Journal Entry 1 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Blurb on back cover:
Having recently lost her dad and stepmother, Betsy Sinclair (née Taylor) is adjusting to rather more than just married life. Their untimely deaths have left her and Eric as sole guardians of her little brother. Two vampire parents - albeit vampire royalty - for a decidedly human baby. Still, Betsy is more than up for the challenge. If only everyone would stop being so nervous around her, given her sudden recent burst of power. Betsy most emphatically Does Not Want To Discuss It, and for the moment, everyone is following her lead.

But then the ghost of Betsy's stepmother turns up at their house. And as stubborn and insufferable as she was in life, she's even more annoying in death - especially as she regards her demise as all Betsy's fault! 

Journal Entry 2 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, September 01, 2009

I read this last year when I borrowed a copy from the library; I've bought a copy (the UK version, thank goodness!) for my permanent collection. Below are my thoughts about the book:

I borrowed Undead and Unworthy from the library (did I ever mention that I love my local library?!) and it was another quick read that I polished off in a day. That said, I don't think it's a great addition to the series, especially when I thought MJD had only just brought back a bit of sparkle to the Undead series in Book 6.

Firstly, I HATE the new cover (at least the UK version is still semi-decent). It looks absolutely horrid and I don't know what possessed the publisher to make the change and what came over MJD to give the tick of approval. Sure, I get the whole new start thing and looking for that something to rejuvenate the series, but this just doesn't work. The old covers were quirky and fun, capturing the quintessential essence of Betsy; the new cover just doesn't feel right and doesn't convey the 'Betsy-ness' of the Undead series. Of course, it clashes terribly with the rest of the collection that I don't even know if I will want to purchase Book 7 because it will stand out like a sore thumb! (I need matching covers in a set!)

MJD also attempts to breathe new life into the series by creating a new story arc for Betsy and her sidekicks. Well, I'm not sure if it's working all that well based on Book 7. I think it was rather drastic to kill off Antonia and Garrett, especially after giving them happy endings just in the previous book. MJD seems to be using that TV trick where major characters are killed off to 'shake things up' but I don't think it achieved the desired effect. I am still a fan of the Undead series and I will perservere with it and wait for the release of Book 8, but MJD has been producing more misses than hits - let's hope that she can recover some of the Betsy magic for the next book.