Shadowland

Written by Meg Cabot

Narrated by Johanna Parker

Meg Cabot is the New York Times best-selling author of The Princess Diaries series. Susannah Simon is a teenager who can see ghosts. As a bridge between the living and the dead, she gets called on to help ghosts take care of unfinished business. After she and her mother move from New York City to sunny California, Suze meets the sexiest boy she's ever seen -too bad he's a ghost, too.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 11, 2008
• ISBN: 9781440781612

Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers All-American Girl and The Princess Diaries books, two of which have been made into major motion pictures by Disney. She is also the author of The Mediator series, the Airhead series, and many books for adults. She currently divides her time between Key West and New York City with her husband and multiple rescue cats. Find out more at MegCabot.com. 

Reviews for Shadowland

[mutantpudding · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I loved this series as a teenager and still have an appreciation for it as an adult but it is very clear I am no longer in the target audience. It's a fun read and I've got some nostalgic feelings for it but tbh if I read this for the first time now at 30 I would probably hate it.

[whitewavedarling · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was so confident I'd enjoy this book, I bought the first two books in the series at once. I'm sorry to say I wasted my money, and absolutely would not recommend this series.There are two big issues. The first and simplest is derogatory language. For a young adult book published in 2004 and reprinted multiple times sense, this book has a disturbing amount of casual homophobia/'gay jokes' and, to a lesser extent, fat-shaming and bullying. The fact that the jokes/comments are made casually as asides, are clearly meant to add humor, and come from characters who are supposed to be sympathetic... well, I don't have any patience for it. If I had read this when I was a teen, in the late 90s, I'm not sure I would have noticed the fat-shaming or bullying for what they are, vs. them just being elements that make the main character unlikeable for me, but I know the homophobic comments would have bothered me even then, when CWs and a lot of the more contemporary PC discussions re. literature were far off my radar. Now, reading the book in 2021, the casual comments made me both unable to like the main character, but outright annoyed that the comments and jokes slipped through as they did and haven't ever been corrected.But beyond the offensive jokes, the book also has story problems, primarily around character consistency. What it comes down to is that all of the details simply don't add up. We're told that she's been a mediator since she was two and has a ton of experience...but, to be blunt, she doesn't act like it. This isn't just a matter of her boasting to others and the reader, and being a little bit full of herself--that makes her less likeable, certainly, but in making her choices and interacting with ghosts and others who can see them, she literally doesn't act like she has the experience which we're told she does, either in her decision-making or her language. To avoid giving away any spoilers, just one small for-instance of this is in the fact that she approaches ghosts herself, when she could just as easily ignore them and says that's what she'd prefer (repeatedly), and she also seems annoyed/frustrated/confused when a centuries-old ghost doesn't understand her use of contemporary idioms. Someone accustomed to talking to ghosts, as she'd professed, would know that and be used to avoiding them, especially when it comes to idioms that would be in common use for a conversation between her and a ghost (idioms centered on death & dying, in other words). Yet, she really acts like it's her first time talking to a ghost. And supposedly she's never been a popular girl...but she sure acts like she was/is and is used to it.Add all this to the coincidences, the unbelievable turns in plot, and the mean-girl behavior that even comes from the protagonist....? It's a big no for me.I'm not entirely sure how readers made this such a popular series or found ways to sympathize with the main character, honestly. For the most part, I wavered between finding her unlikeable and unbelievable, if not outright annoying and unrealistic. I actually thought about DNFing the book, but because I was curious about how one element would be wrapped up in the plot, I decided to read this one to the end. That sequel that I bought, however, will not be read, and I can't see myself wasting my time on this author's books again, much as I dislike saying that.No, I would not recommend this book.

[periodista_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Certainly not my demographic or genre. But perfect for killing time pre, during and after 3-hour air flight. Finished it on my way home on the subway. The kind of thing you find among the few readable foreign-language books you might find in a Chinese boutique hotel. A little bit Twilight series, a little bit Mean Girls, a little bit Hunger Games--the latter in the sense of a confident kick-ass central female character. (If this isn't a streaming/movie series yet, I volunteer to write the screenplay. Some repetitive material that could be cut). Would I want to follow her to further installments in the series? Ehh ... maybe, if Suze doesn't keep up with the reflexive lying (to the only other mediator she knows, her school principal) and engages in some character development. More important, of course, is that tween girls would be eager to follow along.Set at the dawn of the internet era, how does it age? OK. Not much in the way of dated language. Cabot pays close attention to that: characters don't even say "cool."

[tldegray-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After her mom marries her second husband Andy, Suze moves from New York to California to live with mom, Andy, and her three new stepbrothers, Sleepy, Dopey, and Doc. (I have stepsiblings, that cracked me right up.) She's leaving behind her best friend Gina, but she'll still have visits from the ghost of her dead dad and all the new ghosts she might find, including the one living in her new bedroom. Suze sees dead people. She's a mediator and it's her job to help them find out why they haven't moved on and fix whatever problem there is. Suze gets in trouble a lot because sometimes her "job" calls for a little breaking and entering.

The new school isn't so bad. She's at Junipero Serra High School (alma mater of Tom Brady!) and her new principal--Father Dom--is a mediator like her, the first one she's ever met. Father Dom thinks talking to ghosts and filling them with love and understanding is the way while Suze realizes that since she can touch ghosts she's te one who's called upon to give a swift kick to some ghost ass when called for. And it's called for when the ghost of a girl who killed herself wants to kill a boy, Suze, and eventually take out the entire school.

[polywogg · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

PLOT OR PREMISE:Susannah is a mediator, a la Sixth Sense, helping ghosts resolve their earthly problems so they can depart. She lived a life of adventure and school problems in New York, hung out with her visiting dead father's ghost, and got in trouble with the law. Then Mom married a guy from California and they moved in with the new family -- new stepdad and three new stepbrothers. And her first day of school? She finds out that her school's principal, a priest, is also a mediator. She's not alone! Ever!.WHAT I LIKED:The introduction of a character who gets to physically interact with ghosts is great, and the introduction of Susannah to the ghost Jesse who has been haunting her new bedroom for the last 150 years is actually funny. There are lots of humourous bits as she moves into the new school, and meets the resident bully -- a rejected popular girl who committed suicide over a boy, and now wants to exact revenge on him..WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:Some of the clichés used around the vengeful ghost are a bit much, and the constant injuries to various people while she skates uninjured is rather exaggerated..BOTTOM-LINE:She sees dead people.DISCLOSURE:I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow her on social media.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well, this book certainly isn't dull. In fact it is quite humorous, with a touch of romance, and lots of paranormal action. I really liked Susannah (Suze) the protagonist. Having been a mediator since the age of two, she is well aware of her capabilities, and is a tough, no nonsense sort of girl who isn't afraid to tackle angry ghosts refusing to 'cross-over'. There are other great characters throughout the book including Suze's young step-brother, Doc, and the principal of her new school, Father Dom. Jesse, the ghost living in Suze's bedroom, is also rather a cutie. This is a quick-paced, entertaining read for younger teens.

[a_reader_of_fictions · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For more reviews, gifs, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.So Gillian (Writer of Wrongs) and I decided that a reread of this series was totally necessary to life happiness. The Mediator series was my favorite of Meg Cabot’s stuff back in the day, and I love revisiting old favorites. Though I don’t have time to binge, they are fun, fast reads and will totally prevent slumping with their awesome. In some ways, Shadowland wasn’t as good as I remembered, but mostly it was still totally bitching and I loved it.Meg Cabot brings the humor like few people can. She is at her best when she’s being totally silly and going for pure entertainment. The Mediator series actually blends in some dark paranormal stuff, but the overall tone remains hilarity. Suze is a Mediator, which means she can see dead people Haley Joel Osment style and talk them to the next life or whatever. Only her dead people don’t look like they did when they died with bullet holes or whatever; they look nice, because hello we’re trying to have fun here.Susannah Simon is wonderful. The reason I loved these books so much is in large part due to her. She’s kind of a bitch, but in the best way. Nobody messes with Suze without getting punched in the face or told off, depending on her mood at any given time. Basically, Suze defends herself and also other people. She is not someone to stand by and watch bullying happen. Also, she comes up with hilarious names for people, like her new step-brothers, who she calls Sleepy, Dopey, and Doc.So far, Doc is the most interesting of Suze’s family members. He’s the youngest son of her mom’s new husband, and he is a genius. Doc (David) is adorably awkward, constantly feeling the need to unload his knowledge on people. That could be annoying, but he also really cares and is so sweet to Suze. Sleepy (Jake) shows hints of becoming the awesome character I think I remember him being later, but mostly he lives up to his name. Dopey’s the worst. The parents are nice, but not all that much part of the story yet. I do like how the step-family is shown in a good light, with no real drama.Also, Jesse de Silva. I’d forgotten how relatively minor his role was in this first book. He’s fabulous of course, but he’s not really shining yet. He’s this super hot ghost living in her room of the family’s old house. He is a bit overly interested in her too quickly, but I also feel like he was probably really bored and astounded to find someone who could see and touch him, so I get it.Shadowland is hilariously dated. Like, Susannah discusses things like second phone lines and looking up phone numbers in her date book. The slang is all over the place and quite frequent. Some of it is in line with 2000 when the book came out, and some things like “hosed” are ones I’ve only heard people of my parent’s generation say. But, whatever, it’s hilarious. Also hilarious is when Suze asked Doc if their school had computers. We had a computer lab and computers in the library at my public elementary school back in the early 90s, so I’m pretty confident that in 2000 an expensive private school would definitely have them. Pretty much any school anywhere would.If you need something light that will make you laugh, you cannot go wrong with an old school Meg Cabot novel. This is a universally acknowledged truth, y’all.

