Meggin Patricia Cabot, better known as Meg Cabot (not to mention the pseudonyms Patricia Cabot and Jenny Carroll) is an American writer, famous for her The Princess Diaries series. She has admitted to having read the all Jane Austen books and being a fan of Clarice Lispector. With degree in Arts from Indiana University, she tried to pursue a career as an illustrator, before have her passion for writing awakened.

Meg has written more than 70 books, among which is the bestselling 11-volume series, The Princess Diaries (2000-2015). In 2013, she released Livro das Princesas (Book of Princesses), in partnership with Brazilian authors Paula Pimenta and Patrícia Barbosa, as well as another American, Lauren Kate.

Shadowland is the first book in a series of 7 volumes – the most recent was released in August 2016, 12 years after the sixth book. They are: The Mediator, The Ninth Key, Reunion, Darkest Hour, Haunted, Twilight and Remembrance. We still don’t know if there will be a sequel or if the seventh volume published was the necessary conclusion, made just to satisfy the fans’ longing.

This first book takes us to the sunny and cheerful city of Carmel, full of palm trees and a breathtaking sea. A city with no room for the leather jacket, ripped jeans, black boots and army backpack of Suzannah Simon. Although she appears to be an ordinary 16-year-old girl, she has kept a secret since she was 2 years old: the ability to see ghosts and also to hit them with punches and kicks (something that can be very useful sometimes).

Our mediator – who helps ghosts find peace and finally rest (which is somewhat reminiscent of the CBS series Ghost Whisperer, 2005-2010) – was taken from her hometown and suddenly had 3 siblings and a stepfather. In addition, she had to make countless other adjustments in her new life, such as a new school – with a principal who is also a mediator – and an out-of-control ghost who wants revenge. Even in the face of all this, she remains uncomplaining, because she wants to see her mother happy.

On the way from the airport to the new house, everything seemed normal, until one of the new siblings told her that the place was over 200 years old. Let’s just say that the girl doesn’t get along very well with old buildings, after all… It usually have “other residents”. Freaking out on the inside and keeping calm on the outside, everything changes when Suze enters her room for the first time and finds a ghost sitting in the armchair that her stepfather had lovingly placed by the window.

This is the first appearance of Jesse (one of the main characters), the ghost who has lived in the house for 150 years and is too beautiful to be dead. He has a charming smile and a strong Spanish accent, so get ready to fall in love with the affectionate nickname “hermosa” and the description of this memorable character.

The character’s personal dilemmas, which are presented in the background, are explored in an interesting way, without losing sight of the main focus of the story – the supernatural part. The work is capable of keeping us hooked until the last minute, not because it is a surprising fiction or has a plot very different from the stories that are presented today, but because of the naturalness with which the author Meg Cabot narrates the facts, the subtlety of the events and the simple language used. These small details make this a great read for those who want to distract themselves.

• This post was originally posted on the website Travessia Cult in 2017. You may check the original post clicking here.

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