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The Mediator #7
Remembrance
You can take the boy out of the darkness. But you can’t take the darkness out of the boy.
All Susannah Simon wants is to make a good impression at her first job since graduating from college (and since becoming engaged to Dr. Jesse de Silva). But when she’s hired as a guidance counselor at her alma mater, she stumbles across a decade-old murder, and soon ancient history isn’t all that’s coming back to haunt her. Old ghosts as well as new ones are coming out of the woodwork, some to test her, some to vex her, and it isn’t only because she’s a mediator, gifted with second sight.
What happens when old ghosts come back to haunt you?
If you’re a mediator, you might have to kick a little ass.
From a sophomore haunted by the murderous specter of a child to ghosts of a very different kind—including Paul Slater, Suze’s ex, who shows up to make a bargain Suze is certain must have come from the Devil himself—Suze isn’t sure she’ll make it through the semester, let alone to her wedding night. Suze is used to striking first and asking questions later. But what happens when ghosts from her past—including one she found nearly impossible to resist—strike first?
All Susannah Simon wants is to make a good impression at her first job since graduating from college (and since becoming engaged to Dr. Jesse de Silva). But when she’s hired as a guidance counselor at her alma mater, she stumbles across a decade-old murder, and soon ancient history isn’t all that’s coming back to haunt her. Old ghosts as well as new ones are coming out of the woodwork, some to test her, some to vex her, and it isn’t only because she’s a mediator, gifted with second sight.
What happens when old ghosts come back to haunt you?
If you’re a mediator, you might have to kick a little ass.
From a sophomore haunted by the murderous specter of a child to ghosts of a very different kind—including Paul Slater, Suze’s ex, who shows up to make a bargain Suze is certain must have come from the Devil himself—Suze isn’t sure she’ll make it through the semester, let alone to her wedding night. Suze is used to striking first and asking questions later. But what happens when ghosts from her past—including one she found nearly impossible to resist—strike first?
388 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2016
About the author
Meg Cabot
276 books34.7k followersLibrarian note: AKA Jenny Carroll (1-800-Where-R-You series), AKA Patricia Cabot (historical romance novels).
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
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Want to read
March 28, 2015HOLY SH*T THIS IS HAPPENING OH YES!!!!!!
REMEMBRANCE will be the first ever adult installment of the Mediator, published by William Morrow, the adult division of HarperCollins, the company that brought you the YA books in the series.
I love this!!! I was 14/15 when I read the YA books and now that I've grown up, so have the characters from the Mediator. I am really excited for this!
Want to read
June 14, 2013Mediator, #7?
February 6, 2016
Sigh....... This was a letdown after my sky high expectations (and how the last Princess Diaries book was basically flawless).
Paul, why did you have to come back? Suze, why so many secrets? Bleh. At least the squad is still as badass as ever. And I want a sequel with the triplets, ASAP.
--
OH MY GOD MY TEENHOOD
MORE NON-GHOST JESSE AND SUZE
BRB CRYING FOREVER
Paul, why did you have to come back? Suze, why so many secrets? Bleh. At least the squad is still as badass as ever. And I want a sequel with the triplets, ASAP.
--
OH MY GOD MY TEENHOOD
MORE NON-GHOST JESSE AND SUZE
BRB CRYING FOREVER
February 28, 2016
February 2, 2016
So I realize you and I don’t know each other, that’s why it’s hard to explain how in love with The Mediator series I am, because if you have met me it would be so obvious. Probably every person I know knows that I love books, and pretty much everyone knows that The Mediator is my numero uno. It’s the series that got me hooked on Young Adult. It’s how I discovered God’s gift to YA, Meg Cabot. I have pretty much memorized each book on the series thanks to the number of times I have re-read the books in the last decade.
This is my obsession.
And I knew that Meg had plans to write another Mediator book for a long looong time. I have been waiting anxiously to revisit my favorite cast of characters and the gorgeous setting they live in. And it’s finally time.
When I started reading I decided I was going to write from the point of view of someone that is not familiar with the story. Just to see how I would enjoy it. But that thought flew out the window with the first sentence I read. I was transported to the golden days of my youth when the feeling of bliss reading gave me was nearly too much for my sanity. I swear it was so good.
Suze’s voice is still so inherent Suze, so familiar and true, that I can’t help but wonder if Meg even realizes it’s been nearly a decade since the last book. It was a big part of why reading Remembrance was so magical.
But then of course Meg seemed to have read my thoughts exactly. I wrote this pre-review on goodreads almost two years ago, when she said she started writing the novel, and every question I had, every thought, was answered to my highest expectations.
It’s not every day you get a wish come true, that’s why I was thankful to have this novel, even if it sucked. It didn’t. It was perfect. It was the same Suze that I have loved forever. The same Ackerman family, that has grown to be the best adoptive family in the world, I was so happy to see Suze’s stepbrothers had turned into brilliant men that I might have shed a tear of two. I knew Jake and Dave had it in them, but even Brad? I won the lottery. And CeeCee and Adam? The same loving, supporting friends. Father Dominic? AMAZING. Paul? He’s still a jerk but still I was infinitely happy to see him! He’s sort of the comic relief too, and I’ve always felt bad for him as a teenager. Now he’s an adult so it made it harder to sympathize with him, though I could never hate him.
Even the ghost busting was turned to the next level. The stories were harder and sadder. The villains ages above the crimes everyone in the previous books ever committed. Which made it easy for me to invest myself in the mystery and not only in the excitement of seeing my old pals.
But that doesn’t mean I didn’t focus a whole chunk of my brain on them. Namely Jesse. Jesse who has been my boyfriend for longer than half my life. Jesse who loves kids and medicine as much as I do. Jesse who speaks softly in Spanish. Jesse who makes every other guy on earth pale in comparison. He was exactly the perfect guy he has been for almost two centuries. I can’t even keep on writing because I’d cry and my mom is watching because I’m supposed to be happy right now (I’m writing this review as everyone else is celebrating that the new year is coming in just a few hours).
So anyway, you see why I am biased and would never write a perfectly coherent review for this book. But what I hope I transferred to you is this… Is not for nothing I have kept this series by my side for such a long time. It’s full of everything that makes Young Adult great. It’s a classic. It’s something you can’t miss.
____________________________
December 2015
Oh Susannah, don't you cry for me...
Awww amigos! This was the best, review to come!
________________________________
May 2014
*FREAKS THE F OUT*
JESSE IS NOT A GHOST ANYMORE AND THIS IS AN ADULT BOOK DO YOU EVEN KNOE WHAT THAT MEANS? OMGOMGOMG SUZE SIMON YOU ARE MY HERO I HOPE YOU STILL GO BY SUZE AND I HOPE YOUR STEPBROTHERS ARE STILL HOT, SLEEPY SPECIALLY CAUSE I WOULD GO FOR HIM SINCE JESSE IS ALREADY TAKEN. AND I HOPE PAUL IS BACK AND I HOPE HE IS NICE NOW AND DOC WILL BE GROWN UP NOW AND THAT IS WEIRD BUT AWESOME, HOPE YOUR MOM AND ANDY ARE STILL TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY WERE THE CUTEST AND I CANT WAIT TO SEE IF ANDY STILL HAS A TV SHOW ABOUT HOME IMPROVEMENT AND DOES YOUR OLD FRIEND GINA IS STILL YOUR FRIEND? AND WHAT ABOUT FATHER DOMINIC? I LOVE FATHER DOMINIC! REALLY WISHING HE'D AT LEAST MAKE A CAMEO AND OMG WHERE DO YOU AND JESSE LIVE NOW? I LOVED CARMEL BY THE SEA I WANTED TO SPEND EVERY VACATION THERE EVER SINCE I READ THE BOOKS (AND OKAY ALSO BECAUSE CLINT EASTWOOD WAS MAYOR) AND WHAT ABOUT ADAM AND CEECEE? ARE THEY TOGETHER? IT DOESNT MATTER IF THEY ARE NOT BECAUSE I STILL LOVE THEM TO BITS AND I HAVENT FORGOTTEN ABOUT JESSE'S CAT, IS HE STILL WITH YALL? AHH I JUST REMEMBERED THAT TIME YOU WORKED IN THE COUNTRY CLUB AND THAT OTHER TIME YOU TOUCHED POISON IVY OR WHEN YOU GOT YOUR FEET ROADBURNED AFTER YOU ESCAPED FROM PAUL'S HOUSE AND WHEN YOU FIRST ARRIVED TO SCHOOL WEARING ALL BLACK AND IT WAS THE START OF OUR BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP.
OH SUZE I LOVE YOU ALL.
So I realize you and I don’t know each other, that’s why it’s hard to explain how in love with The Mediator series I am, because if you have met me it would be so obvious. Probably every person I know knows that I love books, and pretty much everyone knows that The Mediator is my numero uno. It’s the series that got me hooked on Young Adult. It’s how I discovered God’s gift to YA, Meg Cabot. I have pretty much memorized each book on the series thanks to the number of times I have re-read the books in the last decade.
This is my obsession.
And I knew that Meg had plans to write another Mediator book for a long looong time. I have been waiting anxiously to revisit my favorite cast of characters and the gorgeous setting they live in. And it’s finally time.
When I started reading I decided I was going to write from the point of view of someone that is not familiar with the story. Just to see how I would enjoy it. But that thought flew out the window with the first sentence I read. I was transported to the golden days of my youth when the feeling of bliss reading gave me was nearly too much for my sanity. I swear it was so good.
Suze’s voice is still so inherent Suze, so familiar and true, that I can’t help but wonder if Meg even realizes it’s been nearly a decade since the last book. It was a big part of why reading Remembrance was so magical.
But then of course Meg seemed to have read my thoughts exactly. I wrote this pre-review on goodreads almost two years ago, when she said she started writing the novel, and every question I had, every thought, was answered to my highest expectations.
It’s not every day you get a wish come true, that’s why I was thankful to have this novel, even if it sucked. It didn’t. It was perfect. It was the same Suze that I have loved forever. The same Ackerman family, that has grown to be the best adoptive family in the world, I was so happy to see Suze’s stepbrothers had turned into brilliant men that I might have shed a tear of two. I knew Jake and Dave had it in them, but even Brad? I won the lottery. And CeeCee and Adam? The same loving, supporting friends. Father Dominic? AMAZING. Paul? He’s still a jerk but still I was infinitely happy to see him! He’s sort of the comic relief too, and I’ve always felt bad for him as a teenager. Now he’s an adult so it made it harder to sympathize with him, though I could never hate him.
Even the ghost busting was turned to the next level. The stories were harder and sadder. The villains ages above the crimes everyone in the previous books ever committed. Which made it easy for me to invest myself in the mystery and not only in the excitement of seeing my old pals.
But that doesn’t mean I didn’t focus a whole chunk of my brain on them. Namely Jesse. Jesse who has been my boyfriend for longer than half my life. Jesse who loves kids and medicine as much as I do. Jesse who speaks softly in Spanish. Jesse who makes every other guy on earth pale in comparison. He was exactly the perfect guy he has been for almost two centuries. I can’t even keep on writing because I’d cry and my mom is watching because I’m supposed to be happy right now (I’m writing this review as everyone else is celebrating that the new year is coming in just a few hours).
So anyway, you see why I am biased and would never write a perfectly coherent review for this book. But what I hope I transferred to you is this… Is not for nothing I have kept this series by my side for such a long time. It’s full of everything that makes Young Adult great. It’s a classic. It’s something you can’t miss.
____________________________
December 2015
Oh Susannah, don't you cry for me...
Awww amigos! This was the best, review to come!
________________________________
May 2014
*FREAKS THE F OUT*
JESSE IS NOT A GHOST ANYMORE AND THIS IS AN ADULT BOOK DO YOU EVEN KNOE WHAT THAT MEANS? OMGOMGOMG SUZE SIMON YOU ARE MY HERO I HOPE YOU STILL GO BY SUZE AND I HOPE YOUR STEPBROTHERS ARE STILL HOT, SLEEPY SPECIALLY CAUSE I WOULD GO FOR HIM SINCE JESSE IS ALREADY TAKEN. AND I HOPE PAUL IS BACK AND I HOPE HE IS NICE NOW AND DOC WILL BE GROWN UP NOW AND THAT IS WEIRD BUT AWESOME, HOPE YOUR MOM AND ANDY ARE STILL TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY WERE THE CUTEST AND I CANT WAIT TO SEE IF ANDY STILL HAS A TV SHOW ABOUT HOME IMPROVEMENT AND DOES YOUR OLD FRIEND GINA IS STILL YOUR FRIEND? AND WHAT ABOUT FATHER DOMINIC? I LOVE FATHER DOMINIC! REALLY WISHING HE'D AT LEAST MAKE A CAMEO AND OMG WHERE DO YOU AND JESSE LIVE NOW? I LOVED CARMEL BY THE SEA I WANTED TO SPEND EVERY VACATION THERE EVER SINCE I READ THE BOOKS (AND OKAY ALSO BECAUSE CLINT EASTWOOD WAS MAYOR) AND WHAT ABOUT ADAM AND CEECEE? ARE THEY TOGETHER? IT DOESNT MATTER IF THEY ARE NOT BECAUSE I STILL LOVE THEM TO BITS AND I HAVENT FORGOTTEN ABOUT JESSE'S CAT, IS HE STILL WITH YALL? AHH I JUST REMEMBERED THAT TIME YOU WORKED IN THE COUNTRY CLUB AND THAT OTHER TIME YOU TOUCHED POISON IVY OR WHEN YOU GOT YOUR FEET ROADBURNED AFTER YOU ESCAPED FROM PAUL'S HOUSE AND WHEN YOU FIRST ARRIVED TO SCHOOL WEARING ALL BLACK AND IT WAS THE START OF OUR BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP.
OH SUZE I LOVE YOU ALL.
October 1, 2016
There's a 7th book?!!!!!!
This is my favorite book series. EVER!
Suze is coming back!
And Jesse! And he's ALIVE!
My dream has come true...
This is my favorite book series. EVER!
Suze is coming back!
And Jesse! And he's ALIVE!
My dream has come true...
February 5, 2016
"You can take the boy out of the darkness. But you can’t take the darkness out of the boy."
This really hard for me to say, so I'm going to say it fast:
Remembranceisn'tasgoodasIexpected.
Don't get me wrong. It's good. It's really good. We see Suze and the gang again, there are panty-melting moments the one Jesse del Silva, and a meaty mystery that keeps you reading.
But—(Come on, you knew there'd be a but)—it's lacking. My expectations were sky high and it fell short of the stars.
The main problem is Paul. Just a quick recap: he's a mediator who was hot for Suze's pants and tried to sabotage her and Jesse's relationship by preventing him from being murdered in the first place. It backfired and Jesse's body was pulled to the present, then reunited with his soul.
During prom, Paul bowed gracefully from the arena and out of Suze's life. That's the vibe I got. Here, six years later, we find out he's still in love with Suze and threatens to knock down her old house (where Jesse died), which might unleash the Underworld demon in him. Suze believes him and our plot begins.
It's a supremely flimsy reason. Jesse has never shown disposition for crude violence in the past. It's mostly Suze who punches first, asks questions later. But we're supposed to buy into this ploy just because Suze mentions she sees "shadows lurking in the depths of his eyes" or something.
As many reviewers have pointed out,
Everything else is brilliant. We don't see Jesse until 10% in, which I swear is a plot on Cabot's part to make us squirm.
"She was never yours to give, Slater," Jesse hissed, his face only inches from Paul. "Nor is she mine. Women aren't horses, they don't belong to one man or another, though maybe you think they do, since you've evidently been working so hard to steal her away."
Something I've noticed in YA is they don't like mentioning the word 'feminist'. Even though they have kickass female characters and solid female friendships, the girls never identify themselves as one.
Why am I making such a big deal out of it? Because it's seen as a dirty word. 'Feminist' is too permanent a label, too 'man-hating'.
So it's a breath of fresh air when I see grand statements like these:
"It's antifeminist to judge another woman for her choices, no matter how crappy they are."
You go, CeeCee.
There are swear words in it, for those who like to know that sort of thing. Oddly enough, Cabot never swears in her YA books, even though she talks about stuff like periods, masturbation, and sex. Who can forget Mia Thermopolis complaining about PMS? On the flip side, modern YA isn't shy about dropping four-letter bombs, but are oddly prudish about menstruation and safe sex.
If I were to choose a YA book for my teenager, I'd go for Cabot. Way more educational.
"We all have to work for free just to get some experience so we can put it on our resumes so we can maybe get a paying job someday, but there's no guarantee we will. Oh, right. I forgot they don't mention this in high school. You're still brimming with hope and joie de vivre."
Don't let what I said in the beginning turn you off. Remembrance is an amazing addition to a magnificent series and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a side of smart, butt-kicking heroines with their paranormal romance.
ARC provided by Edelweiss
Read
April 2, 2016UPDATE 4/1/2016:
I finished it.
All i'm going to say is....You can't NOT love Jesse.
I don't want to part with them. Again.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Browsing...
Browsing...
Browsing....
what the...
OHHH MYYYYYY GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHD!
ANOTHER FREAKING MEDIATOR BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IVE WAITED FOR THIS SO LONG!
*******************UPDATE****************
IT RELEASES FEBRUARY 14TH 2016!!!! MEG DOESN'T UNDERSTAND HOW MANY TIMES I'VE IMAGINED SUZE AND JESSE AFTER BOOK 6.
I finished it.
All i'm going to say is....You can't NOT love Jesse.
I don't want to part with them. Again.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Browsing...
Browsing...
Browsing....
what the...
OHHH MYYYYYY GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHD!
ANOTHER FREAKING MEDIATOR BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IVE WAITED FOR THIS SO LONG!
