Undead and Unpopular by MaryJanice Davidson
Warning: This review will contain spoilers for the previous books in the QUEEN BETSY series.
Undead and Unpopular is the fifth book in MaryJanice Davidson’s QUEEN BETSY series. Each of the books in this extremely fluffy paranormal fantasy series is short, silly, and shallow. The only thing that keeps me reading is that they’re quick breezy breaks between more substantial works — something I can read with half my brain tied behind my back. Also, they’re available in downloadable audiobook format at my library. I would have quit if it wasn’t for that, and the fact that I find MaryJanice Davidson’s sense of humor genuinely amusing, and Nancy Wu’s narration exceptional.
In Undead and Unpopular, it’s been about a year since Betsy died and became a vampire. Her 31st birthday is coming up, and she’s planning her wedding, but not everyone is in a party mood. Here’s what’s going on in Betsy’s household: A vampire delegation has arrived to negotiate with Betsy and Eric Sinclair and one of the delegates is the mortal enemy of one of Betsy’s friends. Betsy’s stepmother has had a baby and Betsy is the only person who can comfort him when he has colic, so she’s spending a lot of time babysitting, which annoys Eric. Betsy has decided to stop drinking blood, which makes her cranky. Jon, the former vampire hunter who has a crush on Betsy, has published a book about her first few months as a vampire. It’s called Undead and Unwed and is getting mixed reviews. (Now that’s funny.) Oh, and let’s not forget that there’s a zombie in the attic and that Betsy’s best friend Jessica is ill.
To review Undead and Unpopular, I could pretty much copy and paste my review for the previous book, Undead and Unreturnable. Betsy continues to be shallow and self-absorbed, Eric Sinclair continues to be sinfully sexy, and Betsy’s friends are as snarky as ever. Most of the storylines in this installment are minor, meaningless, and/or quickly resolved. Only a couple of them seem important to the overarching plot of the series and they don’t advance that plot very far.
I doubt that many readers are coming back for the plot, though. The appeal of the QUEEN BETSY series is in the humor and, for me, Nancy Wu’s amazing narration of the audiobooks. If you’re content to listen to Betsy’s shallow snarky personality, you’ll be probably be pleased. But if you’re looking for plot, you’re going to be disappointed with Undead and Unpopular.
Queen Betsy — (2002-2016) Publisher: First Betsy Taylor loses her job, then she’s killed in a car accident. But what really bites is that she can’t seem to stay dead. And now her new friends have the ridiculous idea that Betsy is the prophesied vampire queen, and they want her help in overthrowing the most obnoxious power-hungry vampire in five centuries.
I keep seeing these around, but they just don’t appeal to me. I think it’s because I wouldn’t have liked Betsy as a character before she became a vampire.
A vampire who chooses not to drink blood? That’s bizarre. Can vampires ingest other substances for nutrition in this series, or is Betsy deliberately starving herself for some reason? (Or was the author just trying to create drama?)
Betsy has an eating disorder. Her vampire friends are very worried, and have staged an intervention… I don’t know. I’m just being silly.
I’d guess she’s trying to avoid human blood.
A) I love when you’re silly. B) I would definitely read that book!
Marion, no you wouldn’t like her. She’s shallow, which is funny, but nobody wants to be around that kind of person for very long. I’ve read book six and that’s where I’m stopping.
She thinks blood is icky. She can’t eat anything else, but she doesn’t really need to. Her resolution doesn’t last long.