I loved Greek mythology when I was a teen. (Before you ask: Yes, I was a fan of Xena.) My copy of Edith Hamilton literally fell apart. Now that I think about it, these tales are a great gateway into the world of fantasy literature. I’ve heard so many people say they don’t read fantasy because it’s not “realistic,†but isn’t it basically our culture’s way of creating creation myths and legends of our own?
I’m digressing from the point, which is that Scholastic is releasing Meg Cabot’s Abandon on April 26, 2011 and they are putting a lot of marketing and publicity behind it. Who can blame them? Meg Cabot has a great sales track record. The Princess Diaries sold tons of books and became an actual Disney princess on the big screen. I’ll admit to finding guilty pleasure in her Airhead series, in which a regular girl is turned into a supermodel through a brain transplant. (Yes, I’ve admitted to liking those books and Xena in two paragraphs!)
I was pretty excited when an early review copy of Abandon landed in my lap. Pierce Oliviera is a real-life Persephone; she drowned and then came back to life. In the process, she caught the attention of a young “death deity†named John, who is forced to sort out all the souls that die in his region of southern Florida. (I can’t tell you exactly how such a thing happened since Cabot hasn’t revealed it yet; I assume that will be in the next book?) Ever since then, John has been appearing to Pierce and saving her when her life is in danger—something that happens a lot. The Furies—here, tormented souls John has sent to the Underworld—want revenge on him and they’re willing to harm Pierce if that’s what it takes to make him suffer.
It all sounds pretty interesting. Unfortunately, it takes half of this short book for the reader to even learn how Pierce died two years previous and all the things that have happened to her since. The story doesn’t really get going until Pierce has a meeting with the local cemetery’s sexton. Abandon is mostly set-up for the next book, “Underworld.†Hopefully Cabot can manage to get the plot really going there, because here slow going with all of the backstory having to be explained.
I’m not saying teens won’t like it—hey, I thought Xena was good storytelling—but Cabot hasn’t really made the story her own yet. So if you’re familiar with the myths, you might just want to skip ahead.
Reviews Elsewhere
Today I Read: Abandon by Meg Cabot
Book Whisperer Review: Abandon by Meg Cabot
Waiting on Wednesday: Abandon by Meg Cabot
Abandon on Good Reads
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