annsbibliotherapy's review
4.0
In my opinion, the second installment of this series was better than the first, and that's saying something, I can honestly say I was surprised at how much more I was drawn into this world.
Tansy, Vaughn, Sky, and Connor have gotten themselves into it this time, with family drama that would make most reality tv seem bland they fight through intense and terrifying moments just to be hit with something else that's even harder to get through.
With hellcats that somehow make me want one, more deaths and attacks than I could keep track of, and a potential wedding, this book takes you on one mental roller coaster after another.
I will say we see Tansy and all of her friends growing up, seeing the world for what it is and what it has the potential to be, seeing characters truly grow is one of my favorite parts of reading a series and so far this one hasn't disappointed in that area.
Overall this is another fangtastic book by the truly talented Marlene Perez and I cannot wait to start the next book.
Tansy, Vaughn, Sky, and Connor have gotten themselves into it this time, with family drama that would make most reality tv seem bland they fight through intense and terrifying moments just to be hit with something else that's even harder to get through.
With hellcats that somehow make me want one, more deaths and attacks than I could keep track of, and a potential wedding, this book takes you on one mental roller coaster after another.
I will say we see Tansy and all of her friends growing up, seeing the world for what it is and what it has the potential to be, seeing characters truly grow is one of my favorite parts of reading a series and so far this one hasn't disappointed in that area.
Overall this is another fangtastic book by the truly talented Marlene Perez and I cannot wait to start the next book.
elenadragon's review
3.0
Thank you NetGalley for an arc book of this book in exchange for an honest opinion
Tansy the new vampire queen, trying to be a the fair queen for her new realm with her new werewolf boyfriend both trying to solve the murder cases among werewolves in her new realm
as for tansy's character there's some development in the character you can see her making decisions and trying to be reasonable in the hardest situation
vaughn i like this guy even though he messes up at some point but he tries his best to be better especially for his girl friend
skylar is different in this story not the girl who would chase after a group of vampire cause she's heartbroken though i sort of hated her for not taking her friend's side
as for the pack i really like them they seem so cool especially beckett and xavier
travis seems to be funnier in this book not the villain in the 1st book, but he's still dumb
Do I have to mention how much I like helcate?
well the 1st book was mostly about tansy doing whatever to save her friends from vampires and this one has a new adventure where tansy solves a crime and a mystery along with other secrets about her mom
I would mostly recommend this to teenagers or beginner reader 16+ maybe
Tansy the new vampire queen, trying to be a the fair queen for her new realm with her new werewolf boyfriend both trying to solve the murder cases among werewolves in her new realm
as for tansy's character there's some development in the character you can see her making decisions and trying to be reasonable in the hardest situation
vaughn i like this guy even though he messes up at some point but he tries his best to be better especially for his girl friend
skylar is different in this story not the girl who would chase after a group of vampire cause she's heartbroken though i sort of hated her for not taking her friend's side
as for the pack i really like them they seem so cool especially beckett and xavier
travis seems to be funnier in this book not the villain in the 1st book, but he's still dumb
Do I have to mention how much I like helcate?
well the 1st book was mostly about tansy doing whatever to save her friends from vampires and this one has a new adventure where tansy solves a crime and a mystery along with other secrets about her mom
I would mostly recommend this to teenagers or beginner reader 16+ maybe
annarella's review
5.0
I had a lot of fun in reading the fist book in this series and this one is even more entertaining.
We meet again Tansy and I loved how the author mixes her teen problems with being a vampire queen.
Lots of humor, excellent world building and good storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
We meet again Tansy and I loved how the author mixes her teen problems with being a vampire queen.
Lots of humor, excellent world building and good storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
destany's review
4.0
I knew going into this book that after it there would only be one more. I love Tansy, and I love Vaughn. Sometimes Skyler got on my nerves, but from Tansy's perspective, it tracked.
Tansy's long-lost, presumed-dead-but-really-a-vampire mother, Vanessa, is back with a new boyfriend and a new attitude. Is it all fake? And why is Vaughn blowing Tansy off after getting home from training. And Skyler's ex is back, too? And that new band on the scene looks really familiar... could it all be clues to not only what Vanessa is up to, but also who Tansy's father is.
Tansy's long-lost, presumed-dead-but-really-a-vampire mother, Vanessa, is back with a new boyfriend and a new attitude. Is it all fake? And why is Vaughn blowing Tansy off after getting home from training. And Skyler's ex is back, too? And that new band on the scene looks really familiar... could it all be clues to not only what Vanessa is up to, but also who Tansy's father is.
fringebookreviews's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad at all but I wanted more of their relationship. I’ll listen to book three and see how it all concludes. Entertaining and light!
lilibetbombshell's review
3.0
This book wasn’t as fun as its predecessor, “Afterlife of the Party”, but it did give us readers some answers we were looking for that the previous book was sorely lacking, and introduced more questions that will keep us interested enough to want to read the next book just to see who these people who are mentioned (but not seen) are, where certain other people disappeared to, and what is going to happen to certain interpersonal dynamics after the significant amount and severity of events that happened during this book.
