Wither (Live Chat)

to April's live book club chat! We will be discussing:

on:

Tuesday, May 3rd at 6:00pm (pacific time)

Have you read the book Wither? Does the realism of their decimated world scare you? Are you anxious to talk about the genetic engineering that has turned a new generation into guinea pigs that die young? Or did you read it and feel that this dystopian society fell short and would never happen? Were you rooting for Rhine's husband, Linden, or the servant, Gabriel?

Let's chat about it!

(If you haven't read the book, you have a few days...

 go out and get your copy and join us for our monthly book club chat.)

Hope to see you there!



Who is Saint Giovanni? (Chapter 3)

Book Synopsis | Behind-the-scenes Post

(Have you read the previous chapters? If not, look to the right sidebar for the chapter archive)

Click the outer edge of the book cover to turn the page. ENJOY!

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Here is one reason there are so many crappy books in the world

When I decided to write this post about 10 minutes ago, I was trying to find a way to link the "Changing Education Paradigms" video (embedded below) to writing and books. After all, that's why you come here, isn't it? To read something related to one of the two categories?


I've wanted to be a writer since I was 9. That's almost 20 years of storytelling. I'm a fairly introspective person, but it doesn't take much inward thought to pinpoint a devastating change in the way I tell stories, in the way I've changed as an artist. Over the years, I've become less imaginative. Sure, I'm still very imaginative. All writers are, some more than others. But these days I anguish over some of the simplest storytelling challenges.


Test your own imagination by answering this question:

Why did the aliens abduct the girl? 

How many reasons can you come up with? How many of those ideas are any good? (After all, this is a question writers ask themselves, isn't it?) And how many of those ideas will produce a book someone will want to publish?

This is where the "Changing Education Paradigms" video comes into play, particularly about 8 minutes in where Sir Ken Robinson discusses divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is the ability to find several answers to a question, being able to interpret questions in several different ways. Robinson states that creativity is "the process of having original ideas that have value." He also says, "divergent thinking is an essential capacity for creative thinking."


We are all divergent thinkers to some capacity. I know I am because when I took calculus I had become a linear thinker, which is the opposite of a divergent thinker. There aren't several ways to interpret a math problem. There is one correct answer. I started doing really well in the class (5 pounds heavier...and an eye twitch later) after I realized not to think too hard. The ONLY thing I had to remember was to follow the formula. If I did that, the problem was EASY, manageable.

The "writing a good book" forumla:

characters+plot+setting+dialogue+100 other components+mix them together=  well written book

There is no formula because there isn't one right answer. If you are a divergent thinker, the possibilities are endless.

I believe a writer's ability to FIND those possibilities can be the difference between a well-written book and poorly written book.

We all know this, right? It makes sense.


So why are there so many crappy books in the world?
Let's go back to the example of aliens abducting the girl. You can probably come up with 10-15 answers within a minute or two.


Here are some of mine:

• The aliens want to learn about the human race
• They are human-eating aliens and are hungry
• They want her for a pet
• The girl is the long lost alien princess in disguise
• The girl is the only human who can fix their broken spaceship that landed on Earth

These are all logical to some degree, but none of them are original or very good. If you had to post a comment with your list, how many ideas could you come up with? How many of those ideas would you actually publish in a comment? Why wouldn't you want to include all of those ideas in your published comment?


Because a lot of them are stupid.


That's what you're thinking, right?


Apparently kids can easily come up with a couple hundred ideas off the top of their head. They do not filter themselves the same way adults do. They don't limit themselves to only what's logical. They won't answer the question as if there is only ONE right answer or a GOOD answer. So what happened? We were kids once. We didn't ALWAYS filter ourselves. At one point in our life, we would have said, "The aliens abducted the girl because she is made of cheese and they like cheese." Coming from a kid, it's cute. Coming from an adult...well...you can fill in the blank.


The point is that you aren't going to find a Pulitzer Prize worthy idea within the first 100 or 200 answers to "Why did the aliens abduct the girl?" And many of us will skim right past the bad or wrong idea that may have led us to an award worthy, well-written novel.


But what if...


what if...


there are so many crappy books in the world because of the way we are taught to interpret questions? And where are we taught things?


School.


Was my creativity stifled as I progressed in my "education?" Was your creativity stifled? What about the authors of those "crappy books?"


I'm not blaming anyone for my own creativity or lack-thereof. I'm merely asking a question. Do we want crappy books in this world? Should the way kids are educated change in order to promote divergent thinking?


You decide for yourself. Sir Ken Robinson sums it up far better than I can in this stimulating video:

RANE

P.S. Thanks to James for submitting the link to this video in your response to one of our posts!
image borrowed from here

Inspired Friday (1)

Hey everyone!

I've decided to do a new thing with my posts (although this will sometimes be interrupted by book reviews). It has to do with quotes, because I don't know about the rest of you, but quotes totally inspire me. They affect what I write on any given day by shaping the subject and even the tone of my writing.

So for these posts, I'm going to have a quote that inspires me in some way and write about it. Maybe it'll be related to writing, maybe it'll be related to what's going on with me at the moment, but it'll always be related to an aspect in my life.

Here is this week's:

I've never let my school interfere with my education. - Mark Twain

I am a college student, and for those of you who are students, you know that right now is crunch time. I have 3 weeks left before finals. So all of the biggest projects are piling up on each other. And because of that, I've completely immersed myself into work. I haven't read a book in a week. I haven't even really talked to people all that much.

And what purpose does that serve me?

I'm going crazy. Seriously. I can't sleep because my neck is too tense from the stress, and I'm pretty sure I've gained about five pounds from stress eating. Sometimes, some of us (me, especially) need to remember that school isn't everything. There are some things you learn that just can't be taught other than experiencing them. Things that are so much more relevant to life than writing a strategic analysis of a company's marketing campaign.

This has a direct effect on my writing, too. What makes writing rich is the feeling that it's real-life -- it's those moments when you're reading a book and completely lose yourself into the world and characters because they're so relatable.

I'm not saying school is important, it's just that experiencing life and learning real-life things shouldn't be sacrificed for school.

Anybody else find themselves having this problem? Anybody else have other reactions to Twain's quote? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I Don't Want to Kill You Review

Publisher: Tor Books
Hardcover: 320 pages
Reading Level: Young Adult
Series:
Book 1 I Am Not a Serial Killer (Mar. 2010)
Book 2 Mr. Monster (Sept. 2010)
Book 3 I Don't Want to Kill You (Mar. 2011)

At the end of book 2, John Cleaver issued a deadly challenge.  Now, he is waiting for a killer to come for him. He must find out who it is, discover the killer's weakness, and figure out how to use that weakness to stop the killer. Only one of them can survive. Once again, it is John, with the help of his new girlfriend, who puts the clues together. 

Want to read my reviews of the first two books in the series?

I am Not a Serial Killer | Mr. Monster

Review
Dan Wells' third book in the John Cleaver series is amazingly suspenseful. From the beginning of the book, the reader knows the killer is coming for John. The author has you thinking it is the reporter, the priest, a friend, the girlfriend, the girlfriend's father and mother, John's mother...every character is suspect in your mind. You've heard the expression "the suspense is killing me!" Well, there are twists and turns that will keep you in a state of anxiety for John's survival! At one point, I had to put the book down to take a breather.

John's struggle with his dark side, the Mr. Monster within, is still with him in this story but he comes to a better understanding of himself by the end of the book. I do want to warn the faint of heart that John's thoughts of killing, his imaginings, as well as his activities in the family-run mortuary may be distasteful to you. And there is one story element that seems a little contrived, but it is such a minor piece, it may as well be ignored. And it certainly will not impact my rating.

This third book is even better than the first two, and if you've read my previous reviews of the John Cleaver books, you know I thought they were "page-turners." Just as I was electrified by the last line in the previous book, this book's ending leaves me with the excited feeling that John’s work is not done. And now, he has someone who wants to share it with him! I hope that means someday soon Dan Wells will be writing another book for this series.

Cover: 5/5 (A bold cover...with a clue ;)
Plot:    5/5
Characters: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Ending: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5

LINDA

Book Review: The Hunger Games Trilogy

BOOK ONE: THE HUNGER GAMES

Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: September 2008
Hard Cover: 384 Pages
My Rating: 5

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. Acclaimed writer Suzanne Collins, author of the New York Times bestselling The Underland Chronicles, delivers equal parts suspense and philosophy, adventure and romance, in this searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present.

BOOK TWO: CATCHING FIRE

Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: June 2010
Hard Cover: 400 Pages
My Rating: 5

Suzanne Collins continues the amazing story of Katniss Everdeen in the phenomenal Hunger Games trilogy. Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

 




BOOK THREE: MOCKINGJAY

Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: August 2010
Hard Cover: 400 Pages
My Rating: 5

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year. 

