Review: Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

Warning: Spoilers for previous books.

I read most of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series in a binge a couple of years ago when I was going into massive True Blood withdrawal. While I much preferred the show, I enjoyed the series and eagerly awaited the next book. I got my hands on Dead Reckoning as soon as I could, but I was left extremely unsatisfied. As a result I wasn't exactly hanging to read Deadlocked, the latest installment in this seemingly never-ending series. The fact that it got pretty "meh" reviews didn't help. But when a friend gave me a copy I figured I may as well get it over and done with. So here we are.

Deadlocked has cemented the fact that I'm well and truly over this series. Harris needs to wrap this shit up. I feel like it should have ended at least three books ago - she could have even kept the storyline in tact, coz if you remove all the inane and pointless details you cut at least a third off the length. I got so sick of reading about Sookie's chores and whether her grass was dry or her tyres were flat. At this point it doesn't even add anything to her character, other than to reinforce that without her supe buddies she's incredibly mundane.

The story, such as it was, focuses on the fairy and vampire political problems that were introduced in previous books. Unfortunately, the main characters in these situations - Claude, Niall and Eric - were notably absent from the majority of the book and much of the action happens off screen. What we're left with is a whole lot of Sookie wondering what the hell is going on, talking to various people on the phone and sometimes face to face and, well, paying bills, cooking, cleaning... sleeping. Oh, wait, that was just me, halfway through the book. There weren't even any sexy times to keep things mildly entertaining. 

I've never been a fan of the fairy plot, and was happy when I heard it would be resolved in Deadlocked. Too bad the resolution is the most anti-climactic thing I've read since Breaking Dawn. Seriously, Charlaine Harris? We had to put up with this fairy crap through multiple books for that?! So not worth it.

As for the vamp sitch, I thought the whole murder investigation and Eric's attempts to escape both being arrested and being married off would make for an interesting plot. I thought wrong. As I've already mentioned, Eric is mostly absent from the book and the plotline didn't really go anywhere. BILL was in Deadlocked more, and I wanted to throw things when Sookie started getting all friendly with him again. He freaking RAPED her. He should have stayed in Peru. I was also disappointed to see Quinn reappear. And Sam is just so dopey. I know many suspect he will be Sookie's endgame, and if that's the case I may have to hurt a book.

I'll read the next in the series, because it's the last and I want to see how everything comes together. Or if it does. But it's just not fun anymore.

Rating: 2/5

Eye Candy
At least this gave me a good excuse to post these pics (like I need one):

Review: Cargo by Jessica Au

This book is like the ocean; it lures you in with it's beauty and fluidity and knocks you down when you least expect it, leaving you with a raw feeling in your throat.

Set in a small beach town in 1992, Cargo tells three separate but intertwining stories of Gillian, who is vulnerable after losing her leg in an accident; Jacob, who lives in the shadow of his big brother; and Frankie, whose life is not as perfect as it seems. They're all at that awkward teen stage when every experience is fresh and every emotion is extreme. Each one is feeling love (or something like it) for the first time, as well as dealing with changing relationships with their families and confronting their hopes, dreams and expectations for the future.

I picked Cargo up after seeing the glowing review that Nic from Irresistible Reads gave it, and I was not disappointed. Au's prose is lovely, effectively evoking strong emotions and sensations, so that I could almost smell the sea air and feel the salt, sun and sand on my skin. Each sentence is a pleasure to read, the words carrying you along smoothly and dreamily; it's the perfect beach read, not because it's light and frothy but because it's truly relaxing. And, of course, it's set at the beach!

I really enjoyed the three stories, too; and especially appreciated the fact that although they were interconnected, they were still unique. Au weaves them together artfully, highlighting the way people touch each other's lives without even realising they have, as well as the fact that everyone has a story. You pass the same people every day, or recognise them from a distance, without ever knowing what they're going through. On top of this, it was interesting to be in the head of a character for one chapter and become aware of the way they see themselves, and then see them through the eyes of another character in the next chapter. The differing perspectives were never jarring for me; I enjoyed hopping from one head to the next. Overall, it was a simple but elegant read.

Rating: 4/5

Eye Candy

Jordan Rodrigues as Jacob

Adam Saunders as Alex

Charlotte Best as Gillian

Emily Browning as Frankie

Ryan Kwanten as James

Fine Print
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Published: August 2011
Get It: Booktopia

Review: Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

This book answered a bunch of questions but left me asking even more.

Having read the entire series back-to-back over a few weeks last year, I'd been super excited about the release of the next Sookie Stackhouse book. But sadly, while it satisfied me to some extent, I can't help feeling a bit... disappointed.

