Tori's Review: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Hardcover: 336 pages
Price: $9.99
ISBN: 978-1416994077
Released: May 4, 2010 
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Author's Website: Jeri Smith-Ready
Buy it: Amazon
Obtained: BEA
Genre: YA 
Series: Shade 
Book Order:
1. Shade
2. Shift (book review)

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.

My Rating:

My Opinion:
For some reason, I procrastinated when it came to reading SHADE. It wasn't that I thought the premise was boring (it sounded anything but), but it wasn't calling to me. Perhaps because I knew so little, I didn't want to sit down and give SHADE a chance. Besides, I had plenty of other review books I needed to pay attention to and that I was behind on.

Fast forward a year (I got SHADE in 2010 at BEA), and here I am, ready to review the first two books in this trilogy. And of course, like a few rare gems that totally blow my mind, SHADE showed me my place and admonished me for neglecting it.

I cried while reading Aura's tragic story. Not once, not twice, but FIVE times. And it wasn't even a couple of tears and a few sniffles--this was full-blown bawling my eyes out. I had a stuffy nose, couldn't breathe, and my eyes were bloodshot by the time I was done. Why? Because the love story between Aura and Logan was so tragic, so heartbreaking, it shattered my icy heart and even made this jaded (occasional) YA reader give a shit.

Characterization is flawless. Logan, Aura, and Zach are all three-dimensional. The plot was engaging, the dialogue realistic. Logan initially reminded me so much of my first boyfriend (who was also a guitarist, ha!) that I think I was able to relate with Aura on a whole different level. Granted, I never had a fear of him leaving me, but for other aspects regarding the music? Definitely.

SHADE is not your run of the mill paranormal romance love triangle. There is a love triangle, but Jeri handles it so well that I honestly did not care. Highly recommended read!