Awaken by Meg Cabot

Series: Abandon (bk. 3)

Genera: Paranormal Romance/Fantasy

Subjects: Greek mythology, underworld, death, supernatural, magic, Florida

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 343 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Scholastic: Point

Summary/ product description: “From #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, the dark reimagining of the Persephone myth comes to a thrilling conclusion.
Death has her in his clutches. She doesn’t want him to let go.
Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera knew by accepting the love of John Hayden, she’d be forced to live forever in the one place she’s always dreaded most: the Underworld. The sacrifice seemed worth it, though, because it meant she could be with the boy she loves.
But now her happiness — and safety — are threatened, all because the Furies have discovered that John has broken one of their strictest rules: He revived a human soul.
If the balance between life and death isn’t fixed, both the Underworld and Pierce’s home back on earth will be wiped away. But there’s only one way to restore order. Someone has to die.”

My Review: This final book was definitely the best book in the whole series. Pierce was less of a ditzy, air-head and was more kick-ass. She’s definitely grown as a character. I didn’t like her in the 1^st book at all really, and in this one I do. And there was more action and romance, and twists. This book was just so much more enjoyable, that I’m sad I didn’t like Abandon and Underworld that much. This was truly an epic finale.

I really cared about the characters this time. John is dark, sexy and old-fashion. He had something happen to him in the 1^st half of the book that wasn’t so great, but things turned out well. Kayla is such a cool, awesome friend to Pierce. She takes to the underworld and Frank pretty well. She’s so funny and tough. Alex really stepped it up in this book, after what happened to him at the end of Underworld. Mr. Smith was helpful to Pierce as always. There were some new characters in the underworld, too. And Hope, the dove. She still reminds me of my parakeets.

I love the setting, too. This is the only series I’ve read set in the Florida Keys. It’s not even a mermaid book, but mythology it is. I have never been to Florida or even the ocean, so it was kind of a virtual island vacation. Even though much of the book was during a hurricane, and then after it.

Also the underworld setting is interesting. A cave with a castle? Awesome. I’m picturing stalagmite towers. The first 100 pages of the book are in the underworld, which is now hot for some Fury-related reason.

Out of all these book, the most happened in this one. The plot was well done and I was never confused or bored. Maybe the previous books were actually this good and I was just not in the right mood for them. I am a bit of a mood reader, and don’t enjoy certain things when I’m in the wrong mood, so maybe that’s what happened. I liked this book a lot, and mostly because the plot. And the added mythology of Thanatos made it interesting. And fighting/banishing furies with the Persephone diamond Pierce has.

I recommend this series to fans of mythology, and paranormal romance. Also if you liked Die For Me (Revenants trilogy) by Amy Plum, Falling Under by Gwen Hayes, or Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini.

Cover Art Review: I love the cover so much. It’s purple! Such a pretty shade of lavender and violet. Pierce looks like she’s holding a dead John or maybe Alex. And the pink-purple of the cover under the duct jacket cover is beautiful. I live the type treatment on the A, and the vector flower designs. And it’s metallic, like the previous books.

 

 

Fury’s Fire by Lisa Papademetriou

Series: Siren’s Storm (bk. 2)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Furies, sirens, mermaids, Greek mythology, supernatural, love, New York

Age/Grade Level: Teens

Length: 242 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $16.99

Publisher: Random House

Summary/ product description: “At the end of Siren's Storm, the Sirens were defeated, and now the town of Walfang is once again a peaceful beach community.
Or is it? Gretchen and Will are still haunted by the memories of the night the Sirens were destroyed—Gretchen because she can't remember what happened and Will because he doesn't know how to tell Gretchen what he saw. He doesn't even understand what he saw, but he does know now that Gretchen is more than what she seems, more than a human girl. And at the same time, he is more in love with her than ever.
Gretchen knows there's something wrong, too. She feels like an alien in her own body, but she doesn't know why. And she feels a presence stalking her at every turn. Have the Sirens returned to Walfang? Or has some other force come to claim her?”

My Rating: êêêê

My Review: Great sequel. Better and deeper than the first book. The mythology just keeps getting better and better. Gretchen’s becoming the Fury! It reminds me of the Angelfire series mixed with Tricia Rayburn’s Siren series. The book goes a lot faster and is way shorter, but it still leaves an impression. I love the resort town setting, and the mysterious happenings. Sleepy seaside towns full of dark secrets and creatures. Sirens and a Fury. Gretchen is a great character. Will’s okay, but I like Angus better. He’s funny and always looking for a story. Asia’s gone, but the story goes on.

If you’re looking for a mermaid book, this series doesn’t include any sea kingdoms or mer-people. These are sirens. Bad mermaids. If you liked the Siren series, this series is similar.

Cover Art Review: I like the color, and the hair. But it feels boring otherwise. It needs more to say that it’s paranormal. The glow and flames on the title looks cool.

~Haley G

Underworld by Meg Cabot

Release Date: May 8th

Publisher: Point (Scholastic)

Series: The Abandon Trilogy (bk. 2)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Death, Underworld, Greek Mythology, Hades, Florida Keys

Length: 320 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

Summary/ product description: “Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.
Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn’t dead.
Not this time.
But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.
Her captor, John Hayden, claims it’s for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they’ve come back as Furies, intent on vengeance…on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.
But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there…and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.
And unless Pierce is careful, this time there’ll be no escape.”

