13 July 2012

Willow Reads: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

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.
Spoiler Warning!
Title: Shade (Shade #1)
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Page Count: 309
Book Website: http://www.jerismithready.com/
Published: May 4, 2010
Source: Friend loan

This book was one I had hardly heard of before a few nights ago. While over at a friend's house for the night, we began to talk a little about books (not related to studying for our driver's temps test) and she offered to let me borrow some of her newer reads that she had gotten her hands on lately. Her favorite was this book called Shade, and she was scared to read the ending because she wanted to know how it turned out but she didn't want her hopes/dreams crushed. She told me she wasn't sure if it was a series or not, so I told her I'd do some research. Turns out the book is a trilogy, and I cannot WAIT to get my hands on the next one.

In the beginning of the book, we're introduced to our storyteller- her name is Aura. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her Aunt Gina; she's the average sixteen-nearly-seventeen year old girl with a talented, pretty boy boyfriend and a decent best friend. Everything's normal except that, seconds before she was born, a shift happened. This shift made it so every newly born child afterword would live to see the dead (meaning ghosts), separating them from their parents, aunts, uncles, and whoever else they passed on the street who happened to be older.

For Aura, this is an annoying aspect of her life. She does everything to pretend she doesn't see these ghosts, even though she finally breaks and is forced into talking to them.

Well, suddenly one night that changes.

Logan, who is Aura's boyfriend, belongs to a band mostly composed of his siblings. One night at rehearsal, he reveals that they might be signed to a record contract on the night of his birthday. On Logan's birthday, The Keeley Brothers were set to give a concert, and if the odds were in the bands' favor, they might score some record deal attention.

The night comes, and everyone attends the concert. The band is on fire that night, and they did so well that both companies that came to watch the show offered separate deals. Well, the band says that they have to talk to their parents because they're minors, but that they'd consider both options. After that, everyone heads to the Keeley house for an after party.

During the party, Logan and Aura were supposed to sleep together for the first time after several abruptly stopped attempts. Well, when Logan gets beyond drunk with beer and this other combination named Liquid Stupid, he can't "get it up," if you get my gist. Alcohol does that to a guy. Suddenly, Logan has this idea to go take a cold shower to "wake up" from the alcohol, and he takes a mysterious packet with him claiming that it's a shampoo sample. The next thing Aura hears is Logan's sister Sibohan screaming.

Logan is dead.

Aura sees Logan's ghost for about two seconds and he disappears, so she believes he has crossed over. Until, that is, after his funeral when he's playing with some younger family members up by the Keeley's bathroom. This starts a long time stream of Logan starting to come and stay the night in Aura's room until she falls asleep.

Oh, I forgot to mention Zach, aka Zachary. He comes into the story shortly before Logan's death to be Aura's history thesis partner. Their teacher for the class suggested he work with her, and they begin to.

Well, while Logan is off being a ghost and going every place he's ever been, Zach is there for her. You can tell almost right off that he's got feelings for Aura, even if she doesn't see it at first. As Zach and Aura get to know each other, the feelings become mutual. So there forms love triangle typical of YA romance books.

BUT what makes this book unique?

The author... She had me loving both guys so much. I kind of felt I was Aura for a while. My heart ached when Logan died, and every emotional part including him.. Especially right before the trial, even.. I wanted to cry so hard. I really felt for Aura so much.

But at the same time, I'm falling for Zach too. He's so understanding, he's wiling to wait for Aura, and he's adorable with his Scottish accent. I mean, he's Scottish, so of course he'd have an accent from his motherland. xD

Anyway, this book made me laugh.. It made me cry.. It made me feel. This is definitely a unique book. I absolutely loved it, giving it a 5 star rating over on Goodreads. I suggest it for fans of Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin, which I've reviewed here. My first post, I believe... I suggest it's similar because it deals with death, what might happen in the afterlife, etc.

So give it a read. See if you like it, you never know! :)

By the way, here's the book trailer:


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