The Holy Terror

Hrm. I'm not exactly sure how I felt about this one, it was just kind of meh. There were too many storylines going on and things were tied up way too neatly. I've also come to the realization that I like Sookie and Eric better when she's fighting her attraction to him. As a couple, they've kind of lost their appeal, which is weird, because he's always been my favorite pick for her. I think Charlaine writes better sexual tension and conflict than actual sex scenes.The title of this installment is ridiculously accurate; the story revolves around almost every character's family. It got to the point though that things started to get convoluted. We've got Sookie's two cousins, Eric's "brother" and his maker, Bill's family and his "sister," Tara's pregnancy, and Sam's problems with his family all thrown into the mix. On top of that, people are calling for the Weres to be registered, and even though that storyline seemed like it should have taken precedence, it gets thrown by the wayside in favor of all the drama. This one was ... weird. I saw that a lot of people thought it started off slow and boring, but I never felt that way. It moves at a leisurely pace and Sookie isn't running from danger at every turn, but I was never bored. Maybe I was just happy to be with these characters again. This novel feels like filler for sure, but I wasn't completely disappointed by the storyline. There were some interesting things that we finally have answers to, but I thought the main mystery was figured out too easily. Although, at this point it makes sense that Sookie can figure out things a little quicker now; she's got more experience and more resources to help her out. There just wasn't that suspense and tension that I look for in Charlaine's books this time around though.Even though the main mystery was solved and many things were tied up neatly, some interesting new questions have been thrown into the mix at the end. I'm not completely disappointed with this book, but I really wish I didn't have to wait a year for the next one when this one was lacking that certain special something I've come to expect when I read her books. Oh well, until next May!