Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I was given a copy of this book to read and I am so glad.... glad that I did not have to waste my hard earned money on something that in all honesty fails to live up to expectations. Ms Harris herself has stated in interviews that this would be an unpopular ending and that she would have to go in hiding once it was released and she wasn't kidding. If it is true that she came up with this ending after book 2 or 3 then this would have indeed made logical sense as a final book if 4 were all that was planned. Instead, we were given 13 books, 5 of which CH also admits she was coerced into writing, that took the readers in a particular direction. One can only assume that the focus on Eric was quite simply a grab for money as no-one is interested in same and this became even more apparent after True Blood came to air and Alexander Skarsgard brought the beloved Viking to life. CH has claimed that she writes for herself and yet if this were true she would have ceased her books at book 8 as she originally intended and also gone through with her plan to kill Bill: both of which she was encouraged away from. I cannot even begin to presume as to why she was so intent on ending her series this way, particularly knowing how the majority of her fan base feels. Too many questions were left open in my opinion. The end is truly blah and does not at all leave the reader with a sense of closure, finality, or completion of the heroines journey; perhaps a blatant attempt to get people to purchase the Coda due out later this year? Eric, truly the most beloved of all characters in this series, and was written as essentially a bad-a** as he is a 1000 year old Viking, was essentially sold into slavery and considering how his early years as vampire began thanks to his maker Appius, this is truly the most cruel of endings. He is forced to give up his businesses, his children, his love, his marriage and his home and becomes what is essentially arm-candy, all for the bargain price of 200 years. The 'chemistry' between Sookie and her chosen 'love' is bland at best, showing less chemistry than an 8th grader in science class. It's stilted, confusing, and flies in the face of what CH herself established through her series. To suddenly go from being unable to be with 'normal men' and not wanting children, to riding off into the sunset with a non-vampire with plans to add to the population of Bon Temps without any prior for-shadowing is sloppy at best. What of the Vampires? Long claimed as being CH's equivalent of minority groups such as race or homosexuals, we are essentially left with the message that there can be no happily ever after for them; particularly upsetting given CH's own family. And what of the subject of rape? Our heroine was violated several books ago and yet has seemingly gotten over it to the point that she speaks to her attacker regularly, considers him a friend and asks for relationship advice! All while treating her husband with suspicion, anger and distrust. As someone who personally knows victims of such attacks and was also almost a victim myself, I find this attitude deplorable and does nothing to help the cause of those who suffer through these attacks. So in point form, here are the first 10 things that spring to mind as to what is wrong with this particular book. 1. After 12 books of having it said repeatedly by Sookie that Sam is ONLY her friend/boss/older brother type, she all of a sudden finds herself in love with him? 2. After `making love' for the first time, Sookie's internal monologue muses if this was only so great because of the magic of the C.D. and that she really doesn't care nor does it matter. Excuse me?? This coming from the woman who spent several BOOKS upset and fighting the bond between her and Eric because she believed it was only the magic of the bond that caused their love for each other. It annoyed her so greatly that she had the bond broken and discovered that she did in fact love Eric, `all on her own'. 3. It was also stated repeatedly throughout the series that Sookie believed she would never be able to be with a non-vampire due to her telepathy. While shifters and Were's were more difficult to read, they weren't impossible. This had caused such an issue for her that she was still a virgin until vampires came along. Suddenly, in this last book, it's stated she only reads their emotions, going directly against everything CH had stated in her books up to this point. 4. Sookie did not want children as she was afraid of passing along her telepathy. Actually, she wanted children, she just decided to not have any due to the reason stated. Now she's supposedly running off into the sunset with someone to have children with and while improbable, it's still a possibility her children, or at least her oldest child, will be a shifter...... another `curse' she didn't want to spring on her children 5. In a previous book, Sookie asked the question if her telepathy could be removed and was told that it could not. Removing it would be like removing a vital organ. All of a sudden, Niall offers to remove it for her so she might be able to lead a normal life? Again, NOT what was previously established. 6. Eric is a 1000 year old Viking vampire. He's supposedly quite scary and strong. This glorious man was tortured for the first years of his vampire years by his vampire master and finally earned his freedom, siring his own children he `raised in love', building his businesses etc. Now however, he has been banned from his children, his businesses, his love and his life, and is essentially being forced into roll of arm candy and slave for 200. 7. Eric stated several times he would NOT turn Sookie against her will. Yet in this final book, Eric tells her he wished he had. 8. Sookie was raped by Bill. There's no pretty way to put it really. Bill. Raped. Sookie. And how did the author handle this? Sookie and Bill kiss, Sookie ponders how nice it is, they become buddies and she asks advice of him! I know many victims of sexual crimes and this one point alone sickens them. 9. This series has the word Dead in every title, a nod to the vampires contained within. By the end, they are simply filler and no growth is achieved for any of them. 10. It's well known that the vampires in this series were a metaphor for the struggles experienced by homosexuals and other minority groups. How then do we interoperate the way these people have been handled: it is best to stick with your own kind as equality can never be achieved. One set of rules for you, and another for everyone else. In the end, I find myself extremely disappointed by a book that I had long looked forward to not only due to sloppy writing, but sloppy craftsmanship. Suddenly, Twilight doesn't look so bad.