REVIEW: Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready

Pub. Date: May 1st 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 367
Readership: Young adult
Genres: paranormal, ghosts
Rating: ★★★★★ 

In this dramatic conclusion to the Shade trilogy, Aura and Zachary’s relationship sizzles as the secrets of the Shift are revealed.   

Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.   

As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves...even if that means betraying her own heart.

Wow. That one word describes how I feel about Shine, the conclusion to the Shade trilogy. I devoured all three books in about a week and a half and I can honestly say I already want to go back and re-read it all. Shine absolutely blew me away. I was expecting to have a few loose ends not tied up because that's what happens generally; the author likes to leave the reader hanging because they can but not Jeri. Every little loose end, everything, had closure.

I was wondering how Shine was going to be like without Logan because he is such an integral part of the story but I wondered for nothing. Logan was in it, not in the way some might think but he had a big part in Shine and Aura's journey in it. It brought tears to my eyes to see how far Logan came from where he started as a diva-esque, energetic near-rockstar to the grown, mature guy he became at the end. My sweet, precious Logan.

Sometimes I wanted to scream and throw the book across the room, not because it was bad but because of all that poor Zach went through and how powerless Aura felt, no matter how hard she tried to help and all that she did, to help him. Even still, when they were together, I always had a smile on my face because they are just so adorable together. They play off one another so well, they work together so well. They are truly meant to be together.

The way Jeri wrapped up the Shift had me pleasantly surprised. I was expecting one route but when I saw how she wrapped it up, the way she ended it, I can't see anything else happening. It was perfect.

I could gush and gush about this book but to do so I would have to bombard you with spoilers so I will leave it at this: Shine had me on the edge of my seat until the very end. It was heart pounding and nail biting, heart warming and heart breaking. It was the perfect way to end a trilogy. It was everything you would want in a series finale. The Shade series has a permanent spot on my favorite shelf.

REVIEW: Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Pub. Date: May 3rd 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 367
Readership: Young adult
Genres: paranormal, ghosts
Rating: ★★★★★ 

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.  

Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.   

As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart.

I'm always weary of reading the sequels to the first in a book of a series that I love because I'm worried it won't wow me as much as the first one. This wasn't the case with Shift. I enjoyed it so much that I read it even faster than Shade.

Shift was all about new thing, discoveries and decisions. Aura was the same girl as before but... different. Grown. Especially by the end of the book she really came into her own. She knows who she is now in more ways than one. Aura is a character I know will stick around with me even after I finish the series entirely. I can't even put my finger on all the reasons why I love her so much but I really, really love her. She just seems so real to me. She has things she wants, she has her fears and her insecurities and she makes mistakes. She makes a lot of mistakes. (Ok, maybe not that much but there are a few). But she learns from them and that's the biggest thing. She learns and she grows and she does a lot of that in Shift.

Aura is faced with so much in shift. She finds things out about her mother, she finds things out about her origin and all the while she is battling how she feels about Logan, about Zach and everything in between. Not only that, she has to deal with the DMP and how they're closing in on her and even Zach because of the secrets that they have been uncovering.

Then there are the two boys: Logan and Zach. I love them both so much. They're both very different from each other. Logan is the energetic rockstar with a big heart and while Zach also has a big heart he is more subdued, quiet and collected. (But he's "no' a bloody saint"!) For a while, I had no idea who I wanted to root for. Logan and Aura are so tragic and full of angst, which I am usually a sucker for but Zach and Aura are just as full of angst. Logan has grown so much and he deserves to be happy but he's a ghost; there's no happy ending there. Zach is one of the new beginnings I mentioned (don't worry that's not a spoiler).

Shift was well paced, well written and full of awesome that had me up until 5 in the morning at one point reading until my eyes threatened to fall out of my head. I cannot wait to read Shine, the conclusion of the series.

REVIEW: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Pub. Date: May 4th 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 309
Readership: Young adult
Genres: paranormal, ghosts
Rating: ★★★★★ 

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.

So. Good. So very good. I was gifted the first in the series by the awesome girls over at Kilt and Keeley from their twitter party. I wanted to read it so bad but I couldn't find it anywhere near, I assume because it was around end of March and the stores were just waiting until the new paperbacks were released. So thanks again, girls!

Shade was one of those books that keeps you up until 4am reading until you can't possibly keep your heavy eyelids open. It's also one of those series that will bring the fangirl out of you; I know it got me hook line and sinker early on. It was nail biting, page turning and oh my god, oh my god worthy.

Aura Salvatore is a great leading lady. Part of the reason I loved Shade so much was that it felt so real to the life of teenagers as some other YA paranormal novels out there even though the premise is so supernatural. Even though the story revolved around ghosts, the Shift and other mysteries it was still true to life. Aura is in every way a normal teenager. Shade doesn't skitter around the subject of sex. In fact, it tackles it right on and makes the reality of how scared girls are to give up their virginity even with the boy they love a forefront in the story. You just don't see that in a lot of the YA books out there, even though it's very much a part of teenage life. Aura is very, very real. We probably all know an Aura in our lives, or knew, or knew of one. She's sensible but insecure. Snarky and sarcastic but kind. She knows who she is and has a good head on her shoulders. I just loved Aura to bits.

Then there is Logan. (For some reason I pictured him as a young Tyson Ritter - but blonde, obviously - but that is neither here nor there - I just had to mention it!) Sweet, kind, diva streaking... dead Logan. Logan is an ambitious rocker with big dreams. Music is his life, but so is Aura. Their relationship is so genuine; it is far from perfect but they make it work and are so in love. Even after his death, their love is still there, even if it's killing Aura, and re-killing Logan.

In comes Zachary. Can I have my own Zachary? I would like my own Zachary. I love both boys but nine times out of ten, the accent will win me over. He's a Scottish sweetheart. He has his secrets and he's guarded but him and Aura immediately hit it off. He fell for Aura and she likes him too but with the issues of ghost!Logan, he's willing to step back and wait (even if he's "no' a bloody saint").

Besides the amazing characters, this story is very original. A phenomenon known as the Shift happened. People born after the shift can see ghosts of the dead but people born before the Shift cannot. How cool is that? Cool and freaky. I don't know if I would be able to handle seeing ghosts all the time, even if there are ways to deter them. Jeri Smith-Ready wove an original and haunting tale. I need to devour the rest of the series soon.