It wasn't as good as the Original Buffy in my opinion. But it did hold my interest. I unfortunately was reading this when traveling to a funeral 3 states away and wasn't thoroughly engaged as I normally am. I've come out of my hole of depression to say...

Yes I recommend this book. Yes it has a good story.

I'd like to thank NetGally for the eARC of this book. Also, where will I be able to purchase it? I'd like to revisit it after my mind is clear.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of In Every Generation in exchange for an honest review.

So I admittedly am not a buffy fan but I AM a huge Kendare Blake one so imagine my surprise when I was able to quickly understand everything going on while finding the narration the most unlikeable thing here. I had similar issues with Slayer so I think I need to quit on trying to get into the buffyverse via spin offs from authors I like because I think the inevitable problem with them is that they're always going to read a tad like self interest fan-fics because that's what they are. It's hard to take a beloved series you probably loved yourself and try to take it in a new direction but I think this plays it too safe and makes our MC a tad too people pleasey and it leads to this feeling like a whole lot of nothing.

I thoroughly enjoyed diving back into the Buffy universe!
So all the Slayers are presumed dead... and Frankie Rosenburg, Willows daughter, ends up being the next slayer.. While we know from slayer lore that a new slayer awakens when one dies, I think that we are going to find that some of them did survive..or at least im keeping my fingers crossed that they did at least Buffy..
I mean can Buffy every really die... and stay dead?
I really liked that Frankie wasn't automatically great at fighting, or really anything that comes along with slaying.. although she does have the slayer instinct...
Before she became a slayer the only thing she was concerned about was learning magic, and using it to help the environment. Then she becomes the next slayer, and the one and only slayer that is also a witch.. Her and her friends Haley and Jake help her on her patrols and it really reminded me of our original Scooby gang.
We get so see and hear from some of our old friends like Willow, Xander, and even Spike who in this story became a watcher..
They are dealing with this thing with all the Slayers, but also because of that more and more demons/ vampires are making their way to Sunnydale.. So now thats something else they have to deal with.. They have to fight a Big Bad that shows up and wants to kill all the virgins.. (I really love who the Big Bad ended up being)..

Im so happy that there is going to be more books in this series!.. I cannot wait to see what kinds of trouble Sunndale can bring for our new Scooby gang.. and finding out who if anyone actually survived that explosion..

I was super excited for this book as a fan of the show Buffy, and I enjoyed other books by Kendare Blake. But this book was very middle of the road for me.

I think the way that some of our show cast was represented was not quite right for me. For example, pretty much everything around Willow; and while Oz was characterized well, he was still in love with Willow and that just wasn't really realistic to me. The new scoobies were a lot of fun, and I did really like the diversity of personalities among them. That said our main character of Frankie was the weakest of the lot. I'm not sure if this was an intentional choice though that way the reader could project themselves into her. Also she constantly had mensuration jokes that implied that only women deal with a period, and I think that teens in 2021 are all much more aware that that's not the case.

I was left with a lot of questions especially after the reveal at the end, and it wasn't in a fun cliff hanger way. While Kendare Blake got the tone of a CW teen supernatural drama down perfectly, if felt like a forced spin off that couldn't afford to pay Sarah Michelle Gellar to reprise her role.

Also I agree with everything that another Goodreads reviewer said in their much better outlined post here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3959278365?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1

Thank you to Disney Hyperion for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm a huge Kendare Blake fan, so of course when I heard she was writing a Buffy universe novel, I couldn't say no!

What happens when all the slayers are presumed dead and the newest slayer is also a witch? In Every Generation follows Frankie, Willows daughter. An eco witch, her Slayer abilities come into being and she must learn to become the next Slayer as the watchers try to find any surviving slayer's from the welreckage.

Overall, I enjoyed it! I liked that it focused almost entirely on Frankie's training and her coming to terms with it while also learning how to use her magic and Slayer instincts. Does read a bit younger, otherwise I enjoyed it!

I heard that there is going to be a Buffy remake/reboot. I'm sorry but can this be turned into a t.v. show as well? I never got around to watching all of the Buffy seasons but oh this is great continuation of it all.

The annual Slayer convention was attack and all the slayer are either dead or missing so it's up to the newly activated Slayer Frankie and her scooby gang to find out what they can and deal with the supernatural oddies that started to happen in Sunnydale.

The book focuses on Frankie and her journey into being the first slayer-witch of all time. I love how she gets her own Scooby gang or the start of one. Hailey is Vi's younger sister and is on the search for her missing older sister. Jake is Oz's werewolf cousin who he's taking care of since Jake's parents are elsewhere. Then there's a hot but nerdy sage demon whose name I can't remember but he's a nice addition to the budding team.

