Título em Português: -- Série: Abandon #1 Autor(a): Meg Cabot Editora: Macmillan Children's Books Páginas: 304 Data de Publicação: 1 de Maio de 2011
Sinopse:
Last year Pierce died, just for a moment. And when she was in the space between life and death, she met John: tall dark and terrifying. There's a fierce attraction between them, but Pierce knows that if she allows herself to fall for John she will be doomed to a life of shadows and loneliness in the underworld.
Opinião:
Este livro é estranho. É a impressão com que fiquei, e não estranho no melhor dos sentidos.
É suposto ser de algum modo semelhante à história de Perséfone e Hades (cuja única semelhança, para mim, foi o final do livro), mas tirando a conversa com o senhor que gere o cemitério e gosta muito de aprender sobre divindades ligadas à morte, ao submundo, etc, pouco ou nada há de sugestivo no livro que nos leve a pensar na história dos dois deuses.
Para dizer a verdade, muito pouco ou nada acontece no livro...para tristeza minha. A Meg Cabot é das minhas autoras favoritas de YA e eu tinha altas expectativas para este livro e ficou muito aquém. Não posso dizer que foi um livro mau mas simplesmente foi um livro onde não aconteceu nada e o pouco que aconteceu foi estranho.
Sei que é uma crítica curta, mas num livro onde pouco ou nada acontece, é difícil dizer muito mais, excepto que dado que já tenho os últimos livros da série, os vou ler porque sempre quero ver se melhora qualquer coisa.
Title: Abandon Serie: Underworld #1 Author: Meg Cabot Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books Pages: 304 Publication date: May 1st 2011
Synopsis:
Last year Pierce died, just for a moment. And when she was in the space between life and death, she met John: tall dark and terrifying. There's a fierce attraction between them, but Pierce knows that if she allows herself to fall for John she will be doomed to a life of shadows and loneliness in the underworld.
Review:
This book is weird. That’s the feeling that’s left in me after reading it, and not in the best sense of the word.
Apparently this story is supposed to be similar to the myth of Persephone and Hades. The only resemblance whatsoever is the end of the book. Apart from a conversation between the cemetery sexton and the main character, Pierce, about dead deities, gods linked with death and the underworld, almost nothing throughout the book makes us think of a kind of resemblance with the myth.
To be completely honest, not much happens in the book…sadly. Meg Cabot is one of my favourite YA authors and I had high expectations for this book and it just fell short. I can’t exactly say it was a bad book, it wasn’t, it didn’t have a lot of content plot wise, it was just…weird.
I know this is quite a short review, but in a book that nearly nothing happens, it’s hard to say more. I do have the last two books of this series so I am going to read them and hopefully it will improve.
Título em Português: -- Série: The Mediator #7 Autor(a): Meg Cabot Editora: William Morrow Paperbacks Páginas: 400 Data de Publicação: 2 de Fevereiro de 2016
Sinopse:
Fifteen years after the release of the first Mediator novel, #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot returns with a deliciously sexy new entry to a fan-favorite series. Suze Simon—all grown up and engaged to her once-ghostly soulmate—faces a vengeful spirit and an old enemy bent on ending Suze's wedded bliss before it begins. 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. 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? What happens when old ghosts come back to haunt you? If you’re a mediator, you might have to kick a little ass.
Opinião:
Sabem aqueles livros que, não sendo nada de extraordinários, se tornam dos nossos favoritos? A série Mediator é, para mim, um conjunto de livros desse género.
E há muito tempo que já me tinha resignado aos seis livros que a autora tinha escrito, sempre com a convicção (por ela assegurada) de que não iria existir mais nenhum livro. Ora, imaginem a minha surpresa quando, ao abrir uma das suas newsletters, descubro que a Meg Cabot decidiu, ao fim de 12 anos de fãs a pedirem (implorarem talvez seja a palavra certa) por mais um livro, que a série iria ter um sétimo livro! Não hesitei e assim que o tive em mãos comecei a lê-lo.
A série Mediator é sobre uma medidadora, Susannah Simon, e as suas aventuras em Carmel by the Sea. Começamos a série com Suze a mudar-se, com a mãe, para a sua nova casa na Califórnia. Suze não gosta de casas antigas, por isso quando vê a sua nova casa, não fica particularmente entusiasmada. Isto porque Suze pensou logo que haveria algum fantasma por ali a precisar de ser “mediado” – ou seja, a precisar de sair deste plano para…a luz ou o que quer que seja que existisse depois se serem espectros. É nestas circunstâncias que Suze conhece Hector “Jesse” De Silva, o actual morador do banco de janela do quarto de Suze.
Isto talvez não seja o mais indicado para pôr numa crítica, mas eu sei que me vão perdoar pelo meu entusiasmo (não é todos os dias que se consegue um novo livro de uma das nossas séries favoritas): sabem aquelas paixonetas fantásticas que temos por personagens? Acho que muitxs jovens devem ter tido, como eu uma paixoneta pelo Jesse. Com o seu ar hispânico, o seu cabelo preto, a sua sobrancelha com uma pequena cicatriz que se levantava sempre que Suze dizia algo que lhe era estranho, a maneira como dizia o nome de Suze (para ele era sempre Susannah) e como lhe chamava “querida” (ponham aqui um sotaque hispânico)..ai ai.
Suze não tenta fazer exactamente a mediação a Jesse, porque se sente bem com ele (e atraída por ele). Ele torna-se o seu “parceiro no crime”, ou seja, ele começa a acompanhá-la nas suas aventuras nas quais lida com fantasmas de todos os tipos.
Eu sei que estou a fazer um enquadramento grande, mas tendo em conta que este é o sétimo livro e nunca foi falado cá no blog, quero que consigam perceber o que vou comentar a seguir.
Neste sétimo livro, encontramos Suze e Jesse já como adultos, ou pelo menos jovens adultos. Suze está a trabalhar na sua antiga escola, enquanto estuda para ser conselheira escolar – depois de lidar com fantasmas problemáticos, há que por as suas capacidades de mediação a trabalhar. Jesse…bem…se não tiverem lido o último livro tudo será um spoiler enorme… Por enquanto vou dizer que Jesse está muito bem e e ele e Suze estão juntos.
Os problemas começam quando Paul Slater, um inimigo comum de Suze e Jesse, volta a entrar em cena (depois de desaparecido durante uns tempos), ao mandar um mail a Suze a dizer que comprou a antiga casa dela (aquela onde ela e Jesse se conheceram – uma casa do século XIX com um buraco de bala emoldurado). E isto é importante porque Paul avisa Suze (será que é mesmo um aviso?) que se a casa onde Jesse morreu for demolida enquanto ele está no seu corrente estado, as sombras do seu interior vão-se libertar e..bem, coisas más iriam acontecer e destruir a felicidade do casal.
Suze, ao fim deste tempo todo, ainda não aprendeu que mentir ao Jesse não é uma boa ideia – ainda que eu perceba que a relação entre Paul e Jesse é, no mínimo, problemática. Se não tivesse mentido, provavelmente metade do que aconteceu não teria acontecido.
Enquanto está a trabalhar, Suze conhece uma jovem aluna que tem consigo uma menina-fantasma (mas não o sabe). A criança quer, acima de tudo, proteger a amiga e acaba por não lidar da melhor forma com o que Suze faz (ou tenta fazer).
Gostei muito de rever os meios-irmãos de Suze, mas tive pena que na cabeaça dela eles já não fossem o Soneca, o Mestre e o Dunga. O Mestre, isto é, o David, sempre foi e sempre será o meu favorito – o ruivinho, o amigo, o mais novo e mais inteligente e estudioso dos irmãos Ackarman, é o único que sabia parcialmente do talento de Suze, e foi com a ajuda dele que ela se livrou de algumas alhadas. Neste livro, David é capaz de não fazer, talvez, uma das suas melhores decisões, mas nós perdoamo-lo porque sabemos que ele só estava preocupado com a Suze e o Jesse.
Tive pena que o Padre Dominic, outro mediador e o reitor da escola onde Suze trabalha, acabasse por aparecer tão pouco no livro, sempre gostei dele e da maneira como ele chocava, amigavelmente, com a abordagem de Suze aos problemas que iam aparecendo.
A minha maior tristeza foi, provavelmente, ver aquilo em que o Jesse se tornou. O fantasma que era um defensor de todos (humanos no plano físico ou fantasmas) tornou-se mais frio e distante. Eu percebo que tendo nascido no século XIX o seu comportamento continue a espelhar o que ele aprendeu sobre como lidar, principalmente, com mulheres, mas tendo em conta que enquanto fantasma ele era a favor de tentar agir sempre da melhor forma, nos dias que correm, ele pensa primeiro que os fantasmas são maus e vão magoar a sua preciosa Suze, não querendo dar-lhes qualquer oportunidade – porquê Meg, porquê?
Ele vai melhorando à medida que vai conhecendo os fantasmas em causa, mas o facto de precisar de conhecer MUITO bem um fantasma para tentar (só precisava de tentar) perceber as suas intenções e problemas, mexeu comigo e não da melhor maneira.
Eu sei que não estou a dizer muito sobre o livro, mas a pior coisa que podia fazer era contar a história toda e estragá-la para quem a quiser ler. Por isso vou terminar muito brevemente esta crítica.
Foi um livro que me trouxe boas memórias, cuja escrita eu tão facilmente reconheci e acarinho, com personagens que me são muito queridas e problemas que espelham os livros anteriores de estilo mais juvenil, com um toque de problemas da vida adulta, com uma história que agrada e que se lê com muita facilidade. Resumindo, foi um livro do qual gostei bastante, e talvez o facto de gostar tanto desta série e ter esperado tanto tempo por mais um livro (que, sinceramente, nunca pensei que viesse MESMO a existir) faça com que lhe dê uma pontuação alta e que, talvez seja um pouco exagerada.
Title: Remembrance Serie: The Mediator #7 Author: Meg Cabot Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks Pages: 400 Publication date: February 2nd 2016
Synopsis:
Fifteen years after the release of the first Mediator novel, #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot returns with a deliciously sexy new entry to a fan-favorite series. Suze Simon—all grown up and engaged to her once-ghostly soulmate—faces a vengeful spirit and an old enemy bent on ending Suze's wedded bliss before it begins. 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. 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? What happens when old ghosts come back to haunt you? If you’re a mediator, you might have to kick a little ass.
Review:
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.
The Mediator series is, obviously, about a mediator, Susannah Simon, and her adventures in Carmel by the Sea. The series starts with Suze moving, with her mother, to their new home in California. Suze doesn’t like old houses, so when she sees how old her new home is, she’s not particularly happy. Why? Because Suze immediately starts to think that there may be a ghost somewhere in the house in need of mediation – which means, in need of leaving the spiritual plan where they are connected to the physical world to go to the light…or wherever it is spirits go to when they leave. It’s in these circumstances that Suze meets Hector “Jesse” De Silva: the current tenant of her bedroom window seat.
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.
Suze doesn’t exactly try to mediate Jesse because she likes him and feels very comfortable around him (and attracted to him). He becomes her “partner in crime”, which means that he helps her deal with the ghosts that show up in her life.
I know I’m taking some time to set the mood, so to speak, but considering that this is the seventh book in the series and it has never been mentioned in our blog, I really wanted you to understand what I’m going to say next.
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.
Suze, after all this time, hasn’t learned that keeping secrets from Jesse is not a good idea – although I know that Paul and Jesse’s relationship is, at the very least, problematic. If she hadn’t lied, probably half of what happened throughout the book would not have happened.
While she’s working, Suze meets a student who has a small girl-ghost attached to her (and she doesn’t know it). The child wants, above all, to protect her friend and ends up not dealing with Suze in the best way possible.
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. Because of that, he was the one who sometimes was able to help her when she got herself in trouble (even though he was only a kid). In this book, David may not have made the best decisions, but the ones he made were only trying to protect Suze and Jesse.
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?
He gets better as the book goes on, as he meets the new ghosts, but the fact that he needed A LOT of time to see a ghost as not necessarily bad (and he only had to try) was just… a bad thing for me, I did not like it.
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.
