Abandon (Abandon Trilogy #1) by Meg Cabot

Book Summery (Via Goodreads): 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.

Book Trailer:


Book Review:
Ok, I'll admit it. I was a little hesitant to read this one. Before Abandon, I had only read snippets of Cabot's The Princess Diaries when I was babysitting (back in the day), and was less-than-impressed. However, the premise of Abandon piqued my interest. Combined with the solid ratings it received, I finally gave in and purchased a copy for myself. Overall, I am happy with the book, but it's definitely not without it's hiccups. I really enjoyed the relationship between Peirce and her mother. It's nice to see a book with some solid family foundation to it. I also liked the Hades-Persephone-ish storyline with a modern twist (also, I REALLY want her necklace). I'm a little torn on the timeline. I appreciate a good flashback, but there were so many of them, it was a bit confusing at times distinguishing between the past and present. Now allow me to dive into the things I did not care for...After a major (and sometimes not-so-major) event, there would be 1-2 pages of dialogue from Peirce's mind. As the reader, I processed EVERYTHING along with her. It was a little redundant and tiring at times. John. I wanted to like him so much. I just had a really hard time identifying with him. He was very cold and stand-offish. I'm thinking Cabot might have done this intentionally, but I had a really hard time feeling, well, anything for him. Overall, I devoured the book in 2 sittings and am anxious for the release of Underworld. I hope by then, some of the minor annoyances will be ironed out. I'm torn between a 3.5 and 4 rating, but have decided to rate upwards with some reservations.

Favorite Quote:

“But really, the term “forgive and forget” doesn’t make sense to me. Forgiving does allow us to stop dwelling on an issue, which isn’t always healthy. But if we forget, we don’t learn from our mistakes. And that can be deadly.” 

Cover Art Commentary:
I love the rich, earthy colors of this cover. Literally. I JUST realized that the girl on the cover is laying in dirt. Sneaky, very sneaky...It's done in good taste though. I feel like the color brown isn't used that much on book covers, and it's very successfully done here. The gold flower design in the corner gives a nice touch.The cover of Underworld is even more gorgeous!

Rating: