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The Sookie Stackhouse Companion

Edited by Charliane Harris

Published 2011          461 pages

Reviewed by Georgia

Summary (from the book jacket)

Charlaine Harris has topped the bestseller charts and become a nationwide phenomenon, thanks to the unconventional, and otherworldly, life of Sookie Stackhouse. Now take a closer look at Sookie and her family, friends, enemies, adventures, and – of course – the lovers who set her world on fire...

Visit Bon Temps, the small Louisiana town that Sookie calls home, with a detailed map created by Charlaine herself, and learn the characteristics of the supernaturals who live there: vampires, two-natured, and fae. Examine all the branches of Sookie’s family tree. And eavesdrop on the private conversations between rival vampires Eric and Bill.

Also, enjoy the compelling, never-before-published novella “Small-Town Wedding,” in which Sookie accompanies her shapeshifting boss, Sam, to his brother’s wedding in Texas, where happily-ever-after seems very far away...

Exclusive interviews with True Blood creator Alan Ball and author Charlaine Harris – compiled from fan questions – will satisfy your craving for all things Sookie, as will trivia questions, recipes (including Caroline Bellefleur’s famous chocolate cake), and a concordance to the Sookie Stackhouse novels.

The Review

This is a true companion book to a great urban fantasy series! Honestly, if – after having read the above-mentioned description – you are not intrigued, what can I say? Edited by Charlaine Harris herself this book offers the ultimate guide to the “Sookieverse” and it is set out in such a way that it will please even the most hardcore fans out there.

There is a map of Bon Temps quickly followed by a brand new 76 pages long novella by Charlaine Harris narrating the adventurous nature of Sam’s bother’s wedding! And then the real fun begins with the inclusion of many interesting and fascinating things about Sookie and her life. Most importantly and strategically placed the companion related material starts with a timeline featuring all the books up till Dead Reckoning. This concordance has enough details to answer many questions but not as much as to kill the suspense, especially for those who would love to reread the books. It also features exclusive secret dialogues between Bill and Eric that will have you laughing a lot!

Charlaine Harris then writes a small essay explaining about her short stories and related material and then she “helps” Sookie tell fans all about the vampires, two-natured and the fae. I cannot describe to you how wonderful it was to read all this information from the point of view of the chief character. This essay is written as if Sookie was telling a friend and said friend simply put it down to ink and paper, offering her insightful commentary and humourous approach to her extraordinary life. One can only view this as a personal gift by Charlaine Harris to her fans who have stayed dedicated for so long! Furthermore, a trivia game (with the correct answers at the end) offers enough entertainment for those who would love a little challenge as well as the recipes that follow. You will be surprised to learn how that infamous chocolate cake is prepared!

Then a fan Q&A for Alan Ball and Charlaine Harris is included. Indeed, the questions are presented the way fans have asked them and the answer follows suit! Ultimately the book finishes with a detailed who-is-who! All the characters and their mini biographies are put down in alphabetical order helping everyone to go back-and-forth and check at a glance information about the people who were brought to life by the author.

This is an excellent work! It is fan oriented and its goal is from the preface onwards to amuse, satisfy and reward all the people who have read the Sookie Stackhouse books from Dead Until Dark through Dead Reckoning. There is a personal and sometimes intimate touch to the way each chapter is written, as if Charlaine Harris and her friends and collaborators were in an auditorium and were holding a conversation with the readers, rather than someone sitting in front of a computer typing away a text.

I cannot say how thankful I felt for this book and I cannot believe that anyone who has followed the series will not feel the same gratitude and pleasure for this little gift. It is really for the fans and that reflects on the quality of the work: meticulous, funny and touching! If you praise yourself to be a Sookie Stackhouse avid (or even more moderate) fan then this book should be already devoured by you!

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