*******************UPDATE****************
IT RELEASES FEBRUARY 14TH 2016!!!! MEG DOESN'T UNDERSTAND HOW MANY TIMES I'VE IMAGINED SUZE AND JESSE AFTER BOOK 6.
March 5, 2016
UPDATE!!! Now you can pre-order this book from Amazon. I must say I'm not excited at all.
WHO AM I KIDDING WITH?! I've already pre-ordered!!!!!! Here's the link!
http://www.amazon.com/Remembrance-Med...
WHAT IS THIS THING?! I thought Mediator is already completed. For crying out loud....I'm going crazy knowing Meg Cabot will write another book of this series!!!!!!!!! This series is my favorite among every book from Meg Cabot. I mean all the time. I can't even contain myself right now. Jesse is my soulmate since.....forever :P
Don't let me wait. *DYING*
p.s. feel like I was in middle school again.
WHO AM I KIDDING WITH?! I've already pre-ordered!!!!!! Here's the link!
http://www.amazon.com/Remembrance-Med...
WHAT IS THIS THING?! I thought Mediator is already completed. For crying out loud....I'm going crazy knowing Meg Cabot will write another book of this series!!!!!!!!! This series is my favorite among every book from Meg Cabot. I mean all the time. I can't even contain myself right now. Jesse is my soulmate since.....forever :P
Don't let me wait. *DYING*
p.s. feel like I was in middle school again.
July 9, 2016
So great to be back with Suze & Jesse! I really hope she is releasing another in the series!
CRAZY EXCITED FOR THIS!!!! So awesome that there is an adult follow up to the YA series! More authors should do this!
CRAZY EXCITED FOR THIS!!!! So awesome that there is an adult follow up to the YA series! More authors should do this!
June 1, 2017
Re-read 5/31/17: Still so sad this is over :( although I will say upon re-reading this, I am a bit more aware of some problematic elements that went on during this book, so I'm knocking off a star. Will probably go into that further in my May Wrap-Up in a few days.
Original read: Thus concludes one of my favorite series of all time. I loved this SO MUCH and I am so sad that it's over :( I JUST WANT MORE
Original read: Thus concludes one of my favorite series of all time. I loved this SO MUCH and I am so sad that it's over :( I JUST WANT MORE
December 14, 2015
I used to love this series as a teen, it was great to read adult addition to it. Review to come closer to the release date :)
January 4, 2016
**Catch the original review - gifs and all! - over on my blog**
This is not a drill, everyone. Nor is it an extremely early and well-organised April Fool's joke on the entire Meg Cabot fanbase.
This. Is. Real.
Yes, this seventh book in the highly-acclaimed, swoonworthy and badass The Mediator series is a real dream come true! The 400 page book is TBR February 2nd 2016 which means that you won't have to wait long for more Suze & Jesse awesomeness.
I was lucky enough to acquire an ARC of the book via Edelweiss and William Morrow Paperbacks which led to a lengthy fangirling session where I danced around the house like a madwoman possessed by the ghost of a madwoman.
Now for my review...
Book cover: Let me see...does it feature a badass Suze? Check. A hottie in a tux? Check. Meg Cabot's name on the cover? Check. Is Suze wearing boots that I would die for? Check, check, check!
Not only am I totally envious of the perfection that is her hair (I mean how does she get it to not frizz, girl, teach me your secrets!!) but those sunglasses? The bling? The boots? Overall Suze is as badass as ever!
This may be my inner fangirl talking but I have been waiting to see Jesse de Silva in a tux since forever. Am I little disappointed we don't see his swoonworthy face? Yes I am. But I think I can forgive the cover simply because that tux is incredibly hot and having Jesse's face on the cover would have totally outshone Suze ;)
Plot: Meg Cabot always surprises me with her complex and intriguing plots. Remembrance is not an exception.
The fact that it is the seventh book in the series will make some bookworms a little uneasy. I mean, there is an entire mind-blowing series to live up to! No one wants the final book - especially one we've all been anticipating for so long - to be an afterthought filled with fanfiction-esque ramblings.
Remembrance is far from that. It may, in fact, just be one of my favourite books in the series. Purely because we get to see Jesse and Suze at their most vulnerable and their most human. Meg Cabot brings out her signature humour and wit, as well as some great plot twists and developments. I was really surprised with how detailed the plot was and how Meg Cabot was able to come up with fresh ideas, problems, and resolutions. This book is a new journey with old friends and it really feels like coming home.
Reading Remembrance was actually a little emotional! It really makes you connect with the book's title 'Remembrance' - a trip down memory lane, reconnecting with past characters and storylines. All the other books come rushing back to you. I was just so excited every time I read a familiar name, or caught a reference to something that had happened in the previous books. And yes I totally fangirled over Jesse. I mean, come on, the guy is like a bottle of wine he just gets better with age!
Favourite quote: I tried to pick just one but I am too weak and in love with this book so I am making it two!
#1: "I'm sorry. I'm actually very busy and important and don't have time for rich jerks from my past who want to make amends. But I wish you luck on your path toward transformative enlightenment. Bye now."
~ Remembrance, Chapter 1
#2: "Of course I'm not crying. I never cry. It's allergies. They're terrible this time of year."
Jesse gave me one of his lopsided grins."It would be all right if you cried," he said. "I like it when you do. It gives me an excuse to play that overprotective nineteenth-century macho man you're always talking about."
~ Remembrance, Chapter 14
Final notes: Just a quick note about Remembrance. Even though it is the seventh instalment in the series it is the only adult one. All the other books in the series come under YA. There will be mature themes and situations discussed in the book. It is in no ways overdone, nor does it change the basic nature of the book or the series. However in Remembrance the characters we know and love are adults and so there is a shift in genre somewhat :)
This is not a drill, everyone. Nor is it an extremely early and well-organised April Fool's joke on the entire Meg Cabot fanbase.
This. Is. Real.
Yes, this seventh book in the highly-acclaimed, swoonworthy and badass The Mediator series is a real dream come true! The 400 page book is TBR February 2nd 2016 which means that you won't have to wait long for more Suze & Jesse awesomeness.
I was lucky enough to acquire an ARC of the book via Edelweiss and William Morrow Paperbacks which led to a lengthy fangirling session where I danced around the house like a madwoman possessed by the ghost of a madwoman.
Now for my review...
Book cover: Let me see...does it feature a badass Suze? Check. A hottie in a tux? Check. Meg Cabot's name on the cover? Check. Is Suze wearing boots that I would die for? Check, check, check!
Not only am I totally envious of the perfection that is her hair (I mean how does she get it to not frizz, girl, teach me your secrets!!) but those sunglasses? The bling? The boots? Overall Suze is as badass as ever!
This may be my inner fangirl talking but I have been waiting to see Jesse de Silva in a tux since forever. Am I little disappointed we don't see his swoonworthy face? Yes I am. But I think I can forgive the cover simply because that tux is incredibly hot and having Jesse's face on the cover would have totally outshone Suze ;)
Plot: Meg Cabot always surprises me with her complex and intriguing plots. Remembrance is not an exception.
The fact that it is the seventh book in the series will make some bookworms a little uneasy. I mean, there is an entire mind-blowing series to live up to! No one wants the final book - especially one we've all been anticipating for so long - to be an afterthought filled with fanfiction-esque ramblings.
Remembrance is far from that. It may, in fact, just be one of my favourite books in the series. Purely because we get to see Jesse and Suze at their most vulnerable and their most human. Meg Cabot brings out her signature humour and wit, as well as some great plot twists and developments. I was really surprised with how detailed the plot was and how Meg Cabot was able to come up with fresh ideas, problems, and resolutions. This book is a new journey with old friends and it really feels like coming home.
Reading Remembrance was actually a little emotional! It really makes you connect with the book's title 'Remembrance' - a trip down memory lane, reconnecting with past characters and storylines. All the other books come rushing back to you. I was just so excited every time I read a familiar name, or caught a reference to something that had happened in the previous books. And yes I totally fangirled over Jesse. I mean, come on, the guy is like a bottle of wine he just gets better with age!
Favourite quote: I tried to pick just one but I am too weak and in love with this book so I am making it two!
#1: "I'm sorry. I'm actually very busy and important and don't have time for rich jerks from my past who want to make amends. But I wish you luck on your path toward transformative enlightenment. Bye now."
~ Remembrance, Chapter 1
#2: "Of course I'm not crying. I never cry. It's allergies. They're terrible this time of year."
Jesse gave me one of his lopsided grins."It would be all right if you cried," he said. "I like it when you do. It gives me an excuse to play that overprotective nineteenth-century macho man you're always talking about."
~ Remembrance, Chapter 14
Final notes: Just a quick note about Remembrance. Even though it is the seventh instalment in the series it is the only adult one. All the other books in the series come under YA. There will be mature themes and situations discussed in the book. It is in no ways overdone, nor does it change the basic nature of the book or the series. However in Remembrance the characters we know and love are adults and so there is a shift in genre somewhat :)
July 7, 2018
I have a lot of feelings about this book - only natural, considering The Mediator series was totally my teenaged self's favourite, Suze was my inspiration, and Jesse was totally my book-boyfriend.
