ABANDON by Meg Cabot

Abandon
Meg Cabot

Grade: A-


Description from goodreads.com:
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.


My thoughts on the book:
Over all, I really enjoyed this novel. Cabot puts an interesting spin on the Persephone and Hades story, and unlike many of the authors who are rewriting myths, she doesn't use the original characters. So instead of having characters who supposedly live in Ancient Greece speaking in modern-day, colloquial speak, she creates new characters and compares them to the myth of Hades and Persephone. I like that. Pierce and John live in modern times, and Pierce's dad is an owner of an oil company that has recently had a massive oil leak and polluted the gulf. Sound familiar? Cabot also complicates the myth because Pierce saves herself from the Underworld in the beginning, and her parents have no idea about John. 


There weren't many things that irked me about this book, but a couple of things did. I don't think we find out John's name until chapter three. That took me out of the story a bit, because every time Pierce would say "him," I'd be like "what is his name?!?!" Also, the jumping around from past to present in different chapters without any warning took me out of the story sometimes. I'd have to stop and think, "oh wait, this is a flashback." That also made the pacing a bit slow in the beginning, but Cabot does a good enough job to keep you guessing that you want to continue turning the pages. 


Abandon is a short read, and it's an interesting take on an ancient myth. Pierce is a good lead character. She's been through hell and back... literally... and she still keeps her head up and fights for herself and her freedom. That's admirable. Not once does she want to lay down and die. She's a fighter. She may not be the smartest person around, but she has perseverance, and she loves animals. She has flaws, such as her lack of intelligence, that make her seem real, but she's still strong. I could always understand the decisions she made, and I could at least somewhat relate to what she was feeling. Even though she doesn't have "book" intelligence, she seems to have common sense. Also, she doesn't spend half the book in disbelief because she'd already returned from the Underworld when the novel began. She is just frustrated that people didn't believe her and thought she was crazy. I like that she accepts her fate and learns to work within the rules of her new world instead of whining and trying to avoid it. 


John is a very likable character as well. He is probably my favorite. He's the modern-day version of Hades, and you can't help but feel for the guy. He's just so sad... not emo, but tortured. He's a good version of a Byronic hero. He keeps his head up and tries to do what's right by Pierce, even though he doesn't always succeed. He doesn't whine or come across as a pansy, but it's obvious that he's silently suffering. He seems rather selfless, though. I hope he continues to be a likable character in the next book. 


Pierce's mom isn't MIA like most parents in YA novels are. She's present, just not completely in her daughter's business. She goes to work and comes home and acts like a mom. That's a nice change as well. The novel covers a short amount of time, so Cabot didn't have to figure out a million ways to have Pierce's mom not know where she is. Also, Pierce isn't some rebellious bratty teen. She's doing her best to keep her mom happy. That's important. Pierce's dad isn't present very often because her parents are divorced, but she does talk to him on the phone a couple of times throughout the novel. 


Alex is an interesting character, and I hope that we get to know him, as well as Richard, the cemetery groundskeeper. They are both dynamic characters, and I see a lot of potential in them. Kayla doesn't blow me away, but we don't get to know much about her in this novel. The popular crowd may be stereotypical and may not be. It was hard to tell because they aren't present in much of the novel. They don't pick on Pierce, though, and that's a nice change as well. However, Kayla and Alex don't seem to like them. 


Uncle Chris is another character that I'd like to learn more about. He's just not "normal," for lack of a better word. His abnormal past plays into his personality some, but he just doesn't act quite right. I'm interested to see what part he plays in the next novel. 

In Abandon, Cabot is able to avoid most of the typical stereotypes from YA literature. Her take on this myth is creative, dark, and intriguing. I can't wait to see what happens to Pierce and John next. If you haven't read Abandon yet, check it out. You won't be sorry. 

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