Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood)

Top positive review

Great Addition to the Series!

Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2013

*Contains spoilers if you haven't read the previous books, but NO SPOILERS of this book!

**You can check out my review of the first 9 books HERE! SPOILER FREE!

Ever since I caved and read the Sookie series not so long ago, I've become a huge fan of the series and I also have been dying to get my hands on Dead in The Family. There has been a lot of expectations about this book and I have to say that I absolutely loved it!

In Dead in The Family we start off not long after the events of the last book, when Sookie suffered torture from a couple of crazed up fey. We find Ms. Stackhouse in midst her recovering period, when we find out that she is officially dating Eric, the Vampire Sheriff we all love to drool over.

There is a lot going on in this novel and the plot definitely grabs your attention. I could not put this book down and I loved the way things got tied up in the end. We get to see some of the old favorites, like Alcide again and even though he seems to be much different than the man we met 8 books ago, he is still a great character to have.

I I read a great review of this book on ALPHA Reader and something Danielle said really got to me when I read this book. Even though I loved seeing Eric and Sookie together and she finally admitting her feelings for him, he doesn't feel like her Happily Ever After, it seems like he is a transition guy for our dear Sookie, a great one, but still a transition guy.

I think we haven't met Sookie's HEA yet and if we have, I'm leaning towards Sam, I'm starting to enjoy the thought of them together more and more. I totally can see them having an amazing relationship together.

All in all, Dead in the Family is an amazing addition to the Sookie Stackhouse series and I really think all the fans out there will be happy with this novel. I was far from disappointed and my appetite for this wonderful books just got heightened with this book.

If you are a Sookie fan, this is a MUST read!

Originally Posted at Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life {[...]}

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Aaron

its getting a bit stale now.

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2016

She basically has a chapter before Chapter 1 trying to clean up book 9. For me this book started slow and was hard to get into. The pre-chapter was choppy and didn't flow well, it basically tried to tie up a bunch of loose ends. It didn't pick up until Chapter 3 - and it is not a big book. My biggest disappointment in this book is Sookie and Eric. Eric was there but not really. I understand that so much horrible stuff happened in DAG that it changed them both, but there was no passion between them at all. Charlaine left us at the bedroom door the whole book. It kind of felt like they were just going through the motions, but they are openly admitting how much that they love each other? We fell in love with Sookie and Eric and Bill and none of them were themselves in this book. I understand that a character needs to heal after the traumatic events in DAG; but I feel that Harris could've written that much better in this book. We still don't know if they will be closer to themselves in Book #11 (a year away). And I feel that she will need another pre-chapter in book 11 to clean up book 10. It's just not the writing that originally pulled me into the Sookie Stackhouse series - it just didn't read like a Charlaine Harris book at all.

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Aaron

its getting a bit stale now.

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2016

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Jesi Lea Ryan

I felt this was one of the weaker books of the series

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2014

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WARNING! MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!! Dead In the Family is Harris’s latest installment in the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series. In this novel, Sookie, the vamps, the Weres and the fairies are recovering from the Fairy War. Just when Sookie and Eric seem to be settling into a rhythm with their relationship, Eric’s maker and “brother” vampire come to town. This is not good news. On top of this, the politics for the Louisiana vamps and the whole shifter community are gearing up for a clash. Oh, then there is the fresh dead body on Sookie’s land and a strange evil fairy lurking in her woods…

Don’t get me wrong, I love this series. I have read it more than once, and I hardly ever re-read books. I would have to say though that Dead In the Family felt like a bridge book between two bigger books, if that makes sense. I noticed when I hit page 260 (in a 311 page book), that I was still waiting for the plot to get going. I guess that’s when I realized that all of this talking really was the plot. It was weird. Usually, I can count on my pulse to race several times while reading Charlaine Harris (either from the action packed plot or steamy Eric scenes), but I did get those feelings until I was in the final ten pages.

Don’t get me wrong… I still love this series, and I will be waiting in line for the next installment, but I felt this was one of the weaker books of the series. I do have to say that I liked certain developments in the characters. It turns out that sexy cousin Claude actually does have a personality. In a moment of feeling her age, Sookie contemplates turning vamp for the first time. We also see the impenetrable Eric at his most vulnerable. These are all necessary for the continuation of the series. I just wish the pacing would have been a little stronger.

