Kiran K. reviewed on 9/23/2010

This is one of the worst books I've ever read. After watching the first few episodes of the TV show it spawned, 'True Blood,' I thought it would be fun to see what this series was like. It wasn't fun, it was more... what's a good antonym for fun? Something worse than tedious. Trying, let's say.

The author has no idea how to focus on things of value to the story - most of the text is superficial and uninteresting, with long descriptions of what the main character is wearing. Entire scenes are devoted to clothes, the most glaring example being one in the first half of the book where the heroine goes home, changes into her pajamas and falls asleep. She isn't wearing them on the next page. I can only imagine this was done because the material wasn't imagined in terms of action and reaction, or character motivations, but as some kind of daydream about being a lonely, attractive waitress with lots of supernatural paramours. Who looks good in lots of outfits, naturally.

There's nothing deeply wrong with that - romance novels have their place in the world. Wish-fulfillment is always going to be a part of fiction. The problem with Dead Until Dark is that it doesn't back up that fantasy with a good plot, capable diction or even real humor. About three pages in, anyone who appreciates literary style is going to be scratching their head, wondering how a fellow human being, who's probably read a decent novel at some point in her life, put these paragraphs together.

Okay, if all that whining was too long to read, then take this sentence home: Dead Until Dark is nothing like True Blood, and the quality of the writing is so awful it may induce nausea, vomiting, dizziness or blackouts. You shouldn't read it, but if you must, consult your physician before attempting the strain of reading this junk.

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