Shade

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Overview

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.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Sixteen-year-old Aura, the first child born after the “Shift,” is in the vanguard of a change in human perception. Ghosts are now visible, everyday creatures, but perceptible only to those born after the Shift, creating a subtly delineated schism between generations. What the Shift was and why it occurred are still mysteries—very personal ones for unwilling pioneers like Aura. The uncomfortable questions turn excruciating when her boyfriend, Logan, dies of an accidental overdose. His ghost can give Aura some comfort, but it can’t touch her or interact with the world the way the living Logan could—or the way a charming Scottish transfer student, Zachary, can. Though adult author Smith-Ready’s occasionally racy YA debut resolves almost none of the issues surrounding the Shift, leaving the door open for future books, it is a fully satisfying read on its own, with well-developed, believable characters. Aura’s grief, Logan’s rage, and Zachary’s wistfulness are expertly sketched. Perhaps even more impressive is the understatement of the paranormal premise—Smith-Ready changes the world completely by simply changing our ability to see. Ages 14-up. (May)

Children's Literature

At first glance, Aura is a typical teenager—she tolerates school, endures a part-time job working for her aunt's law firm, adores her rocker boyfriend Logan, and worries about how far she should take their relationship. But in other ways, Aura is far from typical. Living in what is known as the post-Shift world, Aura and everyone else under the age of sixteen can see and talk to ghosts. As this is the only reality Aura knows, she compensates with the rest of the younger generation by wearing red (a color that ghosts seem to hate), and using BlackBox technology to ward off these hazy, violet beings. But when Logan accidentally overdoses and becomes a ghost himself, it is a reality that now threatens to tear Aura apart. Grief for a future she cannot have and being haunted by her ghost boyfriend keep Aura from letting go and moving on. At the same time, questions about her birth precisely one minute after the Shift lead her on a quest for answers about her dead mother and mysterious absent father. Her research partner Zachary only complicates matters with his own mysterious past and palpable attraction to Aura. Teen readers will devour the tragic love triangle, but the mystery of the Shift is equally compelling. Smith-Ready's construction of the Shift works not only as an intriguing plot element, but also as a unique exploration of the generational divide. With a cliffhanger ending, Shade leaves readers clamoring for more. Reviewer: Leah Hanson

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781416994077
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication date: 4/5/2011
Pages: 336
Sales rank: 103,305
Age range: 14 years
Lexile: 0650L (what's this?)
Product dimensions: 5.40 (w) x 8.10 (h) x 1.00 (d)

Meet the Author

Jeri Smith-Ready holds a master’s degree in environmental policy and lives in Maryland with her husband, two cats, and a retired racing greyhound. She and her husband foster shelter dogs with Tails of Hope Sanctuary. Her first novel, Requiem for the Devil, was a semi-finalist in the Warner Aspect First Novel Contest and won first place in the National Writers Association Novel Contest.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One

You can hear me, can’t you?”

I punched the green print button on the copier to drown out the disembodied voice. Sometimes if I ignored them long enough, they went away—confused, discouraged, and lonelier than ever. Sometimes.

Okay, almost never. Usually they got louder.

No time to deal with it that day. Only one more set of legal briefs to unstaple, copy, and restaple, and then I could go home, trade this straitjacket and stockings for a T-shirt and jeans, and make it to Logan’s before practice. To tell him I’m sorry, that I’ve changed my mind, and this time I mean it. Really.

“I know you can hear me.” The old woman’s voice strengthened as it came closer. “You’re one of them.”

I didn’t flinch as I grabbed the top brief from the stack on the conference room table. I couldn’t see her under the office’s bright fluorescent lights, which made it about one percent easier to pretend she wasn’t there.

Someday, if I had my way, none of them would be there.

“What an intolerably rude child,” she said.

I yanked the staple out of the last brief and let it zing off in an unknown direction, trying to hurry without looking like I was hurrying. If the ghost knew I was getting ready to leave, she’d spit out her story, no invitation. I carefully laid the pages in the sheet feeder and hit print again.

“You can’t be more than sixteen.” The lady’s voice was close, almost at my elbow. “So you were born hearing us.”

I didn’t need her to remind me how ghosts’ ramblings had drowned out my mother’s New Agey lullabies. (According to Aunt Gina, Mom thought the old-fashioned ones were too disturbing—“down will come baby, cradle and all.” But when dead people are bitching and moaning around your crib at all hours, the thought of falling out of a tree is so not a source of angst.)

Worst part was, those lullabies were all I remembered of her.

“Come on,” I nagged the copier under my breath, resisting the urge to kick it.

The piece of crap picked that moment to jam.

“Shit.” I clenched my fist, driving the staple remover tooth into the pad of my thumb. “Ow! Damn it.” I sucked the pinpoint of blood.

“Language.” The ghost sniffed. “When I was your age, young ladies wouldn’t have heard such words, much less murdered the mother tongue with …” Blah blah … kids these days … blah blah … parents’ fault… blah.

I jerked open the front of the copier and searched for the stuck paper, humming a Keeley Brothers song to cover the ghost’s yakking.

“They cut me,” she said quietly.

I stopped humming, then blew out a sigh that fluttered my dark bangs. Sometimes there’s no ignoring these people.

I stood, slamming the copier door. “One condition. I get to see you.”

“Absolutely not,” she huffed.

“Wrong answer.” I rounded the table and headed for the switches by the conference room door.

“Please, you don’t want to do that. The way they left me—”

I flipped off the light and turned on the BlackBox.

