Abandon [Hardcover]

Meg Cabot (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 26, 2011 | Series: Abandon (Book 1)

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Meg Cabot:
“Cabot shows the dark side behind the bling-blingy superficial worlds.” —Teenreads.com
"[The] strong, amusing voice, the plot twists, and the possibility of romance will draw mystery and chick-lit readers alike." —ALA Booklist
“Bag the tiara and get out the gun ... Cabot delivers.” —Publishers Weekly

About the Author

MEG CABOT'S many series and books for adults, teens, and tweens have included multiple #1 New York Times bestsellers and have sold more than fifteen million copies worldwide. Her Princess Diaries series has been published in more than thirty-eight countries and was made into two hit films by Disney. Meg also wrote the New York Times bestselling Mediator, Airhead, Insatiable, and Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls series, as well as the award-winning novels All-American Girl and Avalon High. Meg lives in Key West with her husband and two cats. Visit Meg online at www.megcabot.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Point; 1 edition (April 26, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0545284104
• ISBN-13: 978-0545284103
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (237 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #329,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write! Books for you, your sister, your best friend, your mother . . . . even for men with good taste!

Most of my time is spent over at my website, http://megcabot.com, so be sure to stop by!

UK, New Zealand, and Australia fans, visit http://www.megcabot.co.uk.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#83 in Books > Teens

#83 in Books > Teens

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

149 of 165 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars A deceptively good premise, an infuriating narrator and mediocre writing April 29, 2011

By The Book Eater

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

WARNING: This review contains mentions of wanting to throttle, strangle and maim book characters, and includes potentially traumatizing pictures.

Just look at this summary. Go ahead, read it.
It's amazing, isn't it? And the cover. It's gorgeous. The premise is mysterious, intriguing and lovely. I was SO excited for this book, you don't even know. I think my entire twitter feed knew the instant it was out.

This is why I'm going to be a little hard on it. Because my expectations were high, and there weren't met. At. All.

About the narrator:

I wanted to violently shake her/strangle her for half the book (I'm usually a non-violent person). UGH. What a vapid, idiotic, insensitive, shallow, boring person. She's everything I hate in a character. No backbone, changing loyalties, and just this carelessness that I HATE.

"Sure, I'd been kicked out of school. I couldn't seem to go more than an hour without craving a caffeinated beverage. And a guy I'd met while I was dead had popped by unexpectedly and caused me to be slapped with a seven-figure civil suit.
But I was feeling positive about the future."

... Excuse me???
LOL my daddy has to pay more than a million dollars to a guy but I don't care!

throttlesnarrator.jpg

About the writing:

It draaaaaaaagged. She spent ages telling us about how she had been in the Underworld, and some bad "incident" had happened after she came back, but that the incident was different from the accident, and blablablablabla. My god, just get ON with it! The book is just so full of plot holes (like when Pierce loses her necklace, but somehow still has it around her neck?) and stilted, stretched out mock-obstacles.
Also, just like in The Goddess Test (which is also a retelling of the Persephone/Hades myth), the narrator keeps talking about "that". Apparently, spelling out the word sex is a capital offense.

Oh, and by the way, Pierce hates Greek mythology, because it's "complicated and weird and had nothing to do with reality." How the hell do you want me to empathize with her? Seriously? SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHO HOMER IS.

About the romance:

It was ridiculous. And the love interest? His name is John. I don't even know what to say to that. He's a one-dimensional, pseudo swoon worthy "dark" guy that we didn't get to know at all. He behaved all aloof-like and jerky and moody and suddenly bam! His lips came came down over mine etc etc. Of course, the rest of the world ~vanished instantly. Eye roll.

One thing I learned from this book: tassels?
BAD. EVIL. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE.

Needless to say, I would recommend this book to no one. I know it looks so good and you want to like it sooo bad, but... Yeah. No.

55 of 62 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Compelling Concepts, Weak Execution April 26, 2011

By Linnaly

Format:Hardcover

On the surface, Abandon sounded GREAT - a dark retelling of the Persephone myth? Yes! Unfortunately, the book fails to deliver on the thrill - in large part, I think, because this is just the first book in the new Abandon series.

