. Just sayin’! It seems as though Sookie is starting to consider the real costs of having a long-term relationship with him. How would he feel about her when she starts aging and he doesn’t? How much more violence can she really take in her life? I think all these feelings point to the conclusion that Sookie really has no desire to be changed into a vampire to make her life with Eric “easier.” I never really thought she would turn, because she had never said she wanted to, never asked questions about it; she only thought about it once. She’s too independent to change her life like that for a guy…she’s no Bella Swan (THANK. GOD.) As if all that wasn’t enough to complicate their relationship, we find out Eric has been keeping a pretty big secret.

Bill has more of a role in this book than the previous one, and true to form, I found myself rooting for him just a little bit. I’m a bigger flip-flopper than presidential candidates, I tell ya! I am still on Team Eric, but this is the first time in a while that I actually liked Bill and wasn’t just feeling sorry for him. There are also a lot of other characters that make a very welcome appearance in this book: Amelia, Bob, Alcide, Hunter, Bubba, and Mr. Cataliades, just to name my favorites. I don’t know that I’ve ever mentioned Bubba in my previous reviews, but anytime he’s involved I always find myself with a smile on my face. I get all shook up ;)

The end creates more questions than answers. Is Sookie really done with supes? What is Sookie going to do with her grandfather’s gift? What IS Claude really up to? What lies in store for Sookie’s relationship with Eric…and Pam for that matter? SWEET SASSY MOLASSY, I NEED SOME ANSWERS!! I can’t wait to see how Harris wraps up this series with the final two books. 

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Dead In The Family by Charlaine Harris

(Sookie Stackhouse series, book 10)
After enduring torture and the loss of loved ones during the brief but deadly Fae War, Sookie Stackhouse is hurt and she’s mad. Just about the only bright spot in her life is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman. But he’s under scrutiny by the new vampire king because of their relationship. And as the political implications of the shifters’ coming out are beginning to be felt, Sookie’s connection to one particular Were draws her in to the dangerous debate. Also, unknown to her, though the doors to Faery have been closed, there are still some fae on the human side – and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry.

Well, this book wasn’t all I expected it to be but I suppose it was slightly better than the previous two books in the series. I still find myself less than impressed with the majority of the plotlines in the most recent books, unfortunately. We come into this story with Sookie recovering from the torture she received from Lochlan and Neave, the demented fairies from the previous book. She seems okay physically, but it’s very apparent that emotionally she’s still a mess.

Eric has cemented himself in her life and is now officially her boyfriend. YAY! I have loved Sookie and Eric together ever since Dead To The World, and I am so happy that they are finally together when they are both in their right mind, and one isn’t in a state of amnesia. Oh! Oh! Oh! For the first time in the series, Sookie FINALLY imagines what it would be like if she were turned into a vampire. I have been waiting for her to at least consider the idea since she got serious with Bill; it only took ten books to get there. I still don’t think she will go through the change, mainly because her relationships with vampires have never been horribly solid.

We get to meet Eric’s maker, Appius Livius Ocella, who comes to Eric for help in returning his brother to sanity. I’m not really sure what to think of Appius; I think it’s just the fact that he’s having sex with Eric’s “brother” Alexei, who is an adolescent. I just could never really get past that whole relationship enough to make an opinion of him.

Sookie contacts Bill’s “sister” (she was created by the same maker as Bill) in an attempt to save Bill’s life. He is still recovering from the silver poisoning he got from one of the demented fairies’ teeth in the Fae War. His “sister” Judith agrees to come stay with Bill, and uses her blood to nurse him back to health. I’m anxious to see where their relationship goes since Judith resembles Bill’s late wife so much. I think this put a nice end to the drama between Bill and Sookie, I really liked it.

Oh, and Sookie also has to deal with her angry half-fae uncle Dermot who managed to stay in the human world since the Fae world was sealed up at the end of the last book. There’s a twist that will make it more difficult to catch this little sneakster though because he just might look exactly like someone else; someone Sookie would never be afraid of. Once again, I’m not horribly interested in any of the faeries (except Sookie) that have been in these books.

There’s a lot of buildup around Sookie’s plan to kill Victor because she sees him as a threat not only to her, but also Eric, Bill, and Pam. As I expected, she doesn’t want to kill him in cold blood; they try to devise a plan that will invoke a battle of some sort so she can use self-defense as her excuse for killing him. Understandable, I guess…but the dude has made it clear he wants to kill you. Just stake him, homegirl!

Overall, there wasn’t a whole lot of action in this book which was quite the change of pace from the previous two books. I still didn’t love this book, but it was a pretty good read. Even so, I’m eager to read the next book just to see if they carry out their plan on Victor and to see if Sookie and Eric are in it for the long haul… (please say yes, please say yes, pleeeease say yes!)

