Review: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

I have never attempted to organize my thoughts when I'm writing a review fresh after finishing a book, and I won't attempt it now. So you'll forgive me, if this all turns out to be a jumbled mess in the end. I also can't promise to not spill anything, I'll probably be spilling my entire head into this, but I'll still do my best, of course, these books deserve it--and more.

First off, can we all just stand up and give Tahereh Mafi a huge standing ovation and a round of applause? I'm serious. Get out of your seats and start clapping all around the place. This woman is one heck of an author, who is relentless in reaching out to her fans, whom she knows love the books as much as she does. Some authors write to relay the story of the characters in their heads, some to please readers. Often, only one of these scenarios happens. But Tahereh manages to do both so incredibly well. I've read in one tumblr post that it's still unbelievable that Ignite Me isn't just 'class A fan fiction' because it caters to the readers' wishes through and through. It's like she's read all of our minds and grants every wish, all the while still staying true to the characters' personalities. Granted I would've loved it more if there was some kind of a face-off between father and all of three sons, or some conversation with Anderson, just so it doesn't seem easy, but onto the books!

Now, I would have to admit that the strikethroughs in Shatter Me drew me in and caused me great interest, but surprisingly, I don't miss them in Ignite Me. I loved how Juliette isn't ashamed of her thoughts anymore, as she was in the previous books. I guess being shot at and surviving really just changes you for good. But Tahereh's writing style goes way beyond just the eye-catching strikethroughs; it's really with the elegant poetry in prose form that she manages to capture you. It's riveting, actually, how I find myself almost running to catch up with Juliette's thoughts because sometimes they're just too striking, too powerful, and so painfully accurate I have to back up and internalize. It's virtually impossible to read these books, really read them, and not find yourself, at one point or another, reflecting and relating it to your own life. As a quote collector and enthusiast, these books, were of course, heaven to me. However it's also a dangerous thing; to live and drown the book in quotes would undoubtedly impact the plot. But Tahereh manages this unique balance of having you go through the plot in your head and at the same time have you teetering on the edge of just about philosophizing everything around you with her writing. Her writing, I believe, is the most important component of this series, the main factor that sets her books apart from all the other dystopias out there, next to her amazing characters. There's nothing quite like it, or at least quite as striking--if you'll forgive the pun.

I said that aside from the writing, the characters also set these books apart from others. This is because her characters are so incredibly complex and twisted (make no mistake, I mean this in a good way) that you really just marvel at what they all accomplish throughout the course of the series. They develop, all right, some in the most unpredictable of ways. Adam, for example, who I could never have thought was capable of such anger, like Juliette, probably because we saw him in our heads with Juliette's perception--that is, kind and sweet, caring and protective. I marvel at how in Shatter Me, all these attributes made him endearing, and I of course rooted for him. How my feelings for Adam developed in the same way that Juliette's did. That's pretty amazing to me, because then it means in my head I understood Juliette, that she was written in so real a manner I actually thought her thoughts (although I could never be that lyrical and poetic, not in a million years, my thoughts are usually just a mumbo jumbo of anxieties and joys and worries), and felt her feelings. I admit that in Unravel Me, it became a bit too much and even to me, she was annoying. But don't worry guys, she makes up for it in Ignite Me, and she makes up for it good.

Kenji is so deeply endeared to me, simply because I think he was there as a representative of all of us. Guys guys he was so fangirling over OTPs and interfering like we would and prying and listening and taking care of our babies and keeping things together and making fun and he has our sense of humor and he's a great best friend and wow, I totally lost it there. So much for keeping it together. But yeah, you get the general picture of how I see him. Kenji. Wow I'll miss you.

