Book Review: Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse #12) by Charlaine Harris

Summary: 
With Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), in town, it’s the worst possible time for a body to show up in Eric Northman’s front yard—especially the body of a woman whose blood he just drank.
Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down.

Release Date: May 1, 2012
Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Victor Gollancz Limited
Source: Purchased

Review:
Thank you, Charlaine Harris!  You have officially redeemed yourself with Deadlocked.  I am back in love with the Sookie Stackhouse series and can't wait to find out what happens next!

The last two books (books 10 and 11) were semi-duds for me.  Dead Reckoning (read my review here) was sad and flat for me.  Dead in the Family (read my review here) was so, so dark.  I missed sunny, light-hearted Sookie.  In Deadlocked, Sookie is more like her old self.  Except she has grown up quite a bit.  After everything she's been through: all the deaths, loving and losing, the torture at the hands of the evil fairies, she has a different take on the world.  She's more guarded and careful.  She really thinks things through, and thinks about how they will affect her life, before she acts.  She stands up for herself, and stops being a doormat with regard to her relationship with Eric.


Spoiler alert---highlight the text below if you want to read a spoiler for Deadlocked:
I've said it before here and here and I was kind of smug to see some foreshadowing in Deadlocked as to how Sookie's love life will end up.  And I have to say, I'm ready for it.  I am sick of Eric.  I'm sick of his high-handedness, his selfishness, and the way he leaves Sookie out of decisions.  Him being a good-looking, sexy vampire is not enough for me anymore.  I have emotionally distanced myself from Eric, starting in Dead Reckoning, and now the distance between me and Eric is complete.  I am surprised at how much I don't want Sookie to end up with him, especially considering how much I liked Eric at the beginning of the series.  I'm just done with him.  I want Sookie to end up with Sam.  I want her to be with a warm-blooded human who is more like her.  I want her to be happy and removed from vampire politics as much as she can be.  I want her to have a family----and I think she wants that too.
End spoiler alert

I loved the action in Deadlocked.  I enjoy the addition of the fairies to the plot, and thought she wrapped up that storyline very well.  I enjoyed seeing more of Mr. Cataliades and Diantha.  I read on Harris' website that the series will end with book 13.  I could tell that she is starting to wrap things up.  Plot points are being resolved, and no new ones are being opened.  All in all, I think 13 books is more than adequate for a series and I'm glad that she's finishing it up on a high note.  I can't wait for next May to read book 13!

 

1 comment:

  1. Haha, I had a completely different reaction to this book than you!

    Glad you liked it, and as much as it pains me to write this Sam is probably the guy for Sookie.

    ReplyDelete

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