Book Review: SHADE by Jeri Smith-Ready

Shade (Shade #1)
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Publication Date: May 4, 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre/Category: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Mystery

Summary on Goodreads:

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 Thoughts:

I'm so excited to share my thoughts about this book and I can't wait to tell you how much I enjoyed reading Shade.

Last week, the final matched in YA Crush Tourney (hosted by YA Sisterhood) rocked the whole blogosphere. That was the first time I participated in the event since Jace of TMI was in the final match. I so love Jace and I was sure that time, that he'll definitely won the competition! Who by the way is Zach? I never heard of him! But then the votes came and my confidence was slowly replaced by doubt... votes are pouring in for Jace but also for Zach! It was a real close match! I began to wonder about this Zachary Moore... and because of my tremendous curiosity, I was desperate to get the book to meet this Scottish guy who ended up competing with Jace. And so my  journey in meeting Zach began...

I can't explain how I felt the time I started reading Shade. I was too excited to read it and the fact that I was finally holding the book in my hand, made my heart palpitates while I read the first chapter. What do you call that feeling when you're heart palpitates and you seem to be out of breath? Well, if there is something like JHSBS (Just Holding Shade Book Syndrome), then I think I have one now! It was a weird feeling but I really liked it.

"I knew that everything would change the next night. It was like time had folded in on itself, and I could remember the future. A future I already hated." - Aura

I love the story because it's UNIQUE. At first I thought it will be a little creepy (and I'm a bit hesitant to read it during the night), but no... it's not creepy at all even though it mentions a lot about ghosts. It was actually amazing how the author created a world full of ghosts and yet doesn't give you the creepy feeling... nothing like that at all. Instead, what I felt is purely excitement--for Aura and Zach, sadness--for Aura and Logan. I felt mixture of emotions when I read this book. It was fun and exciting to read especially when it's about Aura and Zach. Their wit and humor kept me entertained. I can't tell you how much I giggled when they're together! Aura's thoughts about Zach made me laugh all the time! And yeah, what kind of dork notices ankles? Seriously? I DO! ;)

This was Bad with a capital Hell No... 

Get a grip Aura, it's just the accent.

Now I understand what TeamKilt means! lol! And I'm loving the Scottish accent too! But since I read this book to meet Zach, I never thought that I would end up loving not only one guy but two! I can't tell you yet who I love the most--Logan or Zach. I love them both! 

I tell you, it's not all the time that I find a good heroine even though a book is good. And I'd say, Aura is one of my most favorite heroines. The author created a character that not only possess beauty but also has depth and strong personality. I like the way she express herself, not liberated but not too conservative either. She's real and I like how she deals with everything in her life, and most importantly, she's not annoying. 

I have to let you go, so that one of us can live. -Logan

I hope I'm not giving too much away. I love to write reviews with some of my favorite lines from the book and I'm telling you that I found plenty in Shade. This made my reading a lot more special and meaningful to me. I don't know how I could write my emotions as exactly as how I feel it, but I hope somehow I gave this book even a little justice. It was intriguing and engrossing at the same time. I couldn't put it down the moment I started reading. I was on the verge of tears every time I read about Aura and Logan. It's just so so sad that I'm always teary-eyed. If I wasn't reading this book with my son and hubby on my side last night, I'm sure I cried a lot. I'm too emotional and I'm not really good at saying good bye, no matter how. There are just things that we can no longer possess even though they were once ours. This story is so good--sad and heartbreaking, but hauntingly beautiful.

Once again, I'd say I love this book, I love the characters, and I love the author who wrote it! The keyword is obviously--Love.

My Rating: