AWAKEN by Meg Cabot

Awaken
Meg Cabot

Rating: A+
Synopsis:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, the dark re-imagining of the Persephone myth comes to a thrilling conclusion.

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.

My thoughts on the book:
I have absolutely adored every single book in this trilogy. This was a difficult book for me to read because I didn't want the story to end! However, Cabot did not disappoint in this final installment. Awaken has everything I look for in a novel: A strong heroine; a brooding, hot, and bad ass love interest; well-developed and intriguing secondary characters, a suspenseful plot, and a sweet and believable romance. This is one summer release that should not be missed!

Pierce has always been a likable character, in my opinion, and she grew even more in this novel. She's very grown-up for her age, and I enjoyed getting to know her over the past three books. She's a little sarcastic and snarky, so because of that humor was injected into less-than-humorous situations. John is a fantastic love interest, and even though he's sometimes misguided, it's obvious he has Pierce's best interest at heart. I love him. We also get to know Kayley, Mr. Smith, and Alex better in this installment, and even get a few scenes with Pierce's parents and grandmother. All of the characters are fully-developed and believable as people. Cabot doesn't use filler characters, and I'm glad for that. 

The plot kept me on the edge of my seat as Pierce moved from one problem to the next, struggling to get things under control. She handled the issues better than I would have, I have to admit that. In an effort not to spoil things, I won't go into too much detail, but let me just say that I wasn't bored for one second. I think the pacing was perfect, and I enjoyed every page of this book. The ending was fantastic, and I felt that Pierce's and John's story ended perfectly. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book and series to anyone who loves a good mythology retelling. Give it a try. You won't be sorry.

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