It takes half the book for Pierce to finally confirm everything that happened two years ago, when she had her near-death experience and a pivotal encounter with John, a death deity who seems to be in charge of the Underworld. Pierce is an incredibly coy narrator: she hints at the same things/events REPEATEDLY - and there seems to be no reason why she doesn't expand on her thought right then and there. It's well within the last 1/3 of the book where we finally get a confirmation of everything we've suspected, and not from Pierce but from an adult cemetery sexton, who gives us the explanation in this long chunk of dialogue.

Pierce means well, but her repetitive narration and the poor pacing of the story/unfolding of events made this book difficult for me to emotionally engage with. I do like the glimpse we get of John (unfortunately, he doesn't actually appear much in this book) - he is incredibly intriguing. The Underworld and elements of Greek mythology isn't fully explored here, but what is hinted as is a nice take, and I will probably pick up the second book, Underworld, when it comes out.

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointed! June 1, 2011

By Misha

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Writing this review actually make me sad and guilty because I hate writing anything negative about a Meg Cabot book. I first discovered Princess Diaries when I was 11 years old and fell instantly in love with Meg Cabot's books. I loved the Princess Diaries series and the Mediator series even more! I haven't a read a Meg Cabot book since I was around 16, but I have happy memories of her books. Now I just wish I had not read Abandon, just so I could preserve those memories.

Abandon is a new take on the Hades-Persephone myth. Pierce, the main protagonist, finds herself in the "Underworld" similar to that of Hades', after she nearly drowns. There she meets John, whom she had previously met at her grandfather's funeral when she was a little kid. She somehow manages to escape the Underworld, but John seems to appear everywhere she goes, especially when she's in trouble. She can't seem to escape from him. After an incident, she moves to an island where her mother's family lives. However, trouble seems to follow her there too..

When I first read the synopsis for the book, I nearly fainted from excitement. The premise seemed so enticing; and I was sure it was going to be as amazing as The Mediator series. The reality? The synopsis is actually hundred times more exciting than the book. I feel really deceived! Nothing actually happens throughout the book. Most of the book is about how Pierce landed in the Underworld and how she escaped from it; and her previous meetings with John. I kept waiting for something even remotely exciting to happen, but the book finished and nothing happened.

I would not have minded the lack of a plot, if the character development was well done. However, every character is one-dimensional. I cannot remember liking a single character. As for Pierce, I hated her! There is not one likable quality about her.The only words I can use for her is - Spoilt brat! She's selfish, shallow, hypocritical and appears to be lacking a brain. She is portrayed as being someone who is not materialistic, yet she does and say stuff which makes her exactly so. When she gets into trouble, she says things like "You want money? Fine! My father will give it to you" . (Please keep in mind that's not an actual quote from the book). Her father ends up with a seven figure lawsuit due to Pierce's actions, but her reaction to it is as if it's an amusing thing. As in - "Haha How funny that I caused my father to be sued for seven million!" Seriously! Througout the book, it's been repeated again and again how "caring" she is. I just don't see it! None of her actions make her look "caring".

I don't know what to say about John because I know nothing about him. He's just another one of those generic dark, "bad boy" love interests with a tragic past. I do not understand how Pierce falls for him, considering that she seems to hate him for the most part. John gets angry often, sometimes violently angry and aggressive. He even tries to keep Pierce in the underworld against her wishes. He creeped me out and frightened me, but didn't make me go weak at the knees (as I suppose I was expected to?)

I missed sweet, awkward Mia from Princess Diaries and snarky, kick-ass Susannah from The Mediator; I missed the humor that sets Meg Cabot's books apart; I missed Jesse (from The Mediator) and Michael (from Princess Diaries) who were truly swoon-worthy.

Overall:
It saddens me to say so about a Meg Cabot book, but it has every element that annoys me in a YA PNR novel:
- Annoying main protagonist who makes me want to inflict some kind of violence on her (and believe me I am not a violent person!)
- Dark dangerous love interest (I suppose he was supposed to make me swoon, but he only made me yawn - he was that boring!)
- Actual Plot = Nil

I wanted to give this book one star. The extra star is because of how much I used to love the author's books.