The Mediator 1: Shadowland

I picked up the first Mediator book because I like ghost stories and a quick leaf through left me with the impression that it wasn’t badly written. I didn’t know at the time that it was written by Meg Cabot or I probably would have dismissed it because I don’t consider myself a Meg Cabot reader. I had skipped Princess Dairies because it looked mercilessly fluffy and I get my RDA of fluff from reading romance novels. I didn’t think I needed to start in on young adult romance novels. But luckily I didn’t know it was Meg Cabot. I thought it was a fun little ghost story written by someone whose reputation didn’t precede her. And by the time I found out it was Cabot, the damage was done and I was eagerly hunting down the rest of the series and Cabot’s other series 1-800 Where Are You. (I also watched the Princess Dairies and discovered it wasn’t completely revolting.)

In the interest of not plagiarizing, this is the synopsis from Cabot’s website:

"There’s a hot guy in Susannah Simon's bedroom. Too bad he’s a ghost.

Suze is a mediator—a liaison between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won't leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn’t seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetery, and surfing instead of spectral visitations.

But the very first day at her new school, Suze realizes it’s not that easy. There’s a ghost with revenge on her mind…and Suze happens to be in the way."

Suze used to live with her mom in New York and she had some trouble there because of her work as a mediator. Her dad visited occasionally, but he’s dead and didn’t have any unfinished business (other than the daughter he left behind) for Suze to deal with. Suze’s mom meets a guy from California, falls in love and they decide to blend by having Suze and her mom move to California to live with stepdad and his three sons. Suze is enrolled in the private Catholic school the boys go to. There’s a ghost at the school and even better there is another mediator in the form of the cute priest who is the principal. Let the games begin.

If this is reminding you of a television show named Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, you’ll be right with my impressions. The mom-daughter dynamic, the mentor, the school change, the love story. It’s got Buffy written all over. Fortunately, Cabot is a much better writer than that. She isn’t just doing a Buffy rip off. She doesn’t stray too far from the formula, but she doesn’t rely on the formula to carry her story. The family dynamics ring true. I’ve never had three stepbrother (I‘ve never had 3 brothers) but all of them acted in ways that didn’t especially surprise me. The eldest wishes Suze, and his brothers, would disappear because he’s too cool for them. The middle brother goes into sibling rivalry mode. The younger brother worships her. And yet, no matter how they feel, they are all willing to just to her aid even when they don’t know how, or why, she got into whatever mess she’s in. The parents are also pretty well drawn, though a trifle out of touch for my taste. Personally I chatted with my Mom on a nearly daily basis for most of my high school years. Given, I wasn’t chatting with ghosts, but I have a feeling that if I was, she would have known about it.

Suze is a slightly better action heroine than Buffy. She can rough and tumble with the best of them, but she’s also a very girly girl. I got more fashion education out of this series than I usually get from a fashion magazine. She acted like a teenage girl. More so even than Buffy.

The writing is good. Quick paced, but well written. Cabot obviously wasn’t sure she was going to go past this book when she finished it. There’s nothing left hanging at the end to be dealt with in book 2. On one hand, I like that. In a first book in a series I don’t want to feel obligated to read book 2 because I want to know how the cousin’s story plays out even though I don’t care about the main characters. On the other hand, I’m a big fan of the whole series thing. I like getting hung up in a series of books and the longer the series, the better.

It was a good read. Good enough that when I finished it I immediately went looking for book 2. I went through it in a couple of lunch hours at the store. If I had a niece I would be buying these up for her. (I don’t have a niece because God has a sense of humor.) I’d readily recommend this series for any girl, reluctant reader or not. Scratch that, I have recommended it. It’s got the kind of story that will catch the reluctant reader and it’s also the kind of story that serious readers will enjoy. Give it a go. Even if you don’t consider yourself a Meg Cabot reader you make learn that you are under the right circumstances.


Recommended: Yes