In short, I'm disappointed. This (and Proposal) actually feel ghostwritten, that's how different they are from the original series. The plot is really bad. The characterisation drove me up the wall. I'm going to do this in parts because I have a lot to say:
First of all, Proposal and Remembrance are supposedly written as "adult" novels instead of YA. What does that mean, you ask? For Meg Cabot apparently it means that we've left the cute, feel-good, witty Mediator series of the past, and bought a one-way ticket to bummer-town. You know how JK Rowling wrote The Casual Vacancy as her first "adult" novel after Harry Potter, and it was super depressing? Well, basically like that. Now the Mediator has racism, child sexual abuse, attempted rape, blackmail, people raising children who aren't their own without knowing it, student loans, millenials in dead-end jobs, you name it. Everyone we cared about in the original books? Yeah, totally leading super depressing lives now. Yayyy. And another thing, apparently because these are adult books now, Suze can only talk using curse words, and all she thinks about is sex. Like, give it a break already. I clearly am not the person with the cleanest vocabulary around, but it got to the point where I wanted to ask Suze what she asked Debbie Mancuso in book #1 - Excuse me, do you have Tourette's?. This kind of stuff doesn't bother me in books like The Lies of Locke Lamora, because it's established that that's just how the characters talk. But it's not how Suze used to talk. And Meg did a whoooole show of how much Suze curses now, having every single character comment on it.
Speaking of Suze. She is insufferable now, ok? She lies through her TEETH to Jesse, ALL the time. She lies about harmless stuff (like about helping someone with statistics when she was really out mediating); she lies about important stuff ("Paul sexually assaulted me on graduation night, and also, he is trying to blackmail me into having sex with him", etc). For no reason. Oh these two are going to have a great marriage, I can just tell. It was also incredibly annoying how she had to keep track of the state of Jesse's erections every single time they were in the same vicinity and wouldn't shut up about his "no premarital sex" thing. I don't think pressuring people to have sex is cute, and Jesse had made his beliefs pretty clear. If it was a guy pressuring a woman to have sex the way she does to Jesse, there'd be no doubt that it would be super sleazy.
Suze apparently now thinks designers clothes are for "people lacking in fashion imagination", even though they are all she could talk about in the original books, and she does get a couture wedding dress. She is also 100% unprofessional - can't even wear appropriate clothes for her job, Christ, not to mention she really has no idea how to deal with kids who have serious mental health issues. And I hate it that she's apparently been studying Spanish for 5 years and still can't speak a word of it. I know she was never the sharpest tool in the shed but how she fell for Paul's ridiculous manipulative lies was also pretty pathetic. And speaking of Paul, I can't believe she doesn't know that engaging with a stalker is just about the worst thing you can do when you've got one. And she's supposed to be a psych major!
Yes, Paul. This guy should have exited this series gracefully way back in Twilight, alright? He even had a kind of dignified adieu. We'd already had to put up with him for three whole books, where he stalked Suze, sexually assaulted her, tried to get rid of Jesse, and almost killed his own grandfather. But he's back, in Proposal and in Remembrance. Again, for no reason. Now we have to find out that he tried to rape Suze in her graduation night (which is completely incompatible with how that whole night was written in Twilight, I might add), and now he's stalking her again and trying to blackmail her into having sex with him. Ughhhhhhh. And by the way, .
Now, the man you've been waiting to hear from: Jesse. Jesse is, basically, a vague memory of the original Jesse. I don't know. He was still really nice and super hot, of course. But it was a bit strange how his major thing in these books was how he refused to have sex before marriage, but also he refused to get married until he could support Suze, etc. I'm not judging him on the premartial sex thing. But usually, the people who feel this way about it tend to get married pretty early (see: the Duggars, also Twilight - the one by Stephenie Meyer), and not wait until they've graduated uni, gotten a high-paid job, paid off their student loans, etc. Because that takes forever. But in the end Jesse wasn't that consistent with his beliefs, I guess. The text he sent to Suze about "playing doctor" made no sense in view of his strict beliefs. And .
Another thing about Jesse - he used to be very calm and rational in the original books, and only got violent when Paul was concerned or he needed to protect Suze or his own life. Now it feels like he's really prone to violence all the time? More than Suze, even? Also I didn't really get why Meg Cabot decided to have him speak Spanish all the time now. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It was just something he never used to do before.
Now, the supporting characters.
In conclusion, I would NOT recommend Proposal or Remembrance to Mediator fans. It reads like really cheap fanfiction by someone who didn't really pay much attention to the original series. In fact, I'm sure if you go on Fanfiction.net or AO3 you'll find a ton of much better Mediator fanfiction.
In short, I'm disappointed. This (and Proposal) actually feel ghostwritten, that's how different they are from the original series. The plot is really bad. The characterisation drove me up the wall. I'm going to do this in parts because I have a lot to say:
First of all, Proposal and Remembrance are supposedly written as "adult" novels instead of YA. What does that mean, you ask? For Meg Cabot apparently it means that we've left the cute, feel-good, witty Mediator series of the past, and bought a one-way ticket to bummer-town. You know how JK Rowling wrote The Casual Vacancy as her first "adult" novel after Harry Potter, and it was super depressing? Well, basically like that. Now the Mediator has racism, child sexual abuse, attempted rape, blackmail, people raising children who aren't their own without knowing it, student loans, millenials in dead-end jobs, you name it. Everyone we cared about in the original books? Yeah, totally leading super depressing lives now. Yayyy. And another thing, apparently because these are adult books now, Suze can only talk using curse words, and all she thinks about is sex. Like, give it a break already. I clearly am not the person with the cleanest vocabulary around, but it got to the point where I wanted to ask Suze what she asked Debbie Mancuso in book #1 - Excuse me, do you have Tourette's?. This kind of stuff doesn't bother me in books like The Lies of Locke Lamora, because it's established that that's just how the characters talk. But it's not how Suze used to talk. And Meg did a whoooole show of how much Suze curses now, having every single character comment on it.
Speaking of Suze. She is insufferable now, ok? She lies through her TEETH to Jesse, ALL the time. She lies about harmless stuff (like about helping someone with statistics when she was really out mediating); she lies about important stuff ("Paul sexually assaulted me on graduation night, and also, he is trying to blackmail me into having sex with him", etc). For no reason. Oh these two are going to have a great marriage, I can just tell. It was also incredibly annoying how she had to keep track of the state of Jesse's erections every single time they were in the same vicinity and wouldn't shut up about his "no premarital sex" thing. I don't think pressuring people to have sex is cute, and Jesse had made his beliefs pretty clear. If it was a guy pressuring a woman to have sex the way she does to Jesse, there'd be no doubt that it would be super sleazy.
Suze apparently now thinks designers clothes are for "people lacking in fashion imagination", even though they are all she could talk about in the original books, and she does get a couture wedding dress. She is also 100% unprofessional - can't even wear appropriate clothes for her job, Christ, not to mention she really has no idea how to deal with kids who have serious mental health issues. And I hate it that she's apparently been studying Spanish for 5 years and still can't speak a word of it. I know she was never the sharpest tool in the shed but how she fell for Paul's ridiculous manipulative lies was also pretty pathetic. And speaking of Paul, I can't believe she doesn't know that engaging with a stalker is just about the worst thing you can do when you've got one. And she's supposed to be a psych major!
Yes, Paul. This guy should have exited this series gracefully way back in Twilight, alright? He even had a kind of dignified adieu. We'd already had to put up with him for three whole books, where he stalked Suze, sexually assaulted her, tried to get rid of Jesse, and almost killed his own grandfather. But he's back, in Proposal and in Remembrance. Again, for no reason. Now we have to find out that he tried to rape Suze in her graduation night (which is completely incompatible with how that whole night was written in Twilight, I might add), and now he's stalking her again and trying to blackmail her into having sex with him. Ughhhhhhh. And by the way, .
Now, the man you've been waiting to hear from: Jesse. Jesse is, basically, a vague memory of the original Jesse. I don't know. He was still really nice and super hot, of course. But it was a bit strange how his major thing in these books was how he refused to have sex before marriage, but also he refused to get married until he could support Suze, etc. I'm not judging him on the premartial sex thing. But usually, the people who feel this way about it tend to get married pretty early (see: the Duggars, also Twilight - the one by Stephenie Meyer), and not wait until they've graduated uni, gotten a high-paid job, paid off their student loans, etc. Because that takes forever. But in the end Jesse wasn't that consistent with his beliefs, I guess. The text he sent to Suze about "playing doctor" made no sense in view of his strict beliefs. And .
Another thing about Jesse - he used to be very calm and rational in the original books, and only got violent when Paul was concerned or he needed to protect Suze or his own life. Now it feels like he's really prone to violence all the time? More than Suze, even? Also I didn't really get why Meg Cabot decided to have him speak Spanish all the time now. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It was just something he never used to do before.
