From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse, #8)

by Charlaine Harris

book data

6,749 ratings, 4.05 average rating, 732 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		33%
4		40%
3		21%
2		3%
1		0%

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published

May 6th 2008 by Ace Hardcover

binding

Hardcover, 359 pages

characters

Sookie Stackhouse

setting

The United States

isbn

0441015891 (isbn13: 9780441015894)

description

After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the man-made explosion at the vampire summit, everyone -- human and otherwise -- is stressed, ...more

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02/19/08

Chellie rated it:

bookshelves: fantasy

Read in May, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I read an interview with CH saying she had started this book, got off an tangent, and realized she'd finished the book not just the tangent. This book has that feel... like it's really just 3 or 4 tangents and not a fully developed, interwoven novel. CH is an amazing author so I don't fault her. I chalk it up to this is the 8th book in a series of first person narrative that has gotten so complex with so many overlapping story-lines, it was bound to happen. This is, to me, a wrap-up book. T...more

Like this review? yes (16 people liked it)

7 comments

05/08/08

Julie (jjmachshev) rated it:

bookshelves: 2008-reads

Read in May, 2008

OH, OH, OH. Sookie, Sookie, Sookie. This gal just cannot catch a break! In this book, we learn a little more about where Sookie's 'gift' comes from. She finally sees Quinn again. Eric has a couple of surprises for her, and gets a big one himself. There's death, mayhem, and magic all around...and Sookie has to figure out if she can learn to accept her life in this new world of danger, insecurity, and maybe....love?

If you've been following Sookie's story. GO...RIGHT NOW! Stop r...more

Like this review? yes (12 people liked it)

4 comments

05/15/08

Amanda rated it:

I want to give this one a four-star because it's C.Harris and she's amazing. Her voice is utterly unique and delightful and I love her characters. What's more, her world is very real, her vampires are interesting, and I love that she's taken all of her carefully laid-out plots and sent them topsy-turvy in the wake of Katrina. Very little has driven home the tragedy of Katrina as well as CH's last few books.

But this was clearly not a whole novel -- it was more like a handful of short ...more

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01/31/08

Jamie rated it:

bookshelves: urban-fantasy

Read in May, 2008

The book was entertaining, but something is beginning to bother me about the writing as I continue with this series, although I can't quite put my finger on it.

Maybe it's that Sookie's inner voice is starting to sound like that of Harper Connelly, the protagonist of Harris' other paranormal series, and that's not a good thing. Like Harper, Sookie seems detached, reacting to events without really feeling anything. The shallow writing style also makes it seem as if Sookie isn't very ...more

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01/24/09

Celia rated it:

bookshelves: audio-book, urban-fantasy

Read in January, 2009

This book could have been subtitled "How to Wind About Four Different Tiny Storylines into One Relatively Small Book and Maintain a Ridiculous Level of Detail So That Readers Can Calculate Exactly How Much Coffee My Heroine Drinks Each Day". Yes, it would have made marketing the book a bit difficult, but might have given readers a better idea of what to expect.

Sookie encounters a war in the were community, then a war between the vampires, then she breaks off her relationsh...more

Like this review? yes (7 people liked it)

2 comments

01/10/08

Valerie rated it:

bookshelves: vampire

Read in May, 2008

From Dead to Worse is the eighth book in Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series. After not liking the last installment overmuch (All Together Dead), I thought FDTW was a nice return to Sookie's roots and the foundation that made the series so good in the first place - Sookie being herself back home in Bon Temps, Louisiana.

