#41--Shadowland

Bibliographic Information

Shadowland by Meg Cabot. Avon Books. (2000).

Price: $6.97 for paperback

Pages: 304 for paperback

Plot Summary

Suze is not looking forward to giving up her life in New York City and moving to little Carmel-by-the-Sea in California but she grudgingly agrees to go for her mother’s sake. After Suze’s father died her mother was miserable until she met Andy and married him. Now Suze has a new stepfather, three new stepbrothers, and an entirely new life. Having a fresh start, however, is not so bad. Suze soon makes new friends and even gets asked out on a date by a cute boy. She enjoys the ocean and develops a fondness for David, her youngest stepbrother. But some of the things she wasn’t sorry to leave back in New York follow her all the way to California, namely her ability to communicate and see ghosts. Suze has never appreciated her unusual gift as ghosts, in her experience, are either rude or needy but when Suze finds out that a hot cowboy ghost has taken up residence in her house she realizes her gift isn’t all that bad. Of course there is that ghost intent on murder who haunts Suze’s new school… Clearly Suze needs to reevaluate her opinions on ghosts and fast!

Critical Evaluation

There are many things to like about Shadowland, the main character is a strong, female protagonist with lots of courage and strength of mind, the ghosts are as varied as living people, and the setting is unique. In the Mediator series Cabot creates an intriguing world where a select few can see ghosts while helping them on their way to the afterlife. It is interesting to note that while Cabot skirts around the spiritual she never takes a position on what she personally believes. Instead she includes all sorts of ideas about the afterlife—heaven, hell, purgatory and rebirth—and all sorts of ideas about exorcisms—Roman Catholic and Mecumba. Cabot also chooses not to define the exact role of a mediator. While Father Dominic believes mediators should gently guide ghosts to the afterlife Suze employs more rough and tumble techniques. Because Cabot avoids endorsing either mediators’ methods she ensures that readers will continue on to the next book in the series to see how Suze grows into her role as a mediator.

However, while Cabot creates a fascinating new world populated with a variety of ghosts and a sassy main character, Shadowland is hardly a literary masterpiece. Written in a first person perspective narrative by Suze, the story is littered with slang and colloquialisms. For example, when Suze is talking to Jesse the ghost she says, “Well, listen, the times, you know, they are a-changin’. So what’s your glitch?” Some may be bothered by the novel’s lack of literary merit but it is unrealistic to expect every novel to be a masterpiece. There is merit to beach reads as they are fast to read and usually highly enjoyable. Shadowland is one such novel.

Reader’s Annotation

When Suze moves to California she hopes to avoid seeing ghosts but upon her arrival she meets two—a hot cowboy and a vindictive schoolgirl.

About the Author

A prolific author of more than thirty novels, Meg Cabot is a well-known name in the genre of chick lit. Although she is best known for her Princess Diary series for teens, she has also written for children and adults. She is currently working on Awaken, the third book in the Abandon series.

To learn more about her and her books visit her website here.

Genre

Paranormal fiction, Romance

Readalikes

The Ninth Key by Meg Cabot

·         The sequel to Shadowland

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

·         Also about a girl who can see ghosts and wishes she couldn’t

When Lightning Strikes by Meg Cabot

·         Also about an ordinary girl with special powers

Tags

16 yr old, Carmel-by-the-Sea California, San Francisco Bay Area, ghosts, California missions, Catholic high schools, New York, stepfather, stepbrothers, wrestling, exorcism, cliques, moving, beach read, surfing, priests, private school

Awards Won/Lists On

2002 YALSA Quick Picks for Young Adult Readers

Nominated for the 2009 Popular Paperback for Young Adults

Professional Reviews

Publishers' Weekly
School Library Journal

Booktalk Ideas

New York vs. Carmel

·         Ocean

·         Clean vs. Dirty (p. 8)

·         Calm vs. Confrontational (9)

·         Driving vs. Public transit (12)

Adapt Suze’s Explanation of Herself

·         From “I guess I should explain” to “They always do” (25-26)

·         From “I am pretty much the contact person” to “kick a little ghost butt” (32-35)

Ghosts & Suze’s Role

·         Mediators see all ghosts (27)

·         Ghosts are people who stick around because they have unfinished business (27)

·         Mediator’s role (34)

·         Slightest thing can make ghosts emotional and then physical (47)

·         Ghosts learn their abilities over time

·         Ghosts are solid for mediators (48)

Suze’s New Family

·         Father died & mother remarried which results in Suze moving to CA

·         Andy

o   Stepfather, great chef, owns his own business

·         Jake

o   Aka Sleepy, a senior, works nights at a pizza parlor to save up for a new car

·         Brad

o   Aka Dopey, wrestler, into driving and video games, hopes to be popular, also 16 like Suze

·         David

o   Aka Doc, genius, photographic memory, 12 years old

·         Jesse

o   Hot cowboy ghost who lives in Suze’s bedroom

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness

This book could be used to help teens who have recently moved and have to start afresh. It is also an excellent resource to use while discussing people’s different talents. For example, Suze can speak to ghosts, Andy can cook and build things, Brad has physical prowess, Jesse is compassionate, and David has a photographic memory. All have different talents but all are valuable.

Reading Level/Interest Level

Reading Level: 5^th grade

Interest Level: 9^th-12^th grade

These levels are according to AR Bookfinder

Challenge Issues

This book includes the following potentially controversial elements:

·         Cohabiting with a member of the opposite sex

·         Derogatory slurs

·         Discussion of different afterlives

·         Evil ghosts

·         Exorcism

·         Fortune telling

·         Lack of literary merit (in some people’s eyes)

·         Suicide

·         Taking the Lord’s name in vain

Librarians can point out that this can be an ideal book to use when discussing different religious beliefs as topics like the afterlife, Catholicism, compassion, exorcism, and ghosts are present.

Why Was This Included?

I decided to include this title because of my presentation on spiritual beings. I also had read The Princess Diary series and really enjoyed them so was curious what Meg Cabot’s other books were like.