I have enjoyed many books and movies along with a few television shows dealing with vampires. I’d read about a series of vampire books by Maryjanice Davidson that sounded interesting. I started looking for Undead and Unwed, the first book in the series. I ended up ordering the book online since I couldn’t find it at the local bookstore.
Elizabeth Taylor - Betsy to her friends and family - was having a bad day. She over slept and was late for work only to find out that she was being laid off because the company was having financial problems. The rest of her day wasn’t any better and ended with her being in an accident that killed her. She woke up on the day of her funeral in a tacky pink suit and cheap shoes thanks to her step mother. Betsy took a little while to figure out that she was a vampire. Once she did, she decided to get on with her after life by reclaiming her expensive shoe collection from her step mother and letting her friends and family know she was still alive. Sort of. Betsy met many other vampires that made St. Paul their home and learned some interesting things. Eric Sinclair, a powerful vampire, tried to help Betsy with a few things while battling another cruel vampire. Betsy wasn’t harmed by things like holy water or sunlight, which made her a special vampire. According to a prophecy, Betsy was meant to be the Queen of the vampires, something that upset some other vampires.
Undead and Unwed was probably the funniest and most lighthearted vampire book that I’ve ever read. That didn’t stop me from really enjoying the book even though I am more use to darker vampire books. It could be a little too fluffy for some people that like vampire books and are more accustomed to the darker books. I did think that the book shared a bit of the same lighthearted nature that was present through most of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so fans of that show may also enjoy the book. This book did have a different take on vampires. Several things that have been established in other vampire books or movies were included, some in a different way. Betsy didn’t become a vampire in a traditional way. Exactly how it happened did add a little bit of mystery to the book. An explanation was eventually given by the end of the book. Having a Queen of the vampires has been done before in a different way. Betsy didn’t many things different which did help to keep the book entertaining. I did like how some of the most established information about vampires was taken and changed slightly.
During the first chapter, Betsy talked about how it been a while since she’d last been intimate with a man which lead to her sharing her philosophy about getting involved with a man. It involved her expensive shoes in a way that really reminded me of something Cher said in Clueless. Betsy had a crush on Nick, a police detective she’d met after an incident a few months before the book began. She was still attracted to him after she became a vampire, but she didn’t think there was any chance of them having a relationship. She met Eric not too long after she became a vampire and there was an attraction between them. Betsy was strongly drawn to him but kept resisting making their relationship intimate. Eventually there was a sex scene between them that was very descriptive. Some people may feel like it was too graphic. There were a few other sexual conversations and situations throughout the book. Some readers might think that the relationship between Betsy and Eric received too much attention. I think it was just laying a foundation for the future books in the series. The word that rhymes with luck was used several times, usually with a sexual meaning.
Betsy was the main character in the book and the most developed. Undead and Unwed focused on sharing her experiences as a new vampire. The book was written in the first person point of view from Betsy’s perspective. All her thoughts and feelings about what she was dealing with were shared. That did help to make her more developed. Betsy had a very unique way of thinking that helped to add humor to the book. Betsy had a large collection of expensive designer shoes that were very important to her. Betsy could be a little flighty and she did go off on a few tangents and frequently got distracted. That tended to happen when she started to think about shoes. She even managed to get distracted in a few dangerous situations.
The different supporting characters were only shown through Betsy’s eyes, so they weren’t as developed. That has been normal in all of the other books I’ve read that have been written in the first person point of view. None of the thoughts or feelings of the other characters were shared, which did make some of them seem flat. Jessica had been Betsy’s best friend since they were children. Jessica was very accepting of Betsy being a vampire and did what she could to help her adjust. Jessica even tried to help Betsy find an alternative food source. Nick, the detective that Betsy had been interested in, made a few short appearances. He wasn’t important to what was going on in the book. Betsy helped Marc, a doctor, one night when he was very depressed. After that, he became her new roommate, handling things for Betsy during the day when she needed to sleep. Marc got along with Jessica and the two of them developed a friendship as well. Marc was very accepting about all the strange things going on around Betsy and he wasn’t concerned because she was a vampire. He thought it was interesting.
Betsy met several vampires after she became one. Nostro, a very powerful vampire, considered himself to be in charge of all of the vampires. He was very cruel to the vampires he ruled over. He had a sadistic side. Nostro learned about Betsy and thought she should swear allegiance to him. He was shocked when she refused and wasn’t harmed by holy water. Nostro and Eric had been having a struggle for many years over who should be in control. Eric didn’t have any desire to rule the way Nostro did. Eric believed that Betsy was meant to be the Queen of the vampires and he wanted her to help over throw Nostro. Eric could be either sneaky or kind, depending on the situation. Tina was a vampire that was loyal to Eric. She actually made him a vampire, but he was the stronger one in the relationship.
Undead and Unwed was one of the funniest and most entertaining books that I have read in a long time. It was the most unique vampire book that I’ve ever read and I intend to get the rest of the books in the series.
Undead Series
Undead and Unwed ~ Undead and Unemployed ~ Undead and Unappreciated ~ Undead and Unreturnable ~ A Fiend in Need (Short Story in Dead and Loving It) ~ Undead and Unpopular ~ Undead and Uneasy ~
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