And there was a lot that went on in this book. Whereas “Afterlife of the Party” pretty much centered on a singular plotline: follow the friend, try and save the friend, try to not die in the process, “I’m With the Banned” has quite a few balls up in the air, and it doesn’t juggle all of them easily. Some balls are hovering in the air and about the come down that were left over from the first book, some are tossed up at the beginning of this book and get tossed up and down throughout the book, and some get tossed up late in the game so they are left hovering in the air as the book closes out. That accounts for why this second book in the series is longer than the first, to be sure.
For the positive, I did like that the book was longer. It seemed the right length for a second book in a YA series. I liked that Ms. Perez actually paid attention to her plot threads and wound some of them up or at least tended to them and didn’t let them hang loose or just dangle there without being addressed in some way. The book was edited well, and I have no complaints about the pacing. It moved at exactly the speed it was supposed to, in my opinion.
For the negative, I could’ve gone without seeing vampires and werewolves going toe-to-toe yet again, even if they’re being as political and civil about it as possible. Also, the “turn” and the villain reveal were so predictable to me I called it before I was 30% of the way through the book. From that point, I was just reading to get to that point. I’m not saying that the reading from that point wasn’t wholly unenjoyable, but I just knew exactly where we were driving the car to. It was just a matter of getting there.
There were new creatures, new spells, and new characters. Some were good ideas and some weren’t. That’s just how it goes. Am I upset or disappointed with the book? No. It’s the second book in a YA series. Sometimes this happens. Just go along for the ride and relax.
And there was a lot that went on in this book. Whereas “Afterlife of the Party” pretty much centered on a singular plotline: follow the friend, try and save the friend, try to not die in the process, “I’m With the Banned” has quite a few balls up in the air, and it doesn’t juggle all of them easily. Some balls are hovering in the air and about the come down that were left over from the first book, some are tossed up at the beginning of this book and get tossed up and down throughout the book, and some get tossed up late in the game so they are left hovering in the air as the book closes out. That accounts for why this second book in the series is longer than the first, to be sure.
For the positive, I did like that the book was longer. It seemed the right length for a second book in a YA series. I liked that Ms. Perez actually paid attention to her plot threads and wound some of them up or at least tended to them and didn’t let them hang loose or just dangle there without being addressed in some way. The book was edited well, and I have no complaints about the pacing. It moved at exactly the speed it was supposed to, in my opinion.
For the negative, I could’ve gone without seeing vampires and werewolves going toe-to-toe yet again, even if they’re being as political and civil about it as possible. Also, the “turn” and the villain reveal were so predictable to me I called it before I was 30% of the way through the book. From that point, I was just reading to get to that point. I’m not saying that the reading from that point wasn’t wholly unenjoyable, but I just knew exactly where we were driving the car to. It was just a matter of getting there.
There were new creatures, new spells, and new characters. Some were good ideas and some weren’t. That’s just how it goes. Am I upset or disappointed with the book? No. It’s the second book in a YA series. Sometimes this happens. Just go along for the ride and relax.
fsmeurinne's review
5.0
This is the second installment in the Afterlife series. This one kept up with the amazing characters, I love Tansy and Connor with many twists and turns that grabbed me from the start and didn't let me go until I finished it. I really love this vampire storyline the world-building Marlene Perez has created is really good. I liked the new characters as well. Great YA series.
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inkspitblog's review against another edition
4.0
I love this series!
While the books themselves can be a little forgettable once you finish them, the ride is amazing when you’re reading it.
I did hate that there was strife in their relationship as that gave me a lot of anxiety. I know it was obvious to him they weren’t breaking up but avoiding her isn’t the way my dude. Also she’s a vampire queen and can protect herself.
I liked the whole him being a werewolf but it does fall into a lot of stereotypes. Which is a shame but it was also still fun. I liked the confusing relationship with her mum and why it was happening too - who wouldn’t want to get to know their mum?
As usual I love her grandma and the coven because it’s adorable and I love how supportive and gay they all are. It’s a shame there aren’t any main characters that are queer. I liked the twist with the twins being related to her as that made a lot more sense. Overall, it was a fun quick read but as usual a bit forgettable after the fact. I’ll still read the next book though hah.
While the books themselves can be a little forgettable once you finish them, the ride is amazing when you’re reading it.
