This review was originally posted at Hooked on Books 
 When I first read Abandon I wasn't overly impressed by it. But the premise really intrigued me and I decided to give Underworld a shot. Thankfully, I enjoyed it a lot more than Abandon. Whereas Abandon felt like it was all over the place, Underworld was more focused. Easier to follow. There was a clear direction to this book which made the story significantly more interesting and gripping. 
 One of the things that really sold this story for me, was the secondary characters. John's crew, Peirce's family and classmates. They were all fabulous. Partially because they all felt really authentic and partially because they were all really engaging. Even when they were being stubborn and frustrating - in particular Pierce's cousin Alex - they were believable and interesting. 
 In fact these secondary characters were often so interesting I wanted to know more about them, then I did the main characters - John and Pierce. They were fine characters on their own but together they kind of lost me. I just had a hard time buying them as a couple. They barely knew each other in Abandon, so I expected a certain level of getting to know one another in Underworld. And it was there to an extent, but not as much as I would have liked. Not enough to convince me that they were really and truly in love. They couldn't even communicate very well. I'm really hoping for more relationship development in the third book. 
 Like Abandon, Underworld is a fast pace, fun read. But Underworld takes the story one step further and makes it more engaging for the reader. It's a series that just keeps getting better. 
 Final recommendation: Relationship underdevelopment aside, YA readers who are fans of Greek mythology will enjoy this unique twist on the myth