Review & Contest: ABANDON by Meg Cabot

It’s YA Thursday today at Preternatura! Help me welcome author Ann Marsh, who’s guest-reviewing Abandon, the new YA  from bestselling author Meg Cabot. Ann’s got some great books of her own―be sure to check out her information following the review!

ABOUT THE BOOK: New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld. 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.

ANN’S REVIEW: Meg Cabot’s ABANDON begins with the ultimate hook: “Once, I died.” Indeed, after falling into her family swimming pool and drowning while trying to rescue a bird, Pierce Oliviera dies. And is resuscitated in the hospital after flatlining for more than an hour. Pierce’s troubles don’t end, however, when she comes back to life—someone is watching her and violent accidents happen when she’s around. Moving to Isla Huesos is her mother’s last-ditch effort at a new start for herself and her daughter after the latest “incident” badly injures a teacher at Pierce’s school.

       But Pierce has a secret. The night she died, she didn’t see a light. Or the even the Pearly Gates. Instead, she met John—who just happens to the ruler of the Underworld. She escaped from him and the Underworld—but now, convinced Pierce is his chosen consort, John is hunting her. He wants her back—in his arms and in the Underworld, despite the Furies hell-bent on preventing his living happily ever after with Pierce.

       Meg Cabot’s latest foray into the paranormal may be her best book yet! Cabot delivers a compelling retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone while exploring the more traditional challenges of fitting in without losing yourself when you’re different. As a heroine, Pierce is strong and likeable, and John is darkly dangerous—yet willing to change for the right woman. The richly layered details of the fantasy world Cabot has created at first seem merely like delicious description and then become keys to the unfolding plot: scarlet blossoms from a Poinciana tree, tassels, and an ancient color-changing diamond on a gold chain. Cabot’s surprising plot twists and truly enjoyable secondary characters (don’t underestimate Cemetery Sexton Smith!) further make this a book you’ll want to read in one sitting—and will leave you eagerly anticipating the other books in the trilogy.

ABOUT ANN MARSH: A professional technical writer, Anne discovered that getting laid off was actually A Very Good Thing. While looking for her next writing gig, she picked up her pen (well, okay, she used her writing as an excuse to buy a new Apple laptop) and started writing. She soon discovered that writing was uncomfortably similar to sit-ups: add a few more crunches each day, wake up sore, but, by God, you will fit into that bikini. Or finish the book (she’s still working on the bikini).  Now she cranks out software manuals during the daylight hours– and writes about alpha shapeshifters the rest of the time. Her paranormal romance Bond With Me  is out now in ebook and will release in print in July.  The Hunt (2009)  is available in both ebook and print.

Thanks for the guest review, Ann!

Want to win a copy of ABANDON? You know the drill: +1 for comment, +1 for blog follow, +1 for Twitter follow @Suzanne_Johnson, and +1 for Tweet or Retweet. Go!