Now, the supporting characters.
In conclusion, I would NOT recommend Proposal or Remembrance to Mediator fans. It reads like really cheap fanfiction by someone who didn't really pay much attention to the original series. In fact, I'm sure if you go on Fanfiction.net or AO3 you'll find a ton of much better Mediator fanfiction.
February 5, 2016
How. Did. I. Not. Know. About. This. ???
Nothing will be able to keep me away !
Over & Out, T xx
Nothing will be able to keep me away !
Over & Out, T xx
April 21, 2016
After everything Suze and Jesse has been through, REMEMBRANCE is the time where we get to see them older and not necessarily wiser. I find that Suze is still as stubborn and secretive as ever. Maybe I'm being a little too hard on her? But I always find that keeping secrets from your best friend and fiancée isn't going to help your relationship get any stronger. Even if you're trying to protect him that's not really up to you. So I found the ghost story that she ends up solving to be the biggest plot, but after that was done, it kept going and didn't end. We see all the old characters from the old books, including CeeCee, Adam, Jake, Brad and David and even Debbie and Kelly. The whole gang was there and it was nice to see what they were up to. Also the villain Paul Slater came back and I don't even know why he did. It felt so wrong because even after all those years he just hasn't given up on her. Even when she's said she's not interested. He's as annoying as a pest. I was also super annoyed at Suze most of the time wanting to do things her way. I felt like she didn't respect Jesse's wishes at all.. There were some holes in the story that I couldn't help but glare at. And only one point made me tear up and it wasn't even a big deal. Just a present that Jesse gave to her which is so like him. We also don't get to read about the wedding because it's a novella which is in my opinion a cash grab.. But yeah. I was a little disappointed in this one because there wasn't very many obstacles for the two to overcome. Everything ends up being too perfect? And for me that's not as interesting. Still read it if you're a huge fan, but don't have high expectations.. You just might be disappointed.
February 14, 2016
Before I cracked open this book I did what naturally got curious about how much other's hated the book in order to measure if I too was going to rate on the hate meter. I'm a curious and I'm a little attached to a bit of negativity, hence my desire to note "problematic" issues before I come across them firsthand. There was a lot of talk off lost of authenticity, in terms of Suze's voice and Jesse's characterisation. There was boo's for lack of "creativity", in terms of plot (a little too much deja vu for y'all huh?). There were despondent sighs in response to the fact that this didn't live up to a couple memories people kept of the series in their minds. To which I thought, interesting. Could it be that I was in for a tonne of crap bulldozing one of my favourite childhood series'?
I honestly don't know what people were waiting for then, if I'm quite frank. Because Remembrance, to me, was basically all I ever wanted. It's a rehash of the Mediator series because it's marketed as so. You get your mystery. You get Suze and Jesse. You get the glorious sarcasm that I relate so dearly to.
There's complaints about Jesse's macho 19 Century and minus patriarchal mindset and how that didn't sit well with many, to which I say what the fuck? That is literally his personality throughout 6 of the original books and that didn't stop shit. Was him being a ghost the only reason that could have been justified for y'all? Cause guys, the thing about having such attitudes ingrained in you is that sometimes it's hard to shake all of it. You can see how he's adapted and how he tries to lose such habits but man, give the kid a break. It's literally the exact same Jesse from before. The only thing that's changed is our PERSONAL perception from THEN (which lets be honest kids, for the most of us reading this series back then, it was a WHILE ago), to now as we realise and recognise and fight for social evolution. It's great that we've all developed awareness and we have different and strong beliefs now, in comparison to back then, but lets not take it out on a character who is written as he was years ago, in a different time to us.
Suze's sarcasm still tops. I cackled so many times throughout this book, I partially lost my voice at work the next morning. If that's not a sign of a winner of a book then I don't know what is.
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. THIS SERIES WAS MY CHILDHOOD OK.
Someone hold me until 2015. I'm not exactly sane, right now. I don't understand how I remained ignorant of this news. I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
I honestly don't know what people were waiting for then, if I'm quite frank. Because Remembrance, to me, was basically all I ever wanted. It's a rehash of the Mediator series because it's marketed as so. You get your mystery. You get Suze and Jesse. You get the glorious sarcasm that I relate so dearly to.
There's complaints about Jesse's macho 19 Century and minus patriarchal mindset and how that didn't sit well with many, to which I say what the fuck? That is literally his personality throughout 6 of the original books and that didn't stop shit. Was him being a ghost the only reason that could have been justified for y'all? Cause guys, the thing about having such attitudes ingrained in you is that sometimes it's hard to shake all of it. You can see how he's adapted and how he tries to lose such habits but man, give the kid a break. It's literally the exact same Jesse from before. The only thing that's changed is our PERSONAL perception from THEN (which lets be honest kids, for the most of us reading this series back then, it was a WHILE ago), to now as we realise and recognise and fight for social evolution. It's great that we've all developed awareness and we have different and strong beliefs now, in comparison to back then, but lets not take it out on a character who is written as he was years ago, in a different time to us.
Suze's sarcasm still tops. I cackled so many times throughout this book, I partially lost my voice at work the next morning. If that's not a sign of a winner of a book then I don't know what is.
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. THIS SERIES WAS MY CHILDHOOD OK.
Someone hold me until 2015. I'm not exactly sane, right now. I don't understand how I remained ignorant of this news. I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
February 9, 2016
Well, the good news is that this was considerably better than the new Princess Diaries, I actually enjoyed myself at parts and didn't really get angry at any points.
The bad news is that I don't really like Jesse anymore.
Which is totally personal, of course, he didn't get worse or anything, I just realized that his kind of character is not attractive to me anymore, which is precisely one of the perils of books making a "come back". When I was a tween, Suze&Jesse was one of my favorite ships of all times, and I sighed and swooned over them on a daily basis, it was part of my routine, really. And I always cherished that memory, and reading this book, being a different person and all, I'm like, "oh. This doesn't really work for me anymore." And from now on, whenever I think of Jesse de Silva, instead of sighing, I'll just shrug.
But that's not really tragic, it's just, you know, not great.
Now, for the little things that got me: wtf??
- I really didn't get how staying a virgin is a way of saying thanks? Like, I would understand it better if it was some religious thing, because I religion is religion and I respect that, but Jesse was clearly OK with killing people, and in the end he did have sex before marriage, so in the end the entire virgin saga was out of gratitude and I don't understand? Like, specially because he mentions Suze's mother, and what? He thinks she would be offended to find out her daughter (who has been in trouble several times) was having sex with her fiance? Like?? I really don't understand it, guys, I was so confused.
- Paul? Like, he is such a creep and I have no idea what his part in this book was? Like, was I supposed to feel more sympathy for him? Was his behavior supposed to be excused? I just don't understand his part in this narrative at all? What was he doing there?
- Why is the mediator thing genetic? As far as I remember, Suze didn't get it from anyone, did she? Her mother doesn't have it, and neither did her father. I think? I'm not really sure, but anyway.
- Gina was so quiet. I'm not sure, is this new book the first of a new series? Because I wish I knew what happened to her in Hollywood. She's always been one of my favorites and I missed her.
- The virgin gratitude thing still boggles me, guys, I'm really super confused here, what is going on with that??????
-Why is the cursing so censured? Even the most puritan YA books have gotten over that, it shouldn't be a problem to see Suze say a few fucks now that she's an adult, specially because that's who she is. It is annoying every time I see things like "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED thoughI didn't say hell, if you know what I mean *wink wink wink WINK WINK*" Oh, did you say fuck, Suze, did you??? That is incredible and edgy, wow.
Other than that, it was nice. If there really is a mediator school now, I'm interested in that. I'd read more books of that, but not from Suze's pov, please, I'm kind of over her.
And that's all I have to say about that.
The bad news is that I don't really like Jesse anymore.
Which is totally personal, of course, he didn't get worse or anything, I just realized that his kind of character is not attractive to me anymore, which is precisely one of the perils of books making a "come back". When I was a tween, Suze&Jesse was one of my favorite ships of all times, and I sighed and swooned over them on a daily basis, it was part of my routine, really. And I always cherished that memory, and reading this book, being a different person and all, I'm like, "oh. This doesn't really work for me anymore." And from now on, whenever I think of Jesse de Silva, instead of sighing, I'll just shrug.
But that's not really tragic, it's just, you know, not great.
Now, for the little things that got me: wtf??
- I really didn't get how staying a virgin is a way of saying thanks? Like, I would understand it better if it was some religious thing, because I religion is religion and I respect that, but Jesse was clearly OK with killing people, and in the end he did have sex before marriage, so in the end the entire virgin saga was out of gratitude and I don't understand? Like, specially because he mentions Suze's mother, and what? He thinks she would be offended to find out her daughter (who has been in trouble several times) was having sex with her fiance? Like?? I really don't understand it, guys, I was so confused.
- Paul? Like, he is such a creep and I have no idea what his part in this book was? Like, was I supposed to feel more sympathy for him? Was his behavior supposed to be excused? I just don't understand his part in this narrative at all? What was he doing there?
