Hello! I apologize for my sudden disappearance — it’s a bit of a long and boring health story. I’ve been reading through it, so expect another round of small updates on those books this week. Except on The Crown, I have way too much to say on that book.

Last year Meg Cabot released an exciting update that she was releasing a new book in her Mediator series, a series that ran from 2000-2004. It’s a series I read in 2009 during he height of the “girl dates supernatural being” craze. It’s a good YA series — Susannah “Suze” Simon has more personality than the typical YA heroine of the genre, and Jesse (the ghost boyfriend) isn’t as possessively controlling. I read the series a second time to prepare for the new book, and while it’s definitely not my favorite, I still think it’s a breath of fresh air in the genre.

Is there too much focus on liking a boy? Sure. But Susannah at least doesn’t seem like a helpless numb skull. I give the overall series 3/5 Moose: worth a read if you like the genre. And if you haven’t, this review is going to have spoilers for the past 6 books.

Remembrance (The Mediator #7)

Meg Cabot
Published 2016

Format: ebook
Genre: Paranormal romance, Chick-lit, YA (maybe?)
Rating:  2/5 Moose

Synopsis

Remembrance picks up roughly 8 years after the last Mediator book. Suze is no longer in high school (student wise…she’s interning at her high school), and Jesse has taken to his second life quite well. They’re engaged to be married a year from when the book starts, giving Suze a chance to finish her degree and Jesse to finish his residency. Unfortunately, life isn’t all rosy and happy as it should be when you’re engaged to your soulmate.

Suze is suddenly thrown into a decade old murder mystery haunting one of the students at her alma mater, while old, live haunts are coming out of the woodwork too. With the help of Father D, Jesse, and her own kickass Brooklyn attitude, Suze looks to survive a cranky young ghost and her own archenemises — Paul Slater.

Characters

Susannah Simon – The main character of the entire series. By this book she has accepted her Mediator life and is working towards a counseling degree to help children and ghosts. She’s inherited some money from her father, and is now sharing an apartment with Gina (her childhood best friend).

Jesse de Silva – Jesse was born in the 1800s, died in the 1850s, haunted Suze’s bedroom for years, and then was pulled through time by Suze in book 6. With the help of Father D, he was able to get into college and medical school, his life long dream. He is engaged to Suze and living with her older brother (because isn’t old fashionedness adorable?) He is also now able to see ghost, and could have something darker or more demonic inside him…

Paul Slater – The main? antagonist of the story. Really, he kind of pops in an out and disappears for half the book but… He’s a fellow mediator, loaded, and looking to make Suze’s life miserable again by convincing her that he’s the one she should be dating. He’s bought her old family home and is threatening to tear it down, which could have major repercussions on Jesse’s existence.

Rants, Raves, and General Thoughts 

I remember enjoying this series, and I was excited to see a new book (even though the 6th book offers a failry satisifying ending to the series, in my opinion.) I’m all for some ligh summer reading.

It took a great bit of willpower to not mark this DNF in the first 50 pages. I refused to know that I had re-read six books for the point of reading the 7th only to not do so. But….okay. I get that Jesse was alive in the 1800s. I get that he’s supposed to be old fashioned and wonderful.

I do not buy into the premises that a couple is together for 8 years without having sex. I do not buy into the premises that a couple would be together 9 years before getting married, if marriage is the requirement for sex. 

And unfortunately, SO MUCH OF THIS BOOK is Suze just literally in heat and unable to handle it. Which, I cannot blame her for honestly, but OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

Once the book settled into the ghost’s story — a horse accident that was really a murder — the book improved a bit. There is a great realization by the main character, which essentially boils down to that every female has a male that has made her question her core existence. 

There’s just too much going on in this book for me. If it’s an attempt to bring the series back….okay, but the dark ghost story plus Paul Slater was just a bit too much. And SERIOUSLY. The Paul story line was quite forced. Eight years later and he’s still carrying a torch for her? But hasn’t contacted her in eight years? Keeps trying to sincerely apologize, and then is an asshole again? Not buying it.

The rest of this book tries to kind of let you know where all the wonderful side characters are. And by putting them all in there, none were really able to shine. Gina moves to California to be an actress…something happens to keep her from doing so…but it’s never explained what? Sleepy is now a rich drug dealer, Dopey is married with triplets (the most believable after high school story), and Doc is away at Harvard and…well. I guess they had to have a gay character?

Final Verdict 

If you thought the series wrapped up nicely, maybe avoid this one. If you are a completionist (hi— welcome to the club) then give it a read. As someone who genuinely enjoys Meg Cabot’s books, I’m bummed by how much I didn’t like this book. And it makes me a little concerned for other 2016 release (but I’ll hold out hope!)