Underworld by Meg Cabot

Underworld by Meg Cabot

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Source: ARC gifted by Sarah at Workaday Reads (thank you!)
Publisher: Point
Format: Hardcover, 318 pages
Release Day: May 8, 2012

Note: Spoilers (minor) for Book 1 in summary, but not review!

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.
 

While I really enjoyed the first novel in this series Abandon, the sequel fell flat for me.

I don't think I've ever been a reader that required a lot of 'action' in a novel to feel interested (although I do love those types of books too!) but for the better part of my reading of Underworld... I was bored. The things that were happening just didn't feel important enough to me. There was no sense of urgency and I felt like it was just dragging. I like to see plot progression in a series and in this case, I just don't feel like it was moved forward very much.

The characters in this novel, Pierce and John, were just okay for me. On one hand, I had a strong sense of who they were which is always good but on the other... I didn't really like those characters. The thing that I'd liked so much about Pierce in Abandon, her kindness and caring personality, kind of backfired a bit in this book. I could understand her need to 'take care' of John but then I feel like parts of their relationship were unhealthy and, frankly, kind of scary!

Despite the above points, there were a few things that I enjoyed about Underworld. The writing was what I've come to expect from Meg Cabot: easy flow that makes for a nice read. I also enjoyed some of the side characters (Mr. Smith, you're still cool!) but overall, this wasn't a read for me.

Cover Comments: I do love this cover. It's kind of reflective/shiny on the ARC and the swirls... they're still pretty! Plus, love the dark blue cover.

2.5 Golden Crowns