Meridian by Amber Kizer
In the crowded field of YA paranormal novels, the premise of Meridian stands out. Not content to give us yet another tale of angsty vampire love, Amber Kizer instead introduces us to the Fenestras, semi-angelic beings who are tasked with helping the dying cross over to the afterlife. Our heroine, Meridian, has always been different. Small animals burrow into her bed and die, and mysterious ailments have always plagued her. On her sixteenth birthday, she learns why. She is a Fenestra.
Meridian’s life changes overnight. Seemingly abandoned by her parents, she goes to live with her Aunt Merry (whose full name is also Meridian), an elderly Fenestra who will teach her the things she needs to know. (I loved Aunt Merry. Especially her quilts. And her wolf. And…well, I guess I just loved everything about Aunt Merry.)
She also meets Tens, a young man who ... Read More
More books by Amber Kizer
A Matter of Days — (2013) Publisher: On Day 56 of the pandemic called BluStar, sixteen-year-old Nadia’s mother dies, leaving her responsible for her younger brother Rabbit. They secretly received antivirus vaccines from their uncle, but most people weren’t as lucky. Their deceased father taught them to adapt and survive whatever comes their way. That’s their plan as they trek from Seattle to their grandfather’s survivalist compound in West Virginia. Using practical survival techniques, they make their way through a world of death and destruction until they encounter an injured dog; Zack, a street kid from Los Angeles; and other survivors who are seldom what they seem. Illness, infections, fatigue, and meager supplies have become a way of life. Still, it will be worth it once they arrive at the designated place on the map they have memorized. But what if no one is there to meet them?
Pieces of Me — (2013) Publisher: When high school oddball and introvert Jessica Chai is killed in a car accident, her parents decide that Jessica would have wanted her organs donated to those who so desperately need these gifts of life. But Jessica is angry about dying and being dismembered. Taking the idea of cell memory to the next level, not only do the recipients get pieces of Jessica, but gets pieces of their memories and lives moving forward — she knows what they know and keeps tabs on their growth, recovery, and development. This begins her journey to learn her purpose as she begins to grasp that her ties to these teenagers goes beyond random weirdness. It’s through their lives that Jessica learns about herself, as she watches the lives she literally touched continue to interlock.
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Amber Kizer is not one of those authors who wrote complete books at the age of three and always knew she wanted to be a writer. She merely enjoyed reading until a health challenge forced her to start living outside the box. She lives in the Seattle area on a veritable Noah’s Ark — without the big boat and only some of the rain. For more information, check out 
