Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse Book 4)

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Dead to the World

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2020

This book was the perfect mix of Vampires, Werewolves, Shape Changers, Panthers, Witches and Fairies. This book begins with Sookie and Bill still broken up and Bill had to leave for Peru. Meanwhile Eric is spell bound and cannot remember anything and Sookie is responsible for keeping him hidden until his tribe can figure out whom cast the spell. Well while being in Sookie 's care Eric reveals a more sincere side versus his normal GQ over the top normal personality and one thing leads to another and Sookie's brother is missing. So Eric and Sookie turn into the arms of one another. So if you love intrigue, mystery, murder and a little romance this is a must read for you.

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Tchipakkan

Real world building

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2022

I love the way Harris can cram so many subplots in one book. I suppose that is why the books are so much better than the TV show, they are so much more dense and complex.

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SunsetDweller

One line can kill a whole book...

Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2010

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After being largely disappointed with the first book in this series, I promised myself to not read any of the others. Despite the great reviews, despite friends and family recommending to me, despite my love for (more like obession with) the True Blood series. Well, a few months ago, I found myself in a cabin in the woods and I forgot to bring any books with me. My husband offered me his copy of Faulkner's Absalom! Absalom!; at that point I knew I had to be resourceful, or be stuck reading the same blasted Faulkner text I could never manage to finish in college. A previous cabin occupant had left a copy of Dead to the World in the bookcase. Faulkner or Harris? Both write gothic Southern fiction, but I was in the mood for something light and fun. And so I proceeded. This book was every bit as disappointing as the first book in the series. But, I felt compelled to finish it. Bad witches, memory loss, Eric's cute rear end, yada yada yada. At some point, I came across this phrase in the book: "her breasts, which were practically quivering like puppies who wanted to be petted." Seriously? Breasts quivering like puppies????? Who writes that? What publisher/editor approves that? I felt like I needed a stiff drink after reading that line. Actually, I wish I had a drink in my mouth while reading that line, just so I could spit it out, sitcom style. That single line/ridiculous metaphor killed the book for me. I could read no more. I cannot imagine how Alan Ball read these books and thought they would make a good series. However, I'm glad he did take them on because some of the story is good (I'll give Harris credit for having a good imagination)..it is just poorly written.

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Blue Shiba

Spoiler Alert!!

Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2004

Verified Purchase

I love this series, and eagerly anticipated the release of this book. However, this was not my favorite book. The Sookie/Eric thingie felt contrived- and I felt she (Harris) wimped out when Eric did not keep his memory of the time (sex) he and Sookie shared. We already know he cares for her, right?!?! Sookie has his blood-he can sense her feelings, right? And what is up with Bill?!?! It seems like Ms. Harris wants to explore Sookie and Eric's relationship, so she shoved Bill right out of the way-WHILE STILL GIVING HERSELF AN OUT with Eric's two time memory loss. Which I thought was ridiculous. What about Bill's (or for that matter, ANY vampire's) super sensitive vampire nose that can smell different men on Sookie- phooey!
The witch plot was contrived- I never got a good enough feel about Hallow to understand WHY she cursed Eric the way she did. I mean, really- if she is mad because he will not sleep with her(and we are to believe she's a raging wackadoo) would she really curse him with a lost memory!? Even as a back up? NO!! The whole thing seemed to be a plot excuse to put Sookie and Eric together and alone long enough so they could finally give in to their mutual lust.
Also, what was the deal with Jason being kidnapped- I like the werewolves, but please- does Sookie need to have sexual tension with ANYONE else?!?!? Bill, Eric, Alcide, Sam, and now the werewolf- honestly!
As you can probably tell, the book left me frustrated. There were so many elements and plots swirling around, and it seemed like a lot of the plotlines were only sketched out. I was left needing more detail in most of the storylines.
I will definitely read the next book though. Sookie Stackhouse and her world are great, and I love reading about it.

7 people found this helpful

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not in a good way but in a "what did I just read" ...

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2014

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I do not care for the way these books are written. There is an overwhelming amount of detail. I kind of get lost in it....not in a good way but in a "what did I just read" way. I really didn't care for this series but I bought all of the books so I had to finish it out.

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Karen Williamson

Just OK

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2013

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I think these books are written more for young adults then adults. The HBO series does make it more interesting and adult like.

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Tchipakkan

Real world building

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2022

Verified Purchase

I love the way Harris can cram so many subplots in one book. I suppose that is why the books are so much better than the TV show, they are so much more dense and complex.

