Abandon by Meg Cabot review



Abandon by Meg Cabot (Abandon Trilogy #1)

copy won from Preternatura


Synopsis from Goodreads
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.




* * * 
Synopsis pretty much says it all. This is another retelling of Greek myth about Persephone which left me disappointed.

I haven't read a YA book by Meg Cabot before, only some of her contemporary and historical romances, and her heroines have always been extremely witty, funny, charming and clumsy.

Pierce Oliviera is clumsy, but she is also angry, confused, clever and...all over the place like the book itself:)

Pierce died at 15 and managed to escape the Underworld. For the last two years John, whom she escaped, has been following her around and interfering when she got herself into trouble. Despite all his black leather he has the look of a wounded puppy in his  eyes because she is oblivious to his attraction to her...

Persephone myth is no here no there. This is a book about two teenagers who can not admit or articulate their feelings. For a death deity John is as bland as his name suggests(sorry, didn't want to offend Johns all over the world, it's a perfectly nice name). Pierce isn't unlikable but I just wasn't interested in her apart from couple of moments.

The book didn't work for me and left me hungry for something a bit more substantial.

 I would say that the most successful interpretation of this myth that I've read was  The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker. It was a beautiful Gothic tale, and it only worked because the author took some details from the myth and used them as part of her rich and wonderful world of unique characters.
* * *
Что ж мне так не везёт на YA в последние дни, что ни книжка, то  середнячок.
У Мег Кэбот конечно есть свои хорошие моменты, но книга так на один раз, посидеть почитать пока в очереди ждёшь чего-то, просто потому что пялиться на стенку ещё скучней.

Ещё один пересказ мифа о Персефоне, только на этот раз без пафоса Эйми Картер и с типичным даром описания героинь-расстерях Кэбот. Некоторые моменты были довольно оригинальны и живы, но в основном опять прошлись по верхам вместо того, чтобы описать вещи более подробно.

Пирс Оливьера, дочка богатых родителей, утонула в бассейне в 15 лет, когда зимой пыталась спасти голубя, упала в воду  и запуталась в своём шарфе. Она оказалась в подземном мире, встретила Джона, который какой-то его частью управляет и он предотвратил её переход в рай, заставив её пропустить свой шанс сесть в лодку...

Она умудрилась от него сбежать и следние 2 года по он её преследует, пытаясь спасти каждый раз когда она попадает в очередную заварушку. Герои оказались нормальными подростками, но ничего грандиозного, никакого жара между ними не было. Поэтому их привязанность к друг другу наперекор самим себе для меня была нелепа.

Пока что лучшем пересказом мифа о Персефоне остаётся The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker но там он был всего лишь взят за основу небольшими кусочками и автор построила богатый, интересный и готичный мир.

5.5/10

Comments

  1. Sorry it didn't work for you. I honestly loved it! I also read Leanna's books and only liked them slightly. Really love Greek mythology though! Nice honest review!

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  2. I know Jessica! I honestly wanted to love it, but it just fell flat. It only proves that every book has to find its reader, so I'm setting this one free :) I'll let it go to someone who will enjoy it.
    I also love any mythology, and Greek one is very popular now, - only look at all those movies that came out in the last 3-4 years...

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