My Review

I know I was a little late to join the band-wagon on these books. I had heard great things about them, read awesome reviews, and somehow they ended up in my "To Read" pile without every getting touched by anything but dust.

I wish I would have paid more attention to the hype. I am forever changed because of this book series.
There are three books in the series and there is one reason I am glad I waited to start the first book: because all three books were released by the time I picked up the first book and I could sit down and read all three in one sitting. Seriously. No joke. They are that good!

I decided to write my review on the entire series and not each individual book because there is an overall message that isn't obvious until the end.

The entire series is brutal and gruesome but Ms. Collins did an awesome job keeping things PG-13. The premise of the entire series just blows my mind. They are books about people killing people... as a game... on live television. No, not just people, but teenagers, running around killing each other for sport. Not only am I reading it, I am living it with Katniss, the main character. It's so morbid but sooooo good. I literally kept thinking to myself: how in the world did Suzanne Collins make this up!?

Another awesome thing about these books: the speed. Not just how fast things happened... but how fast things kept consistently happening. It was like, BAM! Something awesome happens. Then before you can even turn the page, BAM! Something else huge happens. BAM! BAM! BAM! It never slows down.

Then there's the romance. There was enough romance for the girls, but not enough to make the guys roll their eyes. Perfect love triangle with an oblivious protagonist and a remarkable setup. The main character is a girl but the entire series is about hunting and war. So... is it a GIRL book or a BOY book? It's both. Very clever, indeed.

The writing is impeccable. Suzanne Collins can literally reach her hand out of the book and grab you by the shirt collar and pull you into the story with the main characters. It's amazing, the talent she has. The dialogue is witty and intelligent and the story itself is addicting. I was constantly wondering how the end could possibly turn out.

The plot is more intricate than you could ever imagine. Book one makes your head spin and you think, wow that was crazy but fun. Book two makes you scream at the pages and as you flip through them you yell, "This isn't fair!" Book three ties everything together and it makes you STOP and ponder your own life and believes.

By the time I finished the series, I wanted to talk about it. The themes, the plot, the romance, the survival scenes, the death scenes, the pace, the lies, the truths, the characters, the parts I hated and the parts I loved. More than anything, this book changed my perspective on war. How it effects people. How it changes people.

I wish I could tell you so much more but I don't want to ruin it. You have to go buy these books and start reading them right away! You have until March of 2012 before The Hunger Games movie is released.

If you are already a fan of The Hunger Games Trilogy, here is the cast for the movies:

Katniss Everdeen: Jennifer Lawrence

Peeta Mellark: Josh Hutcherson

Gale Hawthorne: Liam Hemsworth

...MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR...

xoxo,
Kalina Kay


Who is Saint Giovanni? (Chapter 2)

Chapter 2 on YouTube | Book Synopsis | Behind-the-scenes Post

(Have you read the previous chapters? If not, look to the right sidebar for the chapter archive)

Click the outer edge of the book cover to turn the page. ENJOY!

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Inspiration Mind Maps

I typed "inspiration" into google images today looking for something, well, inspiring. This is what I found:

See parts 1-9 by clicking here.

To see others like the one below, click here.

The truth is folks, most of us are WAITING for things to happen. Whether it be success, happiness, wealth, love...whatever. At the moment, I'm waiting to feel a little less nervous about posting Who is Saint Giovanni? on this blog. :) But we can make whatever we want to happen RIGHT NOW! That's what I'm learning. "The journey of the thousand miles begins with a single step." Yup! The first step is essential, though. And taking that first step IS making it happen. I guess you already know this. I already know this, too. But I seem to forget about it for 86,399 of the 86,400 seconds in each day. I'm working on it.

To see more from the author/artist of these mind maps, click here.

What can I say? I'm impressed with these and had to share it!

-RANE-

Who is Saint Giovanni? DEBUT!

Chapter 1 on YouTube | Book Synopsis | Behind-the-scenes Post


Click the outer edge of the book cover to turn the page.

ENJOY!

Read full-screen

Add WiSG? to GOODREADS

I'd also love for you to "like" my author facebook fanpage :) :)

Until next week,

RANE

P.S. Are you in love with Ashley Stewart's art like I am? Take a peek at her website.

