"Abandon" by Meg Cabot Review

Date Published: April 24, 2012

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Number of Pages: 304

Publisher: Point

First Thoughts:

This book was really interesting in the fact that it brought about a new perspective of the underworld and how it functioned. This books world was different though, and I liked the authors approach to it. There were plenty of action and cool scenes that took me on yet another journey through a new world. I liked the characters and I enjoyed the concept. This was the second book I read by Meg Cabot (The first being Insatiable; which I loved) and I loved her writing just as much. This was one heck of a journey and it’s just the beginning….

Plot:

So the concept of the underworld was quite unique and fun to read about. The concept of the main character’s short visit was interesting and fun to read. I liked how the story was set up to hide information and little details about what was really happening. I was actually surprised at most parts and there were only a few moments where I guessed correctly on the outcome. I just really enjoyed having this book unravel slowly; allowing the reader to be in the dark until just the right moment. And the concept of her escaping death was pretty awesome but in a way was a little too easy…like the way it all could have been prevented was so mundane and simple…I don’t know people say that the most simplest of things are sometimes the best….maybe I was just expecting something complicated in a complicated world. And as far as the interaction between the mysterious guy and the main character, it was pretty good but awkward at times but it really added more depth and intensity to the plotline. And I would say that I was pleased with the set-up of the plot, it had all it’s required elements, I still had lingering questions at the end but those will be answered in the books to come so really this book tied up any loose ends pertaining to the main conflict of this book. And as far as the pace of the book it was slow and fast at times, there wasn’t really a constant pace throughout the book but it did allow for explanation of the world and what was happening but at the same time adding in some action to keep the reader interested in invested in the book. So overall I thought the plot was well executed and allowed me to enjoy this book more.

Romance:

Hmmm….not really romance in this book per-se…I mean there was a little but you didn’t really get into admission until near the end and it wasn’t really all that impressionable. I’m glad that it wasn’t really in this book, we really don’t need another dramatic romance in YA right now…so I really enjoyed that this book allowed me to take a break from that. So overall I enjoyed that there wasn’t much romance and look forward to continuing this in the books to come (one can only hope).

Characters:

So the main character was a little hard to connect with, it took some work and effort to understand her and want to side with her. I think it was because of how the story started, it didn’t start at the beginning and therefore I couldn’t relate with the emotions she was experiencing at that time. But later within the book I was able to finally connect with her and enjoy getting to know her. As for the other characters, I liked them, some were just mundane and there while others stood out and had a big role to play in the major conflict of the story. So overall this wasn’t the best aspect of the book, but being able to finally connect with some of them really allowed me to enjoy the book more at that point.

Transformation of the Character:

There weren’t really any transformations that took place, I saw the start of the main character transforming but she has a long time till completion. So overall this wasn’t much of a contender when it came for enjoyment of the book; it neither added or subtracted from my overall view of the book.

Description:

I liked the description of this book, especially when the author described the underworld. It was really well executed when she chose just the right amount of description. And you could really see the contrast in colors when she went from the world of the living to the world of the dead…it was really fun to watch how the mood shifted and how not everything seemed real in the underworld…like it was too good to be true which is like a symbolism to the dead. It’s having something you want but can’t have anymore because you’re dead…really cool. And as far as the dialogue went I thought it was comical and serious at times, I enjoyed reading what the characters had to say and it seemed true to the character and there wasn’t too much or too little of it. So I guess you can say I really enjoyed the description in this book though at times it was a little dry (boring) it was overall fun to read and experience right alongside the main character.

Style:

This was written in first person and only in one POV which allowed the reader to be focused on just one main story, it allowed some of the secrets to be kept hidden for just the right moment. And as far as the author’s writing style, I enjoyed it like I mentioned earlier, it seems to be consistent in the fact of its level of maturity that I saw in the previous book I read by her. And I look forward to reading more books she writes because of her writing itself. So overall I enjoyed this aspect of the book and thought it added just the right feel to the book; allowing the reader to enjoy it.

Quote of the book:

“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.”

Goodreads Summary:

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.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to fans of Meg Cabot and to anyone who is interested in another view of the underworld (though there wasn’t much of the book that took place there). I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book of this series and see exactly how the main character is going to get out of the situation she is in now…hmmm…the possibilities.

My Rating: