Shade (edition 2010)

This was a beautiful and intriguing book. I loved all of the main characters, and even most of the minor characters made sense and had their rightful place in the plot and the story.

Aura is a wonderful, strong, young woman, who goes through something horrible that no teenager should have to go through. Her life has never been easy, but things seem to just get more complicated as time passes. Her being the first born after the shift, and maybe having some kind of special powers because of it makes the plot even more exciting than the rest of it. Although the rest is pretty amazing in itself.

I started reading this book after the YA sisterhood blog had their crush-tourney, and I had no idea who Zach was ;) I just had to find out.

One of the YA books that definitely is exciting both for actual young adults, and for the not so young adults (like myself) as well :D I am off to read the next installment, can't wait to find out what will happen with Logan, Aura, Meghan, Zach, and the rest of this extraodrinary cast of characters. ( )

Received for Review
Overall Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 3.75
Story Rating: 4.25
Audio Rating: 4.00
Teen Angst: It was kept to a minimum but did exist...

Note: I am beginning to read a little more YA and like the trend I am seeing of less "typical" teenage angst. Shade had a good balance of story, character and low angst level. It was also a fantastically unique story that really pulled me in almost immediately.

What I Loved: I loved that Shade was never predictable! Once I was sure that the story was headed in one direction, it would take off in another one completely. Aura was a strong leading character, who for being 16/17, was mature enough for her age to handle things thrown at her. She still had her very teenage moments but her ability/responsibility was well-balanced with her angst. Zachery was another favorite character of mine who also had his own responsibilities to handle. I felt he was very mature for his age and displayed amazing ranges of emotions. The underlying mystery to what caused the Shift and all that includes was interesting and well-paced. You don't get many answers but you do stay interested the whole book.

What I Liked: I did not like Logan until the very end of the book. He was an interesting character who was stuck between wanting what he shouldn't and not being able to let go. Most of the book, I felt that he was selfish but looking back he wasn't that bad. I really did like how he grew on through out the book and the fact that it was up to the reader to decide what they felt about him.

Complaints: The decision that Aura made at the end was exactly why I don't like a lot of YA, it was a little wishy-washy for me. I am going to play it by ear though and read the rest of the series. I need to explain why the book got a 4 if I wasn't happy about the end; it is because I cared so much about the ending that it screamed great book. Sometimes getting super mad at a character means you care.

Audio Specific Review: Khristine Hvam did a fantastic job on pacing, voices, and emotions. The only voice I was disappointed in was Logans but I got used to it by the end.

Why I gave it a 4: I really did enjoy this book! It was unique, interesting, and very well done.

Who I would recommend this too: YA Paranormal Readers who like the paranormal area of Ghosts

Cover Impressions: To be honest, the cover did not entice me at all. The semi-headless girl in the spangly top smacks of paranormal romance (a genre I usually avoid) and makes it look generic. The color combination feels off, though I can't quite put my finger on why...

The Gist: Aura and most of her friends were born after the Shift that allowed the dead to interact with the living. She has spent her entire life trying to avoid and ignore them. That is, until her boyfriend joins their ranks. Now she walks a tightrope trying to keep him from turning into a dark and twisted shade while fighting her growing feelings for the very cute, and very alive, Zachery.

Review: I fought off this book for a long time. I would read a review or see it pop up on a friend's shelf on Goodreads, check out the blurb/cover and promptly shut it down again. Over and over. I don't do paranormal romance very well. I do big plots with lots of action and adventure and this - isn't that. Finally, I could fight it no longer. I had to see what the fuss was about. Let this be a lesson to you (and me) when a book keeps popping up, read it. Don't dismiss it because of the genre, or the supposed love triangle or your expectations of Just Another Ghost Story. Because this book isn't.

Aura (Just a note - I do hate the name) presents such a realistic portrayal of a teenager that I cannot help but love her. She has temptations, she has urges, she doesn't always do the right thing and she lives with the consequences. I had expected a lot of guilt and whining after Logan's death, but there wasn't. She didn't exactly move on, but she didn't present the reader with diatribes about how this was all her fault and she was a horrible person. Speaking of Logan's death: that was some powerful shit. Even though I knew it was coming, even though I knew I couldn't stop it, it hurt to watch. He was just a sweet kid who thought he was invincible and I wanted to yell at him, tell him what was coming and to not do anything stupid (P.S I yell at tv and movies all the time). It was like watching a horror movie where an innocent girl calmly gets ready for a bath while the audience cringes because we know there is a serial killer hiding in the shower. It was that level of sick-in-the-pit-of-your-stomach suspense for me. That was the point where Smith-Ready had me hooked.

This is not an action filled plot, but it kept me reading just the same. The scenes with Zachery are sweet and exciting and Oh So tempting. They brought me back to those heart thumping first kisses as a teen and the thrill of young love (or at least lust). There are hints of a bigger plot at play, and I do wish this had been explored a little further and that a few more details had come to light. It is very clear that this is part of a series (trilogy?) and we are forced to wait for our answers. Instead of action and adventure we get moments of Oh Noes! and pain that is piercing and palpable. I can't wait to move on to the next one!

As noted below, there are elements within this book that may raise the age level. In the past, I have seen a few of my grade 8 (14-15 year old) students reading it. They really enjoyed it, and they are smart kids, not likely to follow in Logan's footsteps, but I would not personally place it into the hands of anyone under the age of 16.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Females
Sex: Spoken about, not described. Masturbation.
Violence: None
Inappropriate Language: Retarded, Ho Bag, Fucker
Substance Abuse: Underage Drinking, Use of Cocaine ( )

To say that I loved this book is an understatement. To say that I want a Zachary in real life is an understatement. I’d heard numerous good things about this book and it looked good but I never picked it up. I was bored one day and I decided to read it. Now I’m mad because I didn’t read this book sooner!

This book has such a unique idea. 16 and ¾ years ago, after the Shift, all the babies born are able to see ghosts. Seriously, that is the coolest thing about the plot! Not only does our protagonist see ghosts but she’s not the only one who can which makes this even more fun to read about! There is so much great world building in this book! Jeri Smith Ready moves the plot along in the best pace possible and doesn’t confuse you at all. ALSO the mystery involving the Shift and Aura and Zachary kept me wondering what the heck was going to happen next!

Aura is a very independent, confident girl who can see ghosts. After her boyfriend Logan dies on his birthday, she begins to see his ghost. It creates lots of problems for Aura since Logan is a ghost and obviously, she still loves him. Things get even more complicated for her when Zachary comes into the picture. Scottish with a killer awesome accent, Zach is a nice guy who genuinely cares about Aura. When she begins to fall for Zach, she wonders if she’s being unfaithful to Logan, who as a ghost can see what Aura does. The relationships are very complicated but they are very realistic as well.

Jeri Smith Ready includes lots of music that is really important to our characters and lots and lots of mystery, danger, suspense, and of course, romance! Shade is a great read for lovers of paranormal that is totally addicting. If you haven’t read this one yet, go and read it now! ( )

Way too often, I overestimate the greatness of Young Adult supernatural reads, but I'm sorry to admit that I underestimated SHADE. I saw it around GoodReads and blogs, but despite its amazing purple cover, I didn't give it much thought. Don't overlook Jeri Smith-Ready's debut YA offering, you'll sincerely regret it!

Often, ghost stories are pretty similar. I feel like many authors don't stretch the concepts of ghosts and spirits, they just focus on making the other elements of the novel unique. Smith-Ready has successfully redefined "ghost"... and I was thoroughly impressed. I hope that in SHIFT, the next installment, there will be a greater exploration of the phenomenon of ghosts and shades, as well as the black box technology that is mentioned throughout the novel.

Not only does SHADE have great supernatural elements, it also offers lessons on grief and loss. I never tire of novels where the main character loses someone they love, or even if they are they themselves are the deceased. After reading books of this nature, I find it easier to process and move past grief and loss when confronted in real life. Aura's grief over the loss of Logan is extremely believable, even with the unbelievable presence of his ghost.

I think that Zachary, the new boy in school who is Scottish and very good looking, deserves his own paragraph of this review. He is most definitely swoon-worthy, not only based on his description, but his actions as well. I really liked that he didn't force himself on Aura. He was willing to just be her friend and wait until she was ready to move on. That was so refreshing! In addition to the romantic element he brought to the novel, he is also integral to the supernatural plot line... which made me happy because he could be in more scenes throughout the novel. ( )