Abandon by Meg Cabot
Series: Abandon #1
Published by Scholastic on April 26, 2011
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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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.

Meg Cabot is one of my favorite authors and I have to say that I was disappointed with Abandon.  Nothing really stood out to me in this one and while it did a good job setting things up for the next book, I would’ve liked more.

Pierce Oliviera has not had the best luck in the last few years.  First, she died.  Admittedly they were able to revive her but she was still dead for an hour.  Next, she was kicked out of her school for something she didn’t do and now she is forced to move to Isle Huesos with her mother. Her mom thinks the new place will be a fresh start but Pierce knows better.  He will follow her wherever she goes.  Who is he and what does he want from Pierce?

I liked Pierce.  I expected no less from a Meg Cabot character.  She was not necessarily a smart girl but she was pretty funny.  She got herself into some crazy situations and it was fun reading about how she got out of them.  John (mystery boy) was pretty hot.  He was moody and mysterious and possibly a bit insane but overall, a good counter balance to Pierce.  All of her emotions were easy to see but his were a little harder to figure out.  I look forward to more of his story in the next book.

The plot was a bit confusing.  Things kept switching from past to present and I had a hard time keeping track of it all.  Once I did figure that out though it was better.  Things were a little slow until the end but not enough to stop reading.  The next book should be a lot easier to get into.

The mythology aspect was, by far, my favorite part.  I thought Meg Cabot did a wonderful job weaving it into the story without making it feel like a school lesson. The Hades and Persephone myth is a great one so I am glad Meg Cabot chose to write about it.  Reading more about it in the next book will be fun. =)

Overall, Abandon is a unique new twist on the Hades and Persephone myth.  Meg Cabot fans should definitely check it out.  If you haven’t read anything from Meg Cabot though I recommend maybe starting with a different one that better showcases her talent.

What others are saying about Abandon:

A Bookworm’s Haven’s review: “I think the concept is great, but the story fell flat.”

Once Upon A Twlight’s review: “Meg is definitely a author I will be reading for a long time.”

Bitten and Written’s review: “The book was a super fast read and very light.”