Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Genre: Humor / Vampires
Pages: 304 (hardcover)
Reading Level: Easy
Rating: 4 / 5
Summary from Goodreads
If Betsy Taylor has learned anything about ruling Hell it’s: 1) she can’t do it alone, and 2) she doesn’t have to. She’s got the help of a devoted vampire king, a dateless zombie, an exhausted new mom, an unshowered cop, a bitchy ghost, a kindly dead priest, and her late stepmother (“Go Team Satan!”). But the latest major hurdle in her post-dead life is so big she can’t even see it until it’s on CNN.
Betsy’s father and half-sister Laura (a former Anti-Christ with a grudge) have outed Betsy to the world. It doesn’t take long for the story to become 24-7 headline news. What’s more, people are not only prepared to believe in vampires, they want to kill them. For Betsy, social media has never felt so …unsocial.
Before long the mansion on Summit Avenue is swarming with reporters, would-be vampire / zombie killers, and desperate emos begging to be turned. Betsy has been forced into the unenviable role as the reluctant face of the vampire nation. All she knows is, she has to look good—this is hi-def!—and stay true to who she is. H8ers be damned.
Review
As mentioned in reviews of predecessors in the Undead series, I listen to the audiobook version while I work out. The reader is Nancy Wu and she nails Betsy’s personality. In addition, the voice changes for other characters are hilarious. I have actually laughed out loud throughout this series. I am a note taker; for that reason, I don’t usually enjoy audiobooks. However, the Undead series is pretty much a no brains required read and therefore perfect for me in audio format.
The ditsy, shoe loving vampire queen that is Betsy is always an entertaining story. The series is well written, the characters are hilarious and the stories keep me going back for more.
I love the whole weirdo religious theme, so that fact that we get more into the whole Betsy running Hell thing is awesome. Who knew running Hell by committee could work? And that conference rooms can be made with giant Legos? And that a less than tasty Orange Julius could be considered torture? And that Hell gets mobile coverage via AT&T? Also, Sinclair pouting because Betsy has banned him from Hell is kind of funny as well. As is Betsy’s quest for a new title – Satan 2.0? Queen of the Damned?
The reader will get some interesting information about the nature of Jessica’s twins – Coke & Pepsi, Salt & Pepper, I really wish I had kept a running list of Betsy’s names for them because they are pretty funny. Will this be the book where Jessica and Dick finally name them? You’ll have to read it to find out.
While Betsy usually has lots of issues to deal with, Unforgiven seems to have more. In addition, there are several surprises, including one that has the potential to change the vampire world forever. It would be a great way to end the series; since the next book is titled Undead and Done, I assume it is the last in the series. I will miss Betsy.
Reviewed by Christina
April 28, 2017
Book Expectations 