Living Dead in Dallas
Book #2 of the Sookie Stackhouse Series
by Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Orbit (April 2004)
Genre: Paranormal
Format: eBook (288 pages)
Source: Books 4 Reviews
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 stars)
Sookie Stackhouse likes living in Bon Temps, Louisiana, and she likes working as a cocktail waitress at Merlotte’s. But she is having a streak of bad luck. First her co-worker is killed, and no one seems to care. Then she comes face-to-face with a beastly creature which gives her a painful and poisonous lashing. Enter the vampires, who graciously suck the poison from her veins (like they didn’t enjoy it).
The point is: the vampires saved her life. So when one of her bloodsuckers asks for a favour, she obliges-and soon Sookie’s in Dallas, using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire. She’s supposed to interview certain humans involved, but she makes one condition: the vampires must promise to behave, and let the humans go unharmed. But that’s easier than done, and all it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly…
Add on GoodreadsAt a Glance
There are so many things I can complain about in this book, but OMG, Eric made it all worth it. Yummmm!
The Good
I really, really enjoyed Living Dead in Dallas. It has great action, suspense, mystery, and sexual tension. And Sookie gets beat up so many times I lost count, lol. Seriously though, I loved the adventures Sookie went on with Bill and Eric. First, the mythical creature that attacks Sookie scared the crap out of me. And it only got worse when vampires had to suck out the poison the creature has injected Sookie with. It was freakin’ hilarious but I could totally feel Sookie’s pain.
The the Dallas part just takes this book from good to great. Doing a favor for Eric was probably not a good idea. Sookie gets into some frightening situations…and some erotic ones too…but it’s all worth it because she gets closer to Eric. Oh Eric, my sociopathic hero. It’s so wrong to love his violent ways and trickery, but I simply can’t help it. I LOVE Eric’s emergence as a stronger, more out-there character. He had me laughing the whole time and even Sookie wasn’t completely immune to his “charms.” I can’t wait to see where this all goes.
Though some may not agree, I liked the less romance and more funny moments in Living Dead in Dallas. I don’t really like Harris’s romantic writing style, but she is good at humor. The world building was also done well. The more I learn about this world full of vampires, the more I can’t wait to read the next book.
This may be wrong but I like that Sookie and Bill’s relationship gets strained in this book. He isn’t my fav character so it makes me happy to see her kind of warm up to Eric and back off from Bill. But Bill’s jerkiness added spice as well. I didn’t expect to see a rift in their relationship so early, and I wasn’t expecting to see Bill’s ruthless and violent side either. He is one scary vamp.
The Bad
*Sigh* I can’t help but let the bad writing get to me sometimes. I just don’t like Harris’s writing style. The lengthy descriptions of clothes makes me want to pull my hair out.
This book has two main plots which was odd to me. One doesn’t really fit with the other and it completely bisects the story.
I loved Sookie’s light-heartedness and perky demeanor in the first book, but in this book she just seems self-absorbed, stubborn, and shallow.
This isn’t really bad but I just wanted to mention that if you watch the TV series, don’t expect it to follow the books.
The Snuggly
This book has less sex than the first book but the sexual tension was awesome. We still get sexy scenes though. But really I didn’t even care about them, all that mattered was I LOVE ERIC and I want more of him.
Warning: Expect Orgy scenes and almost rape.
Overall
I can go on all day about the things that bother me about Living Dead in Dallas but really, in the end, the story drew me in and Eric kept me reading. I loved it. I had fun, which is really all that matters. Recommended for sure.
“Sookie, my little bullet-sucker”
“Eric, my big bullshitter”
~~~~~~~~~~
Glass shattered, vampires roared, humans screamed. The noise battered at me, just as the tidal wave of scores of brains at high gear washed over me. When it began to taper off, I looked up into Eric’s eyes. Incredibly, he was excited. He smiled at me. “I knew I’d get on top of you somehow,” he said.
“Are you trying to make me mad so I’ll forget how scared I am?”
“No, I’m just opportunistic.”
I wiggled, trying to get out from under him, and he said, “Oh, do that again. It felt great.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“Hey, our hair’s the same color,” I said, eyeing us side by side in the mirror.
“Sure is, Girlfriend.” Eric grinned at me. “But are you blond all the way down?”
“Don’t you wish you knew?”
“Yes,” he said simply
Sookie Stackhouse Series:
Book #1: Dead Until Dark (Click for Review)
Book #2: Living Dead in Dallas
Book #3: Club Dead
Book #4: Dead to the World
Book #5: Dead as a Doornail
Book #6: Definitely Dead
Book #7: All Together Dead
Book #8: From Dead to Worse
Book #9: Dead and Gone
Book #10: Dead in the Family
Book #11: Dead Reckoning
Book #12: Deadlocked
Book #13: Dead Ever After
Julie
OMG, I’ve been wanting to read these over lately especially before the last book comes out. I didn’t really care for the last few books but they’re leading up to the last one so I’ll read them over too. I love Eric too! I don’t want to spoil it for your readers but Eric in the last few books 🙁
Great review! You hit the pros and cons nicely.
