Dexter Book Series (2005-2008)
Brandon Sears
AUTHOR: Jeff Lindsay
3 Short Reviews on the Dexter novels
Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Ah, where it all begins. I had heard so much about the wonderful Showtime series based on the Dexter novels for so long but never took the time to watch it. I decided that I would read the book first before actually watching any of the first season - it turned out to be a good choice. Dexter is a great anti-hero who Lindsay (the author) does a fantastic job developing in the first book. In order for me, or most likely anyone for that matter, to really enjoy a series of books/films - it's all about how the back story is developed and if the character really warrants a continuation of his or her story. I found the book slow at times, which contributed in the amount of time it took me to finish it but built itself well towards a great ending.
Dearly Devoted Dexter - Arguably, in my opinion, the 2nd is the weakest of the series. I found myself really doubting the books after I had viewed the first & second seasons - the show is that strong. Two things I can say in a positive way is that the 2nd book does something better with a certain character then I think the TV series does and that the books follow a slightly different storyline so any "Dexter addicts" can get double the fix. In terms of weaknesses, I found the story no where near as entertaining or interesting as the first book and certain aspects of the Deborah character were downright irritating. However, Lindsay continued his trend of building towards fantastic conclusions and left me somewhat satisfied in the end.
Dexter In The Dark - Lindsay did a fantastic job with the third book - definitely the best of the series so far. He placed such a strong emphasis on Dexter's character rather then spending more time on his "activities" which I think was really needed. However, the supernatural aspect that was introduced into the series did feel a bit off at times but it did give a rather fresh feel to the "saga". A character shows up later in the story, and only twice throughout, but has such an awesome role within the series now that it makes me excited to see where it goes in the next outing, Dexter By Design in September of this year.
While he's not my favorite author, Jeff Lindsay keeps pulling me back to read more about the character. However, most of that is probably due to the fact that I like the television series so much. Overall, they're good books but I really doubt they'll be frequent reads for me in the future.
Brandon Sears is an insurance salesman by day and a superhero by night (not really). He has been writing for Modern Distraction since 2004. He lives in Sydney Mines with his wife, Ashley and his dog Toby.