Saturday, August 27, 2011

Review: Shade

Book: Shade
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Release Date: May 4, 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 309
Source: KPL
Stars: 4.5/5
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.

(summary taken from Goodreads)
MY THOUGHTS:  

Jeri jumping jacks, this book was awesome!

I picked it up in recommendation without knowing what to expect. To be honest, neither the cover nor synopsis really caught my eye. But I just adored it. 

From the very first page, Shade sucked me into a fascinating world where every child born after the Shift (which occurred sixteen years ago) could see the violet ghosts of those unable to pass on. Every little detail was amazing and believable! Jeri Smith-Ready managed to create one of the most compelling worlds I've read in a while and, given the amount of books I read, that's saying something.

The love triangle was so much better than I expected it to be, too. It was authentic in every way, and I can honestly say that I was torn between the two incredible guys. Super hot exchange student or (dead) rocker boyfriend? Hardest question of life! I'm so anxious to see who our heroine Aura (another reason why I adore this book) chooses in the sequel.

Original, brilliant, and well-written, Shade was a thrilling roller coaster ride that had me grinning like an idiot in some parts and wanting to throw the book across the room in others. Because of the mature content and language (note the warning here!), it's definitely a book I'd recommend to all older teens, if not everybody! :)

BUY or BORROW?: Buy it! Even if you're not the biggest fan of the cover (like me), what's inside is definitely worth every penny!

-Mimi

8 comments:

  1. I bought this one awhile ago but still haven't read it! Which I guess I should since it sounds AMAZING! Thanks for the great review!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm glad you liked it! I haven't heard of it, but I'll have to pick it up! Thanks for the review (:

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ahhh, I'm so glad you read this! And liked it! I actually completely agree with you about the cover - I can be a little bit of a cover snob and the cover put me off buying it a little bit, but I'm happy I did because I ended up loving it. The second book is really good as well. I can't wait until the third!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I dunno Mimi, someone alive boy seems to trump dead guy every time! This sounds like a fantastic story and one that I think I could get in to compared to some of the other ghost genre books. Thanks for the great review.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yeah, didn't really like the cover either but loved the insides! Definitely read the second book soon too because it just kicks up the action, intensity, and swoony moments!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love the Shade serie and I so totally love Zachary! :D Can't wait for Shine to come out! May May May come fast! <3 <3 Great review Mimi!! ;) ;)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for leaving your thoughts! I love hearing what you have to say, and I always try to comment on one of your blog posts in return! :)

It's really nice to meet you!