Customer Reviews

Meridian

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I had the good fortune to win an ARC of MERIDIAN from someone who snagged it at the ALA Midwinter Conference. I read the book in nibbles and gulps, both wanting to savor it and make it last. MERIDIAN is the kind of book that my mind kept drifting to when I was trying to concentrate, or even when I was just shopping at the grocery store.

The best parts, for me: The character of Meridian, who manages to be both strong and vulnerable, mature and believably sixteen. Kizer pulls this off with Meridian's voice, I think, which reminded me a little of myself at that age. I really like how she explores her powers and the idea of death; Kizer handles these scenes with subtle, nuanced emotion, where a lesser author might stray into the melodramatic. Meridian's protector and love (as described in the blurb), Tens, came across refreshingly charming and flawed in the face of a slew of drop-dead gorgeous, brooding, and otherwise cardboard males in other young adult fantasy. Yes, he's mysterious, but not annoyingly so.

The weakest parts: At times I felt like the antagonist was just stuck in there to provide tension and didn't really have a good reason to show up so often. Even though the antagonist has a motive, it wasn't one I felt at a gut level. The ending, consequently, seemed somewhat flat, and also felt like a set up for a sequel. Also, the pacing felt a little uneven in the last half of the book; I wondered if these scenes were written more hastily than the earlier ones.

Overall, I found MERIDIAN to be deliciously different, not even bothering to tread into the realm of cliches, with great characters I could sympathize with and imagine outside of the book. I suspect MERIDIAN will be quite popular when it comes out. Highly recommended.

This novel, written by Amber Kizer, is about a teenager named Meridian. She is not like everyone else. Dying animals seem to find their way to her. On her 16th birthday, her family leaves and sends her to her Auntie, who shares her same name. This is both for her and their safety. She soon learns she is a Fenestra, half angel-half human, and that her purpose is to help the dying transition their soul energy to that person's version of 'heaven'. But, she also learns there are dark forces after her. She must learn to transition the dying and learn a way to defeat the dark forces. Her quest is aided by Auntie, a great-aunt and also a Fenestra, and Tens, who is destined to be her Protector.

This book was pretty good. I read it in one day. The plot was not only interesting, it was gripping and the book had good dialogue. I honestly could not put it down. Thank God it was a fast read!

The mythology was well developed for a first book in a series. The author has announced a companion book to this one. I do not know if her plan if to develop a series, but she should! There is a lot of material to explore.

The protagonist was believable and interesting. I enjoyed reading about her. She seemed to grow onto her new role, maybe a bit too fast, and take the events happening relatively well. She proved to be a worthy heroine and extremely likable. Not very whiny either, like Bella in Twilight. (I liked Twilight though). Custos, a wolf, kinda-adopts Meridian and becomes her constant companion. I would love to learn more about Custos, is there something more about her, something magical/supernatural perhaps?

I wish Tens was fleshed out a bit more. I would like to learn more about him. He does seem to behave like any other boy, like Katy Perry's song Hot N Cold. Completely believable as a male character in my own humble opinion. ;-)

That said, there were some flaws with the book. The villain in the story, Pastor Perimo, seemed to lack a clear purpose and focus. In the end, he looked almost cartoonish in his actions and end-dialogue (the dialogue throughout the book was pretty good). I just think the villain should have been better defined and should have been given a bit more of a back-story. He, at times, seemed inconsequential.

At times the book was hard to follow and there were fluidity problems. It read as if the author had skipped a line of prose and we are missing an entire sentence, or paragraph, to tie things together.

The relationship between Tens and Meridian happened way too fast. I think it would have been better if this had happened over the period of 2 months, instead of 2 weeks. Also, Meridian's learning occurred way too fast.

Things wrap too quickly at the end, and too easily, as another reviewer said "too convenient." The coincidences at the end should just be called fate because it was just too convenient. It was even a bit predictable...all those business cards... I have the same issue with Amelia Atwater-Rhodes books. The events near the end were just too convenient.

I debated the rating for this book. It's between a 3 and a 4. While there are definitely some things to fix, it was intresting enough to keep me glued until the very end.

As a last note, the cover is excellent.


UPDATE of 8/21/2009: I e-mailed the author about the possibility of a series; I had to know. She replied and told me that she is currently writing the companion book, to be published sometime in 2011. She said that there is possibility for a series and that "there are lots of Fenestras in training fighting Noctis all over the world." I guess it all depends on the sales and the response that this book gets. Her publisher is Random House.

UPDATE of 9/26/2010: Title for the new book is Wildcat Fireflies.

Meridian has never been normal. She is constantly surrounded by dying things--insects, small animals, and on the day of her sixteenth birthday, a girl dies in a deadly accident right in front of her. Immediately after that, her parents whisk her away from her home and send her to Revelation, Colorado to live with her elderly great-aunt.

Once in Revelation, Meridian discovers the surprising truth about the death that surrounds her: she is a Fenestra, a link between the living and dead meant to lead the dying to the afterlife. But nothing is as simple as it appears-- with the help of her great-aunt and protector Tens, Meridian must learn to master her new talent before the evil Aternocti are able to get to her.

Meridian is a unique and very imaginative first book in what's sure to be an exciting new series. The whole book moves briskly as Meridian is bombarded with one surprise after another. The idea of generations of Fenestra and their evil counterparts, Aternocti, is an intriguing one, and though it's not explained quite as thoroughly as some may like, as the book goes on, more is revealed about the two, and their histories are caught up in a local, fanatical religious group. This makes for some interesting plot twists, and some slightly uneven pacing.
Meridian, however, is a very real, very tangible character, and her thoughts and feelings about death and her newly discovered powers are handled skillfully. Similarly, the male lead, Tens, is a realistic, fallible character that will still have female readers swooning.

Though many events that occur towards the end of the novel feel too convenient and there are a few confusing sequences, Meridian is a fast paced novel that will be popular with many teens, and the ending is set up nicely for a sequel. Kizer's latest is a dark, intriguing, and quick read filled with excellent imagery and fascinating tidbits of information that will have readers vying for a sequel.

Meridian Sozu kills things. At least that's what she believes. For as long as she can remember, she's been a kind of miniature grim reaper, her path littered with the corpses of living creatures who have died in her presence. She is something of a pariah among other children her age, and understandably so, but even her parents seem to hold back around her. Only her baby brother accepts her completely and seems to love her unreservedly. On her sixteenth birthday, her world changes forever.

Meridian is a Fenestra. She doesn't kill, rather she is a kind of window. She facilitates the passage of souls into the afterlife. Unfortunately her parents, who have known this all along (Fenestras come from hereditary Fenestra lines.)have never told her what she is or that when she comes into her full power on her sixteenth birthday, she will have to leave them, perhaps forever, and be trained to do what she was born to do without it killing her.

I have to say that I was captivated by this story; in spite of the teenage protagonist and a storyline that remains a little simplistic, the book is still sophisticated enough to be enjoyed by adult readers. It's quite dark in many ways, a touch political, and it presents a mythology which meshes nicely with a number of spiritual beliefs. The story flows smoothly, making it fodder for a marathon read. I began it around midnight and, had I not had to get up early the next morning, I probably would have read straight through.

That doesn't mean I don't have some quibbles with it. I found the portraits of her family sketchy, and disappointing particularly in terms of how they dealt with Meridian. They let her go sixteen years thinking that she kills living things by her very presence, not just by not reassuring her that the constant parade of dead things is not her fault, but apparently by withholding the sort of physical contact Meridian craves. They keep her utterly ignorant of the fact that there are agents of dark forces who will try to kill her or worse. They never bother to tell her that one day they will have to give her up, perhaps forever. Instead, on the morning of her sixteenth birthday, knowing that these dark forces are getting closer, they still send her off to school with a promise that they'll explain everything when she gets home. You have to know that's not going to end well.

I really don't know why Kizer made the choices she did in terms of Meridian's parents, but they come across as ciphers at best and at worst, terrible parents without whom she is much better off. Unfortunately it also robs the book of some of its emotional impact. I have a suspicion that this is the first of a series of books about Meridian -- I hope I'm correct about this, but there's no indication either in the book's blurbs or that I've found on Kizer's website -- and I hope that if I'm right, Kizer will allow Meridian to deal with her upbringing at some point.

The story of Meridian's training with Auntie and Tens, and the situation in the town where she's been sent is still satisfying enough that I was willing to overlook any shortcomings in terms of characterization. Along with a decent coming-of-age story, Kizer gives us a Big Bad who is frightening, particularly in terms of the current state of world politics, and a sweet, if low-key, love story. Its conclusion works for me, which is the ultimate test of a story.

Meridian has always attracted the dying. Ever since she was a little girl, animals have sought her out in order to die in her presence. Meridian and her family take this in stride until her sixteenth birthday brings a paranormal attack that threatens Meridian's life. Her parents quickly pack her up and send her to her grandmother's house with the promise of safety and answers upon her arrival. Meridian soon learns she is destined to assist the dying as they cross over to the other side. Rounding out the story is her romantic protector Tens, and a power-tripping evil priest bent on thwarting Meridian's efforts and corrupting her by turning her to his dark side.

This story was a solid 3 ½ stars. The main character was ok, nothing special, but not annoying either. Her love interest is about the same, though the truth about his mysterious past is hinted to be explained further in a possible sequel. Her grandmother was over the top cliché, but she was also nice to read about. The bad guy was just over the top laughably bad, and not in a good way. The book kept me entertained while I was reading it, but I'm not chomping at the bit for the sequel. The author has a decent plot but needs to work on character development a little more.

I read urban fantasies almost exclusively, so I am well acquainted with the genre. This one was different. The idea was original and the characters very likable. Sixteen year old Meridian has always thought something was wrong with her. From a very early age she found herself surrounded with dead animals. For some reason, she woke up most mornings with a bed full of dead animals and when she was out, it wasn't uncommon for them to make their way to her so they could die in her presence. She didn't know what it was about her that killed these animals. She soon acquired a reputation at school for being strange and called a witch and worse. Her parents never said a word about the animals but would clean them up every morning. Meridian did catch them looking at her strangely from time to time and she knew they must hate having her for a daughter. The only person who accepted her for herself and didn't mind touching her was her younger brother.

When she turned sixteen her mother received a phone call that put her in a panic. She wouldn't answer Meridian's questions until after school that day. Meridian was told she had to leave because she was a danger to everybody and her own life was in danger. Even worse, her parents and little brother were leaving town for good and wouldn't tell Meridian where they were going. She was sent to Revelation, Colorada to her aunt's house where she learned she was a Fenestra, half angel and half human. She was a link between the living and dead and had to learn how to usher the dead to the afterlife. We are introduced to her protector, Tens, a young man who was pledged to protect her from the time he was a small boy.

Of course things aren't going to be easy. There are evil beings known as Atrenocti, who capture souls at death and can sense when a Fenestra comes into her power. If they can't bring the Fenestra over to their side, they try to kill them. There is also a charismatic preacher who has the town under his thumb and his mission seems to be killing her aunt, Tens, and herself.

I liked that Tens and Meridian were two innocent teenagers who didn't run from their destiny, though they would have liked to. Life had not been pleasant for them growing up; they both grew up lonely and looking for acceptance and love. I'm hoping this is the beginning of a series because I think the writer could do a lot with this couple along with others like them. I recommend this for those who enjoy good young adult urban fantasies.

Meridian has a lot going for it - some really creative ideas driving the story, good characterization of Meridian, and a gorgeous cover. But it's really lacking something, too.

I'm a 30-year old who has loved Twilight, The Hunger Games, Vampire Academy, Wings, Uglies, and many other paranormal young adult books of varying types, so I should have really connected with this book. But the writing is lacking in the craftsmanship that could have taken a great idea and great character and made it into a truly fantastic book.

Her love interest Tens, her Great-aunt, and the evil Pastor Perimo all needed to be fleshed out to be believeable. Tens came the closest to Meridian in having a personality, but I never got a sense for what drove him or who he was inside. I believed that he liked Meridian, but I just didn't get what made him tick. Great-aunt was the same - she was like a stereotype of a wise old teacher without a whole lot of character of her own. And while I suppose we aren't supposed to really understand Pastor Perimo and the Aternocti since they're on the side of evil, in order to really care that the good people win, I need to understand why the bad people are acting as they do - not just see that they are bad, but really understand their wickedness.

This book had a lot of potential and was readable all the way through, even with the flaws. I think it started stronger than it finished, and a good editor could have made all the difference here, because the author obviously had the chops to create something great - she just didn't achieve it here. Was it rushed to print? Did the editor simply not have enough budget to spend as much time on this book as it deserved?

In any case, if you love this kind of book and have read all the truly amazing young adult paranormal books out there and need something to fill your time, this is a good candidate for that. It was a pleasant and fun read and the beginning in particular was very well imagined. But unless I hear drastically different reviews of the second one, I don't think I'll follow the series further. It was good enough to read once I owned it, but not worth buying.

I really loved this story, and I recommend it for children maybe ages 12 and up, young adults, and adults who are young at heart. I think it would have appeal for both male and female readers. I think it is to be the first in a series, and I hope that is true! I can't wait to read the rest as they are written!

There really are two main characters- the girl Meridian and a boy named Tens. Poor Meridia suffers from ailment after ailment her whole life in addition to watching creatures of all types seem to come to her to die. Discovering her angelic heritage as a Fenestra when she turns 16 is both a blessing and a curse. Finally there is a reason for all the pain and death she has endured for as long as she can remember, mysteries are explained, but now on her shoulders is a very grave responsibility. She must learn to be the vessel for souls of the dying to transition from this world to what we would think of as heaven, or face certain death- all the while being pursued by darker beings, who wish to eradicate the Fenestra entirely and snatch the souls away to chaos instead.

It's a story about discovery, innocence, coming of age, facing danger and our fears, temptations that we do not understand, and growing into the person one is destined to be. It's like good vs. evil, but with a bit of a twist.

Well-written, evenly paced, with a likable and realistic protagonist in the title character, Meridian came alive in my mind quite easily. The writing is engaging, the dialogue well-done, and overall, the author did a great job creating the concept of angels who usher the dead into heaven, nirvana, enlightenment, or whatever you want to call it. Meridian does falter with the character of a typical cookie-cutter villain and at the end where there's a bit of confusion in what's happening, but it's understandable, yet slightly vague.

Amber Kizer has some interesting ideas about death and how it works. However, I do believe that the book is more suited to those who are open-minded, no matter their religion or beliefs. Meridian does well as a stand-alone, but if this does turn into a series, it will be interesting to see where Ms. Kizer takes us next. I'd recommend this for an easy, interesting and fairly fast read.

MERIDIAN

Have you ever seen something and just based on the looks you thought "hey I may be into that", or maybe you read the synopsis and thought the exact same thing. Well that happened to me recently when I took a look at this book. From the cover I gathered that it was on the horror side of things with all the black and red and skulls at the top of the book. Then after reading the back I was all about the book, it seemed like the type of thing I would be all about. I mean the cool looking cover, half angels, things dying, dark forces and such; it seems like my kinda thing.

Well after reading this it turns out that this really was not the kinda thing I would usually read, but I actually liked it. This was not to far off from what I thought it would be, there are half angels, dark forces, and people dying so it was cool. I was a bit surprised by the romance part but it actually fit the story well and of course my girl loved this book. I was actually surprised by how much the beginning of the book had me hooked. It was very straight forward and right into the over all story, there was no slow build.

Meridian is a 16 year old girl who happens to have souls pass threw her on their way to heaven, she is a Fenestra. One day her parents pack a back pack and rush her to a bus station sending her away to her Aunt's house. They do this because these dark forces are after her and want to kill her and all of those like her. So the journey is on and so is this story which is surprisingly good and the characters all seem real. From the title character to her Aunt who is one of my favorites in the story to her protector and much more Tens. Tens was a really interesting character especially before he started to open up more.

This story has it all from action to drama to a crooked town and church lead by a very crooked preacher. This is not normally my thing but to be honest it was a good story and after the ending I am sure there will be a sequel. So when that one arrives I or my girl will most likely pick it up. Until then I do recommend this book to all reading this, it was a very interesting story with some good characters.