Book Review: Awaken

Death has her in his clutches. She doesn’t want him to let go.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera knew by accepting the love of John Hayden, she’d be forced to live forever in the one place she’s always dreaded most: the Underworld. The sacrifice seemed worth it, though, because it meant she could be with the boy she loves.

But now her happiness — and safety — are threatened, all because the Furies have discovered that John has broken one of their strictest rules: He revived a human soul.

If the balance between life and death isn’t fixed, both the Underworld and Pierce’s home back on earth will be wiped away. But there’s only one way to restore order. Someone has to die. Quoted from Goodreads

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There's something delightful about Meg Cabot's writing, and Awaken is no exception.  It's fun and quirky, despite the more serious tone of this particular trilogy compared to some of her other work.  I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling/exploration of the Persephone myth, and am sad to see the series end.

What I liked best?  I'm not sure. Probably the way Pierce really steps up in this book.  Without giving any spoilers, things happen that force her to grow up and take charge for a good portion of the story.  I also enjoyed the way John softened as the trilogy progressed. In the beginning he was your basic tough-guy with occasional rage issues, but he's turned into a great character/love interest.  The part I think I enjoyed the very most, though, was how Pierce's parents reacted when they finally got to meet  him.  It totally cracked me up, especially how her father handles it.

As for everything else, it was fun.  I loved seeing a little bit more of the underworld and the way Pierce would be involved.   I loved the different reactions of the friends she brought down there ate the end of the second book, though one of them kind of bugged me. Basically if you loved the first two, you'll love this one.  It starts up with a bang right where the last one left off.

All in all, it was a nice conclusion to a really fun series.  All the loose ends were wrapped up nicely (except for one small detail even Pierce wonders about), and I love the direction most of the characters are headed. There was just enough of an ending after the climax to leave you satisfied but nothing too long so you're wondering when the book is actually planning on ending or if there's some kind of twist coming because all those extra pages need to serve some other purpose.  What I'm trying to say is basically the ending was perfect.

Thus ends another great series. Really, so many series are ending this year, I feel like I'm not reading enough new books to compensate. Still, I've loved so many of Meg Cabot's series (but for some reason not Princess Diaries), I can't wait to see what comes next.