(Belated) Amanda Monday: The Mediator Series

I know that today is actually Tuesday, but yesterday was hard.  Without going into too much detail, yesterday involved several events combining my two-year-old son, my makeup, and 4 loads of laundry. Needless to say, I did not get around to posting.  I apologize for that, but am super excited to publish this post.

Sometimes I am in the mood for an oldie but a goodie, especially when it comes to books in a series.  And Meg Cabot's The Mediator series fits the bill.  As an author, Cabot is hit-and-miss for me, but this series exhibits the best of her writing style and storytelling, and is definitely one you should not miss.

Though the six books in this series is can more or less stand alone, the over-arching premise of the book is best summed up by first book's summary:

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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First, let's talk about Suze.  She is a fabulous character.  She's full of spunk, sass, a disregard for rules, loves to use her right hook, and basically feels like if she wants something done, she has to do it herself.  All of these characteristics almost makes you gloss over the fact that she's loyal, brave, and kind of sweet beneath her tough facade.  I love her, and though sometimes I want to scream at her (most of the trouble she gets herself out of she also gets herself into), I can't help but cheer for her.

The other characters are equally likable. Jesse, in particular, is a good foil for our heroine, and the chemistry between those two builds slowly over the course of the six books.  Their growing relationship is one of the highlights of this book for me.

I also enjoy Cabot's tightly-spun plot.  You could tell she knew the end from the beginning, and even though the books stand alone, there are clues and events imbedded along the way in each book that lead up the sixth and final book.  This makes the sixth book by far my favorite, but I would never have enjoyed it as much without all the groundwork laid in the first five.

 This book was a fun four stars for me.  Check it out, I promise you will be more cheerful for having read it.  It's one of those feel-good series that leaves you happy when you are done.