Rating: 
Summary: What ifs and complications
Review: "Dead to the World" is the fourth installment of Charlaine Harris's delightfully quirky Southern Vampire series. In this one, Sookie and Bill are very much in limbo after the events of "Club Dead." Bill has gone off to do research and in his absence, his macho boss, Eric turns up amnesiac and half-naked on a road near Sookie's house. Eric is the victim of a spell set by a coven of evil witches trying to take over his business. Sookie becomes his guardian until the crisis is over, and discovers an alternate version of Eric that's quite enticing. There are other complications as well, including a missing brother, a fairy, and a new group of weres. Once again, Sookie finds her life becoming interesting--and that's a mixed blessing at best.
Yes, there are echoes of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, but Charlaine Harris makes the genre her own. The Anita Blake series is dark and has gotten progressively kinkier, with the eroticism overwhelming the plot lines in the later novels. There's some sex in the Southern Vampire series, but it's much more subdued and sweeter than in later Anita books. "Club Dead" has the most sex of any Southern Vampire book so far, but it's part of a plot twist that leaves you with a wistful pang at the end.
Sookie is a very different kind of heroine than Anita. Whereas Anita has actively sought out the paranormal (she chose a career as a necromancer and vampire executioner), Sookie's had it thrust upon her. Sookie's basically an intelligent small-town woman with a very unusual talent, namely the ability to read minds. Everyone in the community knows it, and that makes her a loner. She's just a working girl with a handicap trying to get by. She's gotten involved with Bill the Vampire basically because she can't read his mind--a welcome relief from the usual mental chatter. Like Anita, she's grown and gotten tougher, but she'd really rather have a normal life.
For me, new books in the Southern Vampire series has become some of the few that I will buy in hardcover, because I just can't wait for them to come out in paper. Action, romance, humor and suspense in a paranormal setting--this series has it all. I love it! Besides, I finally know what happened to Elvis.
Rating:
Summary: We need more than 5 stars for this one!! Maybe 7 stars...
Review: Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris is an excellent vampire novel. I must admit that I found Ms. Harris' vampire series when trying to find something to read while waiting on a new Anita Blake book by L. Hamilton. Am I ever glad that I discovered Sookie Stackhouse! You don't need to be from the South to enjoy the Southern flavor of this story!Sookie is not your typical vampire novel heroine. She is neither very strong physically, nor is she very sure of herself emotionally. She's not had an easy life because of being telepathic in a small town, and that was before the changes caused in her life after the "coming out" of the vampires. Her ex-boyfriend, Bill the Vampire (as he's known around town), is out of the country and she's not sure she wants to see him anyway after her last "adventure" with him in Mississippi (you must read "Club Dead" to find out this part of the story). Sookie's story begins in "Dead Until Dark" where the main characters of the series are introduced. It's an interesting and entertaining story, which continues in "Living Dead in Dallas". I would recommend these books to anyone who enjoys vampire stories! They are truly worth reading (and reading in order)! This novel begins after a New Year's Eve party at Merlotte's (the bar where Sookie works). She is driving home when she nearly runs down a man clad in only jeans running down her road. When she stops, she finds that she knows the man and that he has no idea who he is although he does realize that he is a vampire. It turns out to be her ex-boyfriend's boss, Eric. As you've probably noted from the book description and the other reviews, there are twists and turns here aplenty. Some of the little things that runs through Sookie's mind are laugh out loud funny and I found myself doing just that many times. I regret that the book was not longer (but then I usually feel that way with books I love). I hope that in the future we see more of Alcide. I think he'd be good for Sookie. He seems almost too innocent sometimes but he's refreshing and obviously still wants to believe the best about people, which is such a rare thing in the world. I was surprised to find that I was happy with all but the last twist in the Sookie/Eric relationship. I loved to see his vulnerable side, tempered with his protective side. I enjoyed the introduction of the new shifters and the other assorted new additions to the character list, including the introduction of witches and a fairy into the mixture. I would also like to see Sookie's brother, Jason, grow up a bit and stop being such a male bimbo -- although I would hate for him to lose his charm and playfulness. All in all, the book was definitely a Wonderful story! As I said, I would recommend it to anyone!