[pamzaragoza · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It was a nice book. It has a light plot but the what the characters are presented are great! Well, who can't not like Jesse right?

[kelseykko · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This series was very intriguing the first time I read it, in 8th and 9th grade. Rereading it as an 18 year-old really didn't fascinate me as much. Only books that can be read multiple times and still be amazing get 5 stars.

[kami.hodgins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Plot: Mediator Suze Simon has moved across the country after her mother’s marriage. It is not the new step family that is her problem, though. Rather it is the ghost of the dead (and very attractive) Jesse who haunts her room that is giving her a headache. But Jesse is nothing in comparison to the trouble that Suze soon finds herself in at her new high school.My reaction: I love this book! Suze is feisty and relatable, despite her paranormal tendencies. Cabot’s writing is fresh here, unlike some of her more recently published novels. I can easily picture tween and teen girls devouring this series!Recommended Age Level: 11+Series information: Shadowland is book #1 in the Mediator series which wrapped up with a total of six books.

[akmargie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ah Meg Cabot, like sweet crack to me you are. What's to say, heavy on appeal and light on critical reflection. I would never say brainless but for sure a good, harmless, time.

[princess0starr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Random disclaimer: This is the first Meg Cabot book I ever read (granted, underneath the Jenny Carroll name, I didn’t make the connection until later), so this series does hold a special place in my literary heart. Shadowlands makes for a good entry point and set-up for the next five books—you get enough backstory about what a mediator does and how it’s affected Suze throughout her life. (Although I’m surprised that she never ran into another mediator until she moves to Carmel, but plot-convenient and what occurs later, does make sense.) Suze is an immensely likeable character, snarky without going mean girl and willing to stand up for people no matter what happens. Also, the set-up with her relationship with Jesse does delve into the forbidden love angst, I like how she defines the rules if they’re going to be stuck living together. In short, a paranormal series that’s a massive alternative from the bigger, mainstream series.

[nicola26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was okay, but I wasn't incredibly impressed. I thought it started off pretty good and I thought I would really enjoy it but I got pretty bored of it after a while. Susannah was tolerable at the start but I honestly didn't like her that much as the story went on. She just irritated me and I didn't find her very likable. I liked the premise of the book and I think it showed a lot of promise but to me, the plot just seemed a bit all over the place and jumbled. I also really disliked the fact that Susannah referred to her stepbrothers by both their names and her 'private nicknames' she had for them. It was just confusing, especially since we didn't know the stepbrothers all that well. It was a light and entertaining read though and I am still interested in reading more books in this series.

[tessa13_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I decided to read Shadowland (first book of a series) I was expecting a good book because I had read some of Meg Cabot's other books and I liked them. But when I started reading Shadowland, I could not put it down. It was SO good. I quickly went onto the next book in the series. I think I read the whole Mediator series in one week. It was that good. I recommend this book to everyone.