“No!” The ghost streaked toward me in a blaze of violet. She stopped two inches from my face and let out a shriek that scraped against all the little bones in my ears.

Cringing? Not an option. I crossed my arms, then calmly and slowly extended my middle finger.

“This is your last warning.” Her voice crackled around the edges as she tried to frighten me. “Turn on the light.”

“You wanted to talk. I don’t talk to ghosts I can’t see.” I touched the BlackBox switch. “Sucks to be trapped, huh? That’s how I feel, listening to you people all day.”

“How dare you?” The woman slapped my face, her fingers curled into claws. Her hand passed through my head without so much as a breeze. “After all I’ve been through. Look at me.”

I tried to check her out, but she was trembling so hard with anger, her violet lines kept shifting into one another. It was like trying to watch TV without my contacts.

“Those shoes are beyond last year,” I said, “but other than that, you look fine.”

The ghost glanced down at herself and froze in astonishment. Her pale hair—gray in life, I assumed—was tied in a bun, and she wore what looked like a ruffle-lapelled suit and low-heeled pumps. Your basic country-club queen. Probably found her own death positively scandalous.

“I haven’t seen myself in the dark.” She spoke with awe. “I assumed I would be …” Her hand passed over her stomach.

“What, fat?”

“Disemboweled.”

I felt my eyes soften. “You were murdered?” With old people it was usually a heart attack or stroke. But it explained her rage.

She scowled at me. “Well, it certainly wasn’t suicide.”

“I know.” My voice turned gentle as I remembered to be patient. Sometimes these poor souls didn’t know what to expect, despite all the public awareness campaigns since the Shift. The least I could do was clarify. “If you’d killed yourself, you wouldn’t be a ghost, because you would’ve been prepared to die. And you’re not all carved up because you get frozen in the happiest moment of your life.”

She examined her clothes with something close to a smile, maybe remembering the day she wore them, then looked up at me with a sudden ferocity. “But why?”

I ditched the patience. “How the hell should I know?” I flapped my arms. “I don’t know why we see you at all. No one knows, okay?”

“Listen to me, young lady.” She pointed her violet finger in my face. “When I was your age—”

“When you were my age, the Shift hadn’t happened yet. Everything’s different now. You should be grateful someone can hear you.”

“I shouldn’t be—this way—at all.” She clearly couldn’t say the word “dead.” “I need someone to make it right.”

“So you want to sue.” One of my aunt Gina’s specialties: wrongful death litigation. Gina believes in “peace through justice.” She thinks it helps people move past ghosthood to whatever’s beyond. Heaven, I guess, or at least someplace better than Baltimore.

Weird thing is, it usually works, though no one knows exactly why. But unfortunately, Gina—my aunt, guardian, and godmother—can’t hear or see ghosts. Neither can anyone else born before the Shift, which happened sixteen and three-quarters years ago. So when Gina’s firm gets one of these cases, guess who gets to translate? All for a file clerk’s paycheck.

“My name is Hazel Cavendish,” the lady said. “I was one of this firm’s most loyal clients.”

Ah, that explained how she got here. Ghosts can only appear in the places they went during their lives. No one knows why that is, either, but it makes things a lot easier on people like me.

She continued without prompting. “I was slaughtered this morning outside my home in—”

“Can you come back Monday?” I checked my watch in ex-Hazel’s violet glow. “I have to be somewhere.”

“But it’s only Thursday. I need to speak to someone now.” Her fingers flitted over the string of pearls around her neck. “Aura, please.”

I stepped back. “How do you know my name?”

“Your aunt talked about you all the time, showed me your picture. Your name is hard to forget.” She moved toward me, her footsteps silent. “So beautiful.”

My head started to swim. Uh-oh.

Vertigo in a post-Shifter like me usually means a ghost is turning shade. They go down that one-way path when they let bitterness warp their souls. It has its advantages—shades are dark, powerful spirits who can hide in the shadows and go anywhere they want.

Anywhere, that is, but out of this world. Unlike ghosts, shades can’t pass on or find peace, as far as we know. And since they can single-handedly debilitate any nearby post-Shifters, “detainment” is the only option.

“I really have to go,” I whispered, like I’d hurt ex-Hazel less if I lowered the volume. “A few days won’t matter.”

“Time always matters.”

“Not for you.” I kept my voice firm but kind. “Not anymore.”

She moved so close, I could see every wrinkle on her violet face.

“Your eyes are old,” she hissed. “You think you’ve seen everything, but you don’t know what it’s like.” She touched my heart with a hand I couldn’t feel. “One day you’ll lose something important, and then you’ll know.”

I ran for the car, my work shoes clunking against the sidewalk and rubbing blisters on my ankles. No time to stop home to change before going to Logan’s. Should’ve brought my clothes with me, but how could I have known there’d be a new case?

I’d wussed out, of course, and let the old woman tell my aunt her nasty death story. The ghost was angry enough that I worried about what she’d do without immediate attention. “Shading” was still pretty rare, especially for a new ghost like ex-Hazel, but it wasn’t worth the risk.

The leafy trees lining the street made it dark enough to see ghosts even an hour before sunset. Half a dozen were loitering outside the day care center in the mansion across the street. Like most of the buildings in the Roland Park area, Little Creatures Kiddie Care was completely BlackBoxed—its walls lined with the same thin layer of charged obsidian that kept ghosts out of sensitive areas. Bathrooms, military base buildings, that sort of thing. I wish Gina and I could afford to live there—Roland Park, I mean, not a military base.

