Review : Shade by Jerri Smith-Ready

Summary (from Goodreads)

Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. "Almost."

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding--and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Personal Thoughts

Shade has been on my radar for some time now, but for some reason, I didn't bother picking up the book. Then, I read Natalia at Dazzling Reads amazing review of Shine and I knew I had to read the series since she's one of the bloggers whose opinions I really respect. I'm really grateful to her for convincing me to read this book since I ended up loving it !

Every child born after The Shift can see and communicate with ghosts. Sixteen year old Aura is the first born after The Shift. Along with her aunt, she helps out ghosts who need help moving on. Logan, Aura's musician boyfriend unexpectedly dies on his birthday after a performing on stage for two music labels. Aura is devastated by his death, but he comes back as a ghost. At the same time, Zachary, a new boy, comes to Aura's school and they are forced to work on a project.

When I first started the book, I had the faint impression that I would end up disliking the characters for some reason. The author totally proved me wrong, because the characters were definitely my favorite part of this book. Aura was a sweet, honest and lovable character. Her boyfriend's death and her growing feelings for Zachary were leaving her confused. She wanted nothing more than to continue being with Logan, but she knew deep down that he had to go. When Logan's brother, another post-Shifter told her that there was a risk that Logan would go Shade, a dark and an evil ghost, she refused to believe it since she was the kind of person who trusted people and judged them by her experience with them. I felt for Aura because I would identify with her if I were in her place. Although she continued her relationship with Logan, she knew deep down that it wouldn't work forever since they could never touch. Aura was also a smart and strong-willed girl. I loved how determined she was to help Logan move on, not because she wanted to get rid of him, but because she knew that eventually, he would suffer. One other thing I liked about Aura was that, after the death of her boyfriend she didn't act all depressed like it was the end of the world. Sure, she was upset, but she knew how to handle herself like a head-strong person. She went on with her life since she knew that there was no point weeping all day. Overall, I thought Aura was a brilliant character, who truly grew throughout the story.

Shade might have a love triangle, but it's very easy to see why Aura fell for both Logan and Zachary. They, both, had redeeming qualities, that you cannot help but love them equally. For most of the book, I felt pity for Logan. The circumstances under which he passed away were so heart-breaking. Even when he died, you didn't get the impression that he was a ghost, since he was so alive. He was pretty much full of life even in his death. He might have been a rocker guy on the outside, but inside, he was an innocent boy with dreams to reach the stars. Honestly, it's really sad that he died.

Zachary, on the other hand, was a character shrouded with mystery. He was an appealing character and I couldn't wait to find out his true intentions. He was terribly adorable. I loved how witty he was and he had a Scottish accent that was so cute ! Funny, caring and friendly, Zachary really swept me off my feet. Seriously, you have to read the book to find out how adorable Zachary is !

The plot in Shade was breath-taking. It was intense and highly captivating. With all the vampire/angels/mermaid books that there are out there, it's refreshing to read something unique. Alright, ghosts in books might not be something new, but the way the author tackled it was. She did an incredible job at making the story utterly entertaining. I loved the whole idea of The Shift and it's great that all the humans knew about the post-Shifters being able to communicate with ghosts. My one complaint with the book is that we get too little information on The Shift. Now, considering that the title of the next book is Shift, I'm guessing that we learn a lot more about this world. Jerri Smith-Ready's writing is so addictive and flows so smoothly that I couldn't help but devour the book. I'm definitely going to be checking out the sequel and I'm so glad that I don't have to wait for ages until the last book comes out since it's already out !

Brilliant characters, an intense plot-line, heart-melting romances and non-stop suspense will have you flipping through the pages of Shade at a speed that will leave you breathless. If you haven't read the book yet, Shade is a story that you don't want to miss out !

Rating
 

Cover : 4/5

Plot : 4/5

Characters : 5/5

Writing : 5/5