Please Exit the Ride and Beware Fangirl Unfairness
Oh man, it was absolutely fantastic! I'm also just a little bit sad that it's over, but as per usual, I adored it. 5 out of 5, many more re-reads coming.
I have to say, I'm kinda glad I got a stomach full of the hate that's flying around so that I don't feel a need to go out and see more and harsh my buzz. Although I did enjoy the drama over a book no one had either read or paid for was rather amusing since they were talking about being paying customers who demanded satisfaction for shit they hadn't yet paid for, and weren't going to be paying for. Which to my mind - while I would love to be able to custom order a book from a bestselling author for the princely sum of $15 (I did not even realise and did not drive up to CH's first window to place my order) - this was all over entitled freeloaders wanting the ending they wanted for free or they weren't even going to pay the less than zero. I'm more than happy to wave these people goodbye. Here's hoping they don't let the door hit them in the arse as they leave, and many wishes that they don't return for Midnight Pawn.
Well, it can't be doubted that yet again the spoilers had their own personal spin, and reading comprehension was a little bit fail. I really do love spoilers, but boy, do they get some things wrong as hell. I do understand the excitement, which is why I cut those that provide them some slack. Big things were right, small things were wrong, wrong, wrong.
One of the notable things that were wrong - and a nice bit of pre-release Sookie bash is the assertion from the spoilers that Sookie wasn't really interested in listening to Eric when he turned up in her bed to tell her they're getting a nebulous bad thing happen on the morrow (motherfucking divorce). Implying that Eric knowing for sure what's coming, and just leaving Sookie with the whole "No matter what I say publicly, secretly I adore you" made Sookie to be the bad guy in the situation, rather than Eric, who could have given her more than a nebulous heads up.
Not only that, but Sookie was declared "surprised" by the divorce. When she says pretty fucking clearly that she suspected it, but that knowing was different. Much like you can "know" you're going to die, but say actually dying (and then being brought back) means something really different. There's prediction, and there's reality. Sookie's reality was much harsher and much more cruel than what she suspected was coming. But isn't that always the way?
I think that the spoilers - which are always biased no matter what - were pretty heavily tilted in favour of "here's how we set Sookie up to be the author of her own pain and exonerate Eric, the charmer". Which is par for the fucking course. Eric's leaving was made explicitly clear why he was doing it in the text. He chose to go with Freyda - all of the talk of "slavery" and "rape" was just that - talk. Sookie makes it clear that Eric had a choice and that faced with a decision of the pragmatic one or the loving one, Eric picked pragmatism every single time. Eric had a choice (making it not slavery) and he could negotiate all kinds of things including sexual visits with Freyda (making it not rape). In fact, Eric himself communicates to Sookie that he should have had his cake and eaten it too. That he should have turned Sookie, and then she would have to follow him around forever, just like his last girlfriends. But there'll be a future post about that, and why that wasn't out of character either. Eric was pretty perfectly in character. Rejection and a hit to the pride has always made him nasty - for every single book now.
As for the HEA not being romantic? Well, it's exactly as promised. No picket fence conventional ending for Sam and Sookie...exactly like all of CH's other series. When the author says they're not romances, then she's probably right. Colour me surprised. I suppose I could join in the hate congaline and demand CH sellout like I want her to, but then, not much of a shipper. Sookie was happy - happier than she'd been for a while. To me, the relationship felt natural and right - not forced at all. The most angst Sookie had was when Sam wasn't around, and it was easy enough for them both to slip into a relationship.
There were quite a few funny lines, but I think I liked Sookie talking to her boobs the most, but close second is the voice in the darkness that wonders if Sookie's making an offer, and close third of Mr. Cataliades feeling that a text message is akin to herpes. Those are the ones I giggle about now, anyway. One of the best damn statements - and early on in the book - made me fistpump and say "HELL YEAH TARA":
“I spit on the supes who’ve let you down”
Location 476 (Kindle)
Damn straight. But we'll get more to that conversation in a future post, because while they were initially talking about Sam, Tara had a really great point that for all of the other lives she saved, there were no candies, strippers or anything else as a reward. The general fanfare for Sookie saving a life was pretty absent, and sorely lacking.
The theme was pretty clear - clearer than it's been in a while. Or maybe it's just that I had a Kindle and could take notes more easily. The idea of choices and living with the consequences was pretty clear - that you have to abide by what decisions you make, and can't endlessly innovate yourself out of every bit of responsibility. That'll definitely be a future post. I thought of this scene from The Simpsons all the way through some of Eric's dialogue - "It's just a little dirty...It's still good, it's still good" ad nauseum.
I'd love to squeee endlessly - and I did some in my house - but I've taken a couple of hours to eat and not give myself a motherfucking divorce - surprise or not - and therefore I think I've calmed down enough not to use excessive exclamations to reply to my waiting, waiting, waiting post. And not to gloat that I've finished. No one likes a gloater. :D I've got the Audio book now too, so I'll be listening to it real slow like, and endlessly going through the bits I highlighted. Which for some bits, were whole pages - which in my excitement is excessive.
