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| From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 8) | 
 enlarge | Author: Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace Hardcover
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $9.75
You Save: $15.20 (61%)
New (32) Used (18) Collectible (3) from $9.75
Avg. Customer Rating:  160 reviews
Sales Rank: 769
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6 x 1.5
ISBN: 0441015891
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780441015894
ASIN: 0441015891
Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 From Dead to Worse May 7, 2008
15 out of 17 found this review helpful
No question, From Dead to Worse is a bridge book in the Southern Vampire series. I am one fan who thinks that is just peachy keen fine. I thought this was an excellent book, very engaging, by which I mean I read it all in one sitting, no stopping. While it's true that this book is episodic in nature, my feeling is that going along with the characters on these episodes is high entertainment. As I get older, I find it becomes harder to concentrate, and that Charlaine Harris continues to hold my attention eight books into this series is just wonderful. The truth is, if you are going to read this series, you need to start with the first book. Read them in order, and don't start with this one, because you need to know all the back story to fully appreciate how far the characters have come. (And can I just say: Sookie needs a vacation! Ms. Harris, send her off to a beautiful island where she can relax, forget her cares for a while, sip some rum punch on nice beach, and maybe go limbo-ing with some nice fella who doesn't want anything more than the pleasure of her company.)
I think this book is for the fans who have fallen in love with these characters. We've spent the last year since the release of All Together Dead wondering what was going to happen next, and musing about the paths the characters would take. From Dead to Worse tells us some great stories, fills in some of the personal details we've all been aching to know, and sets the stage for what will be I hope many more books to come. I think From Dead to Worse was fabulous. Brava, Ms. Harris!
 3 1/2 Stars May 6, 2008
12 out of 22 found this review helpful
I love Charlaine Harris' writing. I'd probably enjoy reading the ingredients off a box of cereal if she wrote it. That said, I found "From Dead to Worse" not up to the standard of the other novels in the series. It struck me a bit as a way to clean up the series and position it for future novels. We met just about every character introduced to date, and either found a way to get rid of them or firm up their position in the series. I was left with the feeling that the number of characters was becoming unwieldy and Ms. Harris used this novel to rectify the situation. She's left us in a good position for follow on novels, so by all means read it. I'll just be waiting for paperback versions rather than paying right away for the first hardcover off the press.
****SPOILER ALERT****
It seems out of character for Sookie to have dumped Quinn the way she did, but it does get him out of the picture and leave her open for a Bill/Eric/Alcide/Sam conflict. I doubt we'll be seeing much more of Jason or the werepanthers (no big loss). The introduction of a greatgrandfather and a telepathic nephew was a little open-ended for my taste, but I still enjoy everything Ms. Harris writes.
entertaining original fantasy May 6, 2008
10 out of 31 found this review helpful
The bomb explosion at the vampire summit in Rhodes, Louisiana scared, Sookie Stackhouse, telepathic extraordinaire and waitress at a diner owned by a shapeshifter., She prays she will have a respite from problems in the supernatural world. She does not expect any because so many vampires and other species died or are missing including her were-tiger boyfriend Quinn..
Unfortunately the last thing Sookie knows is that a crisis begets a worse crisis. During the were contest for Packmaster, Alcide's father was killed and Furnan consolidated his reign. Now people loyal to Alcide are dying and he thinks Furnan is responsible. When Furnan's wife is kidnapped, he blames Alcidede. Sookie tries to arbitrate a peace.
The New Orleans vampire queen Sophie is in desperate straits as Katrina destroyed much of her power base in New Orleans, the bomb destroyed the vestige of her support and she is helpless while she is regenerating new legs. The city is ripe for a takeover from the king of Las Vegas but not everyone is happy with the new power structure. It is up to Sookie and her blood bonded vamire Eric Northman the vampire to prevent more deaths including the new ruler.
The heroine prefers to keep to herself but tries to help the supernatural community while the humans reject her due to her telepathy prowess. She will do anything to save those she cares about while her animosity towards Bill the vampire who betrayed her remains strong. Action-packed yet character driven, FROM DEAD TO WORSE is Charlaine Harris at her world-building best with this entertaining original story.
Harriet Klausner
Great New Sookie Stackhouse! May 7, 2008
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
Charlaine Harris's From Dead To Worse is a wonderful new offering in the Southern Vampire series.
Sookie is recovering from the the monumental events of the last novel and trying to go about her life. Unfortunately for Sook, fortunately for us, life is not simple. She meets new people who change her life, makes important decisions (its wonderful to see Sook standing up for herself and making decisions prior to being forced into them - evidence of this character's progression and maturation), adjusting to changes and accepting herself and her abilities.
This novel details some very important events that occur in the life of the Louisianna Supernatural community. Despite that fact, this novel is more character driven (in my view) than any of the other previous installments. This makes no change in my deep enjoyment of the series and I feel that in fact, its nice to see more introspection.
The only real issue I had with this book has to do with the Sook-Erik blood bond and the effect on Sookie. I wish there had been a little bit more development of this idea.
 Big Disappointment May 9, 2008
9 out of 12 found this review helpful
Let me start off by saying that I love the Southern Vampire series...have come to know and love my favorite characters...let's go Eric! And have been looking forward to May since i first got hooked on the books last year.
Up until this latest installment in the Sookie saga, i really thought that Charlaine Harris was growing as a novelist. With each book, prior to From Dead To Worse, i felt that the story line got better and better, Charlaine's style of writing grew less insipid, the character development was increasingly exciting, you felt like the author was growing with her heroine. Then you get a clunker like From Dead To Worse and wonder what the heck happened?!
From Dead To Worse is pretty much the theme of this book...it starts off dead and it gets worse. No story line, no mystery, wasted time spent re-describing what's happened in prior books, which honestly could have been handled in a brief preface, wars with no real meaning other then to get a character from one place to the next, and no growth for Sookie. No lessons. No becoming a stronger/better person from what she's been through. No nothing. It was as if the author used this book as a throw-a-way so she could ready herself for the next chapter in Sookie's life (No Pun Intended). The whole book was just filler that got characters from one role to another with no real story line. IMHO this whole book would have done better as a blog.
Throughout most of the book i found myself bored, frustrated, and really disappointed. You can do better Charlaine Harris.
My advice to readers is to buy the book 2nd hand or check it out from the library.
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