Shade

3.5 Stars

This review can also be found at http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogspot.ca/2016/12/shade-by-jeri-smith-ready.html


Aura was born after the Shift, which means that she can see ghosts. She wonders why the Shift actually happened in the first place, and she wishes that she could reverse it so she could live without having to listen to ghosts tell her their stories or demand justice all the time.

When her boyfriend Logan suddenly dies, Aura is devastated. But because of the Shift, she finds herself able to talk with him, spend time with him, and pretend that he's still truly here with her. With the new boy, Zachary, being so supportive of everything that's going on, her feelings become conflicted and she's not sure if she really wants to be with Logan anymore.

The idea of many people being able to see ghosts seemed very original to me. Upon reading this book, I can say that I was very interested in the theories that Aura had concerning the Shift, and I want to know what caused it! I think that was my favourite part about this book.

However, I feel like the way that the world had evolved after the Shift didn't seem to really add up to me. I understand taking measures to keep ghosts out of public areas, I understand making new police or government forces to keep ghosts in line. But the way that people acted when their loved ones died seemed not to match up with what they had discovered.

You'd think that after learning that ghosts and an afterlife of sorts exists, people would be calmer concerning death. Yet, the culture surrounding death didn't really change, people still found themselves absolutely devastated and stuck on their personal beliefs surrounding death. This didn't make sense to me, and unfortunately it made the world that Aura lived in seem a little less real to me.

Aside from that, I found it unrealistic how quickly Aura developed a crush on another guy after her boyfriend passes away. I mean, not only is she upset about his death, but she actually can still hang out with him and have some sort of relationship with him. So why would she start having all these feelings for Zachary? She barely knows him, yet she's getting butterflies in his presence. Meanwhile, she supposedly loves Logan with all her heart, and he's still there! This didn't add up to me either.

I'm not sure if I'll read the sequel, but I might decide to because I want to know more about the Shift! As I mentioned, this was the best aspect of the book, in my opinion. I can only hope that the world and character's relationships will start to make more sense to me in the next book.

If you want a book about ghosts with original ideas, you'll like this one. If you're interested in romantic YA books, this novel is for you.

I love this book. It's emotional and i love how the writer mixes ghosts with everyday live.
Everyone born after the shift has the ability to see and hear ghost.It can be pretty annoying for Aura but when her boyfriend dies suddenly, she doesn't think of it as a curse rather than a blessing. Then, Zachary comes into her life and everything is not as it seems.....torn between two boys one living and one dead she finds herself in a love triangle and a mystery she doesn't understand.
I can't wait to read the sequel, i hope it is as good as this.

This is a solidly written story with a complex world of shades and ghosts and a government agency devoted to controlling them both. It's a very smooth read, and by the second half, I was thoroughly engrossed in the story. I'm sorry to say that the character of Logan didn't really resonate with me--I never warmed up to him, and so I didn't really get the romance or how badly she wanted him to be with her. I was much more intrigued with Zachary! And I found the mystery in the second half of the book compelling. I would definitely read the sequel.

A heads up for more sensitive readers: there's more sexual content than many YA books I've read. I'm not saying it's over the top, but if it's something that bothers you, you should know that going in. :)

Shade was an impulse buy at one of my frequent stops by Borders while they sold off their store stock. The cover intrigued me and the jacket blurb even more so. When I finally picked up Shade I could not put the blasted thing down.

Jeri Smith-Ready slaps you upside the head right off the bat and in less than a quarter of the way through you are already bawling like a little girl who lost her favorite teddy in an oil slick. Totally ambushed by snot and tears sort of cry.

The premise of Shade was not something I had ever read before and I was completely drawn in by it's uniqueness. I was not sure if I would dig it, but I was drawn in by the nose. The plot was believable and the twist and turn were thrilling.

Then we have Logan and Zach... Let me just savor these boys for a moment. Okay, I'm back. Both of these Shade boys are totally hot in different ways so you will have trouble picking a side. Aura, not surprisingly, is torn between the two. Logan represents her lifetime of friendship and trust, but Zachary brings an element of a possible future that is all too tempting. The triangle here is beyond heartbreaking and I loved every minute of it.

After reading Shade I was not at all surprised by the HUGE TeamKilt uprising on Twitter. It is a phenomena all in its own accord and I highly recommend anyone to try and resist Shade's pull.

I really enjoyed this. No stray plots, characters were all fleshed out -- secondary characters made several appearances and best friends remained best friends! -- and the premise was really cool. Even the love triangle was believable and non-obnoxious. (Also, sexy!) I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.

Shade is beautifully written and it is so emotional. Ms. Smith-Ready really managed to write her characters in such a way that I feel for them and with them, and want the best for them, even if what two characters want conflict. That takes some real talent.
I didn't really know what to expect going in, but one of my writer and reader friends really loves this book (and Shift) and I respect her opinion so it's been high on my TBR since then. But let me tell you, I was blown away at what I found.
Even though music and partying are big elements in this book, and they are not so much my thing, Aura and Logan, Megan and the rest of the Keeleys made it work, and made me care about what matters to them. That being said, there is sex, rock and roll, partying, death and grief all in this book, and teens should know that going in and be able to handle it. I don't think that any of it is gratuitous or in poor taste, just to be clear.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the love triangle and which side I'm on. I totally am a sucker for the accent, so Zachary had me at hello. As for Aura... I really admire the depth of her love for Logan, and even though she can see and talk to ghosts... being dead put him out of the running for me. It was hard to reconcile my want for her to be in a different place in life and just be able to be with Zachary to the fact that Logan, and her love for him is very central to this book. His life, death, ghostly status, along with the mystery of her mother, and her puzzling connection to Zachary (the non-romantic one that is) all makes up the story, and it's hard to stay firmly planted on my Zachary side.
For me, I am so glad that I have Shift ready to start, because that ending... yeah. It's one of the special cliffhangers that leaves your jaw dropped, and lusting for more.