There is a nice nod to a mature not to terribly romantic Willow/Oz relationship was a nice touch, but with touching nods to Tara and a brief mention of Kennedy. Willow is still gay as she mentioned that her nosy male neighbor does not like her female dates when she brings them home. He doesn't like Oz either, probably because of the van. LOL.

I love how the book gives a nice nod to endless selfies, being ok with your virginity and the main enemy is epic. Well I thought it was a nice nod to history and evil ladies. Alas I won't give her away but let's just say people thought she was a vampire when she was mortal since she loves female virgins to death and wanted to live forever.

*cue evil laughter*

Hello. Huge Buffy fan here, and I adored this fun, fast-paced book and will definitely recommend it to YA readers who love paranormal and horror, and older readers who are fans of the original show. I geeked out hard with the familiar names, Willow (even a mention of Tara!), Oz, Spike, Xander, and really enjoyed the dynamics between Frankie (Willow's kid), Jake, and Hailey. The lore was spot on and I liked the details reminding me how the series ended so I could just relax into the world. Also: big yes to Spike in tweed. Just sayin'.

i have to start by saying i request this based on the cover so i didn’t exactly realize it’s a buffy the vampire slayer novel. however, i found it easy to read and understand even without having watched the slow, as it does a pretty good job at explaining what’s going on.

i really like the writing style quite a lot. it reads like a fan-fic which was amazing. i loved the jokes and how the book didn’t take itself too seriously. the novel would work so well as a movie because it’s written in a very descriptive way, of sorts. like i could picture everything in my head while reading.

the characters were really fun. i genuinely liked the cast of side characters and i think they definitely carried this book – especially hailey. the mc, frankie was a mess and i found her annoying at times because she acted so recklessly for no bloody reason. however, i really enjoyed her interactions with the rest of the scoobies. their friendship was very cute.

i don’t know the willow from the show, but in here she’s a lesbian but the book kinda questions it as it tries to make willow x oz happen, which was a bit weird. that whole plot is added in there and it comes across as willow’s sexuality being in the way of this happy ending. i’m not a lesbian, so it’s not my place to debate the rep, but it seems off.

the ending was uhh – not good. the villain in this was made up to be this untouchable, powerful character so frankie ending her with the help of another person was a bit unbelievable, as the book portrays her as clumsy and unexperienced. i didn’t really feel like she had any significant growth to justify that ending.

another thing that drove me nuts were the unholy amount of menstruation jokes. one or two were fine, but the book really kept punching me in the face with these jokes and it got mad annoying after a while.

overall, it was an okay read. i didn’t hate it, but i will probably not pick up the next novel as this series is one made for a demographic i’m not part of. however, i’ll definitely try reading the author’s other novels as i really enjoyed the writing style.

→ thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange of an honest review!

As a Buffy fan, I found there was a lot to like here (details that matched the show and character's personalities that we are familiar with). The story itself was decent and I think fans of the show will be entertained enough. I wasn't as connected to Frankie (the MC) as I would have liked, but still, a promising start to a series.

In Every Generation by Kendare Blake is the book every Buffy The Vampire Slayer fans needs to read. The book reminded me a lot of a decently written reboot of Buffy. The book mixed the nostalgia of BTVS and the modern day world and new generation pretty well. I really enjoyed the “ New Scooby Gang” and how Buffy, Spike, and Oz were pretty in character. The villain in the book was really interesting and I’m excited to see her possibly come back in the sequel. I’m already looking forward to the next book and In Every Generation hasn’t even been released yet. Overall, this is the wonderful start of a new series that is sure to intrigue and impress both old and new fans of BTVS.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars
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I love the Buffyverse and reading this book felt like a good continuation of the show. Seeing the interaction between all the old characters. Giving Spike a glamour that makes him look a little older made me picture the James Marsters playing him again. He could definitely pull off a slightly older Spike. The writing was great and the pace was just right. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel and wants to check in to see how Sunnydale is doing after the final episode of the show.

This book is a lot of fun. I loved the new characters that Blake introduced to the Buffy universe at the plot is very engaging. Overall, it's a great read!

I loved this book! Kendare Blake totally nailed it with the Buffy feels and vibe. This book felt so true to the series for me. I loved the new characters and the appearance of well loved characters from the show. It was such a fun and fast read. I can't wait to read more. Def a must for Buffy fans!

I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book with a lot of conflicted Buffy love in my heart. It's hard to address the media that is Buffy the Vampire Slayer without acknowledging the behavior of its creator behind the scenes, as well as the dated gender/sexuality/race politics that are inherent to something created in the late 90s/early 2000s. But Buffy also meant so much to people and still does, so I went into this as a Buffy fan with a cautious eye.

Set in Sunnydale, the book focuses on the next generation-- Willow's daughter Frankie, Oz's nephew Jake, and their guardians (Willow and Oz). Spike is still loitering in the town, under a protection spell and working at the new Sunnydale HS (which is of course built right by the Hellmouth because Sunnydale has terrible planners). Buffy is out of town, at a Slayer conference with all the awakened slayers from the last season. When something goes horribly wrong, Frankie feels a change-- she's become a (the?) Slayer. And there's a new Big Bad in town, who's hungry for virgin blood and the opportunity to run wild while Buffy is gone. With the Slayers AWOL, someone else showed up in town-- Hillary, the younger sister of Vi, a slayer from Oregon. How do you defeat a Big Bad when the person you've always turned to is gone? How do you accept and grow into being a Slayer? Is Spike still putting Weetabix in his blood? Two of these questions are answered in the book.

This book feels like fanfiction, sometimes in the way it feels like a love letter to the show, sometimes in the "look! Only True Fans know this reference" moments. Like a Buffy episode, I knew this would end relatively okay, and I knew that there would be a larger story arc across the planned books/episodes. While it sets up a general knowledge of the background of the Buffyverse, it didn't feel like an entry point for someone who wanted to learn about it with no knowledge. This is a gift to fans, and I enjoyed it as such.

If I stepped back into the Buffyverse, this is exactly where I want to be. You get Oz and Willow and Spike and Xander and the slayers and a whole new team of scoobies. The references to the orginal show, prove Kendare Blake is a fan and her reimagining could easily be a continuation. My hats off to her for giving us enough of the past Buffyverse to mix with her version of the future she saw for all these characters.

In Every Generation by Kendare Blake is a riveting and even, at times, emotional beginning to a new generation of slayers and slayer fans.

What I Loved

What I loved the most about In Every Generation is how true it stays to the original TV series it is based on. Even the most minor details are not overlooked, including the tone and atmosphere that reminded me of the first few seasons. I actually double-checked those details against pivotal episodes in the series. Happily, I found that every element that stood out to me was spot on. It is a young adult story, but OG fans, like me, who are no longer YA but still enjoy stories targeted to that age group, also have something to connect to regarding the next generation.

Spike, Willow, Oz are active characters, and Xander calls with updates, mentioning Dawn often. Vi, the slayer played by Felicia Day in the last season, is also significant in the story. Catching up with those characters made me incredibly happy. I found it so heartwarming that Willow stayed faithful to her word and never stopped waiting for Oz and that they have entered a close, loving friendship, much like she shares with Xander. Not surprisingly, Oz still shows minor signs of romantic love for Willow, but he is Oz. And Oz will always take what is offered without insisting on more, which is good since Willow openly declared her LGBTQ+ status all those years ago. Though the teens have thrown out conjecture about the nature of their relationship, they have not shown any more than a close, loving friendship and a much-needed support system.

The new generation, led by Willow’s daughter Frankie, has lots of room for development in upcoming stories. Most of this book saw Frankie living in Aunt Buffy’s shadow rather than finding her own strength and identity as a slayer. But she is a witch slayer, so as she continues to grow and find her own identity, I can easily see her blooming right before our eyes. I’m just giddy with the thought of all the possibilities. She is joined by Oz’s nephew/cousin, Jake, a werewolf, Vi’s sister, Hailey, and Sigmund, a half-demon who is the son of one of Willow’s demon friends. They are all fun and bring so many different dynamics to the group.

The basics of how Frankie is activated are a little hard to swallow. Still, as the book progresses, you learn that it’s unclear who perished in the explosion, what caused it, and where any possible survivors would be. This is a compelling mystery that may last for several books in the series. And I really loved that it is the point where Frankie finally admits to herself that the indestructible Buffy very well might have been one of those who died in the accident is the exact point where she begins to come out of the shadows. I found myself a little emotional at that, as well, as I realized I was admitting its possibility to myself at the same time. As a long-time fan, that’s a harsh realization.

Characters

As I mentioned, the OG characters are so like their television counterparts. I thought the author did an excellent job of capturing their distinct voices and mannerisms. And the new support characters all have strong personalities that will be fun to see grow over time. Frankie is the only one that stood out as a vague representation of what I expected, that is, until she stepped out of the shadows and owned her power. At that point, I could see a world of possibilities and loved that a quiet, environmental witch could turn into a strong, independent slayer taking on the beings who threaten life itself.

What I Wish

My wishes are forward-looking rather than towards this particular book. I wish that Frankie continues to grow in her strength and identity and allows the reader to experience the world of possibilities that I can imagine are possible.

To Read or Not to Read

If you loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer and/or have a next generation of your own that you’d love to introduce to this women-empowered world, you MUST buy this book, read this story, and introduce your next generation to all the wonderful things this world can bring to them.

