Book Review: Underworld by Meg Cabot

Pages: 336

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pub. Date: May 8, 2012

Source: Personal Copy

Other Books in Series: Abandon

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "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."

Underworld starts where Abandon left off as readers witness Pierce living in the underworld with John Hayden.  As readers may know, this is a retelling of the classic myth of Persephone.  Pierce, although she wants to be with John, is pretty much stuck in the underworld as the Furies are after her.  She has a lot to consider as she loves John, but does she want to be stuck in the underworld forever?  Underworld is book two in the Abandon trilogy and although it is no doubt entertaining, it lacks that something special as it is setting readers up for the final book in the series.


I really enjoyed Abandon, so I had high hopes for Underworld and I wasn't too disappointed.  There's no denying that Cabot is a great author; however, I didn't connect with Pierce as much this time.  She irked me as she made stupid decisions and of course, John, fixed them and/or saved her from yet another disaster. Granted Pierce becomes a little more independent in Underworld and fights her own battles from time to time, but she is still largely dependent on John.  This kind of pattern tends to take its toll on me after awhile and I found myself rolling my eyes a bit.  On the other hand, John is still the ultimate bad boy and Pierce knows she shouldn't trust him completely, but how can she not?  Thankfully, readers will learn more about his back story and meet some other interesting characters that live in the underworld.


Also, readers can count on Cabot's masterful writing style and plot development.  One of my favorite aspects of Cabot's writing is that she can be so intense and action packed one minute and the next minute have me laughing out loud with a snarky comment.  This kind of style is what sets Cabot apart from other writers and one of the things I liked about Underworld.


The setting of Isla de Huesos (inspired by Key West) is another aspect of this series that I love as I am a huge fan of the Florida Keys. It's the perfect setting for a novel like this and although Pierce doesn't spend as much time there as in Abandon, Isla de Huesos still plays a major role in the plot. Cabot does a great job making the setting extremely eerie and atmospheric.


Being that I love Greek mythology, I really enjoy Cabot's take on the Persephone myth and I wonder how she is going to bring it to a close.  Even though Underworld didn't hold my attention as much as Abandon, I still am going to pick up the final book in the series, Awaken, which comes out in 2013. I have a feeling that it will be an action-packed page turner.