I stopped for a giant Coke Slurpee and guzzled it on my way toward I-83, wincing at the brain freeze. I usually prefer to use the spoon end of the straw, but after ex-Hazel’s intake session, I desperately needed the massive caffeine-sugar infusion that only pure, bottom-of-the-cup Slurpee syrup could provide.

The long shadows of trees cut across the road, and I kept my eyes forward so I wouldn’t see the ghosts on the sidewalks.

Lot of good it did. At the last stoplight before the expressway, a little violet kid waved from the backseat of the car in front of me. His lips were moving, forming words I couldn’t decipher. An older girl next to him clapped her hands over her ears, her blond pigtails wagging back and forth as she shook her head. The parents in the front seats kept talking, oblivious or maybe just unable to deal. They should trade in that car, I thought, while that poor girl still has her sanity.

The on-ramp sloped uphill into the sunshine, and I let out a groan of relief, gnawing the end of my straw.

After almost seventeen years of hearing about grisly murders and gruesome accidents, you’d think I’d be tough, jaded. You’d think that ghosts’ tendency to over-share would eventually annoy instead of sadden me.

And you’d be right. Mostly. By the time I was five, I’d stopped crying. I’d stopped having nightmares. I’d stopped sleeping with the lights on so I wouldn’t see their faces. And I’d stopped talking about it, because by that point the world believed us. Five hundred million toddlers can’t be wrong.

But I never forgot. Their stories are shelved in my mind, neat as a filing system. Probably because I’ve recited many of them on the witness stand.

Courts don’t just take my word for it, or any one person’s. Testimony only counts if two of us post-Shifters agree on a ghost’s statement. Since ghosts apparently can’t lie, they make great witnesses. Last year, me and this terrified freshman translated for the victims of a psycho serial killer. (Remember Tomcat? The one who liked to “play with his food”?)

Welcome to my life. It gets better.

I pulled into Logan’s driveway at 6:40. I loved going to the Keeleys’ house—it sat in a Hunt Valley development that had been farmland only a few years before. Newer neighborhoods had way fewer ghosts, and I’d never seen one at the Keeleys’. At the time, anyway.

I checked my hair in the rearview mirror. Hopelessly well-groomed. I pawed through my bag to find a few funky little silver skull-and-crossbones barrettes, then pinned them into my straight dark brown hair to make it stick out in random places.

“Yeah, you look totally punk in your beige suit and sensible flats.” I made a face at myself in the mirror, then leaned closer.

Were my eyes really that old, like ex-Hazel said? Maybe it was the dark circles underneath. I licked my finger and wiped under my brown eyes to see if the mascara had smeared.

Nope. The gray shadows on my skin came from too little sleep and too much worrying. Too much rehearsing what I would say to Logan.

As I walked up the brick front path, I heard music blasting through the open basement window.

Late. I wanted to hurl my bag across the Keeleys’ lawn in frustration. Once Logan got lost in his guitar, he forgot I existed. And we really needed to talk.

I went in the front door without knocking, the way I had since we were six and the Keeleys lived around the block in a row home like ours. I hurried past the stairs, through the kitchen, and into the family room.

“Hey, Aura,” called Logan’s fifteen-year-old brother Dylan from his usual position, sprawled barefoot and bowlegged on the floor in front of the flat-screen TV. He glanced up from his video game, then did a double-take at the sight of my Slurpee cup. “Bad one?”

“Old lady, stabbed in a mugging. Semi-Shady.”

“Sucks.” He focused on his game, nodding in time to the metal soundtrack. “Protein drinks work better.”

“You bounce back your way, I’ll bounce my way.”

“Whatever.” His voice rose suddenly. “Noooo! Eat it! Eat it!” Dylan slammed his back against the ottoman and jerked the joystick almost hard enough to break it. As his avatar got torched by a flamethrower, he shrieked a stream of curses that told me his parents weren’t home. Mr. and Mrs. Keeley had apparently already left for their second honeymoon.

I opened the basement door, releasing a blast of guitar chords, then slipped off my shoes so I could walk downstairs without noise.

Halfway to the bottom, I peered over the banister into the left side of the unfinished basement. Logan was facing away from me, strumming his new Fender Stratocaster and watching his brother Mickey work out a solo. The motion of his shoulder blades rippled his neon green T-shirt, the one I’d bought him on our last trip to Ocean City.

When he angled his chin to check his fingers on the fret board, I could see his profile. Even with his face set in concentration, his sky blue eyes sparked with joy. Logan could play guitar in a sewer and still have fun.

Logan and Mickey were like yin and yang, inside and out. Logan’s spiky hair was bleached blond with black streaks, while Mickey’s was black with blond streaks. Logan played a black guitar right-handed, and his brother a white one left-handed. They had the same lanky build, and lots of people thought they were twins, but Mickey was eighteen and Logan only seventeen (minus one day).

Their sister, Siobhan—Mickey’s actual twin—was sitting cross-legged on the rug in front of them, her fiddle resting against her left knee as she shared a cigarette with the bassist, her boyfriend, Connor.

My best friend, Megan, sat next to them, knees pulled to her chest. She wove a lock of her long, dark red hair through her fingers as she stared at Mickey.

The only one facing me was Brian, the drummer. He spotted me and promptly missed a beat. I cringed—he was sometimes brilliant, but he could be distracted by a stray dust ball.

Mickey and Logan stopped playing and turned to Brian, who adjusted the backward white baseball cap on his head in embarrassment.

“Jesus,” Mickey said, “is it too much to ask for a fucking backbeat?”

