The title of book ten is very appropriate to what the story is about, family. We get an expanded look at Sookie’s family. Sam has to deal with his family problems. New light is shone on Bill’s vampiric family. Eric opens up to Sookie about his family, then his Maker shows up, complicating their lives. Death is also a theme among a couple of these families. Someone dies or a death in the past has repercussions in the present.
In this installment, possibly more than any of the others, the reader really gets to see how Sookie has changed as a person. Sookie was, perhaps, idealistic in the first book, Dead Until Dark. So much has happened since then. Things that Sookie once thought were wrong, don’t seem so bad anymore. What she had to endure in the last book, Dead and Gone has really affected her. Her morality has shifted; she has problems calling herself a Christian. You see Sookie change throughout the series, but I think Dead In The Family underlines that change.
I know Dead In The Family has gotten mixed reviews. Some have called it just a “set-up” book and now they’re waiting for the next one. I don’t completely agree. I’m with the people who enjoyed it. Even though there are a bunch of loose ends just waiting for the next installment, I feel that Dead In The Family gives us more knowledge about our main characters than some of the other books have.
Other Reviews:
The Steel Bookshelf
Lucybird’s Book Blog
On A Pale Star
Let me know if you've reviewed it and I'll add your link.
I'm up to book 5 in this series. I will definitely be reading all of them at some point.
ReplyDeleteSo 10 books and she's still setting up for more? Wow! And yet this is the first I've heard of the series and author.
ReplyDeleteJohn, The HBO show True Blood is based on this series and a lot of people don't know that it's based on books. Harris's orginal contract was for ten books, but they extended it for three more.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your review 100%. I have read all of the books and have enjoyed each one. I can also include Dead Reckoning in that list, which also received mixed reviews. I'm personally willing to allow Harris to weave her story however she sees fit and just enjoy the ride. The last book left even more loose ends than Dead in the Family, but that just makes me want to read the 12th book even more :)
ReplyDeletecreativedeeds, I can't get enough of this series! I just picked up Dead Reckoning. I'm hoping to get to it soon.
ReplyDeleteLoni, I'll be on the look out for your review. Can't wait to see what your take is on it.
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