Dead Ever After How well do you think that Sookie ended? POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS THREAD

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Ok, remember to use the Spoiler device, so that if anyone who HASN'T finished the book comes on, they won't be upset. To use it, you type < $ poiler > and end it with < / $ poiler > where you leave out the spaces and replace the $ with an S.

Time for the feeding frenzy to BEGIN. :o)

[☽ Rhiannon ✭]

Well, my post is basically all spoiler. :)

(view spoiler)[I think I would have been ok with who she had ended up with if it had been built up, in any way, at all, over the last few books. But, Sam was firmly in the friend zone, with no mention of chemistry or romance or interest or ANYTHING. I wouldn't have minded if she ended up with him if it didn't feel like she was totally settling! It was a crappy, lazy, no-closure end with Eric, who is a HUGE relationship, and she is just all "meh" about it. Then she just randomly ends up with her friend with no build-up or anything. I mean, seriously, it was totally random. I would be super disappointed, except that I was weirdly expecting it to kinda suck. (hide spoiler)]

[Ann aka Iftcan]

PNR--I kind of agree--I wish there had been a bigger build up too. But she's done that before (BOTH of Roe Teagarden's "major" romances were like that) so I'm not really surprised. And she's said all along that Sookie wouldn't wind up with a vamp, so it wasn't a surprise from that angle. But I do wish she'd had Sookie and Sam building up in the background or something. You know, with Sookie doing more than kind of going, "Why is he with XXX. She is such a hag."

I'm also wondering how Sookie's bloodlines are going to interact with Sam's bloodlines. Since Sookie has fae blood--and it seems to be kind of dominant, at least that is implied with her telepathy--will that allow her and Sam to have shifter children? Or will Sam's being a shifter make more of Sookie's children have the fae genetics over-power the human, so that they too are telepathic. And how about grandchildren. . .? Sigh, ssoo many questions on how things are going to work out. Still, she did say that we'd be getting a book with some threads tied up, in October of this year. http://www.amazon.com/After-Dead-Worl...

[Lori]

ok you girls I quit reading the books after book 7 because the show is like dead on the books. now I think after reading all these spoilers..lol I will have to pick up where I left off and read the rest. I can't believe she ends up with Sam..really?!.. but I do think Sookie ans Eric would make the best couple or Alcide . Also does anyone know if this means True Blood will come to an end?

[AlbertaJenn]

Lori wrote: "ok you girls I quit reading the books after book 7 because the show is like dead on the books. now I think after reading all these spoilers..lol I will have to pick up where I left off and read the..."

I also stopped reading after book 7, but picked up the last one in the bookstore and read the last page. My conclusion? Glad I didn't spent the last 4 years waiting for that!

Really, it wasn't a surprise, especially after Harris spilled that Sookie wasn't going to become a vampire.

[Alana ~ The Book Pimp]

I am no longer a fan of Charlaine based upon this book. It's not the WHO, but the HOW, WHAT, WHEN, WHY of the ending. (view spoiler)[And, that wasn't a HEA in my personal opinion. I didn't ride out 13 books for Sookie to get a 'settling for now', 'maybe it might work or not'... about the 'happiest' thing that happened was she was not going to die that day, or most likely the next. BS, Charlaine. (hide spoiler)]

I'm done with Charlaine. She can try to sell her literary bridge to some other reader.

[Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey)]

I'm very disappointed with this book. It came out of left field. I could have accepted it, if this ending had been set up so I could see that possibility several books ago. But no. It felt like she had an grudge against someone or something and was making a point with this book.

[Stacie]

Honestly, I am not surprised by the ending, nor am I disappointed. I kind of figured that either Sookie would end up alone or with Sam... especially since Sookie kept lamenting throughout the series about having a husband who could be in daylight and she could have kids with. Besides Sam there really was no other option there. Plus the series started with them attempting to date but were really not in a place that that relationship would work but were by the end.

[Taria]

(view spoiler)[ I'm not annoyed with Sookie ending up with Sam although I agree about him being a second third or fourth choice. I'm annoyed at how she effectively castrates Eric and neatly places his balls on Charlaine's shelf never to be admired again. Eric got a raw deal with how the relationship ended. Sookie was still on her moral soapbox which was annoying as shit. What was the purpose of bringing back the entire cast of characters? They all got their asses handed to them and weren't really all that much help other than to run interference and to chop at a word count. And really, are you shitting me? Steve Newland, The sleazy lawyer, and Claude are the masterminds behind this? REALLY?!?! That's the best she could come up with? I will NEVER purchase another Charlaine Harris book again. After the fairy war this series was a total crash and burn. I hoped that the series could at least end with a bang but in my heart I knew it would suck and I wasn't disappointed in that regard. (hide spoiler)]

[Abbi]

Sorely disappointed but expected it.