And of course, Aaron Warner Anderson. Who's so strong, firm, admirable, disciplined, vulnerable and passionate all at the same time. Who was as vital to Juliette's growth as Juliette was to his own. I'm laughing at myself because I'm attempting to describe him in this book, in the entire series, actually, and I'm not sure if there's even a way; if it's even possible. I have never, I'm surprised to say, disliked him in Shatter Me. I mean sure, there were some moments there when I wouldn't mind if he loosened up a bit and showed a bit more emotion, but I had for him a kind of fascination that wanted to make sense of his actions, because there is no way someone could accomplish such acts if he didn't firmly believe in them, and everything they stood for. I wanted to know how he justified his actions, his motivations. It was confounding. He knows himself and he doesn't, he's both capable and incapable, calculating and ruthless and so in tune with his emotions he doesn't even know it. You just, you feel for this guy. It's impossible not to. After reading the novella, Destroy Me, I knew I was screwed. I was ashamed because I knew then that secretly, in Shatter Me, I wanted her to want him. Because I like this guy. And Juliette doesn't. And I was bound to get my heart broken, blah blah, what's new? I'm a reader, this is basically my life. And so it's just so relieving, to have him be given a piece of happiness in Ignite Me, after having been through so much. But just to clear it all up, I have come to a surprising realization during the course of reading Ignite Me. It's that Warner has been a gamble, a bet, an investment. His existence as a character was a risk Tahereh took in the beginning of the series. With his revelations only happening in the third book, it was entirely possible for people to overlook him, to ignore his importance. But he was the key; the ace, if you will. Tahereh gambled, and to me, she won.

I'll most probably be reading the series again, because I'm sure with this new knowledge of how it all goes down in the end, I'd see more of the subtle hints and cues to the characters' personalities that I may have overlooked, on purpose or not, for the sake of keeping my heart safe. I'll be reading again for the sake of shedding light to the purpose behind these characters' actions, with a totally different perspective. I'll be reading them again, and I can't wait.

I read Shatter Me and Unravel Me by borrowing them from the library, and I'd given myself the stipulation that if Warner and Juliette end up together, I'll buy the entire series. But I realized I wasn't willing to wait for my library to get a copy of the book, that I wanted to know what happens, good or bad, and it's this feeling that made me realize that if I feel so strongly about a book, so concerned for the characters, then this series must mean a lot to me. And so I bought them all, right after Ignite Me came out, not knowing what will happen but bracing myself, with fear and excitement. I gambled, and I won, and I can't be happier. Thank you, Tahereh, for the Shatter Me trilogy.

Goodreads

Review: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

I have always had reservations every time I start a book I know would be of the high fantasy genre. Maybe it's just me, but I like to devote my time and effort into being able to understand and picture the world in my head, not having myself be confused at every mention of a foreign word and unusual character name. This was primarily the main reason why I kept putting off reading Siege and Storm, I wanted to wait for the right time, when I was in the right mood, because that's what I did with Shadow and Bone. And when I manage to do this, boy what an experience reading is. This is when it gets--and I kid you not--magical.

Siege and Storm picks up where we left off with Shadow and Bone, with Mal and Alina on the run from the Darkling. However, the Darkling (because he is awesome) eventually manages to find them and leads them aboard Sturmhond's ship for a mission that none of us would have ever seen coming. New alliances are formed, alliances that are of the utmost importance especially now when everything is not as it seems. Alina drifts further away from the things she holds dear, falling deeper into the Darkling's thirst for power, and more dangerous still, even her own.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

While there are a lot of things to love about this new installment to the Grisha series, I do feel like much of what made this book so enjoyable to read was Sturmhond. He's an incredibly complex character who maintains his hilarious but honorable personality throughout the story. How he manages to be perfectly sarcastic one moment, and yet there are times when we're given these rare glimpses into this young man who's only trying to do right by his country. He, along with Tolya and Tamar, were a great addition to the list of characters in these series, and they had no qualms about endearing themselves to me in just one book. 

Now, while I wasn't particularly fond of Mal in the first book, he finally grows on me in this second book, probably because I was able to witness more of him in Siege and Storm. I'll admit there were moments when I wouldn't have minded strangling him and personally dragging him over to Alina so they could talk it out, but even then, I understood him. Alina was purposely keeping him out, and of course given their childhood and past, where they were practically inseparable, that must have been tough.