Who is Saint Giovanni? Giveaway WINNERS

Well, it's that time!! So many of you signed up to either win an ARC copy, host a WiSG? button on your blog/website, or post about this novel event.

Thank you.

really

Thank you.

This is an ongoing contest, although the chance to win an ARC is now officially over. (ARC winners will be selected at the end of this month!)

Is it too late to win stuff??? NEVER!!

It's not too late to sign up to host a button or post about this event. AND if you posted about the event a couple months ago, feel free to do so again and add your name to the list for a second time. There will be multiple drawings throughout this event and then, of course, you have a chance to win the grand prize: a kindle or nook! The more things you sign up for, the more chances you'll have to win the grand prize.

I hope you've enjoyed the preface and first chapter of WiSG? Congrats to the winners!

Oh yeah. The winners.

you each get a $15 giftcard to either amazon or the book depository

For posting a button:

Elizabeth from elisquared.com

For posting about the event:

GothMisfitjazz from theparanormalworldandreviews.blogspot.com

For signing up to win an ARC:

Lisa Smith

 I'll notify the winners via email shortly!

CONGRATS!

A Day in the Life of a Writer (Watch my video!)

I've made friends with quite a few bloggers over the last six months or so, and you guys are the BEST. Sometimes I wish I knew a little more about you. Just in case you wish you knew a little bit more about ME, I decided to make this video taking you through my typical work day! Yeah, work days are pretty much all I have lately <I'm not complaining...I love what I do!>, so if you're ever wondering what I'm up to, it's probably one of the things you see in this video! ENJOY! <PS, I think the day I filmed this, I was actually making my author website raneanderson.com>

• Rane

Meg Cabot Giveaway Winner!

Our Meg Cabot book giveaway has officially closed and we now have a winner! First, I would like to say that you guys are awesome! We had tons of entries, and a big thank you goes out to everyone who visited and took the time to enter. But I know what you're all waiting for, so without any further ado, the winner of this giveaway is:

Sandy Phan!

Congratulations Sandy! An e-mail will be sent to you asking for your mailing address and your book choice. Remember, you can choose ANY Meg Cabot book you want from The Book Depository.

The Writers Toolbox: Writers Market

It's been a few weeks since I've done a feature on The Writers Toolbox, so I thought I would share the very book that is sitting next to me at this exact moment.

If you are an experienced writer that has tried to get published before, this book is no secret to you. But to all the newbies out there, this book is AWESOME! Literally, every writer should own a copy. I refer to mine all the time.

In a nutshell, Writer's Market is a humongous book on "Where & How To Sell What You Write". It has a little bit of everything for every genre and every writer. There are listings for book publishers, consumer magazines, trade journals, literary agents, and more! There's info on contracts and contract fees, freelance business, editing, advice on how to write queries, book proposals, and the list goes on and on and on.

For all the internet savvy people out there, they even have a website that has twice as many listings and is very easy to use. Click Here to visit their website! 

xoxo,

Kalina Kay

April's Book Choice

The votes are in! Thanks to everyone who voted, and for those that didn't, I hope you can join us next time.

Leading by three votes, the book you chose to read for April is...

Wither by Lauren DeStefano!

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

I hope to see you all at our book club so we can have some awesome discussions about this book!

And don't forget to enter our Meg Cabot Book Giveaway. It ends tomorrow!

Cover Release: Who Is Saint Giovanni?

Everyone's heard that saying: "Don't judge a book by its cover." TOTALLY judge this book by its cover, please. WHY? Because I love it! Ashley Stewart is the amazing artist behind the cover that I'm so proud to share with you today. The cover has traveled a long journey, my friends. Click here to see each leg of its journey. To read more about Who is Saint Giovanni? click here and here.

I can't thank you guys enough for your support, encouragement, and suggestions! About a month or so ago, I published the Book Cover HELP post, and so many of you offered great suggestions. Thank you for that. And a special thanks to Carol Riggs and Kay Holmen who took the initiative to show me their ideas for the cover via email. Although you may not see your ideas in this final cover, I really appreciated and liked your suggestions!!

Starting this coming Monday, the epic blogging adventure will begin. Who Is Saint Giovanni? will appear in weekly installments on the The Lit Express, YouTube, and in a podcast form. All three mediums can be accessed from The Lit Express. In addition, Ashley will be illustrating a new scene from the book every week to accompany each post. If you're curious about my writing style, click here for a sample from another novel I've written. And if you'd like to see more of Ashley's artwork, please check out her website!

