Sookie Countdown #3... Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

                                                        

This is the passage from Book 3 of the Sookie Stackhouse series that pretty much sums up Sookie's impending love triangle: 

... my eyes flickered open to register three anxious male faces hovering above me:  Eric's, Alcide's, and Bill's.  Somehow, the sight made me want to laugh.  So many men at home were scared of me, or didn't want to think about me, and here were the three men in the world who wanted to have sex with me, or who at least had thought about it seriously; all crowding around the bed.  I giggled, actually giggled, for the first time in maybe ten years.  "The Three Musketeers," I said.
"Is she hallucinating?"  Eric asked
"I think she's laughing at us," Alcide said. 

Oh man...  re-reading these books has re-awakened my love for this series.  In book three we begin with a very distracted Bill...  he's sort of "married" to his work and starts to neglect Sookie.  Now, from my earlier reviews I have openly admitted to not liking Bill and this was the book that sealed any possibility of like for his character from me.  Bill seems to be self-absorbed, interested in his own self-preservation, obsessed with having things he can't have and taking for granted what he does have.  He often neglects Sookie and disregards her needs because he's totally absorbed into his own.  And, then there is the scene towards the end of the book where he "accidentally" hurts Sookie and his reaction just hacked me off.  Let me introduce you to a new word that isn't in your vocabulary Bill...  GROVELING!!  He sucks at it...  :)  It's time for you to go Bill...  Bye Bye!  It's funny that I say that because Bill does disappear in this book.  He gets kidnapped and goes missing and once again Sookie is tagged to help Eric find him because if they don't it could mean trouble for everyone. 

But, there is good news...  this is the book where we get introduced to hunky Alcide.  Alcide is called in by Eric to escort Sookie to Mississippi and help spy on the supernatural community to hopefully get answers to where Bill might be held.  Things are going along well between he and Sookie but as usual his supernatural status as a Werewolf causes a few eye brow raising moments which leaves you thinking that this potential relationship might not ever get off the ground.  But, as a whole I did love his character in this book...  he's more attentive and thoughtful and he is of course...  Warm.  Sookie starts to question her future with Bill as her interactions with Alcide awakens things she knows she is missing. 

We start to see a more conflicted Eric in this book.  He is battling his obvious affection for Sookie:

Eric looked down at me.  He seemed to have a hickey on his neck.  I opened my mouth, and then shut it again.  Better not to comment. 
"I don't like having feelings," Eric said coldly, and he left. 

Sookie begins to realize that Eric is to be feared.  He will protect himself at any cost.  But, we start to see a more gentle and thoughtful Eric peeking through his armour.  And at times it is so sweet...  especially his reactions to how Bill has been neglecting Sookie. 

But, my favorite character in this book has to be Pam.  Now, I swore I wouldn't talk about the show in my reviews but I can't help it on this one.  Her character in the books is so much better than on the show.  She has a sense of humor...  and she is having a great deal of fun watching Eric pine over Sookie and she often eggs it on just to see the sparks fly.  She likes Sookie in the books and I love their relationship.  Here's a small example of Pam: 

Eric said, "Alcide Herveaux came here?"  "Yeah, he brought my bag.  He stayed to help me out, seeing how I'm all banged up."  When I opened my eyes because Bill had quit brushing, I caught Pam's eyes.  She winked at me.  I gave her a tiny smile. 

And if you're wondering how this book ends... Well, in Sookie fashion she gets all beat up...  AGAIN...  and she is no longer the sweet innocent gal we met in book one.  She's starting to get used to dead bodies and that maybe happiness can never really occur in the supernatural world.  Sookie is getting a crash course in reality and it's starting to make her a little rough around the edges and I get the feeling that she doesn't like it.  I'll end my review with this final snippet which pretty much sums up Sookie and her evolution:

"My Sookie hid a corpse."  (Bill)
"I don't think you can be so sure about that possessive pronoun."  (Eric)
"Where did you learn that term, Northman?"  (Bill)
"I took English as a second language at a community college in the seventies."  (Eric)
Bill said, "She is mine."
I wondered if my hands would move.  They would. I raised both of them, making an unmistakable one-fingered gesture." 
Eric laughed, and Bill said, "Sookie!"  in shocked admonishment. 

And there you have it...  LOL...  get 'em Sookie!  hahaha 

And next we will review... here it comes...  my favorite book in this series... are you ready????  BOOK FOUR...  BOOK FOUR...  BOOK FOUR...  :)))))))  Dead to the World...  can't wait to re-read this one!  Stay tuned.... 

K~

Click HERE for my review of Dead to the World...