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    Abandon
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    Abandon
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    Abandon
    Audiobook9 hours

    Abandon

    Written by Meg Cabot

    Narrated by Natalia Payne

    3.5/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

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    About this audiobook

    Last year, 17-year-old Pierce died - just for a moment. And when she was in the space between life and death, she met John: tall dark and terrifying, it's his job to usher souls from one realm to the next. There's a fierce attraction between them, but Pierce knows that falling for John means a life of shadows and loneliness in the underworld…
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherW. F. Howes Ltd
    Release dateDec 1, 2011
    ISBN9781407494494
    Unavailable
    Abandon
    Author

    Meg Cabot

    MEG CABOT’s many books for both adults and teens have included numerous #1 New York Times bestsellers, with more than twenty-five million copies sold worldwide. Her Princess Diaries series was made into two hit films by Disney, with a third movie coming soon. Meg currently lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband and various cats.

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    Reviews for Abandon

    3.5/5

    471 ratings84 reviews

    What did you think?

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    • 2/5
      Oh, Meg Cabot, what did you do to the myth of Hades and Persephone? Okay. I do appreciate that this story is not a straight-up retelling, but rather a reinterpretation inspired by the Greek myth. Unassuming girl captures heart of the lord of the underworld. But this book is very oddly done.My wish list for this book:+More scenes with the enigmatic John. There is more talk *about* this guy than actually seeing him in action. Maybe it would have ruined his mysteriousness, but a love story should prominently feature one of the love interests, no?+Less whining from Pierce. Even now, months after finishing this, I still hear "Check yourself before you wreck yourself." Her character was so blah and annoying that I can't figure out why an eternal death deity would be fascinated with her.Things I loved about this book:+The setting of Isla Huesos. Everything about the description of this place felt so authentic, like I was really there, experiencing the sweltering heat and epic thunderstorms.+The concept that there are many death deities serving many different underworlds.Things I didn't love about this book:-The odd way the flashbacks were incorporated. If done well, flashbacks can be very satisfying. But it felt like it took forever to learn Pierce's backstory, and the reveal had absolutely no payoff.-The ending came out of nowhere. And not in a good way.-Pierce. For the love of Zeus, it felt like she went OUT OF HER WAY to be ridiculously annoying and unlikable - not just to me, the reader, but to everyone she interacted with.I'm going to stop there. I don't think Meg Cabot does "dark" very well. I much prefer her upbeat, plucky heroines like Mia Thermopolis, Sam Madison, and Ellie Harrison to the dreary Pierce Oliviera. I can't help but think that Cabot was trying to appeal to this new market of teens who like their heroines spineless, helpless, and self-absorbed.
    • 4/5
      It wasn't bad. I have no thoughts but that's a good thing.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book more than I thought after seeing all the low ratings. I am going to continue with this series.
    • 3/5
      Like The Goddess Test, this is the story of Persephone and Hades. Or at least that's what the back cover says but I never saw too much of the myth in the book. It started off kind of slow and I had a hard time figuring out where the story was going to go but it picked up towards the end and had a good finish. The romance was no where near as good as that in The Goddess Test or the action. Maybe if I hadn't read this book so close to The Goddess Test, I wouldn't be making the comparisons and would have enjoyed this one more but, unfortunately, I did and the comparisons are inevitable. I felt like this book didn't really start until about 70 pages from the end. I like Meg Cabot a lot and will definitely pick up the next book in the series. I just hope it picks up with the action and doesn't have a lot of build up.
    • 4/5
      Re-reading. I like this trilogy so much. <3
    • 4/5
      Though the heroine is a teenager, I don't consider this a YA book because of the references to Dante. Do teens still read Dante? The story flowed seamlessly and the heroine's point of view engaged me from the start to the finish. I am now a fan of Meg Cabot.
    • 5/5
      I am a sucker for novels that tie in mythology or fairy tales, so the concept of this novel really appealed to me. This is a parallel tale to the classic Persephone myth. It is not about Persephone, nor is it about Hades, so if you go into your reading thinking that then I think you will be disappointed.

      For the most part, I really loved this book. I found myself not wanting to put it down and managed to read it within a 24 hour period. Meg does a fantastic job of keeping her reader engaged and interested. The ending feels a little rushed and I don't think one of the main characters, John, was very well developed. However, this is a trilogy so I'm sure more will be discussed and settle as we go along.

      I would really recommend this book and I am counting down to May when the next installment is released!
    • 4/5
      I loved this book.
    • 1/5
      Really got on my nerves. Didn't like any of the characters and the writing was irritating.
    • 3/5
      I enjoy Meg Cabot's novels. She is writing from the internal perspective of a female teenager,Pierce, while creating a new afterlife/underworld myth with elements of humor and horror. Nothing deep but a pleasant start of a new series. I will be looking for "Underworld" at the library.
    • 4/5
      Meg I love you!
      This book is based in the myth of Persephone and it's so well done that you'd think that this story is real!
      I couldn't put it down!
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book by Meg Cabot. I can't wait for the next one in the series!
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the story, but did not like the narration - too "woe is me", and it was more in the acting than the written word. Otherwise, a very exciting take on the Persephone myth with plenty of cliffhangers for the rest of the trilogy.
    • 4/5
      So, evidently, I find myself very drawn to series related to mythology. Which is kind of funny because I loved mythology in school, but haven't really even considered it since then. But this is the second series I have begun reading that ties back to mythology.

      The story of Hades and Persephone is a fascinating one, and if you are not familiar, go Google it. Take a minute, I will wait. You will love it, trust me. It speaks to pretty much half of the teen romance out there. Good girl, bad boy, sucked into a whirlwind of I don't know what. But this is not necessarily a bad thing.

      The spin on the mythology is just unique enough to create an interesting story and to suck the reader into the world that Meg Cabot has created without it feeling like there was any effort involved at all. I was so enthralled with the story that played out on the pages that I could not put it down. I just had to find out what was in store for Pierce and for John. I got way more than I bargained for, and you will too. If you have not read this book yet, you really should. It is not often that I this emphatically implore people to read certain titles, but this is one of those cases. I really cannot think of a demographic over 15 who will not enjoy this book. Well, maybe guys in camo in the desert. They might not like it. But other than that, yeah.

      The book is full of action, fight scenes, a little bit of romance, angsty teen drama, divorced parents. It really has it all.
    • 3/5
      Pierce Oliviera would prefer to forget the day she died and came back to life, but reminders of the Underworld and its mysterious overseer have a way of following her around. This re-telling of the Persephone myth sets the underworld beneath Florida and trades out Hades for John Hayden, bringing vague elements of Greek mythology into the twenty-first century. The story’s appeal rests with the dark and brooding John Hayden, who will either hook readers from the start or leave them cold. Hayden’s character smolders but also fits the unfortunate young adult paranormal novel trope of a hundred-plus year old undead “man” crushing on a high school student and potentially stalking her. Cabot writes a decent supporting cast of characters, especially Pierce’s newly reunited extended family. Pierce’s problems throughout the novel mix the mundane (e.g. best friend dumping her, first day at new school anxieties) with the magical and captivating. Abandon has an uneven narrative arc as the present day story takes place over only a couple of days and most of the interesting plot points are generously interspersed flashbacks. The roundabout timeline coyly alludes to past events revealed much later in the book. It is a quick read and will leave a moderate amount of reader interest for the rest of the series. This imperfect paranormal romance is recommended for ages fourteen to seventeen.
    • 3/5
      This was a pretty good read for me. Solid writing & characterization helped move the plot along at a good pace. I'm not entirely sure I like where the story is headed, but that is just personal preference. I definitely plan to read the sequel & would recommend this if you are a YA paranormal fan.
    • 3/5
      I listened to this on audio. I felt the story was pretty weak and the characters rather unlikeable. The narration was great. I doubt I'd read another Meg Cabot book, but I'd listen to the narrator again.
    • 4/5
      Contemporary, mythology, Young Adult, FloridaPierce knows what it is like to die especially since she has already done it before. She has tried to return to the life that she was living before her accident but she can’t help but feel both a part of this world and yet apart from it. Though she is never alone because someone is always watching her. Pierce has moved to a new town and hopes that things will be different. Though even in this new place he has found her. She knows he isn’t a Guardian angel because his dark world is nowhere near heaven but she can’t stay away from him. He always appears when she needs it most even though she never quite expects it. Pierce is afraid that if she falls for him anymore she will end up in the place she fears the most, the Underworld. This takes the myth of Persephone and completely reimagines it to place it in a contemporary setting and still makes it all its own story. It does a good job of explaining the back story for Pierce while still staying in the present and what she is currently dealing with. It has some great twists and turns and with every answer that is unveiled the more that is understood. The characters are well written and relatable. Reading how Pierce slowly figures out just what is happening to her and what did happen to her takes the reader on a very interesting journey. It will also having readers wanting to read the next book just to see what else will happen in this story and just where Pierce will ultimately end up.
    • 2/5
      Seemed really choppy. No up with her others I've read.
    • 1/5
      Island of Bones? Modern twists to the tale of Persephone?!? Yes, PLEASE!I listened to this and got the the second disc until I couldn't stomach yet another description of John's eyes. Ugh.
    • 4/5
      Like Dead Beautiful, Meg Cabot’s Abandon trilogy is a re-telling of the Persephone myth, although in this case only the starting point of the story really comes from the myth. The Greek gods aren’t part of the story at all and while a lot of elements of the Greek underworld are used, even the basic explanation for the way the Underworld works is different. What is the same is that the lord of the underworld does fall in love with our heroine, Pierce. He does kidnap her, in a way, but in his defense she’s already dead in this version. She manages to escape and is resuscitated by her doctors; which of these events is the cause and which the effect is left for the reader to determine. Unfortunately for Pierce, escaping the underworld doesn’t resolve anything. She now has trouble fitting back into her old life and still has to deal with the lord of the underworld appearing to “help” her, usually causing her some trouble himself as well.

      Read more here...
    • 5/5
      When I first started to read Abandon, I struggled. There is quite a bit of backstory throughout the book. At first, I found myself a little confused from the back and forth. However, I quickly began to see the genius behind the writing and the meticulous plotting that Cabot employed with Abandon. When you weave the romance of it all, as well as the history associated with the underlying theme, I was hooked. This is a definite read for ParaRom lovers. I'll probably be ready to post the review for the sequel by the end of today. It's that addictive.
    • 4/5
      Pierce is a seemingly normal 17-year-old girl, except for the fact that she once died, went to the Underworld and was chosen as a death deity’s consort before escaping back to the world of the living. Since then, Pierce has had more and more trouble fighting the inexplicable draw she feels towards the dark and mysterious deity John, who saves Pierce time and again from the evil Furies determined to send her back to the Underworld. "Abandon" is a fun and clever re-telling of the Persephone myth that left me eager to know how the rest of the trilogy will pan out.
    • 4/5
      Meg Cabot's novel Abandon is the first in the Abandon series, which is a modern/teen retelling of the Persephone myth. It was the lure of a book using Greek mythology that drew me into the series, though I was a tad weary by the cheesy "romance"-style cover art. I do love the colour schemes and the flowery patterns, and the book cover fits well with the story.A far cry from how Rick Riordan uses his mythology to both entertain and to teach kids about Greek mythology, this book does offer small insights into the mythology of the underworld, Hades realm, dying, the Fates, and the Furies. The Persephone myth is actually mentioned right at the beginning and continually crops up as Pierce tries to understand what has happened to her/how she might feel about John and her current predicament. Pierce is able to both identify and see herself as different from Persephone in many ways, and the comparison/contrast lets us explore the myth to see it as both a love story, but also as a dark tale of abduction.John Hayden was a mortal who was given the job of lord of the Underworld, due to some mysterious crime he committed years ago. He falls in love with Pierce as a young teenager and she accidentally becomes his "consort." The way Pierce is "kidnapped" sets him apart from Hades and allows the reader to see him as 'good.' Personally, I don't think we see enough of John in Abandon. Fortunately, there are two books that offer plenty more of this mysterious, dark, dangerous, and certainly handsome male hero.Pierce is a fiery heroine who tries to do right in the world and her heart and her head are constantly at odds with each other over John, who has an amazing habit of suddenly showing up to save her from mortal peril.This supernatural love story is interwoven with themes of death and dying, dysfunctional families, and dangerous creatures called Furies. As someone who LOVES all things Greek and Roman, I enjoyed the book--more than I thought I would. The Abandon series is my newest guilty pleasure. It's a riveting tale of family, love, death, right and wrong, and good versus evil. Meg Cabot re-imagines the Persephone myth into an oddly sweet and addictive tale full of the supernatural, suspense, and an unexpected love story between people from two very different worlds.
    • 4/5
      There is a lot more tension in this book than you would expect from this plot. The fact that Ms. Cabot spends so much time alluding to things and building them up into something they weren't creates a sense of foreboding and doom. Underneath it all this is a love story where the people in love are also full of fear. It was an interesting start to a new series, though the book definitely leaves the reader hanging in the end.
    • 3/5
      Not a bad story, but the pacing was just a little too choppy and I wasn't grabbed by the protagonist's voice.
    • 4/5
      Le Crack Cabot strikes again! Damn you and your engaging series! Making me wait for #2! Devious.
      I could nitpick the little things that bugged me about this but then it would be the same itch I always have to scratch when it comes to Cabot. The plot could have been stretched out, especially at the end. Yeah, I know it's a series but still, too much action too late in the game. But it's a retelling of Persephone myth and Cabot does the impossible of making her Hades character not all creepy Edward Cullen.
      I can't quit you.
    • 3/5
      I really wanted to love this book. I adore Meg Cabot. Fantasy is currently one of my favorite genres. Cabot's Mediator series is one of my all-time favorites, and her Twlight (last book in that series) beats the "other" Twilight any day of the week, in my opinion. However, the first book in her new series, Abandon, just didn't quite do it for me.