It's no secret that I've loved the Darkling from the start, not only because he's undeniably attractive and mysterious (although that certainly doesn't hurt), but because I'm actually rooting for him. Call me naïve, but I want to believe there's still hope for him. Someone needs to go and pull him out from that pit of destruction he's so far into.

Alina is as real and fearless as ever, and I'm actually confused as to whether I should be immensely proud of her as she asserts what she knows she wants, or afraid because that's the exact thing that's starting to change her. Honestly, I'm leaning towards the first option. 

Make no mistake, just because I talk relentlessly about the characters doesn't mean I had no appreciation of the plot. I did. I do. Like I said before, there were road bumps I honestly didn't see coming until I was already stumbling over them, and to me, that's endlessly amazing. The volcras' apparent humanity, the nichevo'ya and their creepiness, the weird priest, Morozova's craziness, those reflective dishes, and Genya (dear, dear Genya), just wow. Also, it's almost disconcerting how Leigh Bardugo manages to, in this book, make me want three ships to sail. Three, you hear me? That right there just sets you up for inevitable heartbreak. And here I thought I was used to it. But see that's what's so great about being a reader. You get your heart broken, quite willingly, even, and watch it, sometimes reluctantly, be put back together again.

THE DARK SIDE

I was wishing for more Darkling-Alina moments, just because I find the dynamics of their relationship riveting. But that's just me. They just belong together in my head. Sorry not sorry.

Siege and Storm proves how truly dangerous and addictive power can be, which is especially important in our time. As my Psych professor says, we're the generation that's undergoing the current and radical changes in society today, that we're on the verge of going up or downhill, and it's up to us to decide precisely what kind of world we'd like to see in the future. Siege and Storm shows not only that temptation exists, but also the reality that at times, we fall prey to them. Acknowledgment of this is an acknowledgment of humanity, of our sometimes flawed personalities, but also of the greatness within all of us that desires to ameliorate, much like Alina. Wake me up when Ruin and Rising is in my hands. That is all.

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Review: Prodigy by Marie Lu

I considered myself lucky because I discovered Legend at a time when the sequel, Prodigy, would be out soon. I thought, "thank heavens I don’t have to wait that long". And I didn’t. I read and devoured every page of Prodigy so quickly that before I knew it, I was done. Guess what? I think I’m not so lucky anymore. I mean, Legend’s ending was bearable, as it was open-ended and there were so many possible plot lines going through my mind. Prodigy, however, is another case entirely. It left me unable to think around one plot line. I mean, I still have no idea where Marie Lu would be taking the story, but I now know one thing. But that’s basically it. After that, I have no idea what’s in store for all of us in Champion.

I liked Legend a lot and so much, that I didn’t think it would be possible for me to go beyond that with this series. But cookies and bananas, I did. I loved Prodigy. It kept up with the hype in Legend and it doesn’t disappoint when it comes to the story line and the developments in the book. Early on in the book we’re given new stuff and details on our plates, so you’re really thrown back into the action as early as the first chapters. This, I loved. Along with the blue font color for Day. Oh, blue, blue. I’m starting to think publishers know of my blue fetish and have started going for it now. It was one of the many things I loved, but it’s not really something to linger on. The font color could’ve been purple or peach or whatever other color and I still would’ve loved the story and the book. At first, when the plan with the Patriots was revealed, I was a bit skeptical as to how the whole book would revolve around it, because it seemed so simple when Razor laid it out. Reading on, however, I realized that so much could happen, so much could go wrong, so much could twist and go another way, in such a short time. A thing, I guess, that Marie Lu manages to do so well in these books. Legend and Prodigy literally give the word—okay, maybe it’s not a word, not really—unputdownable another meaning altogether. It was a bit past noon when I started reading and I just immediately knew I couldn’t—and wouldn’t—sleep until I finished Prodigy. And so I did. I was as awake as ever in the wee hours of the morning, on the edge of my seat, waiting to know what happens next. 

