Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Review : Abandon by Meg Cabot

*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

PublisherScholastic, Inc.

Release Date: April 26, 2011
Pages: 320
Source: ARC

The Story:

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.
But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.
Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.
But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

via Barnes & Noble
Rating





My Review

I LOVE YA retellings of Hades and Persephone! And Meg Cabot's Abandon trilogy is probably my favorite -- tied with Aimee Carter's Goddess Test series. Funny story though, I received Abandon back at RT Los Angeles in 2011 and didn't realize what a gem I had. I didn't read it until shortly before its sequel, Underworld, was released. The only reason why I gave it a second look was because I was on Google searching for Hades and Persephone retellings and Abandon was on the list. I said "Hey! I have that book!" and the rest was history. :) *BTW, can you believe Abandon was my first Meg Cabot book?*

Tag Line:

She knows what it's like to die . . . Now Death wants her back.

Opening Line:

Once, I died.

Plot:

The premise of the story was exactly what I was searching for in a Hades and Persephone YA retelling. The characters on a whole were interesting and believable. Pierce character, while not the most colorful protagonist, was real enough I could immerse myself in the story.


As for the annoying bits, I have to say the elusive "Incident," the circumstances of which were dragged out more than necessary -- mentioning it less would have helped even. Also, not much actually happens. As I read the book I did not realize this but once I sat down to write this review . . . well, I was left scratching my head trying to think of substantial events.

The pace was good for me. Smooth at the beginning, building then picking up momentum towards the end. I thought the end of the story was delicious and my kind of cliffhanger. My hands were definitely itching for the sequel by the time I finished devouring the book.

Character Breakdown:

Pierce Oliviera - I have to admit Olivia was a bit bland for my taste but not to the point she annoyed me enough to abandon *see what I did there hehe* the story. Overall, Olivia's character was enjoyable enough.

John Hayden - I cannot place my finger on it, but there was simply something about John that drew me in. His character was the perfect blend between light and dark. John Hayden is deliciously dark, captivating and brooding but once you get to know him readers can see he is also kind, considerate and charmingly protective. He tickled my swoon spot and I loved him throughout the trilogy.

Richard Smith - The cemetery sexton was by far my favorite character in the story. He was like an endearing curmudgeon and funny to boot. 

Here is one of my favorite quotes from 
Abandon:

Richard to Pierce: "'Impossible, yes,' he admitted after a few seconds. 'But interesting. Like you. And eternity is a long time. So if you have to spend it with someone, I could see wanting to spend it with someone impossible . . . but interesting'" (page 238). 

Richard to Pierce: "'Good Lord, do they teach you nothing in school these days? Have you ever heard of a hyperbole? I highly suggest you look up the word, Miss Oliviera, if you intend to pursue a relationship with a death deity'" (page 245).

Meet the Author:

Meg Cabot is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for both adults and tweens/teens. There have been over 25 million copies of Meg's nearly 80 published books sold in 38 countries. Her last name rhymes with habit, as in "her books can be habit forming." She currently lives in Key West, Florida with her husband and various cats. 

Meg's first ever adult book in the Princess Diaries series, "Royal Wedding", will be available in Summer 2015, along with an installment of the series for younger readers, "From the Notebook of a Middle School Princess". "Remembrance", a new book in the Mediator series will be available in February of 2016.


***Check out Meg Cabot's website for more information about her and the AbandonHERE

Happy Reading!



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