Jennifer Bielman
Thanks. I still need to read the last couple of books. I didn’t like many of them near the end so I just stopped reading. I should finish the series at least.
Sarah Elizabeth
Totally agree with you about the two storylines not co-insiding very well. The storyline going on in bon temps is just sort of added on at the end. I get annoyed when the story suddenly goes off on a tangent about something random too, especially the clothes! I actually find it really difficult to decide whether I like the books or the tv show most because the books are quite 50/50 love-hate!
I’m with you on the Eric thing though. He is totally loveable ♡ Just wait til book 4! Definitely the best book for Eric ☺
Jennifer Bielman
I know, the bon temps part of the plot at the beginning then at the end was just thrown in.
I think I like the show better, more action and more Eric!!!
Alyson LaBarge
Jennifer, I just have to tell you how much I adore your style! Your blog is a fun, happy place to come, your reviews are always interesting and informative and I just love getting your email! I have to admit though, I did not realize I must have subconsciously picked up your The Good: The Bad: and The Snuggly: because they are apart of my reviews. I do hope you don’t mind…it should be a high compliment that I stored it in my memory that well.;) If you would like me to change it, no problem. Just DM me and I’ll cook up something else. In the meanwhile, blog on!
Jennifer Bielman
Aww, you are so sweet. I love hearing that I actually make a difference.
I totally don’t mind if we have the same format in our reviews. I got the idea from a Kim Harrison book who named her book after The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, but with the end saying The Undead.
I have taken aspects of many book bloggers review style to come up with mine so it’s to be expected for ours to look similar sometimes. So don’t worry at all.
kimbacaffeinate
Jen you crack me up..and i am drooling over Eric. I own this entire series and haven’t read them…I know! Right?!? I might take a peek at the writing style..to see what you are talking about. Great review!
Jennifer Bielman
LOL, it’s weird how we can have all these great books on our shelves but we can’t find the time to read them. It’s just sad.
If I hadn’t read so many great books, the writing style may have never even caught my notice but there are too many good books out there to compare it to.
Anya @ On Starships and Dragonwings
So I’ll probably never read these books because my boyfriend loves the TV show and I think it would just be confusing to me to have the two very disparate but similar stories colliding. But omg Eric is delicious, agreed :D.
Jennifer Bielman
It is a little weird to read the story one way and see the show have something different.
Melissa (My World...in words and pages)
You are just starting this series then. I’m afraid I’ve not started it at all yet. Thanks for the thoughts on it. (hope the writing gets better as you go through the books)
Jennifer Bielman
I have actually read most of the series by borrowing a friend’s books a long time ago. I am rereading them again. I liked them better when I first read them.
Elisa
Aw Sookie. I think these were among my first paranormals, these and Anita Blake. In both series I loved the earlier ones so much! I agree, Bill is a blech and Eric is so amazingly fun and the sexual tension is off the charts! Enjoy them. I need to reread them, that or just read your reviews and roll around in the memories. 🙂 Such fun.
Jennifer Bielman
Yup, Sookie and Anita Blake were my first paranormals too. The beginning books are so much better than the recent ones for both series. I don’t know why authors peter out like that.
Sarah (saz101)
JENN.
I COMMENTED.
…I swear I commented…
or… maybe it was Club Dead? And…
OK, the first four are my favorites in the series, and I liked this a LOT, because I loved Bill desperately at the time. I remember telling my best friend I wouldn’t read the series if she and Bill broke up, and she wound up with Eric (*cough* I may have been in the midst of a Twilight crazy and called him ‘Jacob’ *cough).
Then I remember telling her TEAM ERIC! TEAM ERIC! TEAM ERIC! TEAM ERIC!
But this. OMG, THIS: ” This book has two main plots which was odd to me. One doesn’t really fit with the other and it completely bisects the story.”
YES. The two separate plots are actually confusing. And it’s not like they’re related in some way, really. They really are SEPARATE. And it’s confusing.
The more I mature as a reader, the more I agree with you on the writing, too.
I’m really enjoying your reviews, Jenn! ♥
Jennifer Bielman
LOL. I will check my spam folder for your comment just in case.
I know how you feel because if I like a character I get mad when the couple breaks up. Luckily, Eric is so awesome he is easy to love more.
Yeah, the two seperate plots are just so odd. I still don’t get it.
When I first read these, I didn’t mind the writing, but rereading them I notice a lot more now.