Underwhelmed

Don't you just hate it when you wait and wait for a sequel to an exciting book, and then you find it so underwhelming? That's how I feel about Meg Cabot's Underworld, the sequel to the very fun Abandon. So bummed.

Underworld picks up the story of Pierce and her undead boyfriend, John, as they try to escape the Fury currently possessing her grandmother's body. Pierce awakens in the Underworld where John has taken her and where he works as a lord of the dead, sorting souls so they can pass on to their ultimate fate. Pierce quickly realizes John has done this to protect her, but she's worried about her family back in the living world, and her fear only multiplies when she receives a strange video on her cell phone of her cousin Alex trapped inside a coffin, in danger of dying. So she convinces John to take her back to rescue Alex, but of course the mission doesn't go smoothly and Pierce's life--and Alex's--are on the line.

First I'll say I loved Abandon; the pages flew by when I read it and I couldn't wait for the sequel. Unfortunately, the intriguing story of Abandon isn't found in Underworld. Pierce is reliant on John most of the time, and he spends most of the book keeping dark secrets from her, which she excuses. The entire story takes place in about 24 hours but most of it is spent with Pierce trying to decide what she wants...and then changing her mind. The fact that she decides she can't face her parents, knowing if she stays with John she will never be with them again, just left me feeling cold, and her conversation with her uncle was just odd. And while much of the storyline centers on the likeness of Pierce's situation to that of Persephone, a lot of time was spent trying to show just how they were different. I just couldn't get past the fact that John was making the decisions while withholding important information. So not okay...and Pierce comes off as immature rather than independent.

There are good things in Underworld; Cabot's writing, as usual, is fast and fluent and her secondary characters are entirely charming. Kayla, John's crew, and even the dove Hope all shine whenever they are involved, and Mr. Smith and his partner are very delightful. I just felt like I spent 300+ pages not really going very far and watching Pierce go backwards in her personality. What should be a love story is starting to feel like a control story, and I want Pierce to step up and take charge. This is not a bad book, but it is lacking in spirit and personality, in my opinion. Not sure if I'll be back for the final book or not.

~taminator40