My Rating: êêê1/2

My Review: This sequel was somewhat better than the first book. I don’t really like Pierce as a character, she seems kind of weak and air-headed, but not so much in this one. What I really did like was the pet that John gave her: A mourning dove, which she called Hope. I thought that was pretty cute. The bird did a lot of funny things that reminded me of my parakeet. I like John, but at times he seems possessive. Their relationship isn’t abusive or anything, but it’s still not normal. He’s a death deity after all. The story itself was pretty good, though. Pierce wanted to save her cousin from some future bad event she saw on her cell phone (which does that in the Underworld apparently), so she convinces John to take her back to Isla Huesos. And since everyone thinks she was either kidnapped or murdered, she has to be careful about being seen with John. We also get to find out about John’s past and what we he did to end up in his position. And we meet new characters in the Underworld, crew members from John’s ship. There’s some mystery and action. And Furies (Killer Grandma!). Happy reading.

Cover Art Review: Metallic like the first book, but the deep blue is definitely better than the black and brown on the first one. The photo’s more interesting too. And the designs and U in the title are awesome.

~Haley G

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Publisher: Point

Series: The Abandon Trilogy (bk. 1)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Death, Underworld, Greek Mythology, Hades

Length: 304 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

Summary/ product description: “She knows what it's like to die. Now Death wants her back.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce knows what happens to us when we die.

That's how she met John Hayden, the mysterious stranger who's made returning to normal life—or at least life as Pierce knew it before the accident—next to impossible.

Though she thought she escaped him—starting a new school in a whole new place—it turns out she was wrong. He finds her.

What does John want from her? Pierce thinks she knows... just like she knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven. But she can't stay away from him, either, especially since he's always there when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she might find herself back in the place she fears the most.

And when Pierce discovers the shocking truth, that’s exactly where John sweeps her:

The Underworld.”

My Rating: ê ê ê 1/2

My Review: Based off the cover and the author, I thought this book would be awesome, and in some parts it was, but a lot of it was pretty confusing and not as interesting as it could have been. Meg Cabot did have humor, as usual, but she’s not as great at telling dark tales. And Pierce was just odd and confusing. John was cool when he showed up, but Pierce was a bit of a weak character. She was caring, sarcastic, and a bit weird. I’m not sure if all of those go together. Plus, her dad’s really rich, and she’s a bit of an air-head (or so it appeared). Maybe in the next book it’ll be better.

I like the stuff about the diamond, and the retelling of the Hades-Persephone myth stuff. John may not be Hades, but he does seem like the type. I just kept thinking about the stuff in the Percy Jackson series where they go to the Underworld.

I’m sure some of you will enjoy this book more than I did. It’s easy enough to read in one day, but I had a hard time soaking it in. There’s great potential for the series to get way better. Can’t wait to see how the next one turns out. I am really loving these covers.

Cover Art Review:

This metallic cover is beautiful, and the main reason I bought it. I love that letter “A” with the little pendant dropping down. I like the gold flower designs, with the sleeping/dead girl photo. It’s a very good cover.

~Haley G

Siren’s Storm by Lisa Papademetriou

Series: (not sure, but the sequel will be Fury’s Fire)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Sirens, mermaids, supernatural, love, New York, Long Island, The Hamptons, Greek mythology, Calypso, Furies, seaside resorts,

Length: 260 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

Summary/ product description: “Nothing has been the same for Will ever since what happened last summer. One day, on an ordinary sailing trip with his brother, there is a strange accident. When Will wakes up, he learns his brother has disappeared, presumed drowned. Worst of all, Will can't remember what happened—his family finds him unconscious, with no memory of the accident. Now Will and his best friend and neighbor, Gretchen, are starting a new summer. Gretchen seems troubled—her sleepwalking habit is getting worse, and she keeps waking up closer and closer to the water. Will is drawn to Asia, the exotic new girl in town. Nobody knows where she's from—all Will knows is that her beauty and her mesmerizing voice have a powerful effect on people. Then there is another mysterious drowning, and Will and Gretchen begin to wonder: Is Asia just another beautiful, wealthy summer resident? Or is she something entirely more sinister . . . and inhuman?”

My Rating: ê ê ê 1/2

My Review: Just to clarify, Asia is the siren. No spoiler there. The book seems a bit creepy at the beginnings, but it’s not as mysterious as I hoped it would be. Not like Tricia Rayburn’s Siren. The characters didn’t stand out to me, but the dialog was pretty good. Will’s friend Angus was the funny, gossipy reporter dude. He was probably the most interesting character. Funny name too. As with most siren novels, the setting is a seaside town. I liked how will depicted the whole summer residents vs. residents thing, but it could’ve used some characters that were temporary summer people.

What I really enjoyed about this books was how it connected to Greek mythology. In high school, I had to read some of the Odyssey, so the whole Calypso thing was familiar to me (and also cuz the Percy Jackson series). I’m hoping that the next book will include more mythology. I really want to know what’s up with Gretchen! What is she?

Cover Art Review: I love the photo on this cover! The model’s hair strands look so awesome. The picture is perfectly focus on the mouth area, and the rest is softened and blurred. The eye is so green! I wish the title was a bit bigger, but I love the font. The back cover has a beach dune ocean scene on it. I also like the seashell designs on the side.

~Haley G