This book seemed like somewhat of a transition. After the huge events of the last book and the vampire summit, this book seemed to take a breath and recover a b...more

Like this review? yes (4 people liked it)

1 comment

05/14/08

Angie rated it:

bookshelves: good-uns

Read in May, 2008

From Dead to Worse is the eighth Sookie Stackhouse book and, after reading it, definitely a comfort Sookie for me. Meaning, of the eight books so far, this is one I'll go back and reread when I want to feel good about things again. Right up there with numbers four and five-- Dead to the World and Dead as a Doornail. And, yes, I realize that my favorite Sookie books are also the ones with a high Eric factor. That's just the way it is. Fortunately, Ms. Harris seems to be channeling the good Eric ...more From Dead to Worse is the eighth Sookie Stackhouse book and, after reading it, definitely a comfort Sookie for me. Meaning, of the eight books so far, this is one I'll go back and reread when I want to feel good about things again. Right up there with numbers four and five-- Dead to the World and Dead as a Doornail. And, yes, I realize that my favorite Sookie books are also the ones with a high Eric factor. That's just the way it is. Fortunately, Ms. Harris seems to be channeling the good Eric vibes as well, because I continue to like where his and Sookie's relationship is going. And I like that it's not speeding but taking its time. Although, I will put in a request for "that conversation" to happen in the next book, please thank you.

This installment sees Sookie and company recovering from the repercussions of the disastrous vampire summit in the last book. Post-Hurricane Katrina Louisiana is also still recovering and several new people come into Sookie's life as a result of this necessary shifting around of their state and their lives. This story seemed very real to me. The trademark humor is still there and as charming as ever. But Sookie makes several weighty decisions throughout the course of this book. Forces herself to, in some cases. And where a few new characters come in, a few older ones make what I would term exits. Wisely chosen ones, I thought.

Sam maintains a quiet but firm presence in Sookie's life. Bill determinedly lingers around the edges. And, even though I will always despise him, he did remind me (and Sookie) of a few of the reasons they got together in the first book. And Eric and Sookie continue to navigate the deep waters between them (their increasingly powerful blood bond, that pesky long-term amnesia thing Eric's got going on, etc). I enjoyed this installment because it was low key, but carried simmering consequences and intriguing possible developments under its calm-ish surface. Sookie was superb. Extremely mature, unafraid, and determined. In all the best ways. Another hit for Charlaine Harris. Can't wait for book nine. (less)

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

4 comments

01/31/08

Seth rated it:

bookshelves: modernfantasy

NOTE: I didn't mark this review as containing spoilers, but it does discuss general plot direction. It reveals the general tone of the last half of the book. Spoiler purists may want to hold off. Most people will be fine.

A fine addition to the Sookie Stackhouse books, Dead to Worse sees Sookie dealing with the continuing aftermath of the debacle in New Orleans. Her boyfriend is still missing, the witch she picked up as a roommate is still complicating her life, her real grandfa...more NOTE: I didn't mark this review as containing spoilers, but it does discuss general plot direction. It reveals the general tone of the last half of the book. Spoiler purists may want to hold off. Most people will be fine.

A fine addition to the Sookie Stackhouse books, Dead to Worse sees Sookie dealing with the continuing aftermath of the debacle in New Orleans. Her boyfriend is still missing, the witch she picked up as a roommate is still complicating her life, her real grandfather wants to talk to her and all of Louisiana's supernatural communities are reeling from the devastation brought by hurricane Katrina.

In Poppy Z. Brite's parlance, this is a "post-K" book, the sort every Louisina author (or author setting material in Louisiana) has to deal with. The overall mood is devastation and the themes are change and uncertainty. The physical, social, and economic restructuring from Katrina is mirrored in the supernatural community as well as in the personal lives of the major characters.

The book is roughly split in two sections: the first deals with the Shreveport werewolves and the second with the vampire hierarchy. Both power structures are up for grabs with the current power holders weakened by the results of the previous two books. Both call on Sookie as a stabilizing influence, whether she wants it or not.

The contrast, or lack of contrast, is interesting. The werewolf conflict is bloody and short. It begins with random-seeming murders and Sookie steps in (in a quintessentially Sookie moment: calling the pack leader and asking, "why are you trying to have me killed?") and plays mediator. Well, she plays lie-detector. As a result, the occasional murders turn into a full-fledged war with fur and death all around. And both sides of the pack hierarchy thank her for it.

The vampire conflict seems more civil at the start, with an established order to maintain and a structure for negotiations and agreements, but in the end it is at least as brutal. Sookie provides the framework for the solution, but the vampires themselves have to solve it.