Dead Reckoning follows Sookie's continuing (mis)adventures as she deals with her complex relationship with the (hot hot hot) vampire Eric, a rough patch at work, her newly-found fairy family living in her house, and more than a few crazy creatures out to get her. The thing is, none of this is particularly new; it's just variations on what's happened in previous books, and I have to admit I'm getting a bit over it. Of course, I lurved anything involving Eric, and found his part of the storyline gripping, but was unimpressed by how little it progressed and how some major issues were left hanging (obviously setting up the story for yet another book in the series). I find the whole fairy plot kind of dull, and paradoxically was frustrated by how much of the story it took up and also how much was left unresolved (again). Yes, Sookie got some answers, but most of those seemed unimportant compared to what wasn't answered.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book while I was reading it, but after I finished I kind of felt like, "Was that it?!" Although a couple of big things happened towards the end, the majority if the book moved quite slowly (for instance, I was shocked when I realised I was a third of the way through - it felt like all Sookie had done was clean her house and go to work!) and overall it seems to have been more of a set up for the next book than a story within itself.

Rating: 3/5

Spoilery Talking Points

• I really, really hope Sookie doesn't leave Eric and get back with Bill, as the end seemed to hint at. I might just give up on the series if she does. I hate Bill, especially in the books.
• I'm so disappointed with the way Alcide's character has gone - he could have been a serious contender when he was first introduced, but now he's just such a tool box.
• I felt so sad for Pam! I also wanted to see more of her AND Eric. 
• Was it just me, or were the two big showdowns at the end kind of anti-climatic? Sure, they were pretty violent (especially the assassination of Victor), but it almost seemed too easy for Sookie's side. I mean, they only had one casualty, and yet completely wiped out the other side?! I know they're the good guys and all, but it to me it was a bit too much of a Meyer-style cop out.
• Did I mention I'm over the fairies? It doesn't look like they're going anywhere anytime soon, though. 
• After making a big thing about the portal being too small for anyone to travel through, it seemed dumb that they were able to dump a body - even a "small" one - in there.
• As for the cluviel dor, I predict Sookie will use it to get Eric out of his marriage to the Queen of Oklahoma. At least, I hope she does that - and DOESN'T get back with Bill. The thought also crossed my mind that she could maybe turn Eric into a human... but that's probably pretty implausible.

Eye Candy
As a massive True Blood fan (it's the main reason I read the books in the first place), I pretty much pictured the entire cast as their characters. That's coz I think, for the most part, the casting is spot-on - especially for the guys.

Sookie and her harem

A shirtless Eric, just coz

I love this pic of Jason - it sums up his character perfectly

How awesome is Pam?! I love her

 

Sure, Alcide is an a-hole in this book, but that doesn't mean we can't perve

Review: Not Meeting Mr Right by Anita Heiss

This book took waaaaaay too long to read.

It was second in my Aussie Author Month endeavours, and I started in on Thursday, April 7. Like I said, waaaay too long. An easy, light chick-lit read, I thought I'd be finished by the following Sunday and could launch into the rest of my Aussie author list with gusto. But here I am, two weeks later and nearly at the end of Aussie Author month (at least for me - I'm leaving the country on Monday and will be away from the blog), and I've only just finished book two. I'm a bit disappointed, but these things happen. For one, I've been ridonkulously busy in the leadup to my holiday. For another, I kinda struggled with this book.

It was an easy read, don't get me wrong - and quite well-written. Unfortunately, I just couldn't stand the main character. I tried, oh, I tried REALLY hard - she's a history buff, dammit, I should be able to relate! - but she just annoyed me more than anything. See, Alice is a Sydney-sider in her late 20s who loves the single life... until she goes to her high school reunion and is disgusted by all the married women who can't talk about anything but their husbands and babies. So disgusted is she, that she promptly decides she wants to be one of them. Oh, but she'll be better at it than them, of course, and she'll even manage it by her 30th birthday - two years away. What ensues is a looooooooong string of bad blind dates, failed singles events, relationship drama, flirtations with the classifieds and internet dating, attractions to the wrong guys and rudeness to the nice ones.

I think that was my main problem with Alice - to me, she came across as quite rude and judgemental. Sure, it was funny a few times, but it just got very, very grating after awhile. Even at the beginning, she's uber-judgemental of her former classmates; first, she ridicules stay-at-home mums for having no careers, then turns her nose up at a working mum for "abandoning" her kids. And after spending the evening looking down on everyone, she decides she wants what they have?! It's probably not a good thing when the whole premise on which a story is built annoys you. I wanted to like this book, but I guess, like the gazillion men Alice meets, it just wasn't the right one for me.

Rating: 2.5/5

Talking Points

• I don't tend to read many Aussie books (certainly not enough), so it was a novelty to read something that was set in my hometown. I could not only picture the general city easily, but also specific bars, beaches, streets and everything! That was kinda cool.
• It was good to see a heroine who was a strong, powerful, successful Indigenous woman. It's just a shame she was so unlikeable.
• There's a sequel to this book called Avoiding Mr Right, apparently told from the perspective of Alice's friend Peta. I'm kinda curious to read it - I liked Peta as a character. Especially because she seemed to get just as annoyed at Alice sometimes.

Fine Print
Genre: Chick lit
Publisher: Bantam
Published: 2007
Get It: Fishpond

This post is part of Aussie Author Month, which supports the Indigenous Literacy Project.