Absolutely recommended for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

When I first heard of this book I was really excited given that I was a pretty big Buffy fan back in the day. Then I was a little apprehensive because of two things. 1: A couple of YA books based on the series have come out recently and I was less than pleased with them. And 2: I was a little concerned by how they would handle the idea of Willow having had a daughter after being unwillingly impregnated by magic.

BUT, all of my worries were unfounded. Though there were a few inconsistencies and things that didn't make sense. The town was a huge sinkhole after the finale so how exactly did we build on that? How did Willow recognize that they were near where the original Magic Box had been when there was no way that should be possible? But I just assumed something magical had happened and shrugged it off and kept going and I was so glad that I did.

I definitely thought the dialogue and the tone of the book matched that of the old episodes. The wittiness and banter were there and the old characters didn't seem out of character which was fantastic. Honestly, I love the idea of Spike as a Watcher! And the new crew were engaging but didn't seem like carbon copies of the old Scobbies so that was refreshing.

I really hope that Kendare Blake gets a chance to do a couple more in this series because I will absolutely be snatching them up if she does.

Frankie Rosenberg is happy to be living a simple life in Sunnydale. Not that anything in Sunnydale is truly simple. After all, how can it be when it is the location of the Hellmouth Buffy, Willow, and friends closed oh so many years ago. Oh, and Willow- most powerful witch in Sunnydale history- is her mom. And her best friend is a werewolf... okay- maybe not simple at all, but relatively calm. At least until all the Slayers gathered at a convention are killed and Frankie is activated as the next Slayer. Not simple- not calm- and definitely not safe.

Kendare Blake is one of my favorite authors- which is why I requested this ARC without even noticing it was set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I have never watched more than two or three episodes of Buffy, but fully enjoyed this book. I don't know how my opinion may change if I were comparing it to the show, but Blake comes through with a great villain and great action scenes.
I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates a quick read and easily gets sucked in (see what I did there? vampires? sucked?) to familiar characters and settings.

Boy oh boy.

“In Every Generation” takes us back to Sunnydale where a disaster amongst the Slayers passes the scythe to a new generation of witches, werewolves and yes slayers as the bloody Countess takes on the Hellmouth.

Let me begin by saying that I absolutely love Buffy the Vampire Slayer this series shaped my childhood and is something I have carried with me my entire life and I was so excited to see this book and the author shaping this story however it only took 4 chapters to tell me everything I needed to know about how bad this was going to be.

The biggest obstacle is that Blake takes the time to write this as though non fans are going to pick up the book and though I’m aware some might the assumption should have been that readers would already be aware of the source material. That being said it was obvious that instead of embracing and sinking into the characters we all know and love we got this hyper caricature like version of each and every one with quotes handpicked right out of the series to make it ever so obvious that the Scooby gang was back and it did not work at all.

The plot was just as messy with weird breaks and jumps in point of view that do not make any sense and seem to be an attempt to show both the good guys vs the big bad formula we saw in the show but it doesn’t work. I am willing to grant it some leeway however because of this being an arc and the breaks might be missing due to formatting but given I’ve read my share I really don’t think this is the case.

This is my second attempt in recent years to try and give fictional Buffy a shot and each time I wish I hadn’t. I wish authors brave enough to take on the responsibility of writing an iconic character would embrace it in a way that celebrates the series and not copy and paste what they need and duct tape all the rest.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

I’m so disappointed. I’m a huge Buffy fan and have been for over 20 years now. I read the comics, both seasons 8-12 and the new Boom! reboot. As a Teen Services Librarian and Buffy fan, I’ve been so excited for this one for months.

I knew that some of the OG cast would be there, but that this was to introduce a new group of Scoobies too. Awesome. I’m totally down for that. It’s different canon than the comics. Also, totally cool. It’ll be fun to read something different.

But, it’s so problematic. I’m a queer woman, and I love Willow. The fact that they do the disservice of having Oz still be in love with Willow, and everyone seems to forget that Willow is gay. None of her friends ever tried to assume she wasn’t gay once she came out — except for in this book. So many times they play up the, “Oh, Willow, you must be sleeping with Oz!” If she was bisexual, fine, but she’s been an out lesbian for like 20 years. In the show, in the comics, gay. She even shouts, “I’m gay!” At one point in this book. She shouldn’t have to do that.

And they make a spell go awry so she gets pregnant against her will? I really thought Buffy and Angel were done with the problematic pregnant storylines, but I guess we are back to that.

This was one that I was so excited for, and it’s such a disappointment. It’s mostly for fans of original show, and this just doesn’t hit the mark. I’m so upset about Willow. I didn’t think I’d have to feel this way about an out lesbian character in 2021, but here we are. I do not recommend.