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Showing posts with label Meg Cabot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meg Cabot. Show all posts
REVIEW: Awaken (Abandon Trilogy #3) by Meg Cabot
Title: AwakenSeries: Abandon Trilogy #3
Author: Meg Cabot
Publisher: Point
Release Date: July 2nd 2013
Pages: Hardcover, 343 pages
Source: ARC from BEA
Summary from Goodreads:
Death has her in his clutches. She doesn’t want him to let go.
Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera knew by accepting the love of John Hayden, she’d be forced to live forever in the one place she’s always dreaded most: the Underworld. The sacrifice seemed worth it, though, because it meant she could be with the boy she loves.
But now her happiness — and safety — are threatened, all because the Furies have discovered that John has broken one of their strictest rules: He revived a human soul.
If the balance between life and death isn’t fixed, both the Underworld and Pierce’s home back on earth will be wiped away. But there’s only one way to restore order. Someone has to die.
- Although the plot was just okay, the story was a quick read. Awaken starts with the drama right away and picks up right where the second book ended.
- There are a couple really funny parts. I thought the interaction between Pierce, John and Pierce's parents was great. The awkward and embarrassing conversations were so accurate.
- It was not the best but I did like that the story came to a complete ending. Cabot tied up all the loose ends and gave the story closure.
- I felt like the series was just there. Nothing that was crazy great and nothing that was terrible. I was curious to see how the ending so I was excited when I got a copy at BEA and was hoping the ending would have some amazing wrap up... but it was just alright.
- After three books I still did not like Pierce, so having a main character hard to relate to or even feel sympathy for, just made parts of the story a bit of a struggle.
- Lastly, I felt that the story line was rather forced. The drama/main focus in the story was a stretch. Now I am not a huge mythology person so it may in fact be following the actual myth but Awaken just seemed to be a book there to simply end the character's story.
To sum it up in one word... MEH. Awaken was a okay book in an pretty good/sometimes good series. I just did not have any crazy FEELS in this series. I would recommend the series if you just LOVE mythology re-tellings and want a quick read.
REVIEW #122: Underworld (Abandon Trilogy #2) by Meg Cabot
Title: UnderworldSeries: Abandon Trilogy #2
Author: Meg Cabot
Publisher: Point
Release Date: May 8th 2012
Pages: Hardcover, 318 pages
Format: Audiobook 10.5 Hours
Summary from Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn't dead.
Not this time.
But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.
Her captor, John Hayden, claims it's for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they've come back as Furies, intent on vengeance... on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.
But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there... and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.
And unless Pierce is careful, this time there'll be no escape.
So to sum up the second book: Pierce is back in the underworld with John where she must stay to avoid the Furies who want to kill her. While she is in the Underworld she sees a glimpse of her cousin's future and he is in a coffin being burned alive. John reluctantly agrees to go up and save her cousin even though that will put Pierce at risk. Meanwhile Pierce and John's relationship is evolving and developing into a more serious thing.
The relationship between Pierce and John sometimes does not seem the most genuine, especially in the first book but Cabot really focuses on developing the relationship. It actually seems like John is genuinely interested in making Pierce happy and listening to her suggestions. The story itself though is rather dark seeing as it takes place mainly in the Underworld so I would not say it is the lightest of fluffiest read.
Underworld suffered a bit from middle book syndrome, I did not really notice it while I was reading it but then when I was writing this review, I noticed not a whole lot happened. I also felt like the book took place in a week span. Again, (like in the first book) Pierce got on my nerves a little bit. She is just so annoying at times but I guess it his justified, she does not have a lot of life experiences so becoming queen of the underworld is not at the top of her priority list. Overall the book is average with it's fair share of faults and enjoyable moments.
The audio book narrator is consistent from the first book in the series which is I enjoyed. The narrator does and excellent job, the voice of Pierce still gets a bit annoying at times but the story is well done and the narrator does an excellent job of keeping the listener's attention.
Underworld may get slow at times but the story continues to progress and I await the conclusion to this dark but entertaining trilogy! I recommend this series if you enjoy mythology and the Persephone myth. It is not the most complicated plot but Underworld is definitely an enjoyable read!
REVIEW #100: Abandon (Abandon Trilogy #1) by Meg Cabot
Title: AbandonSeries: 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.
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