Supposedly "Dead Until Dark"

For the past four weeks I have dredged through the literature requirements, practically forcing myself to read as the subject matter held little interest for me. But I can honestly say that this story kept my attention more efficiently than the others. Not at first, though. Even on the first page as Sookie is describing her physical appearance my stomach dropped. Of course she is blond-haired and blue-eyed, because how on earth could a woman be beautiful otherwise? That is such a Westernized ideal sense of beauty, and my feminist side simply can't ignore that the author slipped that in there. I understand, she is from the south, wears floral dresses, and that having her look like that drives home the "girl next door" vibe. But was it really necessary? Did Charlaine Harris think the audience wouldn't have picked up on that if she was a brunette? And the story as a whole very closely resembles one that we have read previously that I greatly disliked: Twilight. She is the helpless girl who is drawn into the seductive and intriguing nature of her vampire saviour, they have a relationship which is complicated by their differences and the fact that other vampires, and other people in general, want her dead. Same trope, more adult content.

I was still holding some animosity toward the book, but as it progressed I couldn't help but become entangled into the mystery of the story. The murderous endeavors made me question my own understanding of how and why these young women were being strangled to death, and who wanted them dead. I initially thought it was the main character's brother, Jason, but at the end I realized that was what Harris had intended for me to think, so I could be surprised by the appearance of Rene outside of Sookie's house in the end. Which I was, so it was completely effective. It's difficult to refuse the alluring nature of a good mystery. I would be lying if I said I didn't completely love the chase to unravelling the whole thing.