- Why is the mediator thing genetic? As far as I remember, Suze didn't get it from anyone, did she? Her mother doesn't have it, and neither did her father. I think? I'm not really sure, but anyway.
- Gina was so quiet. I'm not sure, is this new book the first of a new series? Because I wish I knew what happened to her in Hollywood. She's always been one of my favorites and I missed her.
- The virgin gratitude thing still boggles me, guys, I'm really super confused here, what is going on with that??????
-Why is the cursing so censured? Even the most puritan YA books have gotten over that, it shouldn't be a problem to see Suze say a few fucks now that she's an adult, specially because that's who she is. It is annoying every time I see things like "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED thoughI didn't say hell, if you know what I mean *wink wink wink WINK WINK*" Oh, did you say fuck, Suze, did you??? That is incredible and edgy, wow.
Other than that, it was nice. If there really is a mediator school now, I'm interested in that. I'd read more books of that, but not from Suze's pov, please, I'm kind of over her.
And that's all I have to say about that.
January 22, 2016
***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato
I am sorely disappointed. There, I said it. In my history of reading Meg Cabot (and I have read a lot of Meg Cabot since she is one of my fav authors), I have never ever been disappointed and here I am. Sad, angry, not satisfied (cue Hamilton because that is my life.)
Mediator is one of those series I push at everyone who hasn’t read it (ASK JASPRIT. I practically shoved it down her throat. I actually didn’t, but I was very insistent.) It is my favorite series by Meg and I was SO obsessed with it when I first read it. I watched my window for a month hoping a hottie like Jesse would show up. That never happened but when I found out there would be a book 7, I was over the moon. I wanted to see these babies as grown ups, I wanted to see them be cute and fabulous and make me swoon, but obviously things didn’t turn out the way I expected them to. SO I SHALL SIGH FOREVER AND EVER. *takes a deep breath*
This book was swoony at times but the characters weren’t the same as I remembered them. Jesse--for some reason--had a cigarette habit and his 19th centuryness wasn’t endearing so much as pushy and really annoying. Also there were things related to his character that weren’t resolved the way I wanted them to be. In fact, I don’t think there was ever a proper resolution to the overarching plot involving him. Open endings are OK to a certain degree, but this one just completely threw everything we had been told in the waste bin and fed us some other bullshit.
ALSO PAUL CAME BACK. WHY PAUL, WHY? You are old news and NEED TO GO AWAY. Don’t come back again, k thnx. The plot is apparently also old news. There is one NCPD and an interesting case that folds out but I was too focused on the Jesse plot and my dissatisfaction from its resolution so I couldn’t really appreciate the awesomeness of the mystery.
As you might know from some of my other rants, I detest secret keeping and boy does this book have some major secret keeping. I AM DISAPPOINTED in you, Suze. You know better, you should be more trusting. You could do so much better. Suze wasn’t as down to Earth in this book either as she has been in the series. There is just something about her that threw me off.
My issues with the book aren't just because it was a disappointing sequel but also extend to the fact that Meg Cabot writes fantastic adult novels and this is not up to mark. It isn’t even close. Meg Cabot’s adult novels are amazing, swoon-worthy and MAKE SENSE. Take her Heather Wells series for instance. Beautiful, amazing. LOVE OF MY LIFE (Cooper). And I read them fairly recently so it isn’t just that my reading style has changed so drastically that I have lost appreciation for Meg Cabot (that’ll happen over my dead body.)
I guess the reason I am so critical of this book (and would have rated an entire star higher if it weren’t Meg Cabot and a follow-up to a fav series) is because I had incredibly high expectations for it. I expected to bawl and feel all the feels because of nostalgia. I did feel some feels but mostly just disappointment.
So, if you are dying for this book like I was, should you read it? YEAH. Honestly, you might find yourself entirely comfortable with the new dynamics. Also meeting some of the other older characters from this series was so much fun. If you haven’t read the series but are curious but worried, please read Mediator. It is beautiful, and the 6th book concludes well so you wouldn’t be missing anything if you didn’t want to read Remembrance.
Note that I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I am sorely disappointed. There, I said it. In my history of reading Meg Cabot (and I have read a lot of Meg Cabot since she is one of my fav authors), I have never ever been disappointed and here I am. Sad, angry, not satisfied (cue Hamilton because that is my life.)
Mediator is one of those series I push at everyone who hasn’t read it (ASK JASPRIT. I practically shoved it down her throat. I actually didn’t, but I was very insistent.) It is my favorite series by Meg and I was SO obsessed with it when I first read it. I watched my window for a month hoping a hottie like Jesse would show up. That never happened but when I found out there would be a book 7, I was over the moon. I wanted to see these babies as grown ups, I wanted to see them be cute and fabulous and make me swoon, but obviously things didn’t turn out the way I expected them to. SO I SHALL SIGH FOREVER AND EVER. *takes a deep breath*
This book was swoony at times but the characters weren’t the same as I remembered them. Jesse--for some reason--had a cigarette habit and his 19th centuryness wasn’t endearing so much as pushy and really annoying. Also there were things related to his character that weren’t resolved the way I wanted them to be. In fact, I don’t think there was ever a proper resolution to the overarching plot involving him. Open endings are OK to a certain degree, but this one just completely threw everything we had been told in the waste bin and fed us some other bullshit.
ALSO PAUL CAME BACK. WHY PAUL, WHY? You are old news and NEED TO GO AWAY. Don’t come back again, k thnx. The plot is apparently also old news. There is one NCPD and an interesting case that folds out but I was too focused on the Jesse plot and my dissatisfaction from its resolution so I couldn’t really appreciate the awesomeness of the mystery.
As you might know from some of my other rants, I detest secret keeping and boy does this book have some major secret keeping. I AM DISAPPOINTED in you, Suze. You know better, you should be more trusting. You could do so much better. Suze wasn’t as down to Earth in this book either as she has been in the series. There is just something about her that threw me off.
My issues with the book aren't just because it was a disappointing sequel but also extend to the fact that Meg Cabot writes fantastic adult novels and this is not up to mark. It isn’t even close. Meg Cabot’s adult novels are amazing, swoon-worthy and MAKE SENSE. Take her Heather Wells series for instance. Beautiful, amazing. LOVE OF MY LIFE (Cooper). And I read them fairly recently so it isn’t just that my reading style has changed so drastically that I have lost appreciation for Meg Cabot (that’ll happen over my dead body.)
I guess the reason I am so critical of this book (and would have rated an entire star higher if it weren’t Meg Cabot and a follow-up to a fav series) is because I had incredibly high expectations for it. I expected to bawl and feel all the feels because of nostalgia. I did feel some feels but mostly just disappointment.
So, if you are dying for this book like I was, should you read it? YEAH. Honestly, you might find yourself entirely comfortable with the new dynamics. Also meeting some of the other older characters from this series was so much fun. If you haven’t read the series but are curious but worried, please read Mediator. It is beautiful, and the 6th book concludes well so you wouldn’t be missing anything if you didn’t want to read Remembrance.
Note that I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Want to read
June 4, 2015
February 5, 2016
I have a lot to say about this book, I'm just not ready yet.
Want to read
January 28, 2013When I found out Meg was writing another mediator book, I was FREAKING OUT! I am so excited its unreal. The wait for this book will kill me, but you can't not be completely pumped for this book. :D
February 17, 2018
It was fun to read a completely new Mediator novel. The characters were older yet retained their personalities, which was good. The haunting in this book was more complex, which I enjoyed. It was a little less formulaic this time around. The only thing that annoys me is how much Suze hides things - she's a terrible communicator. But that's more of a character flaw than a book flaw. Overall, I really liked this one. The beauty of this series is that I am able to keep my expectations low and have a good time. The writing is decent and the characters are fun. I'm usually not able to suspend judgment while reading, but this series will always have a place in my heart. I was sad it was over when I finished.
February 3, 2016
I received an Advance Reader Copy via Edelweiss. This in no way impacted on my view.
This was my second ever approval via Edelweiss, and the fact that it was a book by one of my favourite authors made it all the more better! Cabot's The Mediator series has had a special place in my heart since I read them all way back in 2010 or something, and when I heard that she would be returning to the world, with a new adult book (just like with The Princess Diaries), I was desperate to get my hands on a copy.
Remembrance is the first adult edition of the Mediator series, and returns to the somewhat problematic world of Suze Simon. Since she sort of resurrected her ghostly boyfriend, Jesse, they've been together, and are dealing with adult stuff like college, student loans, and jobs. They recently got engaged, and are planning their wedding. Unfortunately, just as life is becoming perfect for them, a spanner is thrown into the works, namely Paul Slater. I'm sure most of you disliked him as much as I did in the original series, and now he's trying to split up Suze and Jesse by demolishing the house they met in, and was the main setting of their whole ghostly/mediator relationship. To top it off, there's a new NCDP (Non-Compliant Deceased Person) haunting a student at Suze's new place of work - her old school.
I loved being back in Suze's head again! She was exactly as I remembered her, and it made me feel so nostalgic. She's still the sassy, feisty Suze we all know and love. Her being able to see dead people, and the problems that brings still bothers her, though she wants to do as much as she can to help the ghostly spirits, especially when this one is a little kid.
I enjoyed the plot and mystery surrounding the ghost, Lucia, and why she is haunting the student. That whole arc was very enjoyable, especially when it came out in little drips and drabs - it wasn't a whole info dump on the whole situation.
However, there were problems in this book. Jesse, as swoony as he is, and I will always love him, was a little too much. Even though he knew how bad ass Suze is, he still wanted to protect her and keep her wrapped up in cotton wool. No, she has to deal with Lucia and all that herself. Other than that, their relationship was perfect, and I loved the ending of the book so much!
Secondly, why on earth did Paul Slater have to come back? He basically blackmails Suze and tries to force her into cheating on Jesse just so he won't go all demon on everyone. Paul knows Suze would never be with him of her own volition, but that doesn't bother him. Well, it bothered me, and was the main reason why the rating is only a 4. I know the book needed some angst, but the whole cheating situation really got to me.
Even though there were these issues, I still enjoyed the book so much! I will always love this series, and I'm really glad Cabot decided to return to it. The characters (except Paul) were as lovely as they always had been, and I was hooked with the various story arcs playing out. I'm guessing there probably won't be an eighth instalment, with how it ended, but I would definitely read it if there was. I'd recommend the book to those who loved the original series, and I hope the little bits I didn't like won't put you off.
This was my second ever approval via Edelweiss, and the fact that it was a book by one of my favourite authors made it all the more better! Cabot's The Mediator series has had a special place in my heart since I read them all way back in 2010 or something, and when I heard that she would be returning to the world, with a new adult book (just like with The Princess Diaries), I was desperate to get my hands on a copy.
Remembrance is the first adult edition of the Mediator series, and returns to the somewhat problematic world of Suze Simon. Since she sort of resurrected her ghostly boyfriend, Jesse, they've been together, and are dealing with adult stuff like college, student loans, and jobs. They recently got engaged, and are planning their wedding. Unfortunately, just as life is becoming perfect for them, a spanner is thrown into the works, namely Paul Slater. I'm sure most of you disliked him as much as I did in the original series, and now he's trying to split up Suze and Jesse by demolishing the house they met in, and was the main setting of their whole ghostly/mediator relationship. To top it off, there's a new NCDP (Non-Compliant Deceased Person) haunting a student at Suze's new place of work - her old school.
I loved being back in Suze's head again! She was exactly as I remembered her, and it made me feel so nostalgic. She's still the sassy, feisty Suze we all know and love. Her being able to see dead people, and the problems that brings still bothers her, though she wants to do as much as she can to help the ghostly spirits, especially when this one is a little kid.
I enjoyed the plot and mystery surrounding the ghost, Lucia, and why she is haunting the student. That whole arc was very enjoyable, especially when it came out in little drips and drabs - it wasn't a whole info dump on the whole situation.
However, there were problems in this book. Jesse, as swoony as he is, and I will always love him, was a little too much. Even though he knew how bad ass Suze is, he still wanted to protect her and keep her wrapped up in cotton wool. No, she has to deal with Lucia and all that herself. Other than that, their relationship was perfect, and I loved the ending of the book so much!
Secondly, why on earth did Paul Slater have to come back? He basically blackmails Suze and tries to force her into cheating on Jesse just so he won't go all demon on everyone. Paul knows Suze would never be with him of her own volition, but that doesn't bother him. Well, it bothered me, and was the main reason why the rating is only a 4. I know the book needed some angst, but the whole cheating situation really got to me.
Even though there were these issues, I still enjoyed the book so much! I will always love this series, and I'm really glad Cabot decided to return to it. The characters (except Paul) were as lovely as they always had been, and I was hooked with the various story arcs playing out. I'm guessing there probably won't be an eighth instalment, with how it ended, but I would definitely read it if there was. I'd recommend the book to those who loved the original series, and I hope the little bits I didn't like won't put you off.
Shelved as 'dnf-on-hold'
December 16, 2018Time to DNF this one for now. I will get back to it eventually as I reread the whole original series this year just so I could read this new addition, which ended up being (for the about 30% I've read) an annoying dissapointment.
I'm not the biggest fan of Mediator series in the first place, but it had its fun moments and as far as paranormal books from that time go (2005 I think), it was pretty awesome in comparison.
This one though, I could not stand Suze in this one. Jesse seemed slightly out of character in some situations here. Especially as he got kind of overprotective in some situations, which doesn't fit in with his character from the original, who always tried to protect Suze, but never once became overbearing in any way. I just don't get it. I'm not enjoying it right now, I don't like the MC, and I'm not liking the romance here all that much either.
I'm not the biggest fan of Mediator series in the first place, but it had its fun moments and as far as paranormal books from that time go (2005 I think), it was pretty awesome in comparison.
This one though, I could not stand Suze in this one. Jesse seemed slightly out of character in some situations here. Especially as he got kind of overprotective in some situations, which doesn't fit in with his character from the original, who always tried to protect Suze, but never once became overbearing in any way. I just don't get it. I'm not enjoying it right now, I don't like the MC, and I'm not liking the romance here all that much either.
October 23, 2016
WTF?!? WHO ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE RATING THIS BOOK 5 STARS???
I have only made it through chapter two and I'm already so...angry and disgusted and yet simultaneously bored with it that I can't continue. I feel like my love for Suze and Jesse and the original six books in the Mediator series have been forever sullied by this garbage.
Some of the things that pissed me off:
But hey, apparently lots of people disagree with me and love, love, love this book. So, I dunno, if you loved the original series, give this one a try? Maybe I'm just weird in having expected six years to have made a difference in these characters' lives and twelve years to have made a difference in Meg Cabot's writing, in a good way.
Either way, I'm going to stop here and pretend this one doesn't exist and attempt to keep the memory and my enjoyment of the first six books alive instead.
I have only made it through chapter two and I'm already so...angry and disgusted and yet simultaneously bored with it that I can't continue. I feel like my love for Suze and Jesse and the original six books in the Mediator series have been forever sullied by this garbage.
Some of the things that pissed me off:
But hey, apparently lots of people disagree with me and love, love, love this book. So, I dunno, if you loved the original series, give this one a try? Maybe I'm just weird in having expected six years to have made a difference in these characters' lives and twelve years to have made a difference in Meg Cabot's writing, in a good way.
Either way, I'm going to stop here and pretend this one doesn't exist and attempt to keep the memory and my enjoyment of the first six books alive instead.
March 9, 2018
Opinião em português: http://pepitamagica.blogspot.pt/2016/...
Full review: http://pepitamagica.blogspot.pt/2016/...
You know those books that, not being extraordinary, become some of our favourites? The Mediator series is, for me, a series of those books.
And a long time ago I had resigned myself to the six books that the author had written, always with the conviction (for she assured) that there would no longer be any more books of this series. Now imagine my surprise when, after 12 years (I did my waiting! 12 years of it! – forgive me, I couldn’t resist), I find that Meg Cabot decided to write a seventh book. I didn’t hesitate and from the moment I had it in my hands, I started reading it.
(...)
This next part may not be the most suitable thing to write in a review, but I know you’ll forgive me for my enthusiasm (it’s not every day that you get a new book from one of your favourite series). You know those mad crushes you have on a character? Well, I think a lot of this series’ readers had a crush on Jesse. With his Hispanic look, his thick black hair, his eyebrow with a scar that he lifted every time Suze said/done something that he thought it was strange, the way he said her name (always Susannah), and how he called her “querida”, with his lovely accent…oh my.
(...)
In this seventh book, we find Suze and Jesse as adults, or at least as young adults. Suze is working in her old school, while studying to become a school counsellor – after dealing with so many problematic ghosts, she thought that it would be a good idea to put her mediator skills working for the living. Jesse…well…if you haven’t read the sixth book everything I might next could be a huge spoiler, so, for now, I’ll just say that everything is fine with Jesse and that he and Suze are together.
The problems start when Paul Slater, Suze and Jesse’s common enemy, shows up. He sends Suze an email saying that he bought her old house (the one where she and Jesse had met – a XIX century house with a framed bullet hole). And this is important because Paul warns Suze (is it really a warning?) that if the house where Jesse died is demolished, the shadows that are currently inside Jesse, will get out and…well, bad things would happen and it would destroy the couple’s happiness.
(...)
I really liked seeing Suze’s half-brothers again, but I was kind of sad to see that she no longer thought of them as Sleepy, Doc and Dopey. Doc, I mean David, was and always will be my favourite: the red head boy, the friend, the younger brother, the most clever and smart of the Ackarman boys, he was the only one who knew something about who Suze really was and what she did.
(...)
I was sad to see that Father Dominic, another mediator and the dean of the school were Suze worked, showed up very few times in the book. I always liked him and the way he almost clashed amicably with Suze’s approach to the ghostly problem that appeared in their lives.
