Author: Meg Cabot (2011)Long story short: Ever since her near-death experience, Pierce Oliviera has been a little, well, different. Strange things just seem to happen around her, and Pierce refuses to talk about it. After all, how do you explain to your friends that John, that handsome young man you met in the Underworld, is stalking you?
My thoughts: Greek mythology is big this year. I'm loving it.
In Abandon, Meg Cabot has given us a modern reimagining of the myth of Persephone*. I don't want to tell you too much about exactly how it works, because at the start of the book, our heroine, Pierce, is pretty tight with the info. I loved the way the details were so sparingly doled out as the story rolled along, little building blocks putting together the past couple of years between Pierce's "death" and the present day. It could have all come out in a vomitous info-dump at the start, but instead I was so desperate for each new segment of backstory that the pages were kept frantically flipping. I do love a mystery.
Pierce (love that this works as a Persephone nickname) is an easy to get along with heroine. Right off the bat I felt sorry for her because she was so obviously stressed out by life. As the story moved on, though, I started to like her for her kindness and impetuosity.
I was nervous to start reading this book because so many people said it was very dark. It's certainly not outright hilarious like a lot of Cabot's work. There are a few wryly amusing moments, but that's it. If you're coming straight from the Princess Diaries, this is going to be a shock to your system but I wouldn't say it's too dark, considering the subject matter. A lot of it is about death and the afterlife, at least indirectly. But it's also a tale of adventure, romance, sacrifice and revenge that's sure to send chills up your spine.
I liked that Cabot managed to make Pierce's (kidnapper? stalker? admirer?) John easy to relate to and even likeable while not romanticizing the fact that he kinda sorta kidnapped Pierce. I could not have liked this book if there was even one single instance of "Oh my god, kidnapping is just so sexy. Ravish me now, you manly creature you!" or the like. *gags* There needed to be a very careful balance between Pierce's genuine horror and fear of the situation and her growing curiosity about and compassion for John. In my opinion this couldn't have been handled more perfectly.
There were a few facets of this story that seemed unnecessary to me. There was tons of buildup and suspense and then it never went anywhere. Loose ends bother me. I hope that these people and events will be significant in the next book, otherwise I'm going to be really annoyed.
Final word: Speaking of the next book, does anyone know when that's coming out? How about tomorrow? Tomorrow would be good for me. ABANDON kept me on the edge of my seat from word one and I cannot wait for the next chapter in Pierce's story. 5/5
Content: Some morbidity, reference to death and frightening situations. Recommend ages 14+.
*For those who didn't have the benefit of the Gods of Greece coloring book like I did as a child, let me give you a quick run down on the Persephone (Per-'se-fa-nee) myth. Persephone, daughter of Demeter, was a gorgeous young girl. One day Hades, the god of the Underworld, saw Persephone and was so taken with her beauty that he kidnapped her and took her to the Underworld to be his queen. Demeter, goddess of the harvest, was so distraught by her daughter's fate that she caused a drought and Zeus forced Hades to give the girl back. But because Persephone had eaten food while in the Underworld, she was obliged to return there for a part of each year. Demeter's grief at her daughter's absence and the joy of her return is responsible for the turn of the seasons.
Review copy provided by Scholastic Canada