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Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

(Sookie Stackhouse series, book 9)
Except for Sookie Stackhouse, folks in Bon Temps, Louisiana, knew little about vamps – and nothing about Weres. Until now. The Weres and shifters have finally revealed their existence to the ordinary world, and the backlash may have claimed the life of someone Sookie knew. But her determination to find out who is responsible for the murder is put aside in the face of a far greater danger. A race of unhuman beings – older, more powerful and more secretive than vampires or werewolves – is preparing for war. And Sookie will find herself an all-too-human pawn in their battle…

After the clusterfuck that was From Dead To Worse, I was really hoping for something good from this book. Sadly, I wasn’t that impressed. I really hope things turn around with the next book because I’m starting to almost lose interest. There are just too many plotlines jammed into each book that it’s a mess to keep up. I could barely wrap my head around one “HOLY CRAP!” moment, and then I’m smacked in the face with another “WHAT THE HELL?!” twist. It’s almost exhausting.

The one major storyline that I did like was the Weres and shifters finally revealed their existence to the public. The reaction over the vampire reveal was mixed, so I knew there would be some people wigging out after the big reveal of another mythological creature. Of course, I was right. Someone close to Sookie is brutally murdered and left in the Merlotte’s bar parking lot, but were they killed simply because they were a shifter? I’m always honest in my reviews, so I don’t see any reason to start holding back now. I wasn’t upset about who got killed. There! I said it! That being said, I was very surprised when it was revealed who actually committed the murder and I did enjoy the mystery of that storyline.

I honestly don’t even know what to say about the Fae War. I have found myself often disinterested in the whole Faery world and all that comes along with it. Sookie’s great-grandfather bothers me, and her Fae cousins are boring to me. I can’t really say too much without giving away spoilers, but several people are killed during the war, and after it’s finally over, the Faery world will never quite be the same…and neither will Sookie’s.

I was hoping the blood bond created between Eric and Sookie would be explained in more detail: how long does it last, can it be broken, can either one of them end it, etc. No dice. Not only that, but I got so tired of Sookie constantly questioning whether her feelings for Eric were real or a result of the blood bond. It just made their whole relationship feel contrived, and I loved them together! Oh, and Eric’s sneaky little trick to make sure Felipe de Castro can’t acquire Sookie to use her telepathic talents for his use is super scandalous. I loved it!

This book was alright but after two somewhat sketchy books in a row, I’m getting a little frustrated. I was so enthralled with this series for the first six or seven books, and now I feel like I’ve read the past two books just to get through them; I didn’t really enjoy them all that much. I know I’m going to finish the series regardless, but I really with the next book Harris returns to the stories and structure that made me fall in love with this series to begin with. 

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From Dead To Worse by Charlaine Harris

(Sookie Stackhouse series, book 8)
After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the man-made horror of the explosion at the vampire summit, Sookie Stackhouse is safe but dazed, yearning for things to get back to normal. But her boyfriend, Quinn, is among the missing. And things are changing, whether the Weres and the vamps in her corner of Louisiana like it or not. In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death…and, once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood has ceased flowing, her world will be forever altered…

Holy biscuits. This book is jammed packed full of storylines, which I can only assume are all leading up to the following books. I understand the need for a transition book in a series, but this one was almost a little too much. There is a war between the vamps for control of Louisiana, the Weres of Shreveport go to war against rogue Weres seeking to overtake their pack, Sookie learns where her telepathic powers come from and discovers a long lost relative, Quinn reveals information about his family that could jeopardize his relationship with Sookie, Sookie stops all communication with her brother, Jason…whew. I need a breather. None of the storylines flowed together, and I actually found myself annoyed for the first time during this book.

Alright, grab some popcorn and take seat. In a nutshell, Felipe de Castro, the vampire King of Nevada, begins a campaign to gain control of Louisiana and Arkansas. In the aftermath of the explosion at the summit, Sophie-Anne, vamp Queen of Louisiana, is unable to protect her land due to injuries.

Sookie witnesses the war between Were packs, where Alcide is named pack leader. Um…the ritual after someone is promoted to pack leader is so strange, and after seeing it I can understand why Sookie feels differently about Alcide. She also finds herself drawn to Eric, mostly due to the blood exchange that took place in the previous book. Nevertheless, she has to decide if she wants to stay with Quinn after learning about his family problems, or tell the weretiger to kick rocks and act on her feelings for Eric.

Some messy stuff goes down in the werepanther community between Jason and his wife, Crystal, that puts Sookie in a terrible situation which forces her to stop all communication to her brother. I never understood her rage towards Jason in this situation; he wasn’t the problem, Crystal was.

I can’t go into too much detail regarding the information on why Sookie has telepathic powers, but I’ll just say I wasn’t really surprised. It seemed to make sense considering some of the other characters we have been introduced to in the past books.

 This was my least favorite book so far. There were just too many storylines packed into this one book that it felt like the second I was getting into one plotline, Harris killed it and started another plotline. Sookie also seemed irritated throughout this whole book, which is very unlike her character. I get that she has a lot on her plate, but that has been the case since the beginning of the series and she has never reacted like this; she usually takes it with a grain of salt and maintains her sweet self. I don’t care for the new Sookie attitude. Here’s to hoping the next book gets my excitement about this series back on track. 

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All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

(Sookie Stackhouse series, book 7)
Betrayed by her longtime vampire love, Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse must now not only deal with a possible new man in her life – the oh-so-handsome shapeshifter Quinn – but also contend with a long-planned vampire summit. With her power base weakened by hurricane damage to New Orleans, the local vampire queen in vulnerable to those hungry for a take-over. Sookie must decide what side she’ll stand with. And her choice may mean the difference between survival and all-out catastrophe…

I stated in a review of one of the previous Sookie Stackhouse books that there would be a bit of an avalanche of characters in the upcoming books. This was the first book of the series where I caught myself saying, “wait…who is that again?” That being said, let’s get the wheels turning on this review.

Sophie-Anne, vampire Queen of Louisiana, has been accused of murdering her husband, the King of Arkansas, and is set to stand trial at the annual vampire summit. She has summoned Sookie to accompany her and use her abilities as a telepath to read the minds of any humans wandering throughout the summit, as well as employees of the hotel. Without delving too deep into vampire politics, Sophie-Anne needs to know if there is any talk of allegiances, or alliances to overtake Louisiana since her powerbase has been weakened by Hurricane Katrina.

Bill and Eric are of course on hand at the summit, as well as Sookie’s boyfriend, weretiger Quinn. (She’s still with him. Ugh.) It’s a no brainer that this will undoubtedly cause rifts between them, as they all want Sookie to themselves. Sookie and Quinn’s relationship heats up until she finds out a shocking revelation about him involving his teen years. I don’t want to spoil it, but I will say this; as much as I dislike Sookie and Quinn together, I can’t understand why she gets so upset with him after finding out this information. Personally, I think it gave him a likable quality…loyalty. So I guess I’ll give him a point for that. Her relationship with Eric could be forever changed after in an attempt to save her, Eric forces her into a third and major blood exchange. I dug this plot twist and I’m anxious to see how it affects her feelings for Eric, if at all.

Relationship storyline aside, Sookie and Barry (the hotel bellboy and fellow telepath) find clues that lead them to believe the Fellowship of the Sun may be up to something big and start to realize there may be something odd going on in the pyramid-like hotel where not only is the summit being held, but is also where all the vampires are shacking up.

I wasn’t as impressed with this book as I was with some of the others, but it was a good read overall. It was a little hard to keep track of all the new character additions, and I did find myself going back to re-read certain parts just to remember why or how certain characters were relevant. Other than that, I’m ready for the next book and hoping for a reconciliation between Sookie and Eric. *Fingers Crossed* 

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Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

(Sookie Stackhouse series, book 6)
Since Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has so few living relatives, she hates to lose one – even her cousin Hadley, undead consort of the vampire Queen of Louisiana. Hadley’s left everything she has to Sookie, but claiming that inheritance has a high risk factor. Some people don’t want her looking too deeply into Hadley’s past, or Hadley’s possessions. And they’re prepared to do anything in their power to stop her. Whoever it is, they’re definitely dangerous – and Sookie’s life is definitely on the line…

It’s no mystery that I love magic considering my obsession with Harry Potter, and this book has plenty of it! Alright, let’s take it from the top. First of all, Sookie has officially kicked her vamps to the curb and started dating weretiger and over-user of the word “babe”, Quinn. Ugh. Don’t get me started on this relationship. I’ll just say you won’t see me jumping on the Team Quinn bandwagon anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Sookie loses one of the few relatives she has left: her vamp cousin, Hadley…who also happens to be the Queen of Louisiana’s lover. When Sookie finds out Hadley has left all of her possessions to her, she takes a trip down to New Orleans (or Nawlins, as I like to call it) to settle her affairs. It’s here she meets Hadley’s landlord, a young witch named Amelia who has put Hadley’s apartment under a stasis spell. I absolutely adore Amelia! She is such a breath of fresh air to this series, and adds some welcomed comedic relief. After Amelia lifts the spell, she and Sookie find that Hadley had bitten a werewolf in order to turn him vamp, and hid him the closet. You can probably guess what happens next: new vampire craves blood, Sookie and Amelia have said blood, attack ensues, and Sookie winds up in the hospital. It’s here that we find out a shocking detail about why Bill moved to Bon Temps in the first place. I don’t want to say it was a welcome twist, but to be honest I’ve kind of cooled on my love of Bill. I really didn’t see this coming, and I have to wonder if it’s maybe Harris’s attempt to put a stake in the Bill/Sookie relationship.  See what I did there? Just a little vampire humor for you; you’re welcome.

