Review: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Released: May 4, 2010




My Rating: 5 / 5

My Thoughts:

People born after the Shift have the ability to see spirits, those left wandering the earth as their deaths were sudden & they had no time to prepare...Aura happens to be the first one born. When her (almost) rockstar boyfriend, Logan, suddenly dies, Aura has the unique opporunity to keep seeing him, but at a cost. They can't really be boyfriend & girlfriend since he is a ghost...or can they? The new kid in school, Zachary is great support for Aura, being there when she needs someone, and he has a secret of his own...he was the last one born before the Shift occurs.

Shade is one of those books that stick with you long after you read it & reads like two stories in one. You've got Aura & Logan, then you have Aura & Zacahry. With Aura & Logan you have the love story and the what happens next now that he is a spirit. Then Zachary comes along & not only is he also interested in uncovering the mystery of the Shift, Aura starts to feel things for him! OK, I must admit to liking Zachary a tad more & can't wait to see where this relationship goes. He had me at the Scottish accent & fun slang ;)

I love the concept of the Shift, people needing closure before moving on, yet if anger takes over, the spirit turns to a shade. As I was reading, I found myself questioning the good that came come from this. If you could continue seeing a loved one after they had passed, is it fair/healthy for the living person? The spirit may need closure, but it stops the grieving process, the living person is not realy living their life anymore but an altered reality.

After writing award winning adult fiction, this is Jeri's debut YA. The sequel, Shift, is set for release May 2011 which can't come soon enough. If you love reading paranormal, you must check this out!

I will be hosting a week of Shade all next week! Stop by for some interviews & a chance to win a copy of Shade :)