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Abandon #1-3
The Abandon Trilogy: Abandon / Underworld / Awaken
The Abandon Trilogy is Meg Cabot's heart-stopping paranormal romance series all in one eBook bundle containing Abandon, Underworld and Last year, Pierce died – just for a moment. And when she was in the space between life and death, she met 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 if she allows herself to fall for John she will be doomed to a life of shadows and loneliness in the underworld. But now things are getting dangerous for her, and her only hope is to do exactly what John says . . . Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn't dead. Not this time. But she's been taken by John Hayden, Lord of the Underworld, to the place between heaven and hell where spirits gather before their final journey. John claims it's to protect her from the Furies, who are hell-bent on vengeance against him. But could he have other reasons for keeping Pierce close? When she learns that the people she loves back home are in mortal danger, can she convince John to release her to save them – or will the price he asks for her freedom prove too high? Pierce Oliviera knew that by accepting the undying love of John Hayden she'd be forced to live forever in the one place she's always dreaded the Underworld. The sacrifice seemed worth it, but now her happiness and safety in the realm are threatened. The Furies have discovered that John has broken one of their strictest rules and revived a dead soul. If the balance of life and death isn't restored, both the Underworld and Pierce's home on Earth will be wiped out by the Furies' wrath. Pierce has already cheated death once . . . can she do it again?
756 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 5, 2013
71 people are currently reading
587 people want to read
About the author
Meg Cabot
282 books35.4k followersLibrarian note: AKA Jenny Carroll (1-800-Where-R-You series), AKA Patricia Cabot (historical romance novels).
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 1, 2018
I'm always told I seem to read too much into things when it comes to Young Adult fiction. I'm told to just settle down and enjoy the story and even if there's stuff to rip apart, there's usually good things to take away from the experience. This was an experience to some degree. What can I say about The Abandon Trilogy by Meg Cabot but it's one of the worst things to come out of Young Adult Fiction in the last decade. If anything, it feels like a cash grab as The Princess Diaries was Meg Cabot's claim to fame, so why not hook her up with a three book deal that follows Pierce Oliveria's clumsy escapades through first love with a death deity. At it's core, The Abandon Trilogy is a retelling of the old Persephone and Hades myth with lots of sexist overtones in modern literature smothered on for good measure. It's riddled with so many red flags that mark John as an abuser, yet, side characters say that they wouldn't mind being kidnapped by him after he takes Pierce away, Pierce is encouraged to just 'be sweet to him' when she tells an adult how much he scares her. The Abandon Trilogy is a manifesto on 'How Not to Write Young Adult'.
The plot is thin. Pierce spends time running from John, then running from Furies, then trying to save John. There's little things that seem like plot but it's mostly teen drama. It teases at certain plot points perhaps leading into something more intriguing, things like John's backstory are alluded to make Pierce hate him if she finds, but upon hearing it for herself, she forgives him and so do his friends so it's not a big deal. The plot is just one tease after another, nothing big happens with Pierce and John being a relationship taking center stage to everything.
Pierce Oliveria is the epitome of 'Spoiled Rich Brat', she's the manifestation of a Tumblrina/Millennial who cries about how difficult life is while on a $1000 allowance from her daddy who's one of the richest men in America. Seriously, it's canon that her dad is so very rich and when he offered one million dollars as a reward for bringing his daughter back when kidnapped, Pierce scoffs because he can afford so much more. She is literally 'Too Stupid to Live' and it goes well beyond being naive and inexperienced with a lot of things, a lot of the mistakes she makes could have been avoided if she used common sense. Yeah, Word of God and Plot Demands It and all that jazz, but it's frustrating that not only do other characters TREAT her like she's too stupid to live, they TELL her she's too stupid to live. It boarders on hilarity when her own evil Fury Grandma shows up quite a few times to tell her such.
John 'Death' Hayden is a far worse off Edward Cullen and like Edward Cullen, he's dating someone who's hundreds of years younger than him. The main problem I have with the age difference is that John is a manipulative asshole and Pierce is shallow and immature, added that the two have NO CHEMISTRY. Never mind the lack of chemistry though as he's abusive; he keeps her away from her family and friends, chooses what she wears, lies and he does it all with the illusion that it's all to protect her. John Hayden has no character arc whatsoever, his character doesn't grow or change beyond being a manipulative asshole who's going to punch things for his girlfriend. Side characters like Alex and Kayla have more clear set goals and character arcs that are far more interesting. Lets face it, There's not much to John's character beyond moody teenager who's hell bent on protecting his girlfriend, as his souls purpose is to love Pierce, nothing more, nothing less.
