Dead Ever After -- worth reading? At the risk of offending the faithful, here's what I think: 
 This 13th Sookie novel is, over all, a bland and unengaging outing -- but in that sense, it's not unlike the last several books in the series. Listen, I loved these books when I first started reading them. Some were incredible (Book 4! Hello! Shower scene? *blush*), some were dramatic and suspenseful (ooh, that 7th book!), but past 8 or 9, it's been a steady downhill run. 
 In #13, Sookie is embroiled in a murder mystery (so what else is new?), but mostly she's trying to sort out her tumultuous love life. Frankly, the murder mystery isn't terribly interesting or compelling. Sookie is accused of a murder, but of course we know that she's innocent. The bad guys in this book are familiar figures from earlier in the series -- but to be honest, they're from so long ago that I didn't have much of a reaction when they showed up, and the mystery itself isn't particularly mysterious at all. Instead, it just feels like an excuse to pad this book and give it a plot. 
 Without the murder mystery, what's left? Well, all of Sookie's past lovers show up at one point or another -- it's like a parade of ex-boyfriends. None of them contribute a whole lot to the story, other than giving Sookie an excuse to ruminate on what she doesn't want out of life and in a relationship. The ultimate question to be resolved at the end of this series is which of the many men in her life will be "the one" for Sookie -- but if you read book 12, Charlaine Harris pretty much already spelled that out. 
 So for me, Dead Ever After reads like one long epilogue -- and really, the relationship stuff could have been a final chapter in the previous book, wrapping it all up, and we'd have ended in the same place. Sookie figures out what -- and whom -- she wants, parts ways with the one she doesn't end up with, and that's pretty much it. I'm not naming names (far be it from me to include spoilers here), but anyone who's been paying attention throughout the series will know who I mean. 
 That's the plot. Meanwhile, the writing in this book includes all the elements that drive me bat-&*^% crazy throughout this series. And it feels like it's just gotten worse and worse with each book. Really, how much do we need to know about Sookie's beauty regimen, her clothing choices, her kitchen habits, and where she shops? Is this a novel or her appointment book? 
 Some book series, like some of Sookie's houseguests, don't know when it's time to say good-bye. Sadly, this series has petered out over the course of thirteen books instead of ending strongly and defiantly several books ago, as it should have. The story of Sookie and her many friends, neighbors, and lovers ran out of anything new to say a few volumes ago, and it's been mostly filler (plus makeup, hair, and shopping lists!) ever since. 
 So this is the way Sookie's story ends: Not with a bang, but with a whimper. Or a shoulder shrug. 
 My full review is now up at Bookshelf Fantasies.