[spottedhorse23 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Title: ShadowlandAuthor: Meg CabotGenre: FictionPublisher: AvonPublication Date: January 2005Paperback: 284Summary: Suze is a mediator -- a liaison between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won't leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn't seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetery, and surfing instead of spectral visitations.But the very first day at her new school, Suze realizes it's not that easy. There's a ghost with revenge on her mind ... and Suze happens to be in the way.Book Review:I have to say that I devoured this book. Shadowland was another solid book. I often enjoy Meg Cabot's books, and this one was no disappointment. It wasn't one of those deep books though. It's one of those books that you read for fun. Meg Cabot did a decent job at creating the plot and the characters. There wasn't really anything that stood out. I only just got around to reading this book, and it wasn't memorable. I enjoyed it and it was a quick read which was nice. When I was reading it I did get into the story, but once it ended I kinda forgot about it. It's one of those books that are pretty good, and that you like, but doesn't really stick with you. Overall pretty good.Rating: BNotable Quotes:"I'm sorry, Heather, but everything was not just fine before I got here. You know how I know that? Because you're dead. Okay? You are dead. Dead people don't have lockers, or best friends, or boyfriends. You know why? Because they're dead.-Suze Simon" "They just kept grinning at me from over the stupid sign, Dopey becausehe's too dumb to know any better, Doc because – well, I guess because he might have been glad to seeme. Doc's weird that way. Sleepy, the oldest, just stood there, looking … well, sleepy."

[beth123_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Suzie can see ghosts! She moves in with her mums boyfriend and sees a super hot ghost sharing her room. Soon Suzie meets a ghost who is trying to kill her(live) boyfriend,who, just so happens to be the boy Suzie has a crush on!  

[whisper1_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Recommended by Stasia, this is a quick, easy, breezy, fun read. A Young Adult book about a 16 year old New York born and raised girl who, from the age of two, discovered she can communicate with ghosts. As a mediator she assists ghosts transition on to the next life.When her mother remarries and moves to California, Susie's life changes as she adapts to a new school and three new brothers. In her new high school, she encounters a very nasty spirit of a girl who committed suicide. Learning to fit into a new environment while trying to keep the secret of her unique abilities proves to be quite a challenge.If you are looking for a fun read, then take a few well spent hours and relax with this delightful book.

[fayeflame · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Suze is a mediator—a liaison between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won't leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn't seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetery, and surfing instead of spectral visitations. But the very first day at her new school, Suze realizes it's not that easy. There's a ghost with revenge on her mind ... and Suze happens to be in the way.I love Meg Cabot's books, my friends HIGHLY recommended this series to me along with her 1800 series. Anyways i can easily compare Suze to Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy series. Only because of they are both smart asses and they kick asses or something like that.Suze is my second favorite heroine of all time.I love this book because it has just the right amount of action and love in it that it gets to be very addictive. It's Fun and light, this book has a heroine who is strong and doesn't mind kicking some ghost butt once in a while in her job as a mediator. She can see ghosts and her job is to help them resolve the issue that is keeping them on Earth and making them not want to move on.There's mystery and action, there's a budding romance between her and a ghost that haunts her bedroom, Jesse, the challenge of living in a new town with new stepbrothers (3 of them!) and a new stepfather. I would really hate that job ~the mediator~, after i watched the sixth sense, i was like i never want to see a ghost. I mean that's a hard job and she doesn't get paid for it. i get her props!

[kikilon_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Now, I haven't enjoyed paranormal elements ina while. I was over the whole trite thing with the werewolves and the ghost stories and the angsty, angsty vampires. This book is different. For one, it's fun. For another, the fast pacing doesn't leave you breathless. Seriously. Read it. It's light and sweet and cute, and simply fun. Like a new icecream flavour.

[df6b_taylorw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The meadiator was a very good book about this girl who is a mediator. she can talk to the dead ghosts that have to fulfill their purposes to get them to the "other side". The reader will be able to relate to the character as she deals with love and crushes and the harshness of high school as she deals with getting the ghost of a former student to pass on before she kills her ex boyfriend and half the school.

[midnighttwilight10_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot is about a girl that can see ghosts. This becomes a little tricky when she moves from New York to California only to find a gorgeous ghost is already living in her bedroom. Not only does Suze have to deal with Jesse there is another ghost trying to kill people at her school. I loved these books, Suze was so down to earth and Jesse was so crushable.