My greatest sorrow reading this book was, probably, seeing what Jesse had become. The friendly ghost who was an advocate for everyone (humans and ghosts), is now cold and distant. I get that him being born in the XIX century made his behavior different, particularly regarding women, but considering that as a ghost he always tried to see the best in people, and act accordingly, I definitely did not like seeing him always thinking the worst about everyone and how ghosts are evil and how they ALL want to hurt his precious Suze, not wanting to give them a single chance – why Meg, why?
(...)
I know I’m not talking a lot about the book, but the worst thing I could do would be to tell you the story and ruin it (actually, I think it would ruin the whole series). So, I’ll end this review very quickly.
It was definitely a book that brought up good memories, a book whose writing I recognized and cherished, with characters that are very dear to me and problems that mirrored the previous books but in a more adult way. The story, as always, was very easy to read, with a fast pace. In short, it was a book that I quite enjoyed (and that I hadn’t REALLY thought that would ever be published), and maybe because I really, really like this series, the final score is a bit higher than maybe it should be.
Full review: http://pepitamagica.blogspot.pt/2016/...
You know those books that, not being extraordinary, become some of our favourites? The Mediator series is, for me, a series of those books.
And a long time ago I had resigned myself to the six books that the author had written, always with the conviction (for she assured) that there would no longer be any more books of this series. Now imagine my surprise when, after 12 years (I did my waiting! 12 years of it! – forgive me, I couldn’t resist), I find that Meg Cabot decided to write a seventh book. I didn’t hesitate and from the moment I had it in my hands, I started reading it.
(...)
This next part may not be the most suitable thing to write in a review, but I know you’ll forgive me for my enthusiasm (it’s not every day that you get a new book from one of your favourite series). You know those mad crushes you have on a character? Well, I think a lot of this series’ readers had a crush on Jesse. With his Hispanic look, his thick black hair, his eyebrow with a scar that he lifted every time Suze said/done something that he thought it was strange, the way he said her name (always Susannah), and how he called her “querida”, with his lovely accent…oh my.
(...)
In this seventh book, we find Suze and Jesse as adults, or at least as young adults. Suze is working in her old school, while studying to become a school counsellor – after dealing with so many problematic ghosts, she thought that it would be a good idea to put her mediator skills working for the living. Jesse…well…if you haven’t read the sixth book everything I might next could be a huge spoiler, so, for now, I’ll just say that everything is fine with Jesse and that he and Suze are together.
The problems start when Paul Slater, Suze and Jesse’s common enemy, shows up. He sends Suze an email saying that he bought her old house (the one where she and Jesse had met – a XIX century house with a framed bullet hole). And this is important because Paul warns Suze (is it really a warning?) that if the house where Jesse died is demolished, the shadows that are currently inside Jesse, will get out and…well, bad things would happen and it would destroy the couple’s happiness.
(...)
I really liked seeing Suze’s half-brothers again, but I was kind of sad to see that she no longer thought of them as Sleepy, Doc and Dopey. Doc, I mean David, was and always will be my favourite: the red head boy, the friend, the younger brother, the most clever and smart of the Ackarman boys, he was the only one who knew something about who Suze really was and what she did.
(...)
I was sad to see that Father Dominic, another mediator and the dean of the school were Suze worked, showed up very few times in the book. I always liked him and the way he almost clashed amicably with Suze’s approach to the ghostly problem that appeared in their lives.
My greatest sorrow reading this book was, probably, seeing what Jesse had become. The friendly ghost who was an advocate for everyone (humans and ghosts), is now cold and distant. I get that him being born in the XIX century made his behavior different, particularly regarding women, but considering that as a ghost he always tried to see the best in people, and act accordingly, I definitely did not like seeing him always thinking the worst about everyone and how ghosts are evil and how they ALL want to hurt his precious Suze, not wanting to give them a single chance – why Meg, why?
(...)
I know I’m not talking a lot about the book, but the worst thing I could do would be to tell you the story and ruin it (actually, I think it would ruin the whole series). So, I’ll end this review very quickly.
It was definitely a book that brought up good memories, a book whose writing I recognized and cherished, with characters that are very dear to me and problems that mirrored the previous books but in a more adult way. The story, as always, was very easy to read, with a fast pace. In short, it was a book that I quite enjoyed (and that I hadn’t REALLY thought that would ever be published), and maybe because I really, really like this series, the final score is a bit higher than maybe it should be.
March 2, 2016
This is the 7th book in The Mediator series by Meg Cabot and a long awaited conclusion as the first six were released over 10 years ago! I was first introduced to this series back in high school and Jesse and Suze were my obsession. I also reread the first six books last year to re-immerse myself in the life of a mediator and then straight after, this book was announced, I couldn't have got the timing any better!
Suze was as witty and impressive as ever and the usual characters were involved with the storyline. I loved that Suze is working at her old school as a guidance counsellor and she comes across a ghost who is protecting a student called Becca. Her story was heartbreaking and thought provoking. Lucia was scary at first but you really got to see how she reacted to different actions like any normal angry child. However, the only action we see is from Lucia and her killer chose the cop out in the finale anyway which was underwhelming in my opinion.
Jesse was as protective and gorgeous as ever, we really got to know him in this book and how he and Suze worried about each other was very sweet yet humorous. I love that his job is so worthwhile and he had to work hard for where he is at today. He really respected Suze and stood up for her when needed. The ending was sweet and I loved how all of the characters got their happy ending.
I highly recommend this series for a reader of any age! This may be a series aimed at young adults but Suze's sarcasm and the paranormal element really make this a enjoyable read whether you are 12 or 20!
I'm so rusty with reviews, this one really sucks sorry guys.
Suze was as witty and impressive as ever and the usual characters were involved with the storyline. I loved that Suze is working at her old school as a guidance counsellor and she comes across a ghost who is protecting a student called Becca. Her story was heartbreaking and thought provoking. Lucia was scary at first but you really got to see how she reacted to different actions like any normal angry child. However, the only action we see is from Lucia and her killer chose the cop out in the finale anyway which was underwhelming in my opinion.
Jesse was as protective and gorgeous as ever, we really got to know him in this book and how he and Suze worried about each other was very sweet yet humorous. I love that his job is so worthwhile and he had to work hard for where he is at today. He really respected Suze and stood up for her when needed. The ending was sweet and I loved how all of the characters got their happy ending.
I highly recommend this series for a reader of any age! This may be a series aimed at young adults but Suze's sarcasm and the paranormal element really make this a enjoyable read whether you are 12 or 20!
May 7, 2016
Anyone else really disappointed and underwhelmed by this book? I loved loved loved the mediator series when I was a preteen. I had so much excitement I put on hold so many of my to-reads for this, and it was just bleh :/ the mystery wasn't much of a mystery, it was messily slotted into the book with another plot line, the Paul Slater "bargain", which I have to say was really.....cheap. That's the only word I can think of to describe it now. Cheap for Suze and us readers :/ it also felt so unconvincing to me that such a "bargain" could even arise in any adult mind, let alone become the central storyline of a mystery romance novel. *sighs* one good thing about this book was the epic love between Suze and Jesse that clearly will never get questioned. Makes me wanna re-read the whole series again :)
April 3, 2016
Literally. Gasping. For. Breathe. Right. Now.
It’s not right that as a grown woman, I am bouncing on my bed and squealing at the prospect of getting reacquainted with the sexy Jesse De Silva but what can I say? He was the man/ghost of my dreams as a young innocent teen. Clearly, I haven’t grown up as much as I hoped!
OMG…just occurred to me that this is now an adult book sooo does that mean there will be some smexy time featuring a Dr Jesse in a lab coat?
I think I just fainted.
It’s not right that as a grown woman, I am bouncing on my bed and squealing at the prospect of getting reacquainted with the sexy Jesse De Silva but what can I say? He was the man/ghost of my dreams as a young innocent teen. Clearly, I haven’t grown up as much as I hoped!
OMG…just occurred to me that this is now an adult book sooo does that mean there will be some smexy time featuring a Dr Jesse in a lab coat?
I think I just fainted.
January 21, 2021
Re-Read 12/30/20: I can't even tell you how excited I was when this came out! The Mediator series is my absolute favorite series from pre-teenhood. Whenever I was home sick from school, I would challenge myself to re-read all 6 books. I think I've read them each about 10 times at this point.
I see this book get a lot of criticism, but I think it is perfectly in the spirit (pun intended) of the original 6. Suze and Jesse have character flaws that grew up with them. The plots are always a little far-fetched, and these hijinks scaled up with age, too. It was refreshing to see these beloved characters in a new light and the story held the same magic as the originals for me.
I see this book get a lot of criticism, but I think it is perfectly in the spirit (pun intended) of the original 6. Suze and Jesse have character flaws that grew up with them. The plots are always a little far-fetched, and these hijinks scaled up with age, too. It was refreshing to see these beloved characters in a new light and the story held the same magic as the originals for me.
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