Series Spotlight: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

The Shade trilogy by Jeri Smith-Ready



Goodreads Links:

1. Shade
2. Shift
3. Shine
Brief Series Synopsis: (from author's website)
Young adult paranormal trilogy about Aura Salvatore, the first of a worldwide generation of ghost-seers, whose own boyfriend dies and becomes a ghost

Shade:

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.

Shift:

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.

My Thoughts:
The thing I love most about these books is how they provide a completely fresh take on ghosts and their part in our world. The idea of a Shift happening where everyone born after a certain time can see ghosts and communicate with them is totally different from anything I’ve ever read. The fact that this was such an original idea drew me into the story of ‘Shade’. I also love the characters. Aura is a likeable character, and because you can really feel her emotions coming through the story it makes her relatable. It’s so much easier to understand a character’s decisions when you also understand their motivations, and I think that is the case here.

This trilogy provides readers with an interesting love story as well. There is a love triangle between Aura, her ghost boyfriend Logan, and the new student Zachary (who just happens to be lovely and Scottish). In a way I feel like the love triangle aspect is a bit of a cop out, because it’s hard to root for a girl to be with the ghost of her dead boyfriend. However, there are truthful emotions behind Aura’s affection for both boys, and her reluctance to leave Logan behind, despite his death, is understandable. If you liked the love triangle aspect in ‘Shade’ you won’t be disappointed with ‘Shift’, as it kicks into high gear in this book.

These books are lot more than just a love story, however. ‘Shade’ introduces readers to an interesting mythology involving ghosts and their presence in our world. ‘Shift’ is the perfect continuation, a book that is possibly even more interesting and entertaining than its predecessor because of its heavy focus on questioning the mythology of the Shift. It provides answers about Aura’s background, while also posing more questions.

What else can I say? These are seriously entertaining books. They are fast paced with tons of action scenes, yet they also rest upon an interesting mythology, and, of course, they feature the ever sexy accented Zachary (and also, Logan, if you’re into spotlight hogging ghosts -- harsh, I know, but I am generally not a fan). If you're looking for a unique and fresh paranormal trilogy I would highly recommend these. With 'Shade' and 'Shift' Jeri Smith-Ready has written two very intriguing and intricately detailed books, and I cannot wait for the third book to come out next year.

Series Rating:


Check Jeri's website (or the Goodreads links above) for information on how to purchase copies of 'Shade' and 'Shift'.