DEAD EVER AFTER (SOOKIE STACKHOUSE, BOOK #13) BY CHARLAINE HARRIS: BOOK REVIEW

Dead Ever After
Sookie Stackhouse, Book #13
By Charlaine Harris
ISBN# 9781937007881
Author’s Website:  http://www.charlaineharris.com/

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

*Beware of possible SPOILERS*

Dead Ever After is the final full-length novel in the Sookie Stackhouse series.  In this one Sookie’s relationship with Eric is still uncertain, but it doesn’t look good, especially with him spending all of his time away from her.  And,  honestly he’s still pretty steamed about Sookie saving Sam’s life instead of fixing his situation.

Arlene is out of jail thanks to one of Sookie’s enemies in a plot to see her spend the rest of her life in jail.  But that’s not the only scheme brewing to end Sookie once and for all.  But none of her enemies took the loyalty of Sookie’s friends into consideration when making their plans.  Sookie is once again hunting for a killer, but this time it’s to clear her name of a murder she didn’t commit!

Honestly, I knew going into this book that I wouldn’t be happy, but I had to see this series through to the end, no matter what!  I love Eric and hate seeing how much Harris has changed his character over the last couple of books and despise how things are ended between Sookie and him.  I’m not as angry as I thought I would be and,  I don’t think that this was necessarily a bad book, but overall it just made me….. sad.  There is no other word to describe it.

I just feel that if Harris had never intended for Sookie and Eric to end up together, then she never should have built up such a great and swoon-worthy relationship between them.  Their growing love compromised a majority of the series and it was a huge let down to see that their love couldn’t conquer all.  And, honestly the love that prevailed just didn’t seem as good as the one Sookie lost.  I didn’t feel a spark between her and her new love, in fact I felt this character was more fatherly than lover; even in this installment where I felt was the time to drive home that heat and passion that just wasn’t there.  I think this love should have been built up more over time if we fans were to ever believe in this couple.  Instead, Harris gave us a wonderful romance to trash it at the end and break all of  our hearts, and it seems I’m more broken-hearted over it than even Sookie is. I did have a feeling during the first book of the series, Dead Until Dark, that she would end up with this person, but I had hoped that Harris had changed her mind, as authors sometimes do.  But sadly that was not to be the case with this series

I’m glad that this series has come to a close. I just wish it had ended on a happier and more upbeat note.  There were so many better ways to end it, my personal favorite was Sookie using the cluviel dor to turn Eric human and eliminating the vampire marriage issue and also giving them the ability to have kids.  But that was not to be.  My heart does ache a bit for the death of the relationship that we Sookie fans have all come to love and count on.  I just feel that Eric (and all of the fans) deserved so much better than this ending.  This book was truly unlucky number 13.

Now I can only hope Eric and Sookie have a happier ending on True Blood.