Sookie Stackhouse has been waiting for something her whole life but she didn't know exactly what it was until a vampire named Bill walks into Merlotte's, the bar where she works waiting tables. In the world of Dead Until Dark vampires are real. In fact, they've been out of the closet so to speak going on about two years. Everybody knows about them and they've even began to try to assimilate themselves into mainstream American society.Well, SOME of them have. Some live lawless lives using and preying on humans like they've done for thousands of years. But Bill is different. He's come home to the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps after 200 years of wandering. He wants to stay in Bon Temps. Become part of the town. Of course, just because everyone knows about the existence of vampires doesn't mean they aren't still feared.
People fear Sookie as well. It's well known that she has a "gift". Actually, Sookie calls it a "disability". Sookie can read the minds of the people around her at will. Over the years she's been able to sublimate those thoughts into white noise that she doesn't pay much attention to unless she wants to, but it's still a pain in the butt to always keep a shield up. It's also a real block to getting a date. She's 25 years old and still a virgin. But Bill is different. He's the first vampire she's ever met and she learns something about him that tickles her pink. She cannot hear Bill's thoughts. Finally, she can be around someone with whom she can experience some peace and quiet.
Just because it's a small town doesn't mean Bon Temps is a QUIET town. On the same night Bill shows up at Merlotte's, Sookie has to rescue him from a pair of white trash "drainers". Some people drain blood from vampires against their will because the blood has extraordinary healing and narcotic powers if drunk by a human. The drainers sell the blood to buyers like dealers selling coke. If the vampire dies in the process, well, that's just too bad. And then there's the problem of the mysterious murders of two young townswomen. Both of the girls just happen to have been waitresses at Merlotte's....just like Sookie! Sookie begins to think she might be next even as her fellow residents start to think that Bill might be responsible since the murders started just as he arrived in town.
I picked up this novel simply because I was such a big fan of HBO's True Blood tv series. I don't have cable so I either have to watch at somebody's house or wait until they come out on video. So I thought I'd start reading the books until I can see the third season. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed initially by this first book. Usually, the book is always deeper and more detailed than the live action version, but that isn't the case with Dead Until Dark. My first reaction is to say that the tv show is the superior version, but I really can't. The experience is too apple and orange for a couple of reasons.
The biggest difference between the tv show and the novel is the fact that the entire book is completely narrated from Sookie's point of view. She does read some minds when people are around her, but she has no first hand knowledge of scenes taking place outside of her direct involvement. The easiest way to see the difference is to imagine the True Blood tv show being cut down to only scenes where Sookie appears. It's a pretty drastic change and the novel is poorer for it.
Because of the limited viewpoint, the supporting characters occupy a lot less space in the book. For instance Lafayette is barely mentioned. His role probably occupies about 3 paragraphs total. And if you're looking for Tara and her addict mom, you'll search in vain in this first novel. There is also no Jessica, the young girl that Bill had to turn into a vampire towards the end of the first season. There are also characters that appear only in the novel.
The book is almost completely focused on Sookie and Bill's evolving relationship. This isn't a bad thing, it's just that True Blood has a pretty big spotlight for its ensemble cast whereas the novel shines a laser pointer almost exclusively on our two lovers. Jason, Sookie's brother, is present, but he's much more of an asshole, even to his sis. He is a very unlikeable dude. Jason's character in the tv show seems to be taken from a dumb, handsome, and loyal friend of Sookie's named JB du Rone who only appears in the book.
The aspect of the book that didn't change was the broad plotline of the serial killings of the Merlotte's waitresses and the search for their murderer. After my disappointment over the lack of continuity or comparable experience with the tv show, I began to accept that this was a totally different take on the story. I started to enjoy reading it then. Mostly because it was fun to be surprised at how different it was. Some characters are reversed, some stay the same, some are absent entirely. The same can be said of the action. So if you're gonna try these books, approach them with an open mind. See them and the the tv shows as different reflections of a prism. Personally, in the end, I have to say I enjoy the tv show more. But I had fun with the book and will continue reading the series.
My Grade: B
(This book is published by Ace, Price: $7.99)
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