Abandoned (Max Revere Novels, #5)

by Allison Brennan

[Stephanie]

This review was originally posted on Once Upon a Chapter



Abandoned by Allison Brennan is the book I've been waiting for since I read Notorious in 2014. This is the story of what shaped the woman Max Revere has become.

Max is in her most vulnerable state in Abandoned. While she tries to treat her mother's case like another cold case, it is hard for her. We learn more about her past, her home life, and her mother Martha. I honestly wonder if Martha had an undiagnosed mental illness. I also really hope that a future book will dig into what happened between Martha and Brooks. It seems like more than just average sibling animosity.

Brennan did a brilliant job of presenting Martha Revere's story. Abandoned is told along dual timelines and I really enjoyed getting to "meet" Martha as herself rather than through memories of others. I didn't particularly like her but I was able to make that decision based on her actions and character for the first time. I knew the most likely outcome to the past story but it was still thrilling to read.

The present sections spend most of the story focused on Max for kind of obvious reasons. We get to meet a few new characters and I think we'll see more of them in future books. I was bummed not to get to spend as much time with David. Max is still resolving some of her personal issues and I think she may be on the right track for her own happiness. The ending to this book was just wow. It blew me away. There was a ton of action and a lot happened very quickly.

Each time I read a book in this series I'm always left eagerly awaiting the next entry. There is too long of a waiting period for me in between Brennan's releases but they are truly worth the wait. I'm excited to see where Max's story goes next!