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• A warm day in a field of flowers. The ground suddenly cracks. A chariot as dark as midnight and the dark lord behind it snatching a young girl before the earth swallows both of them up. Kind of dramatic, isn't it? Meg Cabot's Abandon isn't quite like the Greek myth people know, but she does create an amazing updated story with her own twist.After having died and then been brought back to life, Pierce Oliviera just wants to have a normal life. But how can life truly return to "normal" with all that she has seen during the brief time that she was dead? I really grew to admire Pierce as the story progressed even when she was "trapped within her glass coffin" as she puts it. Originally, it was for her initial bravery of being able to come back from a place that most would fear. You can't fault her for running from a place like the Underworld especially when she had died so young. But it's when she chose to stop running and instead face her problems that I really began to like her. Despite all of his angst and beating around the bush with Pierce, I really loved John Hayden. Readers only get to see Pierce's point of view, but Cabot also manages to show more of John through Pierce's observations and reactions to him. He did ask a great deal of her when she first died and I think anyone would be a bit freaked out if someone asked them to remain forever with a person they barely knew. But you have to feel for John's situation, too. Living alone within the bowels of the Underworld and having to direct souls to their final resting place would have to grate on a person over time. Yes, the guy does need to work on his communication skills, god of death or not, but John was always there for Pierce when she needed him even if she didn't want to admit it.As I'd never read one of Meg Cabot's books before now, I was amazed at the pace Cabot set for the story. It progressed steadily, quickening where a major part of the plot was happening and then slowing down for a breather. I think that was partially due to the way Cabot switched between Pierce's present and gradually revealing more of what happened in her past. Going back and forth between past and present can sometimes be confusing and frustrating because the reader has to reorient themselves in where they are in the story. But Cabot pulls off this interchange flawlessly without breaking the story's flow. Overall, this is an incredible start to a trilogy, and already I'm wanting the second book to come as soon as possible.

  5.00 out of 5

  DJLibrarian

• How many possible ways can I say I loved this book?! I read it in under a day which just shows how much I enjoyed it. Meg Cabot really knows how to write an intriguing and captivating story. I have read her mediator series, the whole series, about eight times now because they were so amazing. When I saw that she was writing another new paranormal series, I just couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Well, I'm happy to report that Cabot still has her magic touch and she definitely didn't disappoint with this awesome book.First of all, I have to say that I absolutely loved the setting of the story. Who really ever places a novel in Florida, much less an island off of Florida? Since I live in Florida, it made me excited. Most paranormal books take place in the New England area, so this was really a nice change. Second of all, this story was rich with character development. You get background on each and every one of the characters and they all grew so well with the story. It was good to know Pierce's back-story from where she lived before and everything that defined her. I loved how she was so generous and caring about others, always concerned for their well-being first compared to hers. John (which by the way was the only weird thing, because who really sees a keeper of the dead as named John lol) was one of my favorite male characters in a story (well at least since Tobias from Divergent). We learned quite a bit about him and I loved the relationship between the two of them. They both are complicated and defensive and it's adorable to see how they reacted with one another.I loved the incorporation of the mythological references as well. The Furies, Hades/Persephone, the Underworlds. Mythology is one of my favorite academic subjects and it's a nice change to have that in a story instead of all the usual vampires, zombies, and angels galore. I especially liked how there was an excerpt from Dante's inferno placed at the beginning of every chapter and how it related to the events that were in that chapter.I think Meg Cabot is a phenomenal author. I don't think I'm going to be able to wait until next year for the second book. It's way too long!

  5.00 out of 5

  graceschumann

• I am a HUGE Meg Cabot fan. I will read anything she writes, really. So whenever she comes out with a new book, ESPECIALLY a new series, I do several jumps for joy. And then hope it doesn’t let me down because I built it up so much in my head.Abandon? Totally did not let me down. Seriously, Meg Cabot knows how to write awesome paranormal-ishhhh series. I mean, I wouldn’t say that I love it more than the Mediator series (at least not yet), but taking Greek Mythology and twisting it and modernizing it and setting it on an island off of Florida? Pretty genius.The characters, in my opinion, were very likable. I loved Pierce, and I thought her reaction to…everything, really, was very believable. I think some of the problems that arise in a situation like this (creepy guy wants you to be his wife & live in his kingdom) is that the character accepts/believes it too easily, but I think Pierce’s reactions matched my own very well. John was quite swoon-worthy and complex and rather interesting, and I’m definitely looking forward to more swoony moments in the second book.I thought the writing style was much different from previous books from Meg Cabot. All of her books, that I can recall, are told in a linear style. Each event as it happens, with maybe a few flashbacks or anecdotes thrown in. But in Abandon, the narrative definitely leaped around and sometimes I had to go back and reread to figure out where I was in the story. This didn’t really detract from the experience, though. I actually liked the jumping around-ness.Overall, I thought Abandon was amazing. It’s a great set up for the trilogy – part back story and part new story, and I thought it worked really well combined. I’m looking forward to picking up the next book in the trilogy, and, of course, anything else Meg Cabot ever writes.

  5.00 out of 5

  hobbitsies

• This book is amazing, Meg Cabot never fails to write a terrific novel. The main character, Pierce, will both annoy and endear herself to the reader. The amazing thing about Cabot as a writer is that she manages to make her characters into what they are supposed to portray, Pierce is the typical high school girl who reacts accordingly when her life goes awry, John is the handsome, tortured male from the 1800's. The supporting characters all fit into the story and help move the story at a faster pace. The plot itself is intriguing, set on an island known for its dead floating up from their burial grounds when a hurrican hits, the reader will always pay attention to the weather, a typically mundance topic becomes interesting. The reader will enjoy how Cabot integrates Pierce's memories and applies them to Pierce's actions at the time. Little tid bits are handed out to pull the reader further into the book. The foreshadowing, such as the tassels on Pierce's and her grandma's scarves, is perfect and portrays exactly what Cabot wants the reader to see. The only disappointing bit in the book could be when Pierce appears to have no or little reaction to her parents' divorce, something a normal teen probably wouldn't act like. This book is terrific for young adults/teens/adults (females especially) who enjoy a good Greek myth set in modern times with a twist and a dash of romance.

  5.00 out of 5

  Icecream18

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