And, like in Legend, what I loved most about this book were the characters. Old and new alike. Old characters were developed and given more depth and new characters gave the plot new and unexpected twists. One thing was different for me though. If Tess was okay for me in the first book, I didn’t particularly like her here in the second. It may have been the time spent away from Day, it could’ve been the influence of the Patriots, but her jealous streak and the way she just blamed June for everything, (granted, she may be blamed IN PART) killed her gentle side. Gentle, nice Tess I could handle, but jealous, bitter, obvious third point of the love triangle Tess was on my wrong side. We’re given Anden too, the new Elector, whom I loved because of his beliefs and because of his determination to change things for the better. He knows it won’t be easy, he knows there’re a lot of people against him, but the fact that he’s trying and trusts June counts for a lot in my book. It was totally believable too, how, despite his attraction to June, his wanting to believe her, there’s this lingering wariness, which of course he couldn’t help. Baxter, Pascao, Kaede. Kaede was just so awesome in this book, flying that jet, landing it and fighting for the good of the Republic. Villains return, new villains arise, and I was surprised yet again by how things turned out. 

Turning to the main characters, June and Day, Day and June. *dramatic sigh* It’s just how I am whenever I think about these two. They’re simply awesome characters who grow and develop so well in Prodigy and take note, Marie Lu manages to keep it going even when they’re apart! They’re apart for the most part of the book, and I didn’t mind because that time apart just further established their personalities, their strengths and weaknesses as individuals, and of course, it just makes the reunion all the more better. (Of course, you’d think that the reunion after a long time should be sweet and teary, but no.) And can we talk about the trust that these two have for each other for a second? The weight and gravity of how they trust each other is just inspiring. You’d think, how could these two 15-year olds, given what they’ve experienced in life, still manage to find someone to trust?

What’s amazing about Prodigy is that it doesn’t only match the standards of Legend, it manages to get better and surpasses it. I mean, hands down, no doubt, I loved Prodigy more than I loved Legend, but a huge part of why I loved it was because of so many factors perfected in Legend. I think the overarching lesson that this book managed to relay, deeper than nothing is what it seems, is that decisions and choices in life aren’t always so stiff. There are other ways, other paths to take, and how we must be open to that, as Day and June were, if we have any hope of surviving in this constantly changing world.

And now that that’s done, excuse me while I crawl into a hole. I’ll come out when Champion gets released. Or maybe in March, with Clockwork Princess. Or April, with The Elite. Or maybe really just February, when school starts again. Who knows?

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Review: Legend by Marie Lu

See, once in a while there comes a book that will keep you up at night, that will invade your dreams, that will keep you thinking even in your waking hours until you finish it and tell the world what you thought of it. And this has been my relationship with the Legend series. 

Now that that’s out of the way, I have to admit that one of my favorite things is being pleasantly surprised about how good a book is. I picked up Legend from the library thinking it’ll probably be stiff and technical, given that it’s filed under dystopian/sci fiction. And boy, was I wrong. Given how taken I am with this book and the series, do forgive me if this’ll probably look a bit different from how I usually review books. (I’m thinking this’ll probably look more like an essay of random thoughts than a review, but oh well.) Okay, enough with my ranting and onto the good stuff. 

Legend is one of the best series in YA fiction that I’ve read in a while. Granted, the themes of dystopia are recurring, the oppression of the people and the tight hold of the ruling power, these were all shown in Legend, as in many other dystopian novels. However, what set this book apart is the characters’ switching perspectives in every chapter, which was done elegantly and believably. I mean, I could really tell who was speaking just through the words used in the chapter. (And I know, I know, the chapter starts with the character’s name on top and the font colors alternate as well, but really. Even without those, I’m sure I could’ve still identified whose chapter it was.) And as in some other books, the font colors and faces switch as well, which helps in distinguishing one chapter from the other. (I’m a big fan of books with other font colors besides black so that was an immediate plus for me.)

