Book Review: MaryJanice Davidson’s Undead and Unsure

Posted January 19, 2014 by Kathy Davie in Book Reviews

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Book Review: MaryJanice Davidson’s Undead and Unsure

Undead and Unsure


by

MaryJanice Davidson


urban fantasy in a hardcover edition that was published by Berkley on August 6, 2013 and has 301 pages.

Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon


Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Faeries Gone Wild, Bite, , Swimming Without a Net, Undead and Unstable

Twelfth in the Undead urban fantasy series revolving around Queen Betsy. Set in Minneapolis.

My Take

I actually had nightmares while reading this. Dreams in which gigantic, stuffed turkeys were chasing me. The actual reading wasn’t much better. I have got to stop following this series. It just keeps getting worse.

It’s not the writing per se, it’s Betsy. I can never believe that one person can be so self-obsessed and wh-i-n-e so much. It’s mind boggling as well as brain-cell-killing. Your only good reason for reading this is to find out what happens to Jessica and how it ends between Betsy and her sister, Laura.

“Just because I killed her mom doesn’t mean we can’t be there for each other.”

You don’t want to see how emasculated Sinclair is.

What was with Betsy’s hysterics over the turkey? Oh, it takes pages later but we finally find out. So, what’s with Betsy’s hysterics over the turkey? ‘Cause, this was just so lame.

I am impressed that any one person can moan, groan, and whine so much about so many different topics.

To be honest, if you really must read this, borrow it from the library first. If you end up liking it, then buy it.

The Story

Whine. Whine, whine, whine. Whine some more. Whine. Whine, whine, whine, whine, whine. And, in case I missed one, whine.

Oh, and Betsy’s killed the Devil, Laura’s mother, so Betsy’s suffering angst over how awful this was for her.

The Characters

Elizabeth Taylor, a.k.a., Betsy the vampire Queen, rules with Eric Sinclair, who can now walk in the Light. Fur and Burr are two black Lab sisters, puppies, fussed over by Sinclair. Tina, a.k.a., Christina Caresse Chavelle, is the vampire who turned Sinclair; she’s now his right-hand woman. Dr. Elise Taylor is Betsy’s mother. BabyJon is the Ant’s son whom Betsy and her mother are raising. Cliiiiiive Lively is her mother’s boyfriend in this timeline. Antonia O’Neill Taylor, a.k.a., the Ant, is Betsy’s now-dead stepmother who will not refrain from sticking her nose in.

Jessica Watson is Betsy’s very-rich pregnant friend. Nick/Dick, a.k.a., Not-Nick, is also Detective Berry and a member of the John Deere family with a lovely trust fund. He actually likes Betsy. Mr. and Mrs. Watson pop in for a visit to plead with Betsy. And we find out why Jessica hated her parents. I reckon they got off light. Naw and Other-Naw are the babies. Marc Salzberg was a doctor until he died and rose as a zombie.

Laura Goodman is the Antichrist, Satan’s daughter and heir, and Betsy’s half-sister. With Satan dead, Laura is supposed to take over.

The Cover and Title

The cover has a very contemporary feel with Betsy in her black velvet princess dress with its very thin straps, the black jet collar, and the sunglasses reflecting the fires of Hell as she stands, hip cocked, with hands on hips before a Minneapolis skyline and deep lilac sky behind her, wraiths waving in the breeze.

The title is very appropriate as Betsy is very Undead and Unsure in this story.