“Sorry.” Brian twirled his stick in his thick hand, then pointed it at me. “She’s here.”

Logan spun around, and I expected a glare for interrupting—not to mention leftover hostility from last night’s fight. Instead his face lit up.

“Aura!” He swept the strap over his head, handed his guitar to Mickey, and leaped to meet me at the bottom of the stairs. “Oh my God, you won’t believe this!” He grabbed me around the waist and hoisted me up. “You will not believe this.”

“I will, I swear.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, grinning so hard it hurt. Clearly he wasn’t mad at me. “What’s up?”

“Hang on.” Logan lowered me to the floor, then spread my arms to examine my suit. “They make you wear this to work?”

“I didn’t have time to change.” I gave him a light punch in the chest for torturing me. “So what won’t I believe?”

“Siobhan, get her some clothes,” he barked.

“Choice,” she said. “Say please or kiss my ass.”

“Please!” Logan held up his hands. “Anything to keep your ass in the safe zone.”

Siobhan gave Connor her cigarette and got to her feet. As she passed me, she squeezed my elbow and said, “Boy thinks he’s a rock god just because some label people are coming to the show tomorrow.”

My mind spun as it absorbed my biggest hope and fear. “Is she kidding?” I asked Logan.

“No,” he growled. “Thanks for blowing the surprise, horse face!” he yelled as she slouched up the stairs, snickering.

I tugged on his shirt. “Who’s coming?”

“Get this.” He gripped my shoulders. “A and R dudes from two different companies. One’s an independent—Lianhan Records—”

“That’s the one we want,” Mickey interjected.

“—and the other is Warrant.”

I gasped. “I’ve heard of Warrant.”

“Because they’re part of a major, major, major humongous label.” Logan’s eyes rolled up in ecstasy, like God himself was handing out record contracts.

“We’ll use Warrant to make Lianhan jealous,” Mickey added. “But we’re not selling out.”

Logan pulled me to the back side of the stairs, where the others couldn’t see us. “This could be it,” he whispered. “Can you believe it? It’d be the most amazing birthday present ever.”

I steadied my breath so I could get the words out. “Hopefully not the best present.”

“You mean the Strat from my folks?”

“Not that, either.” I reached up under the back of his T-shirt and let my fingers graze his warm skin.

“Is it something you—wait.” His eyes widened, making the silver hoop in his brow glint in the overhead light. “Are you saying—”

“Yep.” I stood on tiptoe and kissed him, quick but hard. “I’m ready.”

His gold-tipped lashes flickered, but he angled his chin to look at me sideways. “You said that before.”

“I said a lot of things before. Some of them were stupid.”

“Yeah, they were.” His eyes crinkled, softening his words. “You know I’d never leave you over this, either way. How could you even think that?”

“I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

“Me too.” He traced my jaw with his thumb, which always made me shiver. “I love you.”

He kissed me then, drowning my doubts in one warm, soft moment. Doubts about him, about me, about him and me.

“Here you go!” Siobhan called from the stairs, a moment before a clump of denim and cotton fell on our heads. “Oops,” she said with fake surprise.

I peeled the jeans off Logan’s shoulder and held them up in salute. “Thanks, Siobhan.”

“Back to work!” rang Mickey’s voice from the other side of the basement.

Logan ignored his brother and gazed into my eyes. “So … maybe tomorrow night, at my party?” He hurried to add, “Only if you’re sure. We could wait, if you—”

“No.” I could barely manage a whisper. “No more waiting.”

His lips curved into a smile, which promptly faded. “I better clean my room. There’s like a one-foot path through all the old Guitar Worlds and dirty laundry.”

“I can walk on a one-foot path.”

“Screw that. I want it to be perfect.”

“Hey!” Mickey yelled again, louder. “What part of ‘back to work’ is not in English?”

Logan grimaced. “We’re switching out some of our set list—less covers, more original stuff. Probably be up all night.” He gave me a kiss that was quick but full of promise. “Stay as long as you want.”

He disappeared around the stairs, and immediately Megan replaced him at my side.

“Did you make up? You did, didn’t you?”

“We made up.” I sat on the couch to remove my stockings, checking over my shoulder to make sure the guys were out of sight on the other side of the stairs. “I told him I’m ready.”

Megan slumped next to me and rested her elbow on the back of the sofa. “You don’t think you have to say that to keep him, do you?”

“It’s something I want too. Anyway, who cares, as long as it works?”

“Aura …”

“You know what it’s like, going to their gigs.” My whisper turned to a hiss. “Seeing all those girls who’d probably pay to get naked with Mickey or Logan. Or even with Brian or Connor.”

“But the guys aren’t like that—well, maybe Brian is, but he doesn’t have a girlfriend. Mickey loves me. Logan loves you.”

“So?” I slipped on the jeans. “Plenty of rock stars have wives and girlfriends, and they still screw their groupies. It comes with the territory.”

“I find your lack of faith disturbing,” she said in her best Darth Vader impression, forcing a smile out of me.

I unbuttoned my white silk blouse. “What should I wear?”

“Same stuff as always, on the outside. That’s the way he likes you.” Megan snapped the strap of my plain beige bra. “But definitely do better than this underneath.”

“Duh,” was my only response as I slipped Siobhan’s black-and-yellow Distillers T-shirt over my head. I’d made a covert trip to Victoria’s Secret weeks before—the one way up in Owings Mills, where no one would recognize me. The matching black lace bra and underwear were still in the original bag, with their tags on, in the back of my bottom dresser drawer.

“The first time doesn’t have to suck,” she said, “not if you go slow.”

“Okay,” I said quickly, in a deep state of not wanting to talk about it.

Luckily, at that moment Brian tapped his sticks to mark time, and the band launched into one of their original tunes, “The Day I Sailed Away.”

The Keeley Brothers wanted to be the premier Irish-flavored rock band in Baltimore. Maybe one day go national, become the next Pogues, or at least the next Flogging Molly, with a heavy dose of American skate-punk ’tude.

As Logan began to sing, Megan’s face reflected my bliss and awe. With that voice leading the way, the Keeley Brothers didn’t have to be the next anyone.

Two record labels. I closed my eyes, ignoring the way my stomach turned to lead, and savored the sound that Megan and I would soon have to share with the world.

I knew then 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.

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TeensReadToo

Posted June 19, 2010

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Reviewed by Andrea for TeensReadToo.com

In SHADE by Jeri Smith-Ready, Aura was born post-Shift, which means that she can see ghosts and Shades (ghosts who have gotten really mad). She hates being able to do this and would give anything to stop it.

Until her boyfriend Logan's birthday comes around, and instead of it being a great day, it turns horrific when he dies. But since she can see ghosts, she can still see Logan. So it's almost like having her boyfriend still there - but not quite.

Aura meets a new friend, Zachary, who understands what she is going through and is a big piece to the Shift puzzle. But with both Logan and Zachary in her life, which one will she turn to in the end?

I thought this book was so unique. The premise that people born after the Shift can see ghosts is so creative! I was hooked on the story right from the beginning.

SHADE brought out a lot of emotions in me. There were times when I was saying "How can she do that when Logan has only been dead for a little while?" and then at the end, I was definitely teary eyed.

The book ended on a cliffhanger. I want more! I want to know what happens next! And there are still so many questions that I have. Who are Aura's parents? Why was she the first baby born after the Shift? And a bunch more that I don't want to say so I won't spoil the story.

The sequel, SHIFT, comes out in May 2011, and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Awesomeness1

Posted June 7, 2010

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I Also Recommend:

Excuse me, you just walked through my boyfriend.

This book could have very nearly been a disaster. It could have taken the sour young-adult fantasy route that I'm experiencing more and more these days. It even had the dreaded love triangle. But, I was pleasanlty surprised in the end.

This books is about a girl, named Aura (the name made me cringe), who can see ghosts. Which is not unusual because everyone born after the Shift can see the voilet figures of people who once were. The night of his 17th birthday, Aura's boyfriend, Logan, dies. He isn't completely gone though, and haunts her whether she wants him to or not. Then enter Zach: the sexy foreign exchange student who has a secret nearly as big as Aura's own.

This book moved quickly and fluently, without just being comprised of action. I was sucked in nearly immediately. I was reading this on my laptop, so I began taking my laptop everywhere. The writing, while not particularly stunning, was fluidly done.

The characters were strong. Aura, the main character, was no Mary Sue. Assertive and passionate, she was quick-witted enough to hold her own in the tensest conversations. Logan was perfect in that he wasn't perfect. He had a temper, but was overall very sweet. Even though he was dead for 90% of the novel, he managed to develop through out the story.

And then there was Zach. Oh. My. God. I think I'm in love. All foreign exchange students are sexy, but a Scottish one? *melts* Smith-Ready must have dived into the deepest parts of my psyche, because he is a man of my dreams. And the love-triangle was well-done. All the emotions Aura felt were believable, and I think readers will be conflicted as to whom to favor.

This was a smart paranormal read. The plot was original without being completely out-there. It was exciting and entertaining, with plenty of unanswered questions left at the end. Once the sequel comes out, I guarantee ya I'll be one of the first in line.

Oh, and I thought the cover was ugly, but that besides the point.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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nookexpert

Posted September 21, 2011

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i give 4.5

i found a preview to this book in a book that i was reading on paper back..i had meant to get it since i heard it came out but always forgot..then i found it on my nook and bought it.. i wish it was a little longer just bc i wanted to keep reading other then that i loved it

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Tiger_Holland

Posted October 23, 2010

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Excellent concept & great heroine, but it's hard to sympathize with Logan

Aura was the first child born after the Shift which allowed young people to see ghosts. Ghosts are now a part of everyday life. No one older than Aura can see them, but there's still a government agency devoted to monitoring them (the Department of Metaphysical Purity) and BlackBoxes of charged obsidian keep ghosts out of bathrooms and other places they're not wanted. Aura works for her aunt at a law firm that deals with wrongful death lawsuits from the families of ghosts, where the dead can give their testimonies in court, via a teenage translator.

Aside from the talkative over-sharing ghosts that plague every other kid, Aura's life is normal and she's crazy about her boyfriend, Logan, who's about to make it big in the music industry. Then Logan dies and comes back as a ghost, and a new guy comes into Aura's world, Zachary, who just happens to be the last child born before the Shift. Aura has to cope with the pain of losing Logan and the fear that he'll turn into a Shade--a powerful, bad, and irredeemable ghost--while she figures out her special connection to Zachary.

Aura seems very strong and capable until we see her with Logan. She's really worried about losing him, either to fame or to another girl, but I didn't think Logan was much to miss. Early on, all I saw him do was be a tremendously talented musician, squabble with his siblings, and assure Aura that she didn't have to sleep with him unless she really wanted to, when it was obvious that she was very nervous and only offering so that she could keep him happy. I need to see a little kindness or self-sacrifice in order to think a fictional boy is special, and I got none of that from Logan. The night he dies, he reveals that he's gotten Aura's name tattooed on his chest, then he consumes three and a half pints of beer, plus an alcoholic mixture of unknown content, plus cocaine. I feel sorry for him, and it hurt to see him die, but he seemed like a little kid in a teen's body, always making the absolute wrong decision.