Rating:
Summary: I love this series
Review: Each time I finish another book in this series, I wish they were longer. Unfortunately, this book is the latest in the series, so I'll have to wait a while for Ms. Harris' next installment. I've also read Laurel K. Hamilton's vampire series and I like them as well, but Sookie is a little easier to stomach; not as bloody as Anita, but she is getting tougher. It's been a neat and believable evolution of her character. I loved Eric in this book and wasn't too broken up about Bill. Can't wait to see what happens next!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Entry in the Series
Review: First of all: There are some series that you can jump into at any point. There are some series that you can't. If you absolutely had to, you could probably enter the Southern Vampire Series through any of the previous books, but I would not recommend starting with this one. I've read them all, but with my fuzzy memory found it a little slowgoing at the start of this one as I struggled to bring myself back up to speed.
Once I did, though, I was enthralled.
What makes Harris' books stand out from the paranormal-woman-involved-with-supernatural-man/men genre is her characters. Not that she's short on plot, but a good character has a lot of power to propel you through a story, and her Sookie Stackhouse reads like a three-dimensional, breathing woman. Moreover, her supernaturals read real, too. One might guess that an author who names a vampire lead "Bill" is seeking to demystify the species, but the way Harris does it--while often funny--doesn't make them less interesting. It makes them endearing, believable...what might actually happen if a human being were altered into something immortal and morally questionable. Vampirism adds layers, but doesn't alter the essential person, except with the kinds of masks we all adopt.
Some might object to Sookie's departure from her long-time sweetie, but I found the romance in this book surprisingly touching. Some other writers may get confused on the point, but Harris seems to understand that meaningless sex is the equivalent of meaningless action. It might make for blockbuster summer movies, but in books it lacks impact unless it involves the heart. In everything she does, Sookie has a lot of heart.
The series in general: it's a paranormal-woman-involved-with-supernatural-man/men-solving-mysteries series, so if you like others of the type (Hamilton's Anita Blake series, Feehan's Carpathian romance series, Huff's Vicki Nelson series), you should definitely check this out. There's a lot of southern color and humor in Harris' series, but these books are serious, not parodies of the genre. I can't wait for book 5.
Rating:
Summary: Yeah an Eric Story!!!
Review: I agree with every one else this was the best of the Sookie books. I can't wait for the next book that talks more about the fairy, imagine that a real fairy in Bon Temps. What's the deal with the vampires and their attraction to the fairy? I want to see if Jason will be a were-panther, and I wish Sookie and Sam would just go ahead and get it on and over with. Will she have a baby with Calvin Norris or no? These are things to read in the next Sookie Book. Oh and Charlaine, thanks for taking Debbie Pelt out of the story I didn't like that she called Sookie a "B" and thanks for making Sookie a stronger character in this book, and thanks for writing a story that center around Eric. I loved Eric even when his memory was in tact.
Rating: 
Summary: Hmmm...
Review: I am one of the world's largest vampire fans. There isn't a whole lot of vampire films (even bad ones) or books I haven't read. As being from the south, I really enjoyed this series. The first two books were beyond excellent. I found myself as a mother of two staying up to all hours of the night to finish them, but with these last two books I have been slightly disappointed in how the book has been led to almost make Bill non-existant. I found him the strongest lead man in the first two books and now I am finding myself missing him. Although Eric is very appealing, I want Bill back!! I like the monogomy in the first two books and I find Sookie being kinda handed around in the last two. All in all, the book has some high points to its appeal. I just miss my vamp man!!
Rating:
Summary: My favorite one in the series!
Review: I have loved this series since Dead Until Dark and I tried to resist reading the newest installment Dead to the World, for the next book won't be out in quite some time. This is the best Southern Vampire novel in the entire series! This is of course my favorite installment and I hated to see it end and savored the last pages with gusto. Sookie Stackhouse is still mourning her breakup with Bill when he tells her that he's off to Peru to meet with some vampires there. But Sookie isn't able to think about Bill much when, on her drive home from work, she finds vampire Eric, scared and vulnerable, wandering the streets in the middle of the night with almost no clothes on. He's lost his memory, has no idea what has happened to him, so Sookie decides to look after him. She is shocked to find that he is no longer the no-nonsense vampire trying to get into her pants that he'd once been. It appears that some witches have put a spell on Eric and are planning to wreak havoc among the supernaturals in Shreveport. To make matters worse, Sookie's brother is missing. Sookie seeks the help of the local vampires, werewolves and other shape shifters, but will they be able to fight against the most powerful witches ever encountered? There are many twists throughout the novel.
As said earlier, this is my favorite installment. There is a lot of action and Sookie is quite a tough cookie in this one. She is also reaching an uncertain future regarding her love life. She is not over Bill, but she is attracted to vampire leader Eric, werewolf Alcide and shape-shifter Sam. I have a feeling that the next installment will be quite interesting in the relationship department. I adore Eric. He sounds so scrumptious! He is what made this novel so memorable to me. He is the most interesting and sexiest of the male characters in the book, and there are quite a few hot men in this series! But that scene with Eric... I won't spoil it for the reader. Suffice it to say that it was the most delectable scene in the book. Anyway, I cannot recommend Dead to the World enough. This is the best part of Charlaine Harris's series thus far. The only bad thing is that I have read all of the books now and I will have to wait who knows how long till the next one. The good news is that Ms. Harris is releasing a novella based on this series in the Bite anthology next year. In the meantime, I strongly urge you to read this, but make sure you read the previous three installments before you do.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ
Review: I just began the series a month ago and just finished Dead to the World yesterday. This is my favorite book in the southern vampire series. If you are a fan of romance/vampires/shifters then this book is for you. The only problem I have found with all the books in the series is that they feel like they are way tooooo short. I love how Charlaine lets you see more openly into Eric's soul although its just for a little while. IF only he could stay that way he would be perfect. I can't wait for the next book, I hope she ties up the loose ends with Alcide and Sookie, I would love to see them together.
Rating: 
Summary: Lots of fun, but the plot hasn't progressed much...
Review: I love Sookie Stackhouse, and if you're reading this review, you probably adore her, too. She's a good person, just discovering the joys of... well, you know what. Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed Eric's amnesia and Sookie's importance to Eric during this period of time, I agree with the person who commented that she hopes Ms. Harris doesn't go down the nympho-porn path Laurell Hamilton did in her books. Trust me, Ms. Harris (and Ms. Hamilton, if you're reading this), sex in books is great, but sex cannot take the place of plot. Do I want to see Sookie hook up in a more permanent (and at least quasi-monogamous) fashion with Eric? Heck, yeah! But I prefer storyline with a little romance rather than romance with a little storyline. Don't get me wrong - this story is surprising, the plot moves fast with many twists, with lots of action. However, this is the type of book that fits between the novels that show "real" character development or storyline advancement. I'm hoping this book is a segway into something even more spectacular than the other incredible books in this series. Keep up the good work, Ms. Harris, you write beautifully.
Rating:
Summary: O Sookie...
Review: I really enjoyed this latest in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I finished it in a couple of hours but that was a combination of me being a fast reader and not being able to put the book down! In short, Bill leaves the country, Eric loses his memory (thanks to a bad coven of witches), Sookie's brother disappears, Bill comes back into the country, and then Sookie ends up saving the day (again). Of course its not as simple as I made it seem but I think you would much rather read it for yourself than have me tell you all about it. Bottom line its a good entertaining read and I can't wait for the next book in the series. For those who like to compare Sookie Stackhouse to Anita Blake I say apples and oranges- they are two very different women. And those who say that Harris has read too much Hamilton, I say since when did Hamilton invent vampires and weres?
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