[☽ Rhiannon ✭]

Taria nailed a lot of my issues. When looking at the discussion on Amazon (where there are twice as many negative reviews as positive), I see a lot of people rushing to defend CH, as though being critical of the book is somehow rude. (view spoiler)[And a TON of just accusing people of disliking the book because they wanted Sookie to end up with Eric, despite almost every single negative review saying they could have handled her ending up with someone else if it had been set up at all - and going on to list several other criticisms of the book that CH defenders ignore (hide spoiler)]

I get that not everyone hated it, that is fine, but it is pretty annoying to have thousands of peoples' legitimate criticism and issue dismissed as "rude" or sour grapes. It's reminding me of when Gena Showalter alienated a good third to half of her fan base and there was this campaign of support for her that basically just tried to shut down any and all criticism or debate. In both instances, the authors are going to feel the consequences of their actions, and right where it hurts them, too: their bank accounts.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Well, as I said in one of my earlier posts--I wasn't really surprised at how she ended this, with no prep work at all with the Sam "romance". She's done it before. I figured that she'd do it again when she did nothing the last few books to set up another romantic interest for Sookie. And let's face it--there wasn't even any heating up with the relationship with Sam.

I kind of feel that SAM was the one who was getting shafted by this ending. I've always liked him and felt that he deserved better.

Also, I have to say--the "betrayal" by Bill was kind of her following steps she'd taken in other series. I really feel that she should have ended this series about 4 or 5 books ago--she was just dragging it out. . . and out . . . and out. . . .

Sigh, I'm tired and feel like I'm not making a lot of sense in this posting.

The easiest way to try to straighten it out is--she's kind of re-using some of the plot lines from previous books, only with the vamp/were-wolf/psychic thing instead of "normal" people.

[Steph]

I wasn't too thrilled with how it ended, but I have to say I am glad it is over. The last few books weren't that great for me and I wanted to finish off the series at least knowing what happened. I feel like she stopped caring about Sookie a long time ago, so for me this was just a read to sooth my curiosity.

[Allison]

It very much reminded me of the series finale of Seinfeld where they managed to bring back every character we have ever seen. I think I'm not as disappointed as some. Really this is the only longer series I have read where you don't know who the heroine will wind up with. I think it was fine...not upsetting to me, but not awesome.

[Kiersten]

I'm grateful for the spoilers, guys. Now I'm glad I stopped reading the series when I did. I don't want a lackluster, Sookie settles for a boring life, ending. Now I'll just have to get my fix from HBO's True Blood. LOL!

[Missyb]

I was glad that so many characters that haven't been around lately were in this book (nice having Bill in it, but would have liked seeing Bubba too), but was really disappointed with the ending. It was boring and resolved nothing. It just gave us a possible relationship with Sam. The most disappointing thing was Eric becoming a new character. It ended as though it was a set up for the book coming out in October. Should have thrown the fans a bone and put that book as a bonus in this one.

[Missyb]

Alana ~ The Book Pimp wrote: "I am no longer a fan of Charlaine based upon this book. It's not the WHO, but the HOW, WHAT, WHEN, WHY of the ending. [spoilers removed]

I'm done with Charlaine. She can try to sell her literar..."

Me too, the "we'll see" factor was annoying and a lame ending.

[Connie]

Can't give a spoiler because I can't bring myself to read it. I lost interest around 6 or 7. I lost interests in the HBO series two seasons ago. Only watched it last season cause it was supposed to be the last but nope they added one more. The book series started out with such a strong female lead and then she got all whiny and co-dependent. Thanks for telling me the ending. Now I don't have to spend my hard earned cash on this flop.

[Kristin]

I finished it yesterday and I can't believe that I'm pissed, but I am! I can't remember the last time I was angry with a book and author. But so many people have invested so much time in this series and to have it just fizzle out at the ending like it did, really?

In my review I posted 2 things that sum up how I am feeling right now. I just finished this book and I'm staring at the cover and thinking, "That was it? I got a book of Sookie's 'To-Do List' with a little action thrown in? That's what I paid $20 for?" and
I felt that some characters got SCREWED over big time, others got the ends tied up in neat little bows and Ms Harris ran to the bank waving her check laughing the whole way.

[Nikki]

I feel she just ran out of ideas and decided to drudge up some characters she never wrote about too much and made us have to think about them. The thing with her and Eric was under developed just as much as the thing with her and Sam. All in all the book was pretty weak to put such secondary characters (most of all that group of bores)in the foreground and leave the main ones in the back. Strange choice to give us a send off with.

[James]

Like many of the others I quite reading after dead in the family. I just couldn't take the lack of character development anymore.

Sookie is a nice girl, but after getting attacked time after time, book after book you would think she would get off her 'I will not be a kept woman' high-horse and learn to ask for help.

She lives in a world where having only a drop or two of fae blood makes you a Supe but she is the weakest of the weak. Solution - blood-bonded super hot vampire that for some reason loves her!

But no she repeatedly shuns him. Personally I am glad she didn't end up with Eric. It leaves him free to find someone who actually loves him and would want to spend eternity at his side.

I think Sookie has been abandoned and hurt too many times to form a lasting, deeply loving connection to anyone. So she settled for Sam.

Just my opinion but it didn't surprise me when things ended the way they did.

[A.C.]

PNR wrote: "Taria nailed a lot of my issues. When looking at the discussion on Amazon (where there are twice as many negative reviews as positive), I see a lot of people rushing to defend CH, as though being c..."

I think you and Taria both nailed it. Just from a writing stand point it doesn't make sense that suddenly she can't 'hear' Sam's thoughts. Sookie's character always went for vampires because of her supernatural ability. Thus it would make sense for her to end up with either Bill or Eric. This is actually one of the few series that I enjoyed the film adaptation (HBO tv series) much more than the books.