Dead until Dark

Although I don't really know what I was expecting, I was really, really disappointed in this book. I was so bored reading it, I decided to take notes on all the things I didn't like about it while I finished up the last 50 pages or so. That was much more interesting than the climax of the book.
The characters were, for the most part, terribly flat and uninteresting. They added nothing to the story. Bill was my favorite character, which isn't saying much because I didn't have much to choose from. Charlsie Tooten, for instance. She had nothing to say the entire time. I literally do not remember her character doing or saying anything. Pure filler. Lafayette, too. Sure, he was an interesting addition because he was a crossdresser, but the only thing I remember him doing was reacting to Sookie's new-found strength in the kitchen. I have no reason to dislike him or Charlsie, but they just didn't do much of anything.
Bill had the most interesting things to say, and he had a better personality than any of the other characters. Ironic, because he's THE ONE THAT'S DEAD.
I wanted to like Sookie, but some of her choices were questionable (her fashion choices aside–BANANA CLIPS, HELLO?!). I was bothered by her reaction to Gran's death. She reacted correctly upon finding her, but I would have liked to see how it really affected her afterward. There was no indication that the death of her beloved grandmother struck any kind of chord within her. Gran was one of the best characters! Poor thing.
Something else I found strange was Sookie's reaction to the cat Tina's death. She says herself that she had owned Tina for four years, but it's obvious that this incident was more profound to Sookie. Again, that's fine, but I didn't see much character development in Sookie that would indicate her sorrow for her murdered grandmother and cat. I noticed throughout the book there were sprinklings along the lines of “I'm sad, my grandma's dead and so's my cat,” but she doesn't REALLY seem to be affected by either event. It's like she's lying to the reader to make it sound like she really does feel that way, but there's no evidence for it in her behavior. I thought that was weird, and it greatly slanted my opinion of Sookie altogether.
I could write an entire review about Sam and the shapeshifting thing. I had to stop reading a couple times and just sit with my head back, attempting to perceive the circumstances that would make someone craft such a thing on paper. Short story version: Sam, you're a pervert. Sookie, you're an idiot. WHAT AN IDIOTIC DEVELOPMENT.
Finally, the line that cracked me up (unintentionally): “I thought I might watch Braveheart again: Mel Gibson in a kilt is always a mood raiser.” In what world is that not a weird thing to say?!