It has been said that the birth of your first child is the kind of event that shapes the rest of your life. Your priorities shift as you learn to put the newborn's needs before your own, and the whole worlds seems like a much brighter place to live in. For Miami's local serial killer, Dexter Morgan, the birth of a young daughter ignites emotions he never new he possessed and threatens to disrupt his "Dark Passenger".
As the novel opens, Dexter is, surprisingly, in a state of blissful awe, following the birth of his daughter. Readers of the previous installments will recall that, while Dexter originally got involved with his wife Rita in an attempt to hide who he really is, he has found that he actually cares for her and her two children, both of whom seem to harbor "Dark Passengers" of their own. As he recognizes that he is responsible for the well-being of his family, Dexter vows to end his homicidal acts of vengeance.
Unfortunately for Dexter, he is called to help investigate the disappearance of a high school girl who seems to be caught up with a group of people who think they are vampires. When the body of another teenage girl is discovered, Dexter realizes that is dealing with full blown cannibals. As he races to help save the kidnapped teen, Dexter must face his own demons and choose between the perfect family life and the darkness inside of him.
This is the fifth novel in the popular series by Jeff Lindsay, and this was the best book in the series by a long shot. While the previous installments all contained snappy dialogue, a fascinating main character, and fast pacing, they all left me feeling as if they had ended too soon, without a proper conclusion. In this novel, Lindsay manages to keep all of the things that worked in the other ones, while adding a renewed depth to the characters and the mystery that drives the story to a satisfying conclusion. As with the other novels, the bright Florida setting provides the perfect backdrop to juxtapose this truly dark tale. For the first time, Lindsay allotted some time to develop the characters outside of the Dexter Morgan Family arc, and this made them be something more that simply plot points. I really enjoyed this novel, and I look forward to reading the next book in this fascinating series.
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(week 7, book 8)
Really interesting review. I've been watching the television series, and started the first book a while back but never got through it. I think watching the tv series has kind of ruined it for me, know what happens and all!
ReplyDeleteThe first book is the only one that follows the series, and even the end of the first book differs drastically from the show. I think it is interesting to compare what happens in the show and how the author chooses to tell the story.
DeleteI feel that people tend to be "Dexter Book" devotees or "Dexter Series" fanatics, depending on to which you were exposed first. I can't really get through the show but I love the books. My sister is obsessed with the show but didn't like the books so much.
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Great review. I've watched the TV show a few times, and I just got the first book in the series so I'm looking forward to that. Anyways, I can't wait until I get to this book so I can read it...
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading! I have really enjoyed this series.
DeleteAwesome review. I've never watched the TV series, but I've heard a lot of good things. Do you watch the show as well, or do you mostly just read the books?
ReplyDeleteI was a fan of the books before I watched the show. It has been interesting to see the different ways the characters are dealt with in the two mediums.
DeleteThank you for reviewing this book! It has been languishing on my shelf for months as I go about reading other books. I will have to actually sit down and read it!
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely worth a read, and it only took me a couple of hours to fly through it!
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