Standards

I finished Dead Until Dark.  I wasn't impressed. I laughed a lot, but apparently, it wasn't enough.  This REALLY surprised me.

I know, I'm just as surprised as you are:  I have high standards.

Apparently, I do need more than a few laughs for me to truly like a book.  Like a strong plot, characters I actually like, but it's okay if they're kinda flat.  Plot is more important than characters for me, really.

It's supposed to be a mystery, but I didn't find Sookie was really active in solving the mystery.  She listened in on a few minds, never found anything, never put the pieces together...etc.

The ending... well, we know how I feel about endings.  It wasn't good enough.  I'll forgive anything if the ending's good.

Also, one line in the whole book kind of just jolted me out of the story:

"Every now and then I felt like Bill's doll."

For those of you who haven't read it, Bill liked braiding & brushing Sookie's hair. There's nothing weird about that in and of itself.  I thought it was really sweet.  I did like Bill.  Most of the time.

However...saying "Bill's doll"...

Dracula playing Barbies, anyone?  I got weirded out. I can't explain it.

I find myself...still on Team Van Helsing.

What's stronger?  The vampire or the one that kills him?  Plus, I mean, it's Hugh Jackman...

I will continue to get my recommended dose of dumb blonde mysteries from the High Heels Mysteries by Gemma Halliday.  But Maddie's really not that dumb.  I think she is intelligent, just a little naive.