REVIEW #100: Abandon (Abandon Trilogy #1) by Meg Cabot

Title: Abandon
Series: Abandon Triology #1
Author: Meg Cabot
Publisher: Point
Release Date: April 26th 2011
Pages: Hardcover, 304 pages
Source: Cuddlebuggery's Little Bloggers/Audiobook from the Library

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

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.

Abandon is re-telling of the Persephone myth. Pierce has a near death experience and her mother decides to move the family for a fresh start. The family moves back to Pierce’s mother’s hometown, Isla Huesos, which happens to be where Pierce first met John years ago. John was able to bring a dead bird back to life; since Pierce was little she never forgot John and was surprised to see him when she died. Pierce is struggling to start fresh and the dangers that surround her persist hindering her ability to move on, forget John, and live a normal life. In a blink of an eye, Pierce’s life changes.

Abandon was my first Meg Cabot book and I was not disappointed. Having read Everneath a couple months ago the Persephone myth was fresh in my mind. It was nice knowing a bit more about the myth going into the story. I should probably get around to reading the actual myth :)

At first I thought the plot was a slow at points and predictable but Cabot had some twists in there that came out of nowhere. I was not expecting them and was pleasantly surprised. Certain characters I swore were going to be bad guys were not and one of the ‘bad guys’ I would have never guessed. The story is a bit less depressing and gloomy than Everneath. I felt that Pierce was not doomed or anything like that.

The relationships in the story were one of the elements I enjoyed more. I liked the relationship Pierce had with her family. Even though her parents were divorced they were still pretty sound and stable characters. John and Pierce had a bit of a hostile yet unique dynamic; I did not find it very insta-love.

Abandon was a darker story but definitely a fast and easy read. There was no real wow factor for me, I enjoyed the characters and the retelling of the myth but nothing was very memorable.