My favorite part of the book is when Amelia and her witch buddies cast an ectoplasmic reconstruction spell; it’s a spell that reconstructs the events of a specified event. They cast the spell in order to see what events led to Hadley biting Jake Purifoy, the werewolf turned vampire hidden in her closet. It’s pretty damn awesome. After being introduced to Amelia, I was praying that Harris would find a way to keep her character around for the remainder of the series. We don’t really get to see Sookie in a female friendship, aside from Tara and her character is rarely a factor in the books.

I really enjoyed this book, with the exception of the Quinn and Sookie romance. Oh! I forgot to mention one little nugget of information that made me roll my eyes and literally say “oh my god…” out loud. Quinn and Sookie dry hump in the kitchen and he enjoys it a little too much if you get my drift. I mean, really? That is something that would happen to a 14 year old boy who got dry humped by a girl for the first time. I was over Quinn before he and Sookie even became an actual couple, so the only thing I’m hoping is that in the next book she decides she wants a man/vampire/were-something that doesn’t get off just from dry humping with clothes on. With that being said…bring on book 7!

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Dead As A Doornail by Charlaine Harris

(Sookie Stackhouse series, book 5)
Small-town cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has had more than her share of experience with the supernatural – but now it’s really hitting close to home. When Sookie sees her brother Jason’s eyes start to change, she knows he’s about to turn into a werepanther for the first time – a transformation he embraces more readily than most shapeshifters she knows. But her concern becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling populations, and Jason’s new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who’s behind the attacks – unless the killer decides to find her first…

The first line of the book sets the whole storyline for Jason: “I knew my brother turn into a panther before he did.” As we learned in the last book, Jason was kidnapped and bitten repeatedly by werepanther, Felton Norris. As a result, Jason will now shift into half man/half panther on each full moon. Meanwhile, Sam and Calvin Norris are both shot and Sookie finds out that there have been several Were shootings throughout Louisiana. Unfortunately, Calvin immediately suspects Jason is the shooter taking out his anger for being kidnapped and turned into a werepanther. Poor Jason; he’s consistently getting blamed for stuff he didn’t do. His saving grace is unfortunately when Sookie gets shot while leaving the library. Seeing as she is Jason’s only family left, it seems implausible that he would try to gun down his own sister. When Sookie is released from the hospital and she and Sam continue their investigation, they find themselves face to face with one of the “bad guys” in an alley while Sam is in dog form. I was actually incredibly surprised when this shooter was revealed, because I absolutely did not see it coming! As far as the other antagonist in this book, I actually did have an idea who it was from the beginning. I just had a strange feeling about this character and their mannerisms. Something just wasn’t right with this yahoo. Even though one of the villains didn’t come as a surprise to me, I did love being blindsided when the identity of the shooter Sookie and Sam ran into was revealed.

The big news in the Long Tooth pack is that their pack leader is hit and killed by a car, so they need a replacement and Alcide’s father decides to throw his name in the hat. In an attempt to help out his father, Alcide convinces Sookie to read the minds of the other pack leaders and while at the competition for pack leader Sookie meets another potential love interest; a weretiger named Quinn. I actually really liked that we learned more about the werewolf community and their politics. The past four books have pretty well provided us with how vampire politics work, so it was nice to see how werewolf politics differ. I’ll also just come right out and say it; I didn’t like the Sookie and Quinn relationship from the very beginning! I have been swayed between her love interests in the past, but he was one that I never wanted her to end up with. It may sound trivial, but it drove me crazy that he ALWAYS called her Babe. It was never Sookie…always Babe. I’m all for cute pet names, but at least change it up every once in a while, homeboy!

Now, onto the vampires; Eric got his memory back at the end of the last book and has been grilling Sookie for information on what exactly happened between them while he was in his amnesia state. Sookie finally agrees to tell him…everything…from their sexual escapades to him hiding Debbie Pelt’s body. I feel for Sookie during this moment, because she really fell for him while he had amnesia, and you can tell that she knows they will never have that same relationship. I was actually really disappointed about this too, because I loved Sookie and Eric’s relationship…while he had amnesia. He was so sweet and wonderful to her, and it made me firmly plant myself on Team Eric. I want them together! But now that Sookie’s list of possible love interests has grown by a couple more (Calvin Norris and Quinn) maybe she’ll decide to stray away from the vamps for a while and take a walk on the wild side.

This maintained the same level of writing as the previous books, although this was probably my least favorite book so far. Harris maintains to add more mystery and keep me wanting to read more about Sookie Stackhouse’s crazy world full of mythological creatures.

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