I did hate that there was strife in their relationship as that gave me a lot of anxiety. I know it was obvious to him they weren’t breaking up but avoiding her isn’t the way my dude. Also she’s a vampire queen and can protect herself.
I liked the whole him being a werewolf but it does fall into a lot of stereotypes. Which is a shame but it was also still fun. I liked the confusing relationship with her mum and why it was happening too - who wouldn’t want to get to know their mum?
As usual I love her grandma and the coven because it’s adorable and I love how supportive and gay they all are. It’s a shame there aren’t any main characters that are queer. I liked the twist with the twins being related to her as that made a lot more sense. Overall, it was a fun quick read but as usual a bit forgettable after the fact. I’ll still read the next book though hah.
bubblewombat's review
5.0
I'm with the Banned follows our girl Tansy as she navigates even stranger supernatural waters, and her new responsibilities as the vampire queen of California with the help of some old and new friends.
LISTEN HERE, TANSY DID NOT COME TO PLAY IN THIS ONE. She was awesome before, but now she's taking it to the next level and I'm here for it. She's growing more mature by the minute, my little baby. I love her so much.
Skylar surprised me with her behaviour. In book one the circumstances were different so she's forgiven for acting so odd, but now? YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE SKYLAR, NONE.
I almost started to like Vaughn, but then he would choose his friends over Tansy every time. I get it Vaughn, you have responsibilities and all that, but if you've been in love with her for so long why are you neglecting her now when you have her?
Tansy would go to hell and back for her friends, which she keeps proving time and time again, and yet they can't extend the same courtesy to her. It's infuriating.
Rose and Thorn got bigger roles, it's what they deserve. I hope we get to know them even more in the next book.
Surprisingly, Travis is becoming one of my favourite characters in the world. He's a lot funnier now that he's not kidnapping girls to drain them dry. I'm digging the western vibe, and how he's always at the wrong place at the wrong time.
I don't have much to say about the wolf pack, except if they don't all start liking Tansy ASAP I'm throwing hands. They're cool though (not Connor).
Hecate is one of the new characters too, and I want to hug the hell out of her. See what I did there? Authors don't often use hellcats in books, and Hecate is the prime example of why they should start. You cannot go wrong with a floofy hellcat who likes pies.
There's another character who comes back, but I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet. I just want it known that I hate them with the passion of a thousand burning suns.
Now for the other tidbits.
This is one of those books that you can binge in a day if you feel like it. And you should feel like it, because it's super fun. Dare I say, even more entertaining than book one? I do dare.
The writing is better in this one too. In my review of The Afterlife of the Party, I said how it was choppy on occasion. Definitely not the case here, everything flows smoothly.
I can't wait to see what shenanigans these characters will be up to next. Less than a year till that happens, I'm counting down the days.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
LISTEN HERE, TANSY DID NOT COME TO PLAY IN THIS ONE. She was awesome before, but now she's taking it to the next level and I'm here for it. She's growing more mature by the minute, my little baby. I love her so much.
Skylar surprised me with her behaviour. In book one the circumstances were different so she's forgiven for acting so odd, but now? YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE SKYLAR, NONE.
I almost started to like Vaughn, but then he would choose his friends over Tansy every time. I get it Vaughn, you have responsibilities and all that, but if you've been in love with her for so long why are you neglecting her now when you have her?
Tansy would go to hell and back for her friends, which she keeps proving time and time again, and yet they can't extend the same courtesy to her. It's infuriating.
Rose and Thorn got bigger roles, it's what they deserve. I hope we get to know them even more in the next book.
Surprisingly, Travis is becoming one of my favourite characters in the world. He's a lot funnier now that he's not kidnapping girls to drain them dry. I'm digging the western vibe, and how he's always at the wrong place at the wrong time.
I don't have much to say about the wolf pack, except if they don't all start liking Tansy ASAP I'm throwing hands. They're cool though (not Connor).
Hecate is one of the new characters too, and I want to hug the hell out of her. See what I did there? Authors don't often use hellcats in books, and Hecate is the prime example of why they should start. You cannot go wrong with a floofy hellcat who likes pies.
There's another character who comes back, but I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet. I just want it known that I hate them with the passion of a thousand burning suns.
Now for the other tidbits.
This is one of those books that you can binge in a day if you feel like it. And you should feel like it, because it's super fun. Dare I say, even more entertaining than book one? I do dare.
The writing is better in this one too. In my review of The Afterlife of the Party, I said how it was choppy on occasion. Definitely not the case here, everything flows smoothly.
I can't wait to see what shenanigans these characters will be up to next. Less than a year till that happens, I'm counting down the days.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*