The plot. Oh my gosh, the plot. Some people say that what’s bad about this book is that it’s predictable and not really different from the plot lines of other dystopian novels. Well, I don’t know if I just haven’t read enough of these dystopian books or what, but this was not the case for me. Like I said, the themes were recurrent, yes, but the plot line was definitely not predictable. I mean, whoa. This book was explosive. I’m going to say that this explosiveness is associated with the fast pacing of the book. So much stuff was tightly packed in 300 or so pages and all these happenings were thrown around me and I couldn’t stop reading for fear that if I close the book things would still happen without me knowing it. You know one thing, and then it turns out they’re all lies and fantasies after a few chapters. This book just seriously kept punching you in the gut with happenings. 

You’d think that would be all. But no, what endeared this book to me the most were the characters, who were relatable and lovable and unforgettable altogether. And I mean, all of them, even Commander Jameson. I mean, you don’t particularly like them, but they’re such believable and evil villains who help the plot go along so you can’t really wish them gone. And while I know in myself that I’m someone who loathes the person who might be the potential third point to a love triangle, I surprised myself by not hating Tess. It wasn’t anything on her own, really, I mean yeah, she’s gentle and nice, but it has more to do with how I sympathize for Day. I was just really glad that he had someone in those years to look out for him when he had no one and was alone in looking out for his family. 

As for the two main protagonists, can I just say that I love them both to their cores? Because I do, really. I’m amazed because I started off with this book not knowing that the main characters were going to be a boy and a girl, I thought they would both be boys who fight side by side and have these awesome action scenes. Turns out they’re boy and girl, and I surprised myself by realizing that even if there wasn’t any romance between them, I still would’ve loved the book. But Marie Lu gives it to me as a bonus, and so now I am gushing and rolling on the floor thinking about this book. And what was so great about these two, was that they meet each other only at like, the half of the book, and I was perfectly okay with that, because by then they were so distinguished in my head as two separate and awesome characters in their own rights. Day, being the most wanted criminal in the Republic (which may not be something to be proud of, but you have to admit, for him to be that famous at 15, that’s just something else. And come on, scaling buildings in short seconds? Jumping from two, three story buildings and surviving? Day is cool. End of discussion.) and June being the darling prodigy of the Republic. I admit I had quite an issue with Day having long hair, and their age seemed a bit unreasonable to me, but hey, it’s the future right? (Maybe teenagers there get forced to mature early due to circumstances. *shrugs*) But aside from that, these two characters just, complement and strengthen each other. They each had their own share of sufferings, and both didn’t have it easy, and I admire their strengths despite everything. June, who is just an absolute genius and who may have been stiff in the beginning, has developed into a kinder, gentler person who’s open-minded and not easily strayed. Day, who has been hardened by the circumstances he’s had in life, but develops the kind of unwavering strength one needs to survive. Apart, they’re amazing, but together they’re unstoppable and greatness combined. 

Legend surprised me by how much managed to happen in such a short span of time. In 300 or so pages, there’s action, there’re awesome character developments, there’s romance that’s just right and not overpowering, there’s an amazing plot line, there’re painful deaths, and there’re lessons learned. Needless to say, the Legend series has become one of my favorite books of all time.

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Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Admittedly, I was wary upon reading Sweet Evil. I mean, I know the cover is gorgeous, I know the synopsis at the back caught my attention, my issue was just, I’ve read about Nephilim before in Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices. I loved her depiction of the Nephilim, and I had a pretty solid idea in my head because I’ve read a lot of her works, so I was a bit hesistant with Sweet Evil. I thought that perhaps the whole thing wouldn’t register in my mind because of my preconceived notions. But reading on, I found that the two were so easily different from one another that I had no trouble liking Higgins’ take on the Nephilim fantasy at all.