In each case, there is an outside agitator element and the locals have to decide, regardless of their local relationships, whether they are loyal to their friends, their community, or themselves. In particular, Eric has to choose between his queen, his position, his club (and staff), and his pride.

Another recurring element of the book is Sookie standing up and doing something hard. She hasn't been good at that in previous books and it's nice to see that the events and growth of the last year or so are taking hold. Not really something developed in Worse but we're shown how it affects her.

Not a huge amount of character growth or any expansion of the world--although the ongoing "will the shapeshifters come out of the closet" question gets some discussion--but a nice breather to let the changes in the world and characters settle in.

A fun one-sitting read and a fine addition to the series.(less)

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06/17/08

Gemma rated it:

bookshelves: supernatural

The latest in the 'Sookie Stackhouse' series, this book ties up a number of loose ends from the previous novels, and charges ahead from the first page.

I need to re-read it before I really form a strong opinion on this one. I absolutely enjoyed it, and it earns a 5/5 rating for sheer fun and fast paced plot, but the author made some decisions that I found personally disappointing, and I felt less involved in this book than I have been with the previous novels. That said, I did read it i...more

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12/23/08

Beth(MN) rated it:

bookshelves: 2009, fairies, tnbbc-spring-challenge, urban-fantasy, vampires

Read in March, 2009

I liked this book so much better than the one before it and I’ve been trying to figure out why but am coming up empty-handed.

Without going overboard, this is basically what happens (mild spoilers only):
--Sookie meets some new relatives
--Quinn and his warm penis go missing
--the Debbie Pelt issue will.not.DIE!
--there’s a Were war
--a bunch of Weres die
--Amelia’s dad shows up and says some stuff
--Amelia’s mentor shows up and says some s...more

Like this review? yes (5 people liked it)

7 comments

05/08/08

Jeneral rated it:

Read in May, 2008

I managed to make this book last the whole weekend, instead of staying up all night Friday with it.

This was a great installment. One of the things I love about Sookie is how real she is as a person. She can be selfish, she can make wrong decisions and feel bad for them later. She's a human being. (Well, mostly.)

Some questions were resolved in this book, and I wonder if Harris is starting to wrap up the series. I find myself hoping that's not the case, because I love ...more

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11/26/08

Maggie rated it:

bookshelves: own, paranormal-fantasy, read-2009

Read in January, 2009

Oh, Sookie! What's not to love. I was ecstatic when this came in the mail yesterday. I had almost forgotten that I had bought it!

I love that all the Sookie Stackhouse novels are like several stories within one novel. I know some people may feel like it makes the books seem like short stories, but I know, when one mystery get's all wrapped up in it's little complete package, and I have a coupla hundred pages left, I'm a happy girl!

Sookie is still recovering from the va...more

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04/14/09

Bookczuk rated it:

(review of isbn 0575083948)

bookshelves: borrowed, set-in-the-south, vampires-ghosts-and-other-creatures

Read in April, 2009

The unwritten subtitle of this book is "how to tie up a bunch of loose ends and still keep the story moving." Sookie manages to misplace and then shun her one warmblooded lover, become more deeply entangled to the point that they owe her favors, with the cold blooded ones. She finds some family and loses some family, and she still is too dense to ditch everyone and snag Sam for better or worse. Oh well. It must be the fairy blood.

One thing about this series -- it's bi...more

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01/17/09

Nymphsin rated it:

Read in July, 2008

recommended to Nymphsin by: Hunter's Haven Forum
recommends it for: Sookie and vampire fans...

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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11/24/08

Angela rated it:

bookshelves: fantasy

Read in November, 2008

From Dead to Worse, the eighth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, is an oddly transitory kind of book. A lot of plotlines from previous books--clear back to Book Four--get resolution of a kind, and groundwork is laid down for what will clearly be future plotlines for the series. We've got a New and Mysterious Relation of Sookie's showing up. We've got resolution on at least two Love Interest plots, and advancement on one other, possibly two. We've got new evidence that Sookie's brother is a m...more

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08/06/08

LJ rated it:

bookshelves: contemporary_post_1945, female_author, louisiana, mystery, paranormal_fantasy

Read in July, 2008

FROM DEAD TO WORSE (Para/Fan/Mys-Sookie Stackhouse-Louisiana-Cont/Fant) – G+
Harris, Charlaine – 9th in series
ACE Books, 2008, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780441015894

First Sentence: If this was “The Lord of the Rings” and I had a smart British voice like Cate Blanchett, I could tell you the background of the events of that fall in a really suspenseful way.

