Abandon

March 14, 2011
The wildly rich and beautiful Pierce Oliviera died and came back to lifeâ"I was flatline for over an hour." Ever since, her life has been exceedingly complicated. Two years after Pierce's near-death experience, the 17-year-old has been expelled from her posh Connecticut girls' school; her mother has moved them to the South Florida island of Isla Huesos; and Pierce must cope both with being the new girl and with a dark, handsome guy, who she met while she was dead and who won't leave her alone. While the fun premise and Pierce's irreverent voice are trademark Cabot, this novel has trouble getting off the ground. Cabot loosely hangs her story on the myth of Hades and Persephone, but the plot is hampered by confusing digressions and frequent jumps in time that make it difficult to pinpoint what's in the present and what's in the past. However, Cabot's avid fansâincluding devotees of her earlier forays into paranormal romance, as in the Mediator seriesâare likely to forgive the bumpy start to this planned trilogy. Ages 12âup.

February 1, 2012

Gr 7 Up-Pierce Oliviera, 17, knows what it is like to die-and she also knows what it is like to come back from the dead. After two years, she's still trying to recover from her near death experience after she almost drowned. While she was in the hereafter she met John, who gave her a necklace to keep her safe from evil. When the teen and her mother move back to Isla Huesos (The Island of Bones), Florida, where her mother grew up, Pierce thinks she can put her life back together and maybe be free of John, who shows up when she is in trouble. John is not the only problem Pierce faces, and she may not be able to protect those she holds dear. Meg Cabot's (Scholastic, 2011) dark, suspenseful twist on the Persephone and Hades myth ends as a cliffhanger and will leave listeners eagerly awaiting the next installment. Natalia Payne captures Pierce's innocent yet tough demeanor and her haunting tone draws listeners in until the very end. For those who enjoy fantasy, Greek myth, light romance, and a little edge to their characters.-Sarah Flood, Breckinridge County Public Library, Hardinsburg, KY

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