Interview with Ashley Stewart

Can you tell us about yourself, Ashley?  I’m just a girl from a small town in Virginia, with a passion for art, and a dream of one day being able to work full time in the field. Right now it’s my hobby (and my freelance side job), but one day I would like to be able to make my living working in book illustration, comics, or anything else I could get involved with!


What’s your background?  I started  by teaching myself how to draw anime, and from there started to take art classes in high school. When it came time to go to college and choose a major I went for a Bachelors Degree in Studio Art.

Why art?
  I love art! It’s my passion- I constantly feel driven to keep improving, to get better and to keep creating art. I’ve always loved being creative and making things- jewelry, crafts, paintings, etc. I can’t imagine not creating art. I also love being able to create stories and share them through my art- I enjoy writing as well, but for me it feels more comfortable to communicate through pictures.

What do you dislike about your work?
  I feel like at times I dislike everything about my work. As an artist, I think it’s common to never quite be satisfied- you’re always thinking “I could do this better next time” or “I need to improve in these areas.” Once I get some distance on a piece and I haven’t looked at it for a while I can go back and see the things I do like about it- but usually all the flaws are the first things I see. They motivate me to keep trying to improve.

What research do you do?  I usually research every little detail I can. I gather together reference for all the things that will be in a picture- for example if it’s a picture of someone on a horse I’ll research horses, horse anatomy, saddles, riding clothes, people riding horses, different horse breeds, etc. The more you research all the parts that go into the picture, the more authenticity you give the final product.

Thanks Ashley! If you guys have any questions for Ashely, feel free to leave them in the comment section. If are in love with her artwork (like I am) and want to hire her for a special project, you can reach her at stormfire1221(at)aol(dot)com.

_____________________________________________________________

For those of you who have hopped over from Tawni's Cover Crazy post @ The Book Worms, WELCOME! (Cover Crazy is a weekly meme hosted by The Book Worms where bloggers share what they love about YA book covers.) SO, what am I loving about this cover??? (Uh, everything, duh!)

• The color scheme reminds me of Florence, Italy, where Who Is Saint Giovanni? takes place. 
• The detail in the stone wall is amazing!
• The swirls behind the text really unifies the top half with the bottom half, and I love how the bottom half looks smooth and clear and leads into a rougher texture.
• The cracks across Giovanni's face make him look mysterious. What do the cracks represent? Why does he look like an old painting?
• I want to know why the girl is jumping off the bridge.
• I want to know why Giovanni has a saint's halo around his head.
• And, I can really go on and on and on!! hehe

_____________________________________________________________

That about sums up everything I have to say about the book cover. I'm really excited for next Monday, and I hope you are, too! OH YEAH! One last thing:

Giveaways!

It's not too late to sign-up for the first round of giveaways. On Tuesday, April 12th, I will be selecting 3 winners from the pool of people who signed up to:

1. Host a Who is Saint Giovanni? button on their blog or website

2. Post about the Who is Saint Giovanni? blogging event

3. Win an advanced reader copy (ARC) 

Each winner will receive a $15 gift card to Amazon.com or Book Depository (your choice). The more you sign up for, the more chances you'll have to win the grand prize: a Kindle Graphite. (One grand prize winner will be selected after the entire novel appears on this blog.)


To sign up, visit the participation & giveaway page here.

I've recently set up an author fanpage on facebook. To support me in my quest to become a successful author, you can click like button below!! :) Thanks guys.

-RANE-
www.raneanderson.com

Cover Art Journey for WISG?

I knew I wanted the the cover to depict the "bridge scene" from my book, but I didn't know exactly what it should look like. So I just threw some images together, and this is what I came up with:

Ashley set to work with quick sketches to figure what would work best for this scene:

Then, I told her I needed to see a younger face:

Two final sketches to choose from:

After many of you suggested the font shouldn't cover Giovanni's eyes, we started playing with font placement!

Color mock! I didn't really know what to think at this point because I wasn't sure how the top half and bottom half would come together with the color schemes. At this point, Ashley and I also talked about making the top half resemble an old painting.

My first sneak peek at the bottom half of the cover art. I was so thrilled with this! I loved the colors and the clouds, and I KNEW the final cover would be AWESOME!!!!!