Overall, I give Dead In the Family…
Plot Development – 2 bookmarks (not bad, but not what I’m used to with Harris)
Character Development – 4 bookmarks
Fight Scenes – 1 ½ bookmarks
Hot Steamy Vampire Sex – 1 bookmark

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) – I can’t help myself. The TV series True Blood has wiped out all of the casting imagination I have and replaced it with the TV actors. Part of the reason that happened though is because the TV casting was so brilliant. Eric Northman is my favorite male in the series and Alexander Skarsgard has completely won me over with his Eric performance. I’ve always thought Bill was a weenie, so the fact that I don’t find Stephen Moyer that hot does not detract from things for me. Anna Paquin does a great job bringing camp and craziness to Sookie. Oh, and Ryan Kwanten as Jason is so unbelievably hot. (It’s also nice that he's agreed to save on the show’s wardrobe budget by going naked most of the time!)

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PURPLEHAZE

Weaknesses But I Enjoyed It 3.5 Stars

Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2014

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"Dead in the Family" has some shortcomings but I still enjoyed it. It is a sort of transitional book that answers several fan questions. Although, some progress was made in the Eric & Sookie relationship, I still came away with the feeling that they won't get a HEA. Of course, since I am currently re-reading books 1-11 and have read the reviews for books 12 & 13, I already know what the future holds for them. However, I wouldn't dare spoil it for those reading the Series for the first time. There was mystery, action, suspense and romance. However, the book just didn't completely live up to its potential. This failing became unmistakably apparent around book 8 or 9. I attribute the increasing lack of substance, failure to fulfill potential and lack of depth to Harris' rather limited writing abilities & writing style, Harris' frequent failure to really flush out the details of various events and to what feels like Harris' apparent growing boredom with and/or her seemingly growing indifference towards the characters and the series.

Don't get me wrong, this book is by no means bad. It just could have been better. Moreover, having followed the series and now rereading it, I sense the growing lack of "depth," and "focus", for lack of a better words, and even the 2nd time around I find it very unfortunate and dismaying. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book, Love the series and am off to reread the next book.

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Pacey1927

Sookie, Sookie, Sookie...

Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2011

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"Dead in The Family" isn't a bad book. It was fun to visit and catch up with Sookie and Eric...and Bill had a nice little plot going on. Unfortunately it was all little plots, nothing really moved the story arc forward. I didn't find the story to be boring as some have mentioned in their reviews but I also didn't find anything really important happened.

In this book:

-Sookie and Claude the fairy get better aquainted.

-In one of the best parts of the book, Sookie gets to know Hunter, Hadleigh's boy who has the same 'gift' as Sookie.

-Eric's maker comes to town with his new 'prodigy'---another person we know of from our history books.

-The wolves are having some drama again and for some inexplicable reason that always involves Sookie. (I still mourn the loss of the Sookie/Alcide relationship of the past, just a little)

As I write this I realize what my biggest problem with "Dead in the Family" was. There are too many new names...new fairies, new wolves, new vampires. I don't mean this is the first book in which these characters have been mentioned (some are though) but just that they have only been around for a book or two and they haven't had much page time. We don't know these characters and aren't as invested in the outcomes of their 'troubles'.

To be completely honest, I have never felt a big attachment to the fae although I enjoy them in many other series. Maybe this is when the series stoppped being so urgent to me. I used to buy these books the minute they came out and have them just straight to the top of my TBR pile. Now I still ordered this book the day it came out, waited for it to get delivered, and it still sat down under a few other books before I read it.

I belive in Charlaine Harris and I know she will give us more kick booty action packed Sookie adventures in the future. The previous one had that amazing scene toward the end, and the horrors that befell Sookie was something that really impacted the series so its not like the books still don't have a story to tell. This one just fell short in the action. As mentioned before I loved that story of Sookie with her cousin's son and there is definitely some scary stuff coming up with Eric and his fight to maintain sheriff status. Even though not one of the better books, this still had plenty of delight and was worth reading.
I

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Shawn Hettinga

Mixed Emotions

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2011

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First of all, I would like to say that I have been a huge Sookie Stackhouse fan for quite some time. The first set of books (1-8) were edge of your seat twists and turns; however, starting with the book previous to this one, Dead and Gone, the plot began to disolve. There really is a lot of, for lack of a better word, filler. For example, Harris describes everything that is happening in each scene so much that it takes away from the story line, and I am left screaming, "Get on with it!" I appreciate imagery, but when it is describing the wood grain on a coffee table that has no significance or does not attribute to foreshadowing, it is dead language. If all of the fluff was taken out, one would have a fifty page short story that lacks depth.

Also, I am a little miffed with changes that are occuring within the characters. For example, Eric's hair changes back and forth from long black hair to golden locks. That isn't something that one, especially the author, should forget. I especially hate, let me state this again, HATE having to read over and over again about events from previous books. If I am reading book ten, don't you think that I have read the previous nine? I already know all of the general summaries that are starting to emerge more and more, and this is really, really, taking away from the first person narration. Who really thinks like that anyway? It is also irritating to find that some characters just simply vanish, or Sookie kills them. How can she get away with so many murders and not get investigated or perhaps even framed for the murders? There are many loose ends that need to be tied.

Finally, the last two books appear to be "rushed." It feels as if the author is cranking out book after book each spring without developing a storyline, and I hate the predictability and the simpleness. I would rather have an addicting read every two years than a blah read every year. I will say that I will read the entire series because I have never stopped reading a series when I start one, but I hope that the next book is the end. If Harris has to kill Sookie, so be it. At least her death would result in closure.

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Better than # 8, but. . . .

Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2010

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Sookie Stackhouse # 8 was pastiche and not as satisfying as other works in this series; # 9 was better than # 8. But I end up with 3 stars for # 10. The series seems to be lurching ahead, without much pattern or a grander vision. Or maybe that's unfair as an expectation.

Here, Eric's and Sookie's relationship continues to evolve. We have a better sense of what the knife ceremony means. The complication this time is that the vampire who made Eric shows up--along with another whom Appius Livius Ocella turned--Alexei Romanov (if you know anything about Russian history, you might get a sense of how twisted the young vampire might be). Alexei is quite a b bundle to handle! And that is a part of the dynamic of this novel. So, too, is the story of fairies who stayed behind. Two are related to Sookie and her brother, Jason. But there is a third--who is up to no good. Bill Compton is still a mess from the last battles; Sookie uses his vampire data base to try to heal him; her relationship with Bill, at the same time, seems more mature than in earlier novels.

Then, there is internal trouble within the local were community. Alcide calls upon Sookie as the "shaman," to try to determine who is responsible for some nastiness, including the killing of Alcide's "number two."

The politics of the weres coming out continues to develop in this novel.

There is a lot of stuff going on here. Maybe too much. And it might be useful at this point in time for the author, Charlaine Harris, to simplify matters a bit rather than continuing to introduce new dynamics and issues.

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Dead in the Water?

Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2010

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Unfortunately I suppose I have to agree with the masses on this one, at least as far as the rating goes. Couldn't manage 4 stars even if I were getting paid for it. I am, like so many other reviewers, a great fan of the series. "Dead in the Family" was just....OK....sort of. Especially in the context of previous volumes.

I have a feeling that this entry may be a set-up for the next few in the series. At least I hope so. There were fairies - as, I suppose, a coda to the last volume, and the re-introduction of some old characters and the introduction of a few new characters, but odds are the new ones will not show up again, save one who is almost certain to play a large role in the next book. Sookie is still "bound" to Eric in more ways than one, but even Eric is not his usual self. The body count is high, and Sookie is once again a heroine, although she manages to come out of this one with less than her usual amount of physical and/or psychological damage. Some interesting changes surround Bill, and it will be interesting to see how they play out. Jason, too, seems to be evolving. No longer the dumb, selfish, horny little brother - he seems to be turning into a real mensch. We'll have to see how far that goes.

Ms. Harris still is able to pen an enjoyable tale and pace it so that you want to keep reading at least 10 or 15 pages beyond where you want to go to sleep, and Sookie is still getting into all sorts of trouble and is surely the sluttiest nice girl you ever hoped to meet. But the big story is missing, and when the end comes, one is left wondering if Ms. Harris has run out of gas or is just taking a breather before blowing our minds in the next few volumes. I, for one, will surely stick around to find out.

J.M. Tepper

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Shelbie Knight

Not her best by a long shot

Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2010

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I have read everyone of the books in this series and was, as always, thrilled with this one being released. I read it in one night and, sad to say, was left disappointed. It seemed to me that it was more a book written simply to put another in the series, rather than one written based off of an explosive idea.

This is a first for me and I was beyond shocked. My expectation has climbed so high, with all of the past releases, that to read a sub-par story just doesn't cut it for me. Sure it had the familiar characters and built off of the last books ending, but the story simply never picked up any steam for me. There was nothing that made me excited to turn the next page and when I was done reading the story and closed the book, I thought wow that was boring and not a "typical" Sookie-based story.

In my opinion, if you're expecting the typical Sookie story (fast-paced, can't wait to turn the page, love, war & sex) well you will be left wanting at the end of this one, as much as it pains me to say that. Left me wanting more - hopefully that will be delivered in the next book. I don't want a book that's filled with words, big print to stretch out the pages, and a story that falls flat simply to get a book out. I would rather have waited another 6 months of re-writes than to have read this ending in disappointment.

Let's hope the next one picks up where the others left off - with a life - because this one really did leave me feeling Dead in the Family.

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N. Berry

Hum-Drum

Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2010

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I love the Sookie Stackhouse series, but I felt this one was like an "in-between" book or something. I understand that this book gave a lot of background information, probably to answer fan questions, but that seems like all that it is.

The two story lines which were introduced to created the action, were extremely lacking. "Action scenes" would last a couple of pages, and then we'd be back to a day in the life of Sookie Stackhouse who never gets to see her boyfriend and works at a bar, and lots more background information.

I felt like some background items, especially about Alexi were over-explained, while other things were rushed. Alexi's character really could have been left off, in my opinion, but Mrs. Harris would have lost a third of her book. There were more pages dedicated to explaining Alcide's house than how Sookie came to forgive a certain person (I won't spoil by telling you who), and that forgiveness left me confused.

Basically, this book just seemed different to me than the rest. As I said, it seemed like an "in-between" kind of book. If you love the Sookie action, this book is a disappointment. If you like the Sookie steam, this book is a disappointment. If you love Sookie's attitude, this book is a disappointment.

If you like a lot of background information, people getting to know each other, Sookie healing from the Fae war, Sookie complaining a lot about not getting to see Eric, a couple of minor story lines that have like a three page climax (if you can call it that) at the end, then you'll like this book. The usual grit and excitment just wasn't there for me. At least there were some story lines which were introduced and seemingly forgotten about which I HOPE will provide much more action in the 11th book of the series. Perhaps Mrs. Harris could have Sookie go over these unanswered questions in the end before she went to bed. It would have let us know that she had not just forgotten to finish the story lines, plus leave us feeling like she left us with a big cliffhanger or two.

I still love Sookie and Charlaine, and cannot wait for the next book.

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Ashley

Dissapointed

Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2010

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So I was expecting more...

I hate to write a less than excellent review of an author that I love so much, but sheesh... Could this have been anymore anticlimatic?

Thus far it seems that each individual book in the series has followed a main story line, while having it's own. Each book has had some major story that has worked itself out by the end, leaving a few threads that take you back to the big picture that keeps the series going.

DITF felt like a filler between the last book and the next one. I have waited for a year to read this one and was so excited to get to read it when it finally came. Now I am wondering what happened. Did I miss something. Maybe I should go back and read it again cause I think I missed the story in it somewhere.

This almost felt like Sookie wrote in a diary and for once nothing extremely major happened. I mean there were a few little events that made it interesting, but the big bang Harris's books normally pack wasn't there.

Overall this was not my favorite book in the series, but it was still a good read. I am no less interested in the series, but I am a little aggitated that I waited all that time and that was all I got. Now I have to wait again. This time, hopefully, it will be more worth the wait.

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