Anna Whitt is the school’s Miss Good Girl and the main protagonist in Sweet Evil. She may seem like an average girl, except she has special abilities that set her apart from everyone. Being able to see people’s emotions and auras as colors, having extensive olfactory and auditory senses, as it turns out, are all part of a Nephilim’s traits. The Nephilim are the children of demons with humans, and when Anna learns she’s one—although not entirely—because of Kaidan Rowe, she’s faced with a huge responsibility from the heavens that she has to fulfill. It sounds easy, but only if she manages to keep the demon part of her at bay.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

One of the main reasons why I didn’t have trouble adjusting to Higgins’ story about angels and demons, is because it’s so originally fresh and new. You hear about girls learning they’re part angel, or full, but in Sweet Evil, Anna learns she’s both and the struggle within her to do good and the occasional times when she let loose were balanced and realistic. There were even times, where I’m not sure I would’ve had the guts to do what she did, to choose what she chose, and for that I really admire her. And need I talk about Kaidan Rowe here? Let’s see, drummer, gorgeous, English accent, not to mention dangerous and bad news? *sighs* I won’t elaborate, but let’s just say you’re not going to read through this book without him making you go weak in the knees. I liked Jay too, because he was a loyal best friend through and through. With Anna, he’s this protective, caring and loyal best friend who looks out for Anna, even if Anna’s the one who’s supposedly part angel. In general, I liked the originality of the story. It takes on a well known angel-demon theme, but everything else about it is new you’d have trouble guessing what happens next—sometimes you can’t even guess, you just absolutely have no idea—and to me that’s always good.

THE DARK SIDE

Although I have to admit that I love Kaidan and Anna’s team up, I think it revolved more around the two of them than it did around the plot. Granted, it’s the first book in a series, but I guess I would’ve appreciated more scenes regarding the plot itself. I’m not saying I didn’t love all of Kaidan and Anna’s parts in the book, I’m not saying I want them removed, I just wish there was more elaboration regarding the heavens’ plan for Anna. Also, was it just me or was Kaidan's name a bit hard to pronounce? I kept saying "Kayden" in my head but it turns out it's supposedly read as "Kyden". Just me? Yep, thought so.

Sweet Evil surprised me in the fact that I actually liked it, and in that I wasn’t expecting the happenings in the book. To a person who’s read a lot of YA books that more or less have the same themes, it’s important to capture that sense of originality, because an author doesn’t want her book to get into the pool of all books that are seemingly similar, the author wants hers to float, to stand out. And in a time where angel-demon YA books are all over the place, Sweet Evil definitely did.

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Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Despite the explosion of werewolf themes in the YA category a few years ago, I have to admit that I wasn’t particularly drawn to the idea of werewolves. I mean, sure, I’ve read books about vampires every now and then, and then there’s Jacob in Twilight, too, but Shiver is the first werewolf and Stiefvater book that I’ve read. Naturally, I was wary at first, and I thought Stiefvater had a particular similarity with Stephenie Meyer's writing style, but as I read on, I found myself flying through the pages and learning that there's something about Stiefvater's writing style that's distinctly hers.

Shiver is told from the perspectives of Sam--a werewolf in the cold and just a normal guy when it's hot--and Grace, a girl who had an encounter with the wolves of Mercy Falls when she was younger, and who's always been fascinated by them, especially by the yellow-eyed wolf who has always watched her.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

Okay, so I have to admit that part of why I enjoyed the book was due to the fact that the font is—Blue! And heaven knows I love blue, so seeing that on every page definitely gave me a positive attitude while I was reading. Besides, it’s not every day that you get to read a book that doesn’t have black for a font color, so it was something new for me. I think it’s clever too, since a huge factor in the book is the cold, and the color blue fits right in with the theme. I don’t know about you guys, but for me, little things like that separate the book from a lot of other books. I also liked the switching perspectives, because for me it widened the plot. See, there’s only so much you could say from one perspective if the plot is simple, but when you add another character’s point of view, then the story goes deeper. Of course, I loved Sam. A huge part of it may be attributed to the fact that he loves poetry, he has all these lyrics in his head, he’s deep, and did I mention he loves poetry? And lastly, I loved the last few chapters. The pain, the questions, the anticipation, those last few pages kept me asking, “What now?”

THE DARK SIDE

Probably the only thing that didn’t sit well with me in this book was the plot. Granted, conflicts were resolved and the characters were likeable, but I guess I found it really simple, and it didn’t really have me thinking a lot about what was going to happen next. Well, except for that little part in the end, of course. Also, Grace’s issue with her parents? I don’t think it was addressed too well in this book. But maybe it goes on to the next, so we’ll have to see. 

