Review: Abandon

Abandon
Meg Cabot
YA fantasy/ Greek mythology

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.

The problem when reading a much-loved book by a much-loved author is that you have high expectations for it. And, well, Abandon didn't live up to what I thought it would be.

The main reason I didn't like it was because it wasn't dark enough for it's theme. What I mean is that the story was told lightly, and didn't have that mysterious, scary, dark, enticing atmosphere that most books of this genre usually do. I could tell it was meant to be intense, but it just wasn't (for me).

The second thing that bothered me was the insta-love. I know some people like it, and sometimes I do too when it's done well enough, but this just felt like I was told they fell in love, not shown it. No spark for me.

And third but last problem was the fact that this couldn't be a standalone novel. It's not that it had to be, I love books with cliffhangers as much as the next reader (or hate as much as the next reader...?) , but Abandon didn't have enough plot in it to make me feel satisfied when I was finished. It was more like an introduction to the world of the series.

But this book did have its redeeming qualities (it is Meg Cabot, after all). I personally liked Pierce. I admired how she wanted to help everyone and actually DID instead of just talking about it. Also, she had interests, she got out, she wasn't shy, she didn't automatically snub the queen bee and become a social pariah (seriously. Why do they always do that? No good ever comes out of it. Better play it smart like Pierce). You  go, girl.

Another pro for Abandon was the ending. I am happy to say that while the story line was fairly typical, I did not see the end coming and for that I am thankful. In conclusion, I probably will read Underworld (book #2) but I'm not running to the bookstore for it. Grade: 40%

-Esty