Abandon (The Abandon Trilogy, Book 1)

Meg Cabot

Apr 2011 · Sold by Scholastic Inc.

About this ebook

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.

Pierce knows what it's like to die, because she's done it before. 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.Now she's moved to a new town, but even here, he finds her. Pierce 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. If she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

Ratings and reviews

Compared to her other books this was disappointment. I mean I loved the Mediator series and her other books and I was really looking forward to reading this but I couldn't get passed the first chapter before thinking to myself "Is this really the Meg Cabot who wrote some of my all-time favorites?" Evidently I just put it down (not even half way through) and never opened it again. The character Pierce didn't really have much of an impact like some of Meg's characters. I was more interested in John the love interest who wasn't mentioned or described as much as I would've of liked. The plot was interesting but failed when it had the opportunity to succeed.

If you read this book my guess is that your first impression of Pierce is that she’s a bit crazy. Well, she’s not. You see she died, but only for a moment. During that moment between life and death, she paid the Underworld a visit. From that she gained a sexy stalker named John protecting her from anything that may harm her. But what did I think of it? I am a HUGE Meg Cabot fan and I was expecting a lot out of this book. Unfortunately, I found the first half of the book was a bit slow at first, I felt as if I was forcing myself to read it whereas most books I read draw me in right from the beginning. After the first half of the book the addiction to reading Abandon started to grow, I started to take it everywhere I went! I found the characters very different, but a good different! They weren’t your usual hopeless girl meets attractive boy, and that’s why Pierce and John have been really interesting to read about. From how the book finished, I must say I am looking forward to the next book to coming out in 2012! Keep up the good work Meg!

At first this book started off great! it was an interesting idea and I was really interested and engaged with this book. Yet as the book progressed it got really confusing with the flashbacks Pierce has, and her time spent with this mysterious stranger (you find out later who he really is). The flashbacks would have been much better if they actually were related to the present day events but they just seemed to be a rehashing of memories. Even so, it feels it’s all jumbled and it’s makes the reading awkward. I also had a hard time liking Pierce. She was like a wooden doll with hardly any feeling or form and to be blunt, she just seemed so blah. Nothing exciting at all. I didn’t quite understand her relationship with John Hayden. It was like she liked him, but then she steered clear away from him. Although he ends up saving her from several horrible experiences, she just wants to get away from him as if he’s the plague. Ok. I supposed there’s not a problem with that but if they’re supposed to be the romance couple here, the chemistry seems way off and it just feels like it’s not there. Even the rules of ‘Opposites Attract’ does not work here. Pierce just seemed so wishy washy half of the time I ended up not really liking her in the first place. The plot itself was okay. Although it’s supposed to be somewhat similar to the Hades and Persephone myth you don’t see much of it except for some parts here and there. Even so, it’s does not seem well put and just feels like a cut and paste job, with a lot of fluff in between. It does pick up in the end though, and it’s interesting enough for me to wait for the second book, but I am not in a real rush to get it. I’d say take it or leave it with this one. I have not read Meg Cabot’s books before but fans of her might like this book more than I did. Those who want a better rendition of the Hades/Persephone myth, try The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter.

About the author

Meg Cabot's many series and books for adults, teens, and tweens have included multiple #1 New York Times bestsellers and have sold more than twenty-five million copies worldwide. Her Princess Diaries series has been published in more than thirty-eight countries and was made into two hit films by Disney. Meg also wrote the New York Times bestselling Mediator, Airhead, Insatiable, and Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls series, as well as the award-winning novels All-American Girl and Avalon High. Meg lives in Key West with her husband and their cat. Visit Meg online at www.megcabot.com.