So I should return with whatever lotto ball pops up the quickest, and then we'll have at it. Can't wait to hear what you all thought, and what you think about Sookie's life now. Have at it, Sookie Teamsters!
I have to say, I'm kinda glad I got a stomach full of the hate that's flying around so that I don't feel a need to go out and see more and harsh my buzz. Although I did enjoy the drama over a book no one had either read or paid for was rather amusing since they were talking about being paying customers who demanded satisfaction for shit they hadn't yet paid for, and weren't going to be paying for. Which to my mind - while I would love to be able to custom order a book from a bestselling author for the princely sum of $15 (I did not even realise and did not drive up to CH's first window to place my order) - this was all over entitled freeloaders wanting the ending they wanted for free or they weren't even going to pay the less than zero. I'm more than happy to wave these people goodbye. Here's hoping they don't let the door hit them in the arse as they leave, and many wishes that they don't return for Midnight Pawn.
Well, it can't be doubted that yet again the spoilers had their own personal spin, and reading comprehension was a little bit fail. I really do love spoilers, but boy, do they get some things wrong as hell. I do understand the excitement, which is why I cut those that provide them some slack. Big things were right, small things were wrong, wrong, wrong.
One of the notable things that were wrong - and a nice bit of pre-release Sookie bash is the assertion from the spoilers that Sookie wasn't really interested in listening to Eric when he turned up in her bed to tell her they're getting a nebulous bad thing happen on the morrow (motherfucking divorce). Implying that Eric knowing for sure what's coming, and just leaving Sookie with the whole "No matter what I say publicly, secretly I adore you" made Sookie to be the bad guy in the situation, rather than Eric, who could have given her more than a nebulous heads up.
Not only that, but Sookie was declared "surprised" by the divorce. When she says pretty fucking clearly that she suspected it, but that knowing was different. Much like you can "know" you're going to die, but say actually dying (and then being brought back) means something really different. There's prediction, and there's reality. Sookie's reality was much harsher and much more cruel than what she suspected was coming. But isn't that always the way?
I think that the spoilers - which are always biased no matter what - were pretty heavily tilted in favour of "here's how we set Sookie up to be the author of her own pain and exonerate Eric, the charmer". Which is par for the fucking course. Eric's leaving was made explicitly clear why he was doing it in the text. He chose to go with Freyda - all of the talk of "slavery" and "rape" was just that - talk. Sookie makes it clear that Eric had a choice and that faced with a decision of the pragmatic one or the loving one, Eric picked pragmatism every single time. Eric had a choice (making it not slavery) and he could negotiate all kinds of things including sexual visits with Freyda (making it not rape). In fact, Eric himself communicates to Sookie that he should have had his cake and eaten it too. That he should have turned Sookie, and then she would have to follow him around forever, just like his last girlfriends. But there'll be a future post about that, and why that wasn't out of character either. Eric was pretty perfectly in character. Rejection and a hit to the pride has always made him nasty - for every single book now.
As for the HEA not being romantic? Well, it's exactly as promised. No picket fence conventional ending for Sam and Sookie...exactly like all of CH's other series. When the author says they're not romances, then she's probably right. Colour me surprised. I suppose I could join in the hate congaline and demand CH sellout like I want her to, but then, not much of a shipper. Sookie was happy - happier than she'd been for a while. To me, the relationship felt natural and right - not forced at all. The most angst Sookie had was when Sam wasn't around, and it was easy enough for them both to slip into a relationship.
There were quite a few funny lines, but I think I liked Sookie talking to her boobs the most, but close second is the voice in the darkness that wonders if Sookie's making an offer, and close third of Mr. Cataliades feeling that a text message is akin to herpes. Those are the ones I giggle about now, anyway. One of the best damn statements - and early on in the book - made me fistpump and say "HELL YEAH TARA":
“I spit on the supes who’ve let you down”
Location 476 (Kindle)
Damn straight. But we'll get more to that conversation in a future post, because while they were initially talking about Sam, Tara had a really great point that for all of the other lives she saved, there were no candies, strippers or anything else as a reward. The general fanfare for Sookie saving a life was pretty absent, and sorely lacking.
The theme was pretty clear - clearer than it's been in a while. Or maybe it's just that I had a Kindle and could take notes more easily. The idea of choices and living with the consequences was pretty clear - that you have to abide by what decisions you make, and can't endlessly innovate yourself out of every bit of responsibility. That'll definitely be a future post. I thought of this scene from The Simpsons all the way through some of Eric's dialogue - "It's just a little dirty...It's still good, it's still good" ad nauseum.
I'd love to squeee endlessly - and I did some in my house - but I've taken a couple of hours to eat and not give myself a motherfucking divorce - surprise or not - and therefore I think I've calmed down enough not to use excessive exclamations to reply to my waiting, waiting, waiting post. And not to gloat that I've finished. No one likes a gloater. :D I've got the Audio book now too, so I'll be listening to it real slow like, and endlessly going through the bits I highlighted. Which for some bits, were whole pages - which in my excitement is excessive.
So I should return with whatever lotto ball pops up the quickest, and then we'll have at it. Can't wait to hear what you all thought, and what you think about Sookie's life now. Have at it, Sookie Teamsters!