Bartender and telepath Sookie Stackhouse is both angry and missing her waretiger boyfriend, Quinn, w...more

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05/19/08

Elizabeth rated it:

bookshelves: paranormal, recentlyread

Read in June, 2008

In the latest Sookie Stackhouse novel, we find Sookie caught in the middle once again as both the Were Pack and the Louisiana vampires face threats from the outside. In the midst of all the turmoil, Sookie still has to deal with small town dynamics, her confusing relationships with Eric, Quinn, and Bill, a flighty witch living in her home, and her regular shifts at the bar.

I love this series, I really do. There were many things I liked about this installment, particularly learning mo...more

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05/08/08

Princess Allie rated it:

Read in May, 2008

recommends it for: Supernatural/Paranormal Fiction Fans

Charlaine Harris can do no wrong in my world. She has a character named Sookie Stackhouse who is the perfect character in a urban fantasy setting. She never makes "stupid" moves and she is extremly witty. She's not the perfect looking girl and she's not the most powerful character in the book. There is no nookie flying left and right and Harris's books have a story. This is why I love Charaline Harris.
I actually thought this book was going to be boring or all about how Sooki...more

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05/08/08

Chrissa rated it:

Read in May, 2008

recommends it for: vampire fans, supernatural romance readers

Although I adore this series as a fun read(and typically read them in a day or so), it's been interesting to me how the main character Sookie is changing along with the rest of her milieau over the last few books. This book, telling what came after the explosion in the Pyramid that shook up the Vampire power structure, not least in Louisiana, and in the middle of a shake up in Were politics that rattles a tagged but not necessarily protected Sookie between the several communities she has become ...more

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05/06/08

Rachel rated it:

bookshelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

So I liked this book, but I also disliked this book. I think this is the most confused I've been about a book ever.

I really enjoyed being in the Sookie-verse again, and I always enjoy Harris' writing style. I got to see all my old favorites and meet some new people. Sookie is getting a backbone, which is good, and during her whole talk with Quinn, I was screaming "You go girl!" because face it everyone wants to be someone's only one. I mean he should have called her a...more So I liked this book, but I also disliked this book. I think this is the most confused I've been about a book ever.

I really enjoyed being in the Sookie-verse again, and I always enjoy Harris' writing style. I got to see all my old favorites and meet some new people. Sookie is getting a backbone, which is good, and during her whole talk with Quinn, I was screaming "You go girl!" because face it everyone wants to be someone's only one. I mean he should have called her after leaving the hospital to say "Hey, my mom's gone crazy so I got to go save her. I'll be in touch. Love you. Smooches." That's all he had to say to her, but did he? No. Stupid boy.

But the reason I didn't like this book is that there is no central plot other than Sookie figuring out that life is complicated and people are complicated. Nobody fits in a perfect "best friend" box or a perfect "boyfriend material" box. Also, is it me or does she have way too many guys sniffing up her skirt? I mean seriously that does not happen in real life. Especially them all being major hotties.

But yeah, (sigh) Eric getting his memory back. Me = big Eric fan. But also I am a big Sam fan. She just needs to push everyone away and give Sam a chance or she'll be mad at herself later. And all this "Sam would be happy with her because they can run under the moon together" bullshit needs to stop. If that was a big deal to him, he would not be slyly courting her as he is.

I really like how her family situation is morphing. She's making her own family with the witches and Hunter (and Hunter's dad) and her new Grandpa and at the same time seeing that family ties you grew up with are not always healthy (ie breaking things off with Jason but realizing that she will have to talk to him eventually).

So I liked the book; it is definitely setting up for some more good times in the Sookie-verse. But instead of sating me on Sookie for a while, it's just increased my angst for the next book. (Sneaky trick!) (less)

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