Media Type: Print Book
Title: Meridian
Author: Amber Kizer
Publisher: Delacorte
Pages: Hardcover; 320
Release Date: August 11, 2009
Source: Library
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Intended Reading Group:
Young Adult
Content Screening:
Mild violence
HDB Rating:
3 Keys to My Heart
Half-human, half-angel, Meridian Sozu has a dark responsibility.
Sixteen-year-old Meridian has been surrounded by death ever since she can remember. As a child, insects, mice, and salamanders would burrow into her bedclothes and die. At her elementary school, she was blamed for a classmate’s tragic accident. And on her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family home and Meridian’s body explodes in pain.
Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she’s a danger to her family and hustled off to her great-aunt’s house in Revelation, Colorado. It’s there that she learns that she is a Fenestra ; the half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead. But Meridian and her sworn protector and love, Tens, face great danger from the Aternocti, a band of dark forces who capture vulnerable souls on the brink of death and cause chaos.
Meridian was a fantastic character. I sympathized with her outcast status, and was drawn in by her strength. Even when everything around her was falling apart she was a character who could hold on to the little light that was left. As a protagonist, Meridian is easy to fall into step with. There were times that I didn’t agree with her choices, but I think that’s true of all books that I’ve read. I can’t fault her for her decisions. Meridian’s life is definitely not easy, and Amber Kizer builds a character who is believable and unique all at the same time.
Then there is Tens, her sworn protector and true love. The romance between them moved a bit quickly for my liking, but again I reminded myself that Meridian and Tens follow a different set of rules than that of human kind. The world they live in functions differently than this one. I’ll also fully admit that the love between them is rather swoon worthy. So pure, so true. I think I loved Tens even more than I loved Meridian. He was so charming and beautifully flawed at the same time. It’s nice to see a character who doesn’t fall into the brooding bad boy realm for a change.
In terms of story, the book flows nicely at the beginning but the middle of the book was a bit slow. Again, stepping back I realize that this is the time in which Meridian and Tens were building their relationship and so it does make sense. I would have liked a little more action, but Amber Kizer does do a great job of dispersing action scenes throughout this part to try to keep the plot moving smoothly, so it’s not all bad. I fell in love with her descriptive writing during this part. Meridian deals deeply with death, but it’s so subtle and fantastically written that it doesn’t take away from Meridian’s overall story. Instead the reader gets to learn with Meridian as she discovers her powers and what lies ahead. The ending felt a little rushed as well, but it did wrap up nicely and set up for the sequel.
If I had to sum it up, I’d definitely say that overall Meridian was a good read. My interest in Meridian’s story is peaked and I’m looking forward to Wildcat Fireflies, the sequel! If you are a lover of paranormal fiction, or of strongly written characters, pick this one up.
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