fantasy book reviews science fiction book reviewsUndead and Unpopular urban fantasy book reviewsUndead 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.

MaryJanice Davidson Queen Betsy: 1. Undead and Unwed 2. Undead and Unemployed 3. Undead and Unappreciated 4. Undead and Unreturnable 5. Undead and Unpopular 6. Undead and Uneasy 7. Undead and Unworthy 8. Undead and Unwelcome MaryJanice Davidson Queen Betsy: 1. Undead and Unwed 2. Undead and Unemployed 3. Undead and Unappreciated 4. Undead and Unreturnable 5. Undead and Unpopular 6. Undead and Uneasy 7. Undead and Unworthy 8. Undead and Unwelcome MaryJanice Davidson Queen Betsy: 1. Undead and Unwed 2. Undead and Unemployed 3. Undead and Unappreciated 4. Undead and Unreturnable 5. Undead and Unpopular 6. Undead and Uneasy 7. Undead and Unworthy 8. Undead and Unwelcome MaryJanice Davidson Queen Betsy: 1. Undead and Unwed 2. Undead and Unemployed 3. Undead and Unappreciated 4. Undead and Unreturnable 5. Undead and Unpopular 6. Undead and Uneasy 7. Undead and Unworthy 8. Undead and Unwelcome MaryJanice Davidson Queen Betsy: 1. Undead and Unwed 2. Undead and Unemployed 3. Undead and Unappreciated 4. Undead and Unreturnable 5. Undead and Unpopular 6. Undead and Uneasy 7. Undead and Unworthy 8. Undead and Unwelcome MaryJanice Davidson Queen Betsy: 1. Undead and Unwed 2. Undead and Unemployed 3. Undead and Unappreciated 4. Undead and Unreturnable 5. Undead and Unpopular 6. Undead and Uneasy 7. Undead and Unworthy 8. Undead and Unwelcome MaryJanice Davidson Queen Betsy: 1. Undead and Unwed 2. Undead and Unemployed 3. Undead and Unappreciated 4. Undead and Unreturnable 5. Undead and Unpopular 6. Undead and Uneasy 7. Undead and Unworthy 8. Undead and Unwelcome MaryJanice Davidson Queen Betsy: 1. Undead and Unwed 2. Undead and Unemployed 3. Undead and Unappreciated 4. Undead and Unreturnable 5. Undead and Unpopular 6. Undead and Uneasy 7. Undead and Unworthy 8. Undead and Unwelcome 9. Undead and Unfinished MaryJanice Davidson Queen Betsy: 1. Undead and Unwed 2. Undead and Unemployed 3. Undead and Unappreciated 4. Undead and Unreturnable 5. Undead and Unpopular 6. Undead and Uneasy 7. Undead and Unworthy 8. Undead and Unwelcome 9. Undead and Unfinished MaryJanice Davidson Queen Betsy: Undead and Undermined 11. Undead and UnstableMaryJanice Davidson Queen Betsy: Undead and Undermined 11. Undead and UnstableMaryJanice Davidson Queen Betsy: Undead and Undermined 11. Undead and Unstable, Undead and Underwaterfantasy and science fiction book reviewsfantasy and science fiction book reviews

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  • Kat Hooper

    KAT HOOPER, who started this site in June 2007, earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology at Indiana University (Bloomington) and now teaches and conducts brain research at the University of North Florida. When she reads fiction, she wants to encounter new ideas and lots of imagination. She wants to view the world in a different way. She wants to have her mind blown. She loves beautiful language and has no patience for dull prose, vapid romance, or cheesy dialogue. She prefers complex characterization, intriguing plots, and plenty of action. Favorite authors are Jack Vance, Robin Hobb, Kage Baker, William Gibson, Gene Wolfe, Richard Matheson, and C.S. Lewis.