Final cover with different text placement:

I worked a little bit on the font and sent an idea back to Ashley: 

She loved my font idea and then added the swirls behind it (which is a great finishing touch!!!!!! (<--I know you can tell I'm excited! hehe)

And that's the end of the Ashley & Rane cover art story for Who is Saint Giovanni?

The Myth of Persephone, Darkly Reimagined (Abandon Review)

CHECK OUT our Meg Cabot Book Giveaway!

Sandy

Hey Guys! Please give a warm welcome to our guest blogger, Sandy, who has written a fabulous review on Meg Cabot's Abandon.

A few days ago Alyssa posted her Abandon review, and we thought it would be interesting to offer another perspective. We know Abandon isn't released until April, but if you have read an ARC...what do you think? Do you agree with Sandy? Or Alyssa? Or both? :) Make sure to share your thoughts with us! :)  -Rane-

The Myth of Persephone, Darkly Reimagined

Title: Abandon (Book One)

Author: Meg Cabot

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Release Date: April 26, 2011

Hardcover: 320 pages

Source: ARC (Thanks, Scholastic!)

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.

Review:

I have to say that I am a bit disappointed in this book. I was so excited when the ARC showed up on my doorstep, and I ripped open the package to find the sleek, black-and-gold book. As a child, I loved the romance and dark dangers lurking in ancient Greek myths. I was especially intrigued by the myth of Persephone and the lord of the underworld. Needless to say, I had very high hopes for this book.

I felt that the characters could use a bit more development, and they probably will be later in the series. Perhaps I am overly critical, but recently I have found that many female protagonists in YA novels tend to annoy me. Bella particularly irked me in the Twilight series, and I only put up with her because I loved Edward and Jacob. Bella just seemed so helpless, useless, and clueless—especially when it came to reading both Edward's and Jacob's feelings. Pierce Oliviera is a similarly frustrating character. She fully intends to be a strong and independent girl, but somehow often manages to come off as a bit dense and rash. John (a.k.a. Death or the ruler of the underworld) describes her as caring and selfless, but I wasn’t entirely convinced by her desire to help others. She simply had no idea what the people she cared about wanted or needed. I often had the urge to shake her and ask her if she really was that blind. 

John, while only slightly less clueless than Pierce, displayed a bit more depth. I mean, you can’t exactly blame a guy who has so little interaction with live people for not understanding a girl—especially a girl like Pierce. Sometimes I had imagined Hades as a seductive bad boy, and other times, I believed him to be a manipulative and selfish sort who could only get the girl by tricking her into eating the food from his world. Cabot created a somewhat complex and very sympathetic modern-day Hades figure in John. He exuded just the right amount of moody, dark, bad boy sex appeal, and I genuinely felt bad for him. He really didn't deserve a thankless job for eternity. And he certainly didn’t deserve a girlfriend who had no sense of emotional accountability. I am curious to learn more about his history as the series develops.

I would like to point out that one of Cabot's greatest strengths is her ability to make her main character jump off the page. As a writer, I know that it is very difficult to express a unique point of view, rather than simply write in an expository manner. In Abandon, Pierce's attitude and opinions infuse every line of text, and I really felt as though I was experiencing the story through her eyes. It's simply too bad for me that I didn't agree with most of her thoughts and actions.

The story opens about a year and a half after Pierce's near-death experience, and bounces back and forth in time between the present and past, filling in bits and pieces of information. This was a very clever plot device to keep the reader curious about Pierce's encounter with John in the underworld and the violent events afterwards that forced her to change schools and move to her mother's hometown on a tiny island off the coast of Florida. Overall, I found myself wanting to know the back story because it was offered so piecemeal, and this is what kept me turning the pages, despite my frustrations. However, the more I found out about her actions, the less sympathetic I became to Pierce. Eventually, I finished the book because I really wanted a resolution or some sort of reward for sticking it out, but I encountered a total cliffhanger. I prefer series that provide the reader with some payoff at the end of each book, while still keeping you hungry for more. I suppose it’s a very fine balance that is difficult to achieve. 

So I am moderately interested in finding out what will happen next, but I haven’t quite decided whether I will read the next book in the series. Perhaps Pierce will mature and become a less frustrating character in the next installment. If I didn’t have such a strong reaction to Pierce, I believe it would have been a much more enjoyable reading experience for me. The concept is really interesting, and I’d kind of like to see how Cabot develops her version of the myth.

My rating: 2.75

SANDY

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