I am impressed with the mythos of the ghost-infused world, and I thought that a lot of important details were revealed unobtrusively in the first few pages. I wanted to high-five the author for doing her job so well, because the factual info was seamlessly introduced and it hooked me and made me want to read on.

There's nothing really wrong with the story, it's just that almost the whole book is tied up with comforting and redeeming Logan, who I'm not really interested in. I may pick up the sequel, to see more of Zachary, who is smart, strong, and Scottish (a winning combination) and who seems to be involved in some interesting supernatural developments that will come out in later installments.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Cariblogs

Posted June 18, 2010

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I Also Recommend:

Loving Shade!

In Shade something caused a shift in the world 16 years ago giving everyone born after the shift the ability to see and talk to ghosts. There are ghosts who have unfinished business and can simply be annoying, but then there are ghosts called shades who are angry and hurt the people who can see them. The government is working to trap shades and is recruiting anyone who has the ability to see them.

There isn't a specific logic to who will simply pass on after they die and who will ...more In Shade something caused a shift in the world 16 years ago giving everyone born after the shift the ability to see and talk to ghosts. There are ghosts who have unfinished business and can simply be annoying, but then there are ghosts called shades who are angry and hurt the people who can see them. The government is working to trap shades and is recruiting anyone who has the ability to see them.

There isn't a specific logic to who will simply pass on after they die and who will turn into a ghost. One way to help ghosts pass on is to file a wrongful death suit and if the lawsuit is won the ghost can move on. Aura the first baby born after the shift tries to ignore ghosts in her everyday life except when she is working at her aunt's law firm translating or speaking for ghosts. Aura's mother died when she was a child but Aura has a feeling that her mother might have known what caused the shift. With her mothers journals as a guide Aura hopes to find out more.

Aura's views on ghosts change when Logan, her boyfriend, dies suddenly. Even though she knows that Logan should move on Aura can't help but hold on to him. Aura even feels that she could some how stay his girlfriend. Shortly after Logan's passing she meets Zachary who is pre-shift, so he can't see or talk to ghosts, and he's stunning. Zachary tries to be her friend, but he also shows signs of liking Aura. To make matters worse Logan starts to display signs of turning into a shade and his family is quickly trying to file a wrongful death suit to get him to move on. If either of these things happens Aura will loose Logan for good.

Shade is the first teen book by Jeri Smith-Ready. I first heard of Jeri when the Smart Chicks Kick It Tour was announcing authors and then again when the Haiti earthquake happened and she very generously was giving autographed books to people who made a donation to Doctors without Borders and again with the Multiple Sclerosis Society's Walk.

I found the story unique and emotional. When Aura lost Logan I was in tears and I found her to be a great lead character. Shade kept my attention the entire time and I kept wondering what would happen next. At the end of the book I couldn't decide between Logan and Zachary. Overall I found this to be a great book and would recommend it to everyone.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Lauren817

Posted May 2, 2010

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Loved It!

Shade is hands down one the best books of the year!

From a sexy love triangle between Aura and two utterly charming boys to an action packed plot to an enticing premise were some of the main aspects that make Shade the excellent and heart-racing book that it was destined to be.

Aura was a likable character with a compelling voice from the instant I started her story. I really liked how Jeri crafted her character in a way that she never got too mopey and suicidal over the death of her boyfriend, but instead made the best of the situation, even if it did hurt at times. Also, I loved reading her interactions with Logan, her long-time boyfriend and sexy lead singer of the Keeley Brothers', and Zachary, the sweet Irish boy. If I was her, I'd have no clue of who to pick.

As mentioned before, the plot in Shade was an action packed story that only gave you one choice. That choice? Rush right through it, of course, because it was just that addicting and amazing! I loved reading about the Shift and am looking forward to seeing more of it and the mystery around it in the sequel coming in '11 titled Shift. Also, I can't go without mentioning in this review how much I enjoyed Jeri Smith-Ready's writing. I can definitely see her being something really big in YA a few years from now.

In all, Shade is a book that I not only highly recommend you buy, but insist that you do so; since I assure you that you will definitely not be disappointed in this one! Though, word of warning, you'll be dying to read the sequel as soon as you read the last word like I am now.

Grade: A+

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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La_Femme_Readers

Posted April 30, 2010

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Hauntingly, Endearing Supernatural Novel!

Reviewed by Eleni from La Femme Readers Blog
Rating: 4.5

Shade was a hauntingly, endearing supernatural novel. I was utterly impressed with the flow of the plot and the unique characters. The world that Jeri created was very original and fresh. In this community, people born after the shift had the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. Pretty cool right? The violet-hued spirits were friendly while the dark "shades" were unpleasant and bitter. Aura was not the biggest fan of her ability. But, when her boyfriend Logan passed away, she was grateful for the chance to see him again. The raw emotions Aura went through was quite depressing. I could not imagine dealing with not only the loss of a loved one but also being surrounded by their ghost. I was saddened when Logan passed away, he was my favorite character. There was something about his demeanor that made me feel comfortable and fuzzy inside. He would of continued to be a great boyfriend to Aura if it wasn't for his stupid mistake. *sighs*

Now, throughout the book the suspense slowly developed with the mystery behind the Shift. No one with this ability was aware as to why this phenomenon occurred. Aura, a strong and passionate teen sought out answers behind her power, even though it was forbidden. I admired her determination and understanding that something shady was going on. Meanwhile, another character stood out to me, Zachary, a handsome new student from Scotland who held some interesting secrets. He genuinely cared for Aura and always kept her best interest at heart. The connection between the two was intriguing and I can't wait to see their progressing relationship in this series. Jeri concluded the first book perfectly, I am eagerly anticipating the sequel, Shift which comes out in May 2011. Overall, a great supernatural read which I recommend all YA lovers should read!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted January 19, 2012

Good quick read.