[fantasia655 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There's a hot guy in Susannah Simon's bedroom. Too bad he's a ghost Suze is a mediator - a liason between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won't leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn't seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetary, and surfing instead of spectral visitations. But the very first day at her new school, Suze realizes it's not that easy. There's a ghost with revenge on her mind..... and Suze happens to be in the way.I really love any of Meg Cabot's books and this is no exception. This was one of the first series I read of her's and I love it so much. I am a stickler for romance and ghosts. :D I mean meeting a hot ghost would be stellar! Don't you think?

[calexis_47 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Have you ever watched the show GHOST WHISPERER, with Jennifer Love Hewitt? It's basically the same idea. A girl who can talk to ghosts and help these souls go into the light. Difference is... in the story, Suze can not only see and talk to them, but touch and kick their butts. It does put an interesting twist on the whole mediator thing.What to say.... the first book in the series isn't like an "OMG... you HAVE to read this." but... it's a "not bad... if you're a fan of Meg Cabot, Ghost Whisperer, butt-kicking heroines, paranormal then read this." As for me, I will be getting the rest of the series because I am.. a fan of Meg Cabot, .. etc. haha.

[irishwasherwoman · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Susannah Simon, better known as Suze, has moved from New York to California to join her mom and her new step family. She has an extraordinary gift - she sees ghosts and talks with them. Suze is really a mediator, a person who helps ghosts get to the other side. As she settles into her new home and school, she is confronted by two very troublesome ghosts; Jesse who is a long "dead" cowboy and Heather who recently committed suicide after her boyfriend, Bryce, broke up with her. Jesse is more of an irritation but Heather is down right dangerous, especially since Bryce takes an interest in Suze. Suze has help with her ghostly pursuits from her school principal, Fr. Dominic, who is also a mediator. The key to this book is the breezy first-person narration.

[willowwaw · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very fun series! Awesome books, quick easy reads, recommend to every teen!

[jrlibrary · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is an enjoyable, fast read. It is book one of a series, and I'm certain that middle school girls will like it. Small profanity warning - the b.... word is used when the female ghost becomes highly antagonized by Susannah Simon, the main character. Suze moves in with her mother, who has remarried Andy Ackerman. Suze's father is dead, but since she can see ghosts, he often visits her, although he doesn't appear in book one. In this book, a girl who has committed suicide is not willing to move on, and when Suze suggests that she needs to do that, the girl, Heather, goes beserk, and almost kills Suze. Meanwhle, Suze gets to know Jesse, the resident, very attractive male ghost who lives in her bedroom.

[bookwhisperer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Young Adult book, very interesting story line. Had to read all of the books one after another. Young girl that has the ability to see ghosts. She actually shares her room with one. This story follows this relationship along a rollercoaster of emotions and problems. Only to find that love with prevail.

[4sarad_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this book quite a lot. Cabot has a way of creating likable characters and combining it with an adequate plot and a fast pace. I finished the book in less than a day and have book two beside me now. A definite home run.

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Suze has just arrived in California from NYC. When she walks into her new room, she sees a handsome ghost sitting by the window. This is nothing new for her, she is a mediator who can see the dead and often needs to convince them to move on and leave this world. She often gets physical with the ghosts if she has too. Things get especially rough with Heather, a girl who committed suicide and has a grudge against her ex-boyfriend. This was a quick read and left me wanting to continue to read the rest of the books in the series.

[librarypenguin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book in the Mediator series. Suze Simon has just moved from New York to California to live with her mother and her new step-father and brothers. She has all the usual concerns of any teenager who is moving to a new town and a few more. Suze can see and talk to ghosts. She is a mediator – someone who can interact with the dead and help them move on to their next life. Although In her new town, Suze is looking forward to spending more time with normal high school activities and less time hanging around graveyards. However, she soon realizes that this is not always possible for a mediator as she is faced with and angry and reckless ghost haunting her new school grounds.I couldn’t help but find similarities with Buffy the Vampire Slayer throughout this book. Those who are running out of Buffy books to turn to might find this series appealing. Although not entirely original, it is a fun read with elements of danger, romance, and average teenage angst. It was a quick and enjoyable read that does not fail to build a likable cast of characters to look forward to in later books.