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ohboymommy

Too gruesome

Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2010

Verified Purchase

I practically inhaled the early Sookie books, even seeking out short stories in anthologies to complete my knowledge. However, as the series progressed, I felt the violence escalating too much. Sookie being tortured by evil fairies? Recovering with PTSD? Not the light hearted approach of the beginning of the story.

Still great books and still romantic, but I'm enjoying Queen Betsy of the Undead and...series right now (MaryJanice Davidson).

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melanie mcdonald

Like the show, but...

Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2013

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The books are quite another story. First of all, it is written in very simplistic terms. I liken it to a 6th grade reader. Subject matter is "OK", but could have been written with a little more flourish.

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Ellen Merriss

Loved the Plot!

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2014

Originally posted on The Canon! {http://canireadeverything.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-summer-of-sookie-dead-to-world-by.html}

Dead to the World quickly became one of my favorite installments of the Sookie series because of shifts in power. Eric, a vampire who simply breathes power, suddenly can't remember who he is, what happened to him, or where he came from. The change in his status brings out a change in his personality, revealing what might be his true nature underneath all that arrogance that I've come to associate with him. It was downright cute.

When Eric's memory goes, the responsibility (and power) goes to Sookie. Sookie is a girl who has never really had to take care of anything: at first, her grandmother cared for her, and then she fell under Bill's protection. On her own, Sookie now has a big Viking vampire who has undergone a major personality under her fragile protection. This abrupt change in the balance forces Sookie to grow and develop as a character quickly, especially in her telepathic abilities.

I admit it; I cheered when the romance between she and Eric developed. The sexual tension stemming from the first few books finally emerged and made a play. Eric's love for Sookie made her into a stronger character, one that was truly fun to root for.

Harris introduces new story lines in Dead to the World that I loved. The addition of the werecreatures further developed the paranormal world that runs alongside the quiet human one that we live in every day. The werecreatures felt like a different type of paranormal nightmare: if the vampires are the elite, the werecreatures are the motorcycle gang. The different mentality created a tension in the plot and Sookie herself that kept the pace moving quickly.

The witches and their plotline are a completely different (and volatile) cup of tea. Their sudden appearance in the plot completely changes the force of the story. The maliciousness and greed of their leader is a turning point for Sookie. For the most part, the vampires have been good to her; sure, there's been some evil, but they have treated her with respect. The witches represent the first darkness Sookie must face. I have a feeling they won't be the last.

THE RATING:
THREE STARS

WHY:
- Loved the character transformation in Sookie.
- Well-written plot
- Great action scenes!
- Harris still won't quite let Sookie be as strong as she can.

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murder! she read

Not so much angst in Sookieland

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2015

This is the fourth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I had read an excerpt of this book in ‘Tempest Rising’ which had prompted me to purchase the box set when I saw the offer. Now I realise that this is the best book so far and enjoyed it far more than the last three. For me, I liked that Bill was off on his travels and we could see Sookie without all the angst that surrounds them both; we also saw the flickerings of more than one plot being woven together within the book which made it feel more challenging.

The book starts off on New Year’s Eve and once again Sookie is working in the bar grumbling that everyone else has stuff to do. As she is driving back home she meets a half naked vampire walking along the road – it’s Eric and he’s suffering from amnesia. After a quick chat with Pam and Co. Sookie ends up vampire sitting him and thanks to Jason, this time she’s getting paid for it. She’s such a sucker for waifs and strays, I am surprised that her house isn’t jammed full of animals needing a home, but then again this might encourage more vamps…

There was an element of sadness throughout the book. Sookie rapidly falls in love with Eric who is a ‘pure’ version of himself without his usual bravado and the power, wealth and influence that he has created as a buffer against the human world . He constantly looks to Sookie for reassurance, love and affection, so she has the upper hand. This is ideal for her, not only does she get to take care of and mother him, but she also has the benefits of being with a vampire. In fact, it’s probably the closest she’d ever get to a ‘normal’ relationship with a vampire. For Eric, he has the benefits of a relationship that is simply about love and he takes to it to such an extent that he said that he didn’t care if he ever got his memory back and that he wants to run away with her. This is what makes this book so sad, they both have this fleeting moment of what a life together could be like, but of course Sookie would never stop him from getting his memory back and an Eric with his memory would find it hard to give up all the trappings he has accumulated. To quote Nine Inch Nails, it’s something that they’ll never have.

So, what was the matter with Eric? Well, we have a new supernatural on our hands – witches! This brother and sister led group of powerful witches go around to successful businesses blackmailing the owners and threatening to curse their customers/business if they don’t get a cut of their profits and now they have arrived in Shreveport. That isn’t the only problem. Hallow, the main witch, generously said that she wanted Eric to be her love bunny and in return she wouldn’t take all of his profits. When he refused, he got cursed. Now Pam and Co. need to find the witch so she can remove the curse, while Eric who is a danger to himself, needs to keep his head down.

Now we get to learn about witches! In fact, there are witches who have power and Wiccans who are about the religion, but this new group doesn’t care which sort you are. They are on a recruiting spree and using their tried and tested business tactics to blackmail other witches to join them. Sookie discovers that there are witches closer to home and decides that she has to warn Alcide (who is back with Debbie Pelt, again). He introduces her to the Chief wolf and discovers that the second in command (who is also a witch) was missing. She turns up dead and this is just the excuse that the wolf pack needs to join the fight. Hooray!

In the meantime, Jason is missing and what with all the witchy goings on, Sookie believes that they are behind it. In trying to figure out Jason’s last movement she visits Hotshot, a village populated by were-panthers. Crystal, Jason’s latest fling lives there and initially lies to Sookie, but her Uncle Calvin turns up and she starts singing like a canary. Being of a supernatural disposition, Calvin takes a shine to Sookie and offers to protect her now that she doesn’t have a man to do so. Lovely.

Sookie, now doing her bit for supernatural relations has bought together both the wolves and vampires and everyone is up for a fight. They have devised a plan to invade the house where the witches are holed up, seize Hallow and reverse the spell on Eric. Simple. Meanwhile, Bill who is back from his travels and happens to mention that Debbie was a part of the torture team from the last book and that she had known the state he was in when she pushed Sookie into the boot of the car. This takes Alcide by surprise and he finally sees the light and publicly abjures her, meanwhile Debbie is furious. The plan is for Sookie to stay at a safe distance, but of course she ends up to her armpits in blood and gore as vampires, witches and wolves rip each other to pieces.

Sookie takes Eric back home while Pam is getting the spell reversed, but the fun doesn’t end there. They have a visitor and it’s Debbie Pelt who is not a happy camper and wants revenge. She tries to shoot Sookie, but Eric takes the bullet for her and in the moment that this distracts Debbie, Sookie shoots her dead. Afterwards, Eric gets rid of the body and car just before he gets his mind back. Once again Sookie is left alone.

It turns out that the witches weren’t behind Jason’s disappearance and Sookie has a brain wave. She and Sam go to Hotshot where Jason is being held hostage. One of Crystal’s admirers, jealous that she preferred a regular human, had taken him hostage with the intention of turning Jason into a part panther by repeatedly biting him. Pow. That was how quickly it was all resolved. In what is becoming a pattern to these books, the main plot was usually concluded four fifths of the way through and then the mini plot gains a little speed only to fizzle out with a rush as if CH wants to get it all over and done with. I don’t know why it is like this, it is not as if these books are huge tomes – a few extra pages adding more to the mini plot would have rounded out the story and it would have felt far less rushed.

Now everything is back to normal in Sookieland. It is clear that this book is far more interesting because there is more of Eric and less of Bill. His character is far more appealing and he actually has depth and doesn’t sulk, on the other hand Sookie hasn’t changed much. I hope that now as all the supernatural beings have been introduced, she is allowed to have a bit of room to grow too.
http://murdersheread.wordpress.com

Helpful

January Dockery

Eric and Sookie...WOW! Everything else fell flat!

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2010

This is book #4 in the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series. In this book Sookie finds herself single again and Bill is in Peru. Sookie finds Eric on the side of the road naked and his memory seems to be erased by a witches spell. Sookie's brother Jason soon after goes missing and Sookie has to find him and the witch to get the spell broken for Eric. In the meantime Sookie develops feelings for Eric and he also has feelings for her.

This book had great parts to it and then very boring parts as well! I loved every scene with Eric and Sookie in it. I love these two together! I enjoyed Bill being away (I am not a big fan of his), but other than that the book was a little disappointing. The witches weren't as interesting to me as they should have been and all the searching for Jason was boring! I skimmed a lot in this book and I don't normally do that.

I have to say the last 2 chapters were awesome and the ending was very interesting! I did enjoy this book and I will be reading the next book, I just thought this book lacked things that the last two seemed to have! I found myself wanting more scenes with her and Eric and less scenes of her hunting through the woods for her brother!

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Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse Book 4)

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