Trapped in Hell, Me- not the Characters!

Falling for a death deity can't be easy, but for Pierce, Meg Cabot's character in the Abandon Trilogy, it has made her already complicated life just that much more complicated. In Underworld, Pierce is faced with the reality that she might belong in the Underworld if she wants to be with John.

When John dragged her to the Underworld, it was to protect her from the Furies. After her grandmother, or rather a Fury wearing a grandmother suit, tried to kill Pierce, they barely escaped. But the Underworld isn't a place Pierce can imagine herself living. In fact, nothing lives in the Underworld, as a matter of speaking. Certainly not a real live girl. But she must make the best of it if she wants to be with John, even if that means abandoning everything she left behind on the island. When John offers her a meal, she distinctly remembers the story of Persephone who was trapped in the Underworld for 6 months a year as a result of eating 6 pomegranate seeds, so she avoids them like the plague. But what John didn't tell her was that any food consumed in the Underworld ties the eater to its realm for eternity. Essentially, John just ensured Pierce has no choice but to stay with him.

Pierce is stunned by his treachery, but staying with John seems to be more important, until she sees a video on her phone. In the video, her cousin Alex is locked in a coffin, dying. Convinced she needs to save him, she begs John to go find Alex, and John agrees to take her with him. What she didn't expect to discover, however, was the dark past John has been hiding from her, and the lies he doesn't want to reveal to her. With the Furies after her, her cousin in trouble, and the pain of leaving her mother to think she was dead, Pierce just keeps remembering John and his hunky biceps.

OK. You may have gathered a hint of sarcasm right there, and you would be correct. It has been a while since I read the first book, but I don't remember Pierce being so easily manipulated or so swayed by a few well-toned muscles. I also don't remember her to be one to pretty much abandon her family for a guy. So when I read this book, I was shocked to see John had become a manipulative, lying twerp who woud do anything to make sure he got what he wanted: Pierce. There were about 5 different instances where he openly LIED to Pierce to keep her from thinking there was any hope of her leaving the Underworld. He also got irrationally angry if she touched anything of his (despite insisting they cohabitate), and then she apologized profusely for being so out of line as to look through her own backpack that was taken from her and hidden when she was kidnapped and dragged to hell. Yep. Seriously. This guy wasn't a leading man, he was pathetic. He could only get his girl by lying to her, tricking her, and keeping her trapped. And the worst part? She couldn't stop thinking about how much she wanted to stroke his abs. Blech. 

I don't really know what happened to this series. I remember liking the first book, so I was interested in the second book, but now I am pretty turned off. Add to that the fact that the whole plot revolves around a stupid kid getting stuffed in a coffin (here is a tip, young man: stay away from coffins and graveyards, moron!), and even that was pretty anticlimactic. Sometimes I am a glutton for punishment, so I might read the last book in the trilogy just to see what happens, but I will likely let the book sit and gather dust for a while until I forget my distaste for this story. What happened, Meg Cabot? Why did you take your characters down this road? 

Persephone Packs a Punch

Everyone knows the story of Hades and Persephone. A girl tricked by the God of the Underworld to spend half the year in his domain, and half the year she can escape. But Brodi Ashton takes the story further in Everneath by exploring the daughters of Persephone and the hell they live... literally.

Nikki disappeared six months ago, but for her it was like 100 years. She barely escaped the underworld and Cole, the Everliving who wants to join with her and take over the Underworld. But the escape wasn't the end of it. Returning to her life isn't as easy as one would think. Everyone moved on from her disappearance... everyone except Jack, Nikki's boyfriend before she left who has never stopped searching for her. Incidentally, Jack is the one wisp of a memory she didn't lose in the Underworld and what allowed her connection to earth to help her return.

While Nikki just wants to stay, she knows there is an end to her time on earth. She can either return with Cole and rule, but that requires her to become an Everliving who feeds off souls to remain immortal, or she can give herself to the Tunnels, where her very essence is drained away. After spending more time with Jack, Nikki isn't sure which choice is best, but she does know one thing- the last thing she wants to do is to hurt Jack again.

