One of the problems I've encountered with having a book review blog and accepting books for review is that books that I've obtained in other ways (mainly purchased or won from giveaways on other blogs) get buried at the bottom of the "to read" pile. This was certainly the case for Abandon by Meg Cabot. The book was published in 2011 and I won a copy from a blogger giveaway so long ago that I cannot remember who I got it from. The only advantage to finding books like this hidden on the bookshelf is that the trilogy is now complete and I was able to read the books one right after another with no painful wait in between.
Meg Cabot references the mythology of the Persephone in this modern tale of Pierce Oliviera, who nearly drown when she was fifteen, and John Hayden, the lord of the Underworld who falls in love with her.
I admit that I had some difficulty getting in to Abandon. I wanted to love the story but at seventeen Pierce seemed immature and naive. Combine her innocent outrage and John's lack of communication skills ("I thought you knew!" was his favorite excuse) and I was rolling my eyes at each bump in their relationship road. The good news for me was that the story and supporting characters were strong enough to keep me reading and I could see the relationship evolving as the characters learned more of each other's secrets. That was enough to keep me reading the series.
The second book in the trilogy, Underworld, is again filled with miscommunication and misinformation. Now stuck in the Underworld, Pierce must convince John it is worth the exposure to the Furies for her to return and try to help her friends and family. The more Pierce learns about the threats from supernaturals and mortals, she realizes how much of what she thought she understood about the world is incorrect or incomplete. In trying to do the right thing both Pierce and John stumble in to more danger. This book is a solid transition between Abandon and Awaken.
The final book of the trilogy, Awaken, was the strongest part of the story for me. Pierce and John finally stop fighting each other and start working as a team. While there are still missteps on both sides, John and Pierce are more aware of how their actions affect the larger group and realize that the well-being of all needs to be considered. Will their efforts be enough to stave off the Furies and restore the balance before the worlds collide and destroy each other?
Overall the Abandon trilogy isn't my favorite series by Meg Cabot but the books were a quick read and the story kept my interest.
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The Wizard of Oz Illustrated Series
