Disclaimer: I received a free advance reader copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"The Mediator" series by Meg Cabot was a huge part of the reason I love reading. If I had to choose a single YA series to be my favorite, this would be it. There are many close seconds, but none of them compare to Suze Simon and her adventures in Ghost Mediation.
"The Mediator" is a Young Adult series written by Meg Cabot with the first book published in 2001, and the 6th and final book published in 2005. The series follows Susannah Simon, a high school student who can talk to the dead, and her boyfriend Jesse de Silva, who is a ghost. They face a lot of challenges, and their relationship is constantly testing the waters and put on the line. Eventually, Jesse becomes human, and they are able to start their lives together. But not without challenges.
In January of this year, Meg released an ebook novella in the Mediator series, a brand new story, taking place roughly 6 years after the last book ended. Then, she dropped the best news ever. She has written an adult companion novel to the series, which also takes place 6 years after the events in book 6 of the original series. When I heard this news, I jumped for joy, pretty literally. Then I requested an ARC so that I could read and review it before it came out, because as a self-proclaimed superfan of Meg's work, I felt the need. So, without further introduction, here are my thoughts on "Remembrance", the 7th book in the Mediator series, by Meg Cabot.
Disclaimer: I try to avoid huge spoilers, but I will be talking about events in the book. I'm only human, and I can't hide everything, because then I couldn't give an honest review.
The book begins in Suze's "office" at her internship at the private K-12 Catholic school she attended in her high school years. She receives an email from her mortal enemy, Paul Slater (who I love to hate), telling her that he bought her house and he is tearing it down. Now, this probably doesn't seem like bad news, but given Suze and Paul's previous relationship, Paul has more to say than this. Because he knows what the house means to her, and her fiance Jesse. I was so mad at Paul, yet so happy that I got the opportunity to hate him again. It was a great feeling, and the best introduction to the book I could have asked for.
Jesse was killed in the house that Suze lived during high school. That's how they met. So when Paul threatens to tear it down, and enact the Curse of the Dead, it puts Suze and Jesse's relationship on the line again. But, that isn't the only problem that Suze and Jesse are facing. While Suze is at work, she meets a girl who is being protected by an angry spirit. The spirit belongs to a child named Lucia, who was murdered. This is where I am going to give a small trigger warning, because there is some topic of child molestation and pornography, starting about halfway through the book. Though the topic is vague, and no details are given, I do want to caution you, if you are sensitive to the material.
So, Suze and Jesse are working to solve the mystery behind Lucia's death, and what Becca, the girl Lucia is protecting, has to do with it. On top of that, Paul Slater is trying to get rid of Jesse again. Father Dominic is in a wheelchair because Lucia threw him down the stairs at Becca's house. It's all pretty normal Suze Simon drama. I love it.
So, you've got the basic plot of the story, and now I want to talk about the characters. We see quite a few of the original characters, plus some new ones. I'll go over the few that play an important role in the story, along with the ones who made some cameo appearances.
Susannah Simon: Obviously Suze is going to be in the story, because it wouldn't be a Mediator novel without her. She's the same old Suze. Hot-tempered, bad language, and completely in love with Jesse. But what has changed about her? She's definitely matured a lot. You can tell that she has been through a lot, and that college has helped her grow up. She's in a master's program for counseling, and is working at the school as a guidance counselor. I never imagined Suze counseling people for a living, but it turns out, she's pretty good at it.
Paul Slater: Paul inherited a multi-million dollar company when his grandfather died. He spends most of his time in his private jet or in a hotel room taking pills for recreation. He?s also the same idiot as always, who is trying to steal Suze from Jesse, like Suze is some sort of property to own.
Jesse de Silva: Now that he's human and not a ghost, Jesse is trying to live up to his full-potential. He goes to mass, he goes to confession, and he is close friends with Father Dominic, the priest/principal of the school. Jesse is in his medical residency, in a pediatrics fellowship program at the local hospital. He lives with Suze's step-brother Jake, and Jake's dog Max. There are some pretty swoon-worthy lines by Jesse in here, and I found myself wishing that I was Suze so I could be the one engaged to him. Ugh. Jesse. 10/10.
Father Dominic: He is still the jolly man we all know and love. He still meddles in Suze and Jesse's private lives, even though he claims to avoid personal affairs. He mediates when he can, but according to Suze, he is losing his touch. Father Dom is still the Principal at the school, and nothing has really changed about him.
We also see appearances by Jake, David, and Brad, Suze's stepbrothers. Along with Debbie Mancuso and Kelly Prescot.
So, what are my overall thoughts about this book? Let me tell you, I went into this with high expectations, and once again, Meg exceeded them. I am so honored to have been able to read this book before it is released, and I am even more honored to be able to say that it is fabulous. It's absolutely wonderful, and I recommend it to anybody over the age of 18. Now, I do say 18, because of the nature of the content, and one scene in the last few pages between Jesse and Suze. Although, while this book is classified as an adult novel, I personally, consider it a New Adult book because the characters are only in their mid-twenties.
I hope you enjoyed reading my summary and review. All feedback is encouraged, and I do take requests. Thank you so much for reading!
You can pick up your copy of "Remembrance" on February 2, 2016, wherever books are sold. You can also pre-order it now, on Amazon or from the Book Depository.
http://www.bookdepository.com/Remembrance/9780062465788