In the end, I understand why Shiver is called Shiver. It’s ultimately a book you’d love to read curled up on the couch with a blanket, preferably with a hot chocolate by your side too. It’s laid back, and nice. The whole book asks the reader, “Why is it that only when we know time is limited, do we value it?” 

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Review: Abandon by Meg Cabot

To be honest, I was putting off Abandon until the last possible minute. Like Sweet Evil, I was wary on starting it when I had solid preconceived notions in my head. It’s a reimagination of the Persephone myth, and I’ve recently just read something quite similar, The Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter which were both lovely and were still stuck in my head. Unlike what happened with Sweet Evil, however, Abandon wasn’t completely different with the previous two books I’ve mentioned. Sure, there were some elements that set it apart, but to me John Hayden resembled Henry’s broken personality a bit too much, and it was just hard to go on from there without mistaking one book for the other.

Abandon is the story of Pierce Oliviera, who moves to Isla Huesos with her mom for a new start. Pierce has quite a hard time doing so, however, because Pierce has died and escaped death only by a narrow margin. As it turns out, the place they’re moving to—her mom’s hometown—has a cemetery that serves as a doorway to the Underworld where John Hayden, the guardian and keeper of that particular gate resides. From the moment Pierce comes back from the dead she’s haunted by Furies who are determined to hurt John through her.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

I know Meg Cabot from her Princess Diaries works, which I haven’t read but I have, however, watched. Basing from how those went according to the movie, I was curious to see how Cabot could make a dark fantasy work, which was so different from her staple teen realistic fiction for which she is well known. And I was glad to see that she COULD make it work. She was able to formulate a plot that sounds familiar, that makes sense and is interesting. I also liked the way she starts her chapters, opening them with excerpts from Dante Alighieri’s Inferno and I was excited to find out how the particular excerpt comes into the chapter. See, there are some authors who have a way of making the ending of a chapter a cliffhanger, and that would encourage you to read onto the next, but Cabot’s writing style was a bit disorienting in that she ends the chapters without necessarily a cliffhanger, but she starts her chapters so well you just want to keep reading on. You know sometimes, when you finish a chapter and go, ‘Oh I’ll just take a look at this next chapter and stop’? The thing with Abandon is, I constantly found myself starting another chapter which was weird considering the last one’s ending didn’t leave me hanging anyway. Lastly, I thought Pierce’s character was refreshing and new in that she isn’t like other YA heroines who doesn’t have qualms going to places as long as the boy they like is with them. With Pierce, it isn’t like that. She fights John head-on, not wanting to go with him to the Underworld for the sake of her family her friends and herself. I thought that strength showed that she wasn’t about to give up everything in her life for a boy, and I’m really grateful to see that there’s someone in YA books who still actually does that.

THE DARK SIDE

Aside from the issue I had with Abandon not standing out all that much, I have to say that although the chapters start with interesting scenes, it just dies down from that. There are scenes which seemed a bit draggy to me, and it doesn’t help that the writing style is wordy, too. Granted, it gives you a pretty well-described scenario, but I think parts of the plot were sacrificed for that. It’s a short book, and there could’ve been so much that was going on, and instead we get all these lengthy descriptions about the weather and the hurricane that seems to me has no connection with John or the story. I think all it did was give the book a darker and gloomier feel, which is good, but it didn’t have to come with very detailed explanations. I felt like it wasn’t needed. Also, some characters, like Uncle Chris and her mom, were underdeveloped. I think there was more to them than what was actually explained, and I kept waiting for the developments that unfortunately didn’t come.

Overall, Abandon still worked for me, because for some reason I like dark fantasies these days, and because the plot is actually interesting. I just felt that maybe Cabot could’ve gone deeper and given us more about it. It’s quite different from the Persephone myth and there were elements that were strictly its own, which, I realized, is why it’s considered a reimagination and not a retelling of it.

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