Book Review With Mel and Sue - In Every Generation (In Every Generation, Book 1) by Kendare Blake

Welcome to Book Review with Mel and Sue!  In posts like this Melanie (From Melanie's Muses - just in case there was any doubt) and author Susan Harris will both read the same book and then post their thoughts

Basic Info 

Standalone or series?
Melanie  - Book 1 in a new series 
Susan - Book 1 in a new series

Category
Melanie  - YA Vampire Fiction (Not listed as "Fan Fiction" but it should be).
Susan -  What Mel said lol

Official Blurb About The Book 
Return to Sunnydale in a brand-new series by New York Times best-selling author Kendare Blake, set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Frankie Rosenberg wasn't yet alive when her mom, Willow, her aunt Buffy, and the original Scooby Gang destroyed the Hellmouth and saved the world from the First Evil. These days, life in New Sunnydale is blissfully quiet. Frankie is just trying to survive her sophomore year at the rebuilt high school and use her budding magical powers to make the world a better place.
But that world is suddenly plunged into danger when the slayer community is the target of a deadly attack, leaving the future of the line uncertain. Then Frankie discovers she's sort of freakishly strong. Oh, and there's something Willow never told her about her true identity.
Cue the opening credits.
Quicker than she can carve a stake, Frankie discovers there's more to saving the world than witty one-liners and stupid hot demons. now everyone looks to her for answers, but speaking up has never been her strong suit. And it's hard to be taken seriously when your mom is such a powerful witch she almost ended the world once, while your greatest magic trick is recycling.
Despite the many challenges standing in her way, Frankie must assemble her own bumbling Scooby Gang, get dressed up in Buffy's (vintage '90s) clothes, and become a new slayer for a new generation―before whatever came for the rest of the slayers comes for her next.

How did we get this book?
Susan got it - and then told Mel to get it so we could review it lol

Why did we choose to read  this book:  The cover looked pretty fun and it's Buffy! (Also Melanie had read Anna in the Blood by Kendare Blake before and loved it)

And Now To The Review!

First Impressions:
Melanie -  . This sort of reads like Fan Fiction. I was excited to see how many of the original characters were being introduced and then I wish they hadn't.

Susan -   I was excited to see how the Scooby gang would be as responsible adults, how the events of the final every episode of the TV show would have on them, as the book was sold to me on being a continuation of the show...but like Mel, I wish they had just left well alone.

General Review
Melanie - Honestly, I am not sure how this got published outside of a bad fan fiction forum.  Kendare Blake doesn't stay true to the cannon of the series at all, instead making up her own version which doesn't make any sense to me at all. She absolutely ruined one of my favorite characters, and to make matters worse she can't even make the story version she invented work within her own rules. Some of the most sacred plots from the series are trivialized, and don't even get me started on the unnecessary menstruation jokes.

I'm also not sure who this book is meant for. Readers new to the Buffyverse wouldn't understand 3/4 of the references and fans of the series won't appreciate the liberties taken with the world for apparently no good reason. Greg and Susan got to hear LOTS of complaining as I read it - but Susan kinda asked for it because this was after all HER idea! 

Susan  -  Yeah, yeah, yeah... blame Susan! To be fair, everything Mel said is true.  I think for me, as a reader and writer who has a strong love for characterization, the main character Frankie didn't just it for me as this badass lead like we had with Buffy, Faith and other slayers. Honestly, I would have thought she was Kennedy's kid rather than Willow's because she was that bloody annoying.  There were also far too much emphasis put on trying to make Frankie relevant, and like Mel, the menstruation jokes made me roll my eyes so much, I gave myself a headache.

Melanie -  You know she DID read like she would have been Kennedy's kid and even THAT would have been more believable that what actually took place!

Susan  - Right????  But in all seriousness, the entire book felt forced, like the pressure of writing a book in such a cult classic took its toll. Big events from the Buffyverse were thrown in so that we all knew that the author had actually watched the TV show, but they were so played down that it was painful to read. And then there was the big bad...no spoilers...but the villain of the story had nothing on the ones that came before them and couldn't hold a candle to Darla, Drusilla, Caleb, and Spike in his glory days...hell, even Professor Walsh and Adam were better bad guys then they had in this book (And I like to pretend that season never happened cause it was shite!)

Melanie -  Yep that season was pretty bad! (I mean it had the Beer episode so enough said there …) 


Final Thoughts
Melanie - . She trashed the lore, she ruined the characters, and she copped out on the ending.  Run as far away as you can from this book if you had even the slightest love for the original series. 

Susan -   Even the glory of Spike couldn't save this book from the Armageddon and I would suggest avoiding it as much as Anya avoids bunnies.  If you want a better read to satisfy your Buffy lust, then pick up a copy of Kiersten White's Slayer duology, if you can look past the fact that the book is based in Ireland, but has very little accurate Irish knowledge in it. 

Rating
Melanie – Scraping in at a 2 star - mainly for the cover art which is pretty awesome so I guess at least it will look nice on my shelf. 
Susan -   Being generous by giving it a 2 star, mainly because Spike was awesome and the hardcover had a nice etching of the Buffy logo on it.
Melanie – Agreed - the Buffy logo etching is nice! And having read this back - our review is WAY more entertaining than the actual book! You are all welcome!


Be sure to let us know in the comments below if you liked our "double take" on the same book and if you have a book you would like us to read just let us know!

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