The Relationship is the real plot here. When it comes to John, Pierce gives him a free pass every time. She's rightfully terrified with previous encounters with him when he maimed men for her honor but once she falls in love, she's quick to accept his previous tantrums that go even beyond trying to protect her. She sees the inside of their shared closet in Purgatory, sees the row of white billowing, full coverage, dresses and concludes that he's just old fashioned. She does this while discounting the fact that he's dressed for our time in black leather jackets, studded wrist cuffs, wears his hair long, and carries around a tablet computer. John kidnaps her 'for her own good' and she quickly accepts it because John knows best. John lies to her about what will get her shackled to Purgatory time and time again and he suffers no repercussions of his lies. Pierce is adamant that she's fallen for him, calling him her boyfriend almost immediately, talking about marriage and babies with him after 4 maybe 5 days of dating him. He's going along with all her whims because he's old timey and old timey ways say you get bare foot and pregnant IMMEDIATELY.
It's not bad at all to desire to get married and have babies and be a stay at home mom. It's the fact that Pierce throws herself so quickly into this relationship it ruins any chance at agency she has. She announces herself as Death's Consort and Queen of the Underworld and pretty much defines the word Consort as 'Wife', they just don't have the papers that say they're Mr. and Mrs. Hayden. She literally considers herself married to John 5 days after dating him. When it's revealed that sex is the key to keeping her in Purgatory, John swears up and down that he thought she knew what he meant when he asked about the consequences. She interpreted 'Consequences' as 'babies'. There's no 'protection' used during sex and she just damns the consequences because how bad could babies with John be? She's literally. So. Hopelessly. Naive. Too stupid to live. John Hayden is not a swoon worthy book boyfriend that should be admired for the way he puts Pierce up on a pedestal because it's not a pedestal at all, but a cage. It's not because he's 'old timey', it's because he's completely unstable. He proclaims his love for her by breaking apart anything that comes between them and when her parents catch him in bed with their daughter, he's quick to tell them about his plans to wed her the second she'll say yes.
There is so much wrong with these books, but the relationship goals that are presented here are the absoulute worst. This is Twilight Era stuff, actually, The Abandon Trilogy is sub par Twilight Era stuff. At this point, I can't even say that there's a single person I'd recommend this to. You can easily find better fairy tale retellings anywhere, both Sarah J. Maas and Marissa Meyer both have some wonderful series under their belts that include retellings of: Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast and Alice in Wonderland. Instead of seeking this steaming pile out, go check out one of those authors.
The plot is thin. Pierce spends time running from John, then running from Furies, then trying to save John. There's little things that seem like plot but it's mostly teen drama. It teases at certain plot points perhaps leading into something more intriguing, things like John's backstory are alluded to make Pierce hate him if she finds, but upon hearing it for herself, she forgives him and so do his friends so it's not a big deal. The plot is just one tease after another, nothing big happens with Pierce and John being a relationship taking center stage to everything.
Pierce Oliveria is the epitome of 'Spoiled Rich Brat', she's the manifestation of a Tumblrina/Millennial who cries about how difficult life is while on a $1000 allowance from her daddy who's one of the richest men in America. Seriously, it's canon that her dad is so very rich and when he offered one million dollars as a reward for bringing his daughter back when kidnapped, Pierce scoffs because he can afford so much more. She is literally 'Too Stupid to Live' and it goes well beyond being naive and inexperienced with a lot of things, a lot of the mistakes she makes could have been avoided if she used common sense. Yeah, Word of God and Plot Demands It and all that jazz, but it's frustrating that not only do other characters TREAT her like she's too stupid to live, they TELL her she's too stupid to live. It boarders on hilarity when her own evil Fury Grandma shows up quite a few times to tell her such.
John 'Death' Hayden is a far worse off Edward Cullen and like Edward Cullen, he's dating someone who's hundreds of years younger than him. The main problem I have with the age difference is that John is a manipulative asshole and Pierce is shallow and immature, added that the two have NO CHEMISTRY. Never mind the lack of chemistry though as he's abusive; he keeps her away from her family and friends, chooses what she wears, lies and he does it all with the illusion that it's all to protect her. John Hayden has no character arc whatsoever, his character doesn't grow or change beyond being a manipulative asshole who's going to punch things for his girlfriend. Side characters like Alex and Kayla have more clear set goals and character arcs that are far more interesting. Lets face it, There's not much to John's character beyond moody teenager who's hell bent on protecting his girlfriend, as his souls purpose is to love Pierce, nothing more, nothing less.