      For the most part, it was the main character, Pierce. I really didn't like her for most of the book. She was quick to judge, never knew when to keep her mouth shut, and just was generally all-around self-absorbed and unlikeable. It is a complete mystery to me how John ever fell in love with her in the first place, let alone stayed that way. And her switch from never wanting to see him again to total blissed-out in love with him? Where did that even come from?

      I'm hoping she'll calm down, cut the drama, and be more likeable in the next two books. I'll keep reading the series, but it will be more for Meg and John than for Pierce. Quite frankly, I was almost wishing he'd left her to the furies toward the end there. My favorite part was when he just calmly read his book while she threw her major hissy fit...I was totally with him on that one. Get over it, chickie.
    • 3/5
      I've read my fair share of Meg Cabot books. I whipped through 'The Mediator' and '1-800-Where-R-You' series and count 'Avalon High' (the first book, not the manga) as one of my favorites. 'Abandon', Cabot's most recent YA foray, is the first in a trilogy about Piece, a girl who's had too many near death experiences for 17 years and John, the handsome, slightly off balance death deity who she always bumps into at the best and worst of times.

      I'd be lying if I said that this book lived up to the hype. It didn't. However, it is a promising beginning to what could be a fun, unique trilogy.

      Cabot takes on a different sort of timeline in 'Abandon' than her normal, straight forward approach. 'Abandon' has a very jumpy timeline. The Doctor (the most entertaining time traveler on the BBC) would best describe it at 'timey whimy'. Cabot starts the story in the middle and goes back and forth between past and present. It's a very different style from other Cabot books. In all honesty, I would have preferred a little less time jumping in this novel, but as this is the first in a trilogy, I can forgive this a bit. Not unlike Cabot, her trademark wit is still infused in the writing of 'Abandon'.


      Because 'Abandon' is part of a series, most of this novel is focused on setting up the town, characters, and relationships. We don't get to see as much of many of the characters as I would have liked, including main male John, but main female lead Pierce is fleshed out well. She's a strange character with an interesting way of thinking that I like. John, death deity, is still a bit of a mystery to me. We see him in and out of the novel, but I am hoping we learn more about him in the sequels. He has a few 'hot male lead' moments that are done well and more to come, I'm sure!


      For romance readers, 'Abandon' has some slight romance, but it doesn't overtake from the main plot of learning more about who and what Pierce is. I expect we'll be seeing more in the sequels, though.


      Even though I'm not a huge fan of the back and forth storytelling, 'Abandon' is a promising beginning to what could be an entertaining YA supernatural romance. 'Abandon' gets 3 out of 5 stars.
    • 1/5
      Like most Meg Cabot books, Abandon is a quick absorbing read. Having read most of her extensive ouevre, I would place this roughly in the middle of the pack so far as quality goes. The idea of Abandon was amazing; I was looking forward to this one so hard, because I was obsessed with Greek myth as a child. The myth of Persephone being tricked into the Underworld is not one of my favorites, but any Greek myth is better than none Greek myth.

      Foreshadowing can be a super handy writing tool. However, it ought to be used sparingly and carefully. Meg Cabot did not follow this rule in the creation of this novel. Almost every chapter ended with a dramatic bit of foreshadowing of the "had I known what would happen next..." variety. Sigh. Just put 'to be continued' at the end of each chapter and be done with it. There just was not any need for it. If you have to try to force people to keep going with a lure of future drama, clearly your book wasn't interesting enough. Really, I think this would keep the intended audience going without these constant, hackneyed warnings.

      Another weakness here was the odd subplot wherein Pierce tries to befriend the popular kids at her school (who usually ignore the D-Wing, aka truobled kids) students of the school) so that she can make them leave her cousin, Alex, and his friend Kayla alone. These sections really do not seem to fit with the rest of the plot very well. I imagine the need for this might be clear later in the series, but, for now, they were rather obnoxious, largely because Pierce's behavior seemed both out of character and completely illogical.

      So far, the romance in the series has been pretty much entirely uninspired. I do not ship anyone and I actually find Pierce and John's relationship to rather creepy and Stockholm Syndrome-ish. The ending is not a resolution, so much as a stop because this novel had reached the requisite number of pages.

      Mostly, Abandon was not what I was hoping for, but I will still be reading the rest of the series for sure. If you need a beach read for this summer, Abandon will likely suffice.