This is a good quick read.
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Anonymous

Posted December 29, 2011

Read the house of nights

Thiss was a good andsad but romantic book:)
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Anonymous

Posted December 3, 2011

I would reccomend it to anyone

"Shade" was suprisingly real. The way the teens talk about things real teens would say and do. I guess you could say it was hauntingly good.
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lovepassionbooks

Posted November 1, 2011

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Shade!!!

What if there was a world that you could keep in touch with your loved ones after they have passed??? I actually really don't know how I feel about it. I mean if it was my family and their death was tragic, I don't think that I would want to keep in touch with them. I would just really want to move on. Well in this book Aura doesn't have that option. She can see and talk to the dead that walk among the Earth. And now she is communicating with her dead boyfriend. But should she wait and stay together with her ghost of a boyfriend, or should she go for the very much alive and drop dead gorgeous Zachary????

I am not going to lie. This book, at first, was very hard to get through. I think that I was waiting for it to be very romantic between Zachary and Aura. And when it really didn't I was kind of disappointed. When Zachary finally tells Aura how he feels, is when I actually really started loving the book.

The book was a really good book. I am hoping that Shift is going to be a lot better. If you can get past the fact that the book is about a girl that has a boyfriend that dies and she stays with him then this book is for you. But I am so glad that I read this book. It opened me to a new world, a world of Zachary and how hot Scottish boys are!! :) When I was told about Zachary I didn't know what to expect. I was told that you are going to crush over Zachary and you are going to crush hard. Boy did I crush hard. I kind of love Zachary. He is awesome. And I am now TEAM ZACHARY!!! I am so glad that I decided to read this book for him.

Oh and that there is a book that character loves Notre Dame Football just as much as I do!!!! GO IRISH!!!
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kristinja73

Posted October 21, 2011

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Heart-Achingly Beautiful

I'm not even sure where to begin with Shade. I spent most of the book in tears. It has been so long that I have read any book that truly took my breath away, I almost didn't know what to do. Two words to describe Shade - Heart-Achingly Beautiful. The prose is both poignant and eloquent. Every word written is important in one way or another. I tend to skim over paragraphs that I deem unimportant in a book. I can honestly say there is not a single word I did not read with utter interest. The characters were just...wow. Each of them with a dynamic and significant place in this alluringly woven love story. Aura Salvatore was born post-shift, meaning she can see and talk to ghosts who have not passed on after their sudden deaths. By day she works with her Aunt Gina, by night she is a supportive and loving girlfriend of a soon-to-be rockstar. Logan Keeley is the rockstar boyfriend. He enjoys being in the spotlight as much as he loves Aura. He just needs to prove this to her. The boy loves a party...too much. His life is about to change in ways he never imagined. Mickey Keeley is the oldest of the Keeley Brothers and the second half of this made-for-stardom duo. Mickey is a little more level-headed than Logan, also more brooding. Megan is Aura's best friend and Mickey's girlfriend. Megan is self-sacrificing with her feelings in order to support Aura and Mickey which causes her to have some resentment toward her friends. Siobhan Keeley is Mickey's twin sister and plays the fiddle as a part of the Keeley Brother's band. She loves her music but knows there are things that are more important in life. Dylan Keeley happens to be the youngest of the siblings and not musically inclined. He is the "geek" who collects action figures and plays video games. Zachary Moore...oh, Zach. How many ways do we love you? As a newbie in the States and at Aura's school, he is both mysterious and sensuous. Aura finds herself drawn to this sexy Scottish boy in ways she knows she shouldn't be. As the last person born before the shift, he holds a completely different set of powers from Aura. Maybe a compliment to her ghost-seeing abilities, maybe a cure? Aunt Gina has been a mother to Aura since her mother died when she was three. Gina is someone I grew to truly respect as a person and a mother-figure. She is empathetic, compassionate, but unafraid to take a stand. Shade is like any other book I fell completely in love with...I glanced at it in the store and thought a ghost story...nope, don't think so. Then I began reading review after review of how amazing this book was and thought, okay, maybe I should give it a chance. I was already in love with the covers so I decided I had to own both Shade and Shift even if I didn't like them. Well...after the first chapter, I knew I that not liking them was completely out of the question. After the second chapter - I was in love. The third - completely addicted. This is a tragic love story with a complete different twist. I warn - it is not for the faint of heart. Actions cause consequences - always.
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TransientMe

Posted October 13, 2011

Excellent read

This turned out to be a fantastic book and once I started I couldn't put it down. Luckily I had a day off from work so I was able to just snuggle under the blankets and read it all in one shot. =]
It's refreshing to see a different perspective on ghosts/afterlife etc, though I feel the description of shades could be a bit better. It's also nice to see a semi-love story where the main characters aren't drooling all over each other in unrealistic and unhealthy worship.
I'm bummed that I didn't order the second book at the same time, now I have to wait a week for it to come in the mail. =[
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jenababy13

Posted September 15, 2011

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Amazing

Wow. Just wow! Shade is a whirlwind of emotions in one book. Love. Is all I can say.

Shade starts off with Aura, who since the shift can see ghosts. Aura is special though, she was first. That doesn't stop her life though, or her love for her amazing, sexy, singer boyfriend Logan. So when Logan tragically dies she's thinks it's all over, until she realizes that Logan is still with her in ghost form. As more mysteries unravel, she becomes close to Zachary, a green eyed, Scottish cutie. Together they begin to figure out what the Shift is all about. What do you do when you're in love with your ghost boyfriend, but someone else is willing to be there for you?

I loved this book. The story was fantastic. And I really, really want to know more about the Shift and Aura's mother. Another aspect I loved about this book was the music. I adore music. It's one of my favorite things in the world. There always seems to be a lyric for every situation and every emotion. The fact that Logan sang, and played guitar killed me. I wanted to jump right on him haha! And Zachary's song was I Will Posses Your Heart? Hellloooo amazing.

I loved every character in this book. Well with the exception of Brian, Becca, and Nadine. I loved the Keeley brothers and Megan! Aura was something else. I really ached with her. I know what it's like to love someone and also have someone in the background saying 'hey! I'm here for you. I'll catch you when you fall.' It's the worst decision in the world. One to this day, I haven't made. And honestly my heart aches for Aura for having to chose between two amazing guys.

As of right now... I adore both boys. Zachary is such a sweety and he has green eyes, which is a killer for me. Green eyes are my favorite! He's so willing to do anything for Aura and be there for her when she needs him. But, I am a tiny bit more a Logan girl!!

This book is so much more than romance. It dives into drugs, parties, music, school, how cruel people can really be, and how much people will do for love. I'm really rooting that somehow Logan and Aura end up together. I just don't see how it will happen though. Here's hoping! :) If not, Zachary is still a keeper and I adore him too!

This book was amazing! Definitely worth a buy!! I cannot wait for the sequel I neeeeeeed more!!!

Most importantly... Always fight for what you want and don't give up. Believe in music. Believe in yourself. Believe in love. Always.
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SmittenWithReading

Posted September 13, 2011

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Such an interesting story line...

My Review:
When this book came out, everyone raved about it, so I knew that it was going to be good, but Wow! This series is fantastic!! I just finished book #2 in this series as I write this review...and I know better than to do that because it affects my objectivity over the first book. But Wow! This series seriously rocks. Book 1, Shade, is not as good as book #2, Shift, but the premise in these books is so astounding and interesting. Just amazing!

The world has changed for the new generation. There was a Shift and now everyone 16 and under can see ghosts. They have grown up that way. Ghosts have always been a part of their lives. The ghosts are seen as violet/purple beings that can be seen in low light. The world has figured out stop-gap measures to keep ghosts from invading certain areas...black-boxes that can keep the ghosts out, obsidian rock also repels them, as well as the color red which many children have taken to wearing constantly because it is known to repel them. Aura is one of those kids that has taken measures to prevent the ghosts from being around her, but then her boyfriend, Logan, dies and she wants nothing more than to have his ghost as near as possible...at least, at first.

There are three main characters in this book:

**Aura was born the day of the Shift. She's typical of a lot of teenage girls. She is being raised by her Aunt Gina after her mother died from cancer when Aura was three. She has never known who her father was. Logan and she have been fighting lately over things like sex. She has issues with doubting his love especially as his fame grows. She adores music. She's a typical teenager, but there is a lot of layers to this character. She does work for her Aunt Gina and the ghosts in the court system. She realizes that something more is going on with her birth and is trying to research it on the sly via her History research paper. She's smart. She's conflicted. She's simply trying to find her place in the world and not hurt anyone around her. She loves Logan and his death is devastating to her. My heart ached for her throughout so much of this book because her longing is palpable. Her life is filled with "what if's"...

**Logan...first word that comes to mind- IDIOT! He blew it and I had a really hard time liking his character. He's self-centered and so focused on his music and making it big. The guy freaking overdosed because he couldn't get it up...OMG! IDIOT!! But you know, he paid the ultimate price for his mistakes and there are times throughout the book when that is simply devastating. When he dies and immediately shows up as a ghost. OMG...so freaking sad- his shock, Aura & Dylan's (his brother's) devastation at seeing him purple, the anger. So sad. But I have a hard time with him because he won't let Aura go. It's all about him and his remaining with her is tearing her apart. She needs to move on, but as long as he's there, she can't.

**Zachary...LOVE him!!! Zach is from Scotland. His father's job has brought him to the states for a year. He's been assigned to help Aura with her History research project, but we quickly learn that there is more to him than that. He shares Aura's birthday, but unlike her, he can't see the ghosts because he was born the minute before the Shift. (She was born the minute after the Shift.) It's obvious fairly quickly that he is developing feelings for Aura and how can you not love this guy? He is so protective of her. He gets int
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Anonymous

Posted August 29, 2011

I hate this book

I cried like 3 times reading the first and second book. The book is really good, I dont hate it because its bad but this book had a BIG effect on me. Ughh. Its bittersweet. I hate that it had such a big effect on me. Yeah some books make me sad but this book actually put tears to my eyes. This book is beautiful. The characters are great, story line, details and everything. Every sad part that came I was like ' ughh i hate this stupid book ' loll. But i dont regret reading it and if you're looking for a beautiful heartfelt story then read this book.. however if you're a cry baby like