The Relationship is the real plot here. When it comes to John, Pierce gives him a free pass every time. She's rightfully terrified with previous encounters with him when he maimed men for her honor but once she falls in love, she's quick to accept his previous tantrums that go even beyond trying to protect her. She sees the inside of their shared closet in Purgatory, sees the row of white billowing, full coverage, dresses and concludes that he's just old fashioned. She does this while discounting the fact that he's dressed for our time in black leather jackets, studded wrist cuffs, wears his hair long, and carries around a tablet computer. John kidnaps her 'for her own good' and she quickly accepts it because John knows best. John lies to her about what will get her shackled to Purgatory time and time again and he suffers no repercussions of his lies. Pierce is adamant that she's fallen for him, calling him her boyfriend almost immediately, talking about marriage and babies with him after 4 maybe 5 days of dating him. He's going along with all her whims because he's old timey and old timey ways say you get bare foot and pregnant IMMEDIATELY.
It's not bad at all to desire to get married and have babies and be a stay at home mom. It's the fact that Pierce throws herself so quickly into this relationship it ruins any chance at agency she has. She announces herself as Death's Consort and Queen of the Underworld and pretty much defines the word Consort as 'Wife', they just don't have the papers that say they're Mr. and Mrs. Hayden. She literally considers herself married to John 5 days after dating him. When it's revealed that sex is the key to keeping her in Purgatory, John swears up and down that he thought she knew what he meant when he asked about the consequences. She interpreted 'Consequences' as 'babies'. There's no 'protection' used during sex and she just damns the consequences because how bad could babies with John be? She's literally. So. Hopelessly. Naive. Too stupid to live. John Hayden is not a swoon worthy book boyfriend that should be admired for the way he puts Pierce up on a pedestal because it's not a pedestal at all, but a cage. It's not because he's 'old timey', it's because he's completely unstable. He proclaims his love for her by breaking apart anything that comes between them and when her parents catch him in bed with their daughter, he's quick to tell them about his plans to wed her the second she'll say yes.
There is so much wrong with these books, but the relationship goals that are presented here are the absoulute worst. This is Twilight Era stuff, actually, The Abandon Trilogy is sub par Twilight Era stuff. At this point, I can't even say that there's a single person I'd recommend this to. You can easily find better fairy tale retellings anywhere, both Sarah J. Maas and Marissa Meyer both have some wonderful series under their belts that include retellings of: Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast and Alice in Wonderland. Instead of seeking this steaming pile out, go check out one of those authors.
April 28, 2014
Well written and can become totally engrossed and forget about all the homework in the world to read them
September 25, 2018
If I had to sum this book series up in one word that pulls on all aspects (writing, plot, characters... anything else u can think of...) that word would be - TERRIBLE.
I gave this series every chance by reading it to the bitter end. I found the plot completely unbelievable. I can’t give away details without giving off spoilers (which I don’t like to do) but the further into the series I got, the more frequently I found myself throwing my kindle down in exasperation at whatever bizarre turn the story took next.
I could tell the author knew her characters inside-out, but I felt she spent no time showing their development throughout the series which made them feel unreal.
Our lead female I found to be immensely immature to the point of wanting to repeatedly slap her in the face with a wooden spoon! I couldn’t understand why exactly the “hero” of the story fell in love with her. Don’t even get me started on him... at least Pierce is meant to be a teenager and can therefore get away with some of her childish, naive, and petty behaviours.
The plot - the word I would use for this is “DRAGGED”. Oh my days it went on and on and on and on... and on. I felt some of the encounters in the last book we’re not needed in such detail!
I’ve considered that perhaps I’m too old for this genre (32) but I’ve read some cracking books by other authors that have brought every emotion possible to me so I sadly have to come to the conclusion that I simply don’t get on with this authors writing.
I gave this series every chance by reading it to the bitter end. I found the plot completely unbelievable. I can’t give away details without giving off spoilers (which I don’t like to do) but the further into the series I got, the more frequently I found myself throwing my kindle down in exasperation at whatever bizarre turn the story took next.
I could tell the author knew her characters inside-out, but I felt she spent no time showing their development throughout the series which made them feel unreal.
Our lead female I found to be immensely immature to the point of wanting to repeatedly slap her in the face with a wooden spoon! I couldn’t understand why exactly the “hero” of the story fell in love with her. Don’t even get me started on him... at least Pierce is meant to be a teenager and can therefore get away with some of her childish, naive, and petty behaviours.
The plot - the word I would use for this is “DRAGGED”. Oh my days it went on and on and on and on... and on. I felt some of the encounters in the last book we’re not needed in such detail!
I’ve considered that perhaps I’m too old for this genre (32) but I’ve read some cracking books by other authors that have brought every emotion possible to me so I sadly have to come to the conclusion that I simply don’t get on with this authors writing.
February 6, 2015
Pulling from the story of Persephone and Hades, the well-known Greek myth of love and abduction, this Young Adult romance has some fun settings and world creations. I very much liked the epigraphs to each chapter taken from Dante's The Inferno. Talk about a contrast between classic literature and lightweight fiction. The characters were a bit flat and it seemed like there was way too much talking and not enough movement, not to mention the talking often seemed counter productive. No one seems to know how to communicate. Character growth seemed slow to me, although it was there. The secondary characters, Kayla and Alex, certainly had character growth, to the point that they almost seemed liked different characters from book 1 to book 2. The finale at the end of book 3 was well done, but it sure took a long time to get there. My teens would like this book; I found it a bit superficial.
November 26, 2024
Loved this trilogy so much. Read as a teenager so that might have swayed how I took to it but genuinely was my favorite set of books until very recently. ❤️
October 22, 2022
Blaaaaahhhh!! Tedious as hell, omg this series is so boring and repetitive and weak. The mc is very annoying and has no strength or fire about her whatsoever. She’s bland-just like the writing. It’s super juvenile and has no depth to it. Plot is god awful so slow and dull and pointless, it’s a an absolute yawn fest. It feels unskilled and unpolished, like someone trying to write a hades & Persephone retelling for a school project but failing miserably. Dnf. Seriously don’t waste your time. These have to be some of the worst books I’ve read. Beautiful covers though! Luckily I got these on the free help yourself bookshelf in Tesco with the Halo series which was equally mind numbing!
September 18, 2021
It started off vague which I never like but it got better after we unravel all of the plots in the book. Just have to give it a bit of time.
The 3 books can get a bit uneven and unclear and the FMC is too passive IMO but all of the other people around her are interesting and they make her more interesting.
Despite my complaints as above, its a very quick read because I find it highly enjoyable.
The 3 books can get a bit uneven and unclear and the FMC is too passive IMO but all of the other people around her are interesting and they make her more interesting.
Despite my complaints as above, its a very quick read because I find it highly enjoyable.
December 17, 2021
The only reason I can't give it a 5/5 is because she didn't continue the series. I think there's so much more story to give, another 3 books would be great. I'd love to follow Pierce and John on their settled happy couple life, wedding prep and having a baby. It would be wonderful to see how they work it all out. Especially now that no one needs to go to high school we can see more development of other characters and relationships.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2018
Awesome book couldn’t put it down
Awesome book couldn’t put it down can’t wait for another book like these ones also the princess series was awesome as well.
Awesome book couldn’t put it down can’t wait for another book like these ones also the princess series was awesome as well.
October 28, 2018
Typical
A very Meg Cabot series. Great for YA and if your a fan of both American Girl and the Princess Diaries
A very Meg Cabot series. Great for YA and if your a fan of both American Girl and the Princess Diaries
June 1, 2021
Enjoyed them as a YA
Read
December 17, 2022I love the first book so much! One of my favorite Hades and Persephone retellings! I love how she looks back on past experiences with John in the first book!!!
June 30, 2025
story is good for a beginner
also engaging
but can be compiled in two books excessively stretched out
but good one to read although
also engaging
but can be compiled in two books excessively stretched out
but good one to read although
February 9, 2016
The whole trilogy was extremely engaging but really had nothing to do with the Persephone myth. It was written well and very entertaining. The characters were beautifully developed and plot well thought out but being marketed as a spinoff for the Persephone story is a myth in itself.
If you love mythology, mainly death deities and gritty romance, pick these books up. If you are looking for an exact spinoff of Persephone and Hades, go to Wattpad. I could recommend a good one on there.
All in all, amazing books.
If you love mythology, mainly death deities and gritty romance, pick these books up. If you are looking for an exact spinoff of Persephone and Hades, go to Wattpad. I could recommend a good one on there.
All in all, amazing books.
September 24, 2015
I love how the author made the mythology so modern. I really like the characters, for example. Alex, Pierce, John, Henry, Mr. Smith. They were all amazing, unique and extremly funny. It's a really nice feel good book, to remember that there's always good and evil but to never lose hope
November 19, 2014
Great book!!! I was absolutely capture and engrossed in this book! Meg Cabot has done it again. This series had mythology which is one of my favourite genres. Amazing is all I can say.
November 27, 2014
Amazing!!!
Read
May 1, 2015LOL HER YA PERSEPHONE TRILOGY WAS SO FUCKING TERRIBLE.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews