The Mediator #1: Shadowland [Kindle Edition]

Meg Cabot (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The inaugural installment of The Mediator series introduces high school sophomore Suze, who, in her words, has "this unfortunate ability to communicate with the dead." As a "mediator," the girl helps ghosts put unresolved issues to rest so they can move on to the next world. When her mother remarries, Suze moves from New York City to California, where she and her three stepbrothers attend a Catholic academy headed by a priest. Conveniently, the priest is also a mediator (the first of her kind that Suze has ever met). During the course of this rather repetitious and intermittently sluggish caper, Suze encounters two ghosts: a handsome young man from the 19th century who haunts her bedroom and a girl who was a student at the academy until she killed herself when Bryce, her boyfriend, broke up with her. As Suze attempts to protect Bryce from the angry apparition's wrath, the ghostly girl grows determined to get revenge on both her former beau and Suze. Suze finally resorts to an exorcism to get rid of her. As a narrator this teen is a bit too tough-talking and cocky to be credible. Still, the intriguing premise of a 16-year-old with a sixth sense may stand more than a ghost of a chance at snaring teen readers. Ages 14-up.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

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.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 411 KB
• Print Length: 304 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (October 6, 2009)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000FC2OHK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (137 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,362 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful first book in the Mediator series., January 14, 2005

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shadowland (The Mediator, Book 1) (Paperback)

Ever since she saw her first ghost at the age of two, Susannah Simon has been a mediator - in other words, a contact person between the living and the dead. It's her responsibility to help troubled spirits move on to the next world. And it's a responsibility she has always resented. At sixteen, Susannah just wants to be a normal teenage girl, worried about clothes and boys, not dead people. And now that her mom's remarried, she's had to leave New York City, the only home she's ever known, to move all the way to northern California. Her new stepdad's not too bad, but her three stepbrothers are a pain, and on the first day of school, she's confronted by the angry ghost of Heather, a girl who committed suicide over Christmas break. Susannah figures it won't be too hard to get Heather to move on - until it becomes clear that she's the most violent spirit Susannah has ever encountered. Heather won't rest until she gets revenge on her ex-boyfriend for breaking up with her.

This book starts off a great series by Meg Cabot that is one of my favorite series ever. The next five books are just as great. This series combines mystery, suspense, humor, and romance, and so will appeal to teens with various tastes in reading. I also highly recommend that all of Meg Cabot's fans give it a try - even though this series is very different than her other books, in my opinion, it's her best ever.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read, great characters, March 22, 2001

By 

Tamora Pierce (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shadowland (The Mediator) (Mass Market Paperback)

I enjoyed SHADOWLAND so much that I immediately ordered the second book and WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES, a non-Mediator book by Jenny Carroll. Susannah doesn't just see dead people: she touches them, talks to them, and occasionally deals with them much more firmly. She's a mediator, someone who can set things right between the dead and those people still living the dead want to communicate with. For some reason this makes her life a little more difficult than most. People call the cops on her when she enters their yards to pass on messages, or when she damages property in her efforts to send a really troublesome spirit on its way (did I mention that being dead means you can learn to move, and throw, heavy objects?). Sh's just left her beloved New York and her best (and only) friend for California, a stepdad and three step brothers, and the very handsome ghost who haunts her bedroom. Susannah is definitely a grrl for the new century, trying to fit into a new family, a new school, and a new culture. She's believable in her struggles with dating, school, her old-fashioned roommate, and the death of her dad. And a number of the secondary characters are interesting, funny, and their own people: intellectual CeeCee, hormone boy Adam, Susannah's step-brothers, her mother and step-dad, Jesse the ghost. My favorite at the moment is Father Dominic, the head of Susannah's new high school, a priest who's kind, clever and idealistic without being syrupy. He's trying to teach Susannah that sometimes a gentler approach with people works far more efficiently than a right hook to the gut . . . He's got his work cut out for him! Great fun, a great read--now I just have to be patient and wait for the third Mediator book!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A New Start in California, March 4, 2005

By 

Joshua Koppel (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shadowland (The Mediator, Book 1) (Paperback)

Suze Simon is starting a new life. She has just joined the rest of her family in Carmel, California. The rest of her family consists of her mother, a new step-dad and three new step-brothers. This would be hard enough if it wasn't for the fact that Suze sees dead people.

Suze is a mediator. That means she is able to see and interact with ghosts. These are people with some unfinished business. As a mediator she is to help them cross over. She came upon this talent at the age of two and has had a hard time dealing with it. Her personal record has been far from spotless as she tries to be a mediator and not look insane to the rest of the world.

Now in her new home with her new family, Suze has new challenges. One is a 150-year-old ghost named Jessie that lives in her bedroom. The other is a new ghost at her new school. This one is very angry and bent on destruction and mayhem. Suze must protect the lives of others, the lives of herself and her family, and try not to look completely crazy in her first days at school. But Suze manages to get some help from two unexpected sources.

A pretty good story. I would like to know more of Suze's pre-Californian adventures but there are only vague hints. What we do get is a fast and wild story that is sort of a cross between Fearless and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A good read.