This was a truly unique spin off the Hades and Persephone myth that didn't deal with them directly, but rather their "offspring" embodied. It was a little difficult to follow in the very beginning, in particular in regards to Jack and Cole. At first, I though Cole might be a guy that, while being a soul sucking rocker, might actually be OK for Nikki since he loved her so much. And at first, Jack was painted as a cheating turd who caused her to seek Cole in the first place. But then more and more of the story was revealed and I wanted to beat Cole with his own guitar and write a cheesy love song for the adorable Jack! It was a great transformation that kept me intrigued throughout the entire book. This might seem like a love triangle, but there isn't much competition both before when you think Cole might be OK and hate Jack and after when you love Jack. I think a love triangle has to have two possible love interests, but there really is only one good guy and one turd each time. 

This is a good story for any kid interested in mythology. despite being based on Greek Gods, there is some Egyptian mythology inserted with the idea of the five pieces of a person. It was a really interesting spin off classic mythology, and I think it would hold the attention of many students. The beginning is a little "wispy" and confusing, but eventually you get enough of the story to understand as the pieces are slowly revealed. I look forward to seeing where the series goes, because the end of this book definitely leaves you wanting more!

You Won't Abandon This Book!

I know a lot of people discount Meg Cabot as writing girlie books like the Princess Diaries series, but she's got a lot more going for her (and there was nothing wrong with the Princess Diaries!). While she still has a plucky sense of humor, she can tackle a more serious story with style and flair. I picked up Abandon after a cousin and fellow YA enthusiast recommended it, and I am glad I listened to her! I read it in one day and didn't want to do anything until I finally finished.

When Pierce's grandfather died, she found a bird that was hurt, and in trying to save it, she scared it and it flew into a crypt and died. A strange man appeared in the cemetery and brought the bird back to life. She was seven. At the age of 15, she tried to save another bird in her pool, but instead she tripped over her own scarf, bonked her head, and fell into the pool int he middle of winter. Tangled in the pool cover, she sunk to the bottom of the pool and drowned. Next thing she knew, she was being shuffled into one of two lines, waiting for a boat. She didn't understand what was happening to her, and neither did the other people around her. When a man rode in on a terrifying horse, she instantly recognized him as the man from the cemetery who brought the bird back to life. Comforted by the sight of him, she got his attention. When he asked if she wanted to escape the terrifying place and dry off, she eagerly agreed. What she didn't realize was she had just agreed to spend eternity with a Death Deity.

While John wasn't quite Hades, he served the same purpose. He was like a captain to Hades, ushering people to their final resting (or not so resting) place at one of the many Gates to the Underworld. When Pierce realizes he means for her to be trapped there (as his Persephone), she throws her tea in his face and takes off. She manages to escape the underworld, but not without the incredible necklace John gave her. She is revived and wakes up from her "Near Death Experience"(NDE), but Pierce will never be the same.

After the NDE, Pierce's parents divorced, she continued to draw away from everyone, and after almost killing her teacher (well in all fairness he was a creeper and it was John who tried to kill him), her mother decides to leave Connecticut and take her to the Florida Keys where she grew up. Life on the island is no easier, because now Pierce sees John everywhere. She also suspects something strange is going on about the island. Pierce is determined to protect the people she loves, but the problem is, she may be wrong in her assumptions about who is really after her.

I love, love, love stories about or connected to mythology. I loved Rick Riordan's series' about Greek, Roman, and Egyptian Gods, and I loved this story. I think the thing that makes me love it even more than the interesting Hades and Persephone connection might be the main character, Pierce. She is totally my kind of girl. She doesn't always get things right, is fiercely loyal without really thinking things through, and has kind of a big mouth (she actually yells at a Death Deity!). I love a girl who ends up in the Underworld but is only concerned with how the other people around her feel.

The writing is simple with very mild content and language. Besides creepy Furies, this book is very tame. I think it would be a great book for any middle school through low-skilled or short-attention span high school student. It's brevity will help a student get through the story in a decent time period, but still feel like they just finished a fun book. There is a second to Pierce and John's story heading out soon, so don't forget about the Underworld too quickly!