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Summary: Humerous Page Turner
Review: I bought this book because I enjoyed Harris' Aurora Teagarden mystery series, not because it had a vampire theme. Once I'd got started with "Dead Until Dark" I found it difficult to put down. It combined great story telling with interesting, quirky characters, humor, and elements of fantasy. I hope there will be more books featuring Sookie Stackhouse and Vampire Bill.
Rating: 
Summary: This one grabs you by the throat...
Review: sorry, that was bad! I am a big Charlaine Harris fan and only mildly interested in vampires. But the combination of a an uncontrollably mind-reading heroine, newly legal vampires, a serial killer, a shape-shifter -- how could I resist? I find I don't want to say much at all about the plot, as it's too easy to give away some really exciting twists. It's fair to say that the story postulates vampires as a newly-emerged legal minority (word is they've been victimized by superstition, when really the poor people have been subjected to a terrible virus) with attendant vampire-philics and phobics roiling the waters of cultural change. Vampires can now subsist on artificial blood, so they don't have to be a danger to anyone. Harris has thought through vampire culture and the interaction of that culture with "normal" society to great effect -- the book would be fun to read just for that .I have to admit, though, that nothing about the vampires interested me as much as the main character, Sookie. If you think you want to be able to know what other people are thinking, the limitations of Sookie's life will make you think again. She's brave, brilliant and decent and watching her (and her sex life) develop is a true joy. Meanwhile, the book is tightly and extravagantly plotted and the psychological effects are fascinating and disturbing, absolutely gripping. Read it over a weekend or on vacation so you won't have to put it down -- you'll just have to know what happens next! Harris has set this up to continue as a series, and if she can continue this level of quality, people will be lining up for each new book.
Rating:
Summary: Wow, Really, Wow
Review: This was the best book I've read in about 3 years!
Rating:
Summary: Dead Until Dark
Review: Very nice quirky little book. Part mystery, part horror and some very funny humor. (i.e. page 1 "Every since vampires came out of the coffin" page 177 "All the vehicles were high-priced. You won't find a vampire in a Ford Fiesta") And who ever thought they would read a vampire book with one of the vampires named Bubba.
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Summary: Just When You Think You¿ve Heard It All
Review: I'm a jaded vampire addict. I read Elrod, lurk in the Masquerade, slaughter with Anita Blake, and kick butt with Buffy. Even so, I was hardly prepared for the advent of Sookie Stackhouse, a cocktail waitress at Merlotte's Bar in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Snookie is smart, cute, a perfect country girl, and totally dateless. Why? Well, she has a slight disability - she can read minds. One night at Merlotte's the small town doldrums are broken when a stranger rolls in. Not just any stranger, but a real vampire! Up from New Orleans and planning to settle down. Now that artificial blood has been invented, being a vampire has become legal. In the past few years many have decided to enter mainstream society. But the best part of all, Sookie discovers, is that she cannot read the stranger's mind. When two of the town's more nefarious characters try to waylay Sookie's customer and drain his blood; she comes to the rescue. In short order, Sookie and Bill the vampire (that's right - Bill) become a couple. Sookie helps Bill get his house repaired, introduces Bill to her Gran, and roots for him when he speaks to the Descendants of the Glorious Dead (a Civil War study group). All is not perfect though. Bon Temps is shaken by a series of horrific stranglings and the prime suspect is Sookie's brother. Bill is plagued by vampires from his past life (death?) as a bad New Orleans vampire. Not all of his past friends want him to go straight. And even Sookie's eternal optimism finds that dating a vampire can be a bit of a challenge. Sookie and Bill realize that the only way to return Bon Temps to peace and get on with a normal (?) life is to solve the crimes. It is impossible not to love Sookie, and enjoy many of the other quirky inhabitants of her small Southern town. Bill is not menacing in the traditional sense, and is a perfect gentleman most of the time. But writer Charlaine Harris never lets us quite forget that he is an efficient killer and a cold and deadly opponent. The novel is a pleasure to read and is full of surprises. Hopefully this will be the first in a new series of vampire tales in a Lousiana totally unlike that of Anne Rice. Prepare yourself, the South rises again!
Rating: 
Summary: Fun Read
Review: If you are expecting a Laurell K. Hamilton clone, you will be disappointed. However, if you like a fun read with some new twists and turns, read "Dead Until Dark". Both main characters are establishing an identity and do it well while solving a mystery. Harris has her own unique style of writing and for me it works. I'm definitely looking forward to the next in the series.
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Summary: Alternative universe take on legal vampires in America
Review: Ultra normal(except for a little psychic ability) Sookie finds adventure and love with her vampire Bill. Very sweet with real character development and interest. A fair number of people in the cast but its was a fast moving suspense and love story that pulled it all together at the end. I liked the historical and social background provided to make this alternative universe work as well as the way it captured the American small town mentality.
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Summary: You Have to Read This to Believe It!
Review: Dead Until Dark is definitely a different type of vampire novel. Personally, I'm not sure what type of category it fits into. You see it's a combination of horror, mystery, romance, and comedy. Yes, you read that line right. It's a combination of all the above. Sookie Stackhouse (that name grows on you) is a waitress at the local bar. Though not unattractive, Sookie doesn't date much. The locals consider her "slow." Sookie isn't slow. According to her, she has a disability. Her disability is she can read people's minds and that has a tendency to make them uneasy around her. Sookie has spent most of her life erecting mental barriers. Barriers that let her to block out what others are thinking. It is the only thing that allows her to keep her sanity. Then one night, a vampire comes into the bar. Sookie is delighted because she can't read his thoughts. This gives Sookie someone she can be around without expending vast amounts of energy to protect herself, someone whom she feels she can relax around. I love the scene where Sookie saves the vampire's life at the first of the book and they introduced themselves to each other. The scene goes something like this..."Bill," he said. I rocked onto my back with laughter. "The vampire Bill. I thought it might be Antoine, or Basil, or Langford! Bill!" I hadn't laughed so hard in a long time. With a sense of humor like this, you've got to love the heroine of this story. Suddenly, the young women in this southern town are being murdered. The signs point to vampire killings. The town people, who are uneasy about the new law protecting vampires, begin to look at Bill in a different light. One minute he acts like them, and then you see his scum vampire friends and realize these guys aren't human. To fully appreciate this book, you have to read it for yourself. I'm not kidding. It's not quite like anything I've read before. I've never read anything by Charlaine Harris before, but I'll definitely be looking for more books by her.
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Summary: A Vampire Romance With A Humourous Bite!!
Review: Dead Until Dark is one book that should not be missed. I LOVED everything about this book. LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT!! The heroine, vampire and storyline were superbly written. A definite page-turner here!! I couldn't put it down . . . . In the story, vampires are now legally recognized. They can go out in public and mingle with humans without the fear of being persecuted. Sookie Stackhouse lives in Bon Temps, Louisiana. She waitresses at Merlotte's Bar and leads a pretty quite but happy life. Yet, Sookie isn't your ordinary waitress. She has telepathic abilities which enables her to hear the thoughts of other people. This makes it pretty hard for her to have any kind of social life. She almost never has a date despite the fact that she is very pretty with blond hair and blue eyes. Mostly everyone thinks she is crazy. For years, she has wanted to meet a vampire. One night, quite unexpectedly, she does . . . Bill is a Civil War-era vampire. He is the "man" of her dreams. He is tall, handsome and mysterious. More importantly, she cannot hear his thoughts. She is estatic to find that there is only silence and tranquility when her mind merges to his. For Sookie, this kind of mental relaxation is almost seductive. She saves Bill from a nasty encounter and their relationship takes off. Immediately, he realizes that Sookie is different from other humans. He cannot use his vampire power on her. She is indifferent to his power. In all of his centuries he has existed, Bill has never come in contact with a human who could resist his power. He is intrigued. Suddenly, one of Sookie's co-workers is killed. Someone in Bon Temps is killing young women and making it look as though it is the work of a vampire. Teeth marks are found on the victim's thighs. Soon Bill and Sookie join forces hoping to find the culprit before the town turns against all vampires. Dead Until Dark is a SUPERB vampire romance/mystery. I just loved Sookie. She was pretty, smart, courageous and so very funny. Some of the things she said had me laughing out loud! Bill wasn't your typical bloodsucker running wild in search of "food". Yeah, he could be dangerous but he was more civilized than the other vampires who arrive unexpectedly. HIGHLY - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! It is a SUPERB vampire romance with a sweet dose of romance. ENJOY!
Rating: 
Summary: Don't bother.....
Review: If you like vampire books, like I do, then there is no need to read this book. The plot (or lack there of) is very basic. Someone is killing vampires, and the main character (Sookie) and her boyfriend vampire (Bill) have to find who's doing the killing and why. The Main character are very weak.Sookie is someone who can read minds, and falls in love with a vampire b/c she can't read his mind. I found her char to be very limited and annoying. Bill the vampire....what a weak vampire. Everything you can expect from a vampire, you won't find in Bill. Not only is he a "good" vampire, but also a very weak one. The other thing that bothered me about this book is that the other vampires (even the "bad" ones) were not that bad. They did nothing that violent or "vampiery". I read that some of the reviewers compared this book to the likes of Laurall K. Hamilton....not in a long shot. If you haven't read any of Hamilton book, start with Guilty Pleasures, and work your way through that series. You won't be sorry. Only but this book if you see it at a used bookstore. I expected so much from this book, and it just didn't deliver.
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