Charlaine Harris: Dead to the World

• ISBN-13: 9780441012183
• Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
• Publication date: 5/5/2005
• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Edition description: Reprint
• Pages: 320

  It's not every day that you come across a naked man on the side of the road. That's why cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse doesn't just drive by. Turns out the poor thing hasn't a clue who he is, but Sookie does. It's Eric the vampire - but now he's a kinder, gentler Eric. And a scared Eric, because whoever took his memory now wants his life. Sookie's investigation into who and why leads straight into a dangerous battle among witches, vampires, and werewolves. But a greater danger could be to Sookie's heart - because this version of Eric is very difficult to resist...

 Sookeh and Beel are still on the rocks, and it's looking pretty perminent considering the distinct lack of Beel in this novel. He basically makes an appearance at the beginning to announce he's not going to be in this novel overmuch, and then at the end to help keep everybody from dying. Thanks, bro. Other than that, this installment is all about Sookie and the suddenly-memoryless Eric. 
 There's a new brood of witches in town, and I was shocked at how little they were actually in town. They are threatening basically the entire supernatural community of the area surrounding Bon Temps, yet they are easily dispersed at the end of the novel, and, frankly, don't seem terribly threatening to the actual supernatural community. They just feel more bitchy to me. But personal opinions are personal. I was actually kind of proud of Sookie in this novel. She put on her big-girl britches and managed to take care of all the people she had promised (to herself) she would. She stepped into her adult shoes with a little more eagerness than I was anticipating in certain areas, though. Can we all agree to acknowledge that she does sleep with Eric in this novel, since season four or whatever of True Blood basically follows this novel, and I think anyone who's ever heard anything about True Blood knows this. Okay, that's out of the way. She jumps into bed with him awful quick, though. Surprising. But you go, girl.
 We also have the introduction of some new characters that I feel will be around for quite a bit, namely the Hotshot community of shapeshifters. I kind of really like Calvin, although I couldn't tell you why, distinctly. He just seems really...cool. He also hits on Sookie with determination, and not because he likes her sparkling personality. I like that, and it makes me laugh a little. He's a strong leader and takes care of the shit his people deal out with no problem. I generally have a problem with characters in leadership positions who refuse to discipline their people or acknowledge their wrongdoing. No problem with that here. Bravo.
 Finally, we have Jason being less of an ass than usual, but that's through a lack of presence, really. His one significant contribution to the novel, taken under his own will, was a total ass-hat move that he portrayed as being in Sookie's interest, but was really just him being a greedy bitch. 
 Another character I really enjoyed this time - Pam. Pam is righteous, and the only fault I can find is in her choice of clothing. No pink, Pam. You're better than that. I like the relationship she and Sookie are developing, although it's still in its infancy. I'm expecting some entertaining hi-jinks out of these two, Ms. Harris. And as much as I hate to return to an earlier subject, since it suggests that my review doesn't have good form, I'm also excited for the developing romance of Sookie and Eric. We got a glimpse of what he might once have been, and might still be somewhere inside that heap of ego. He has potential. 
 Overall: A
 It was a great read without annoying me even once. And it brought a lot of ideas and potentialities between the characters to the forefront, making me anticipate the forthcoming novels more than ever before. The action was a little lacking, though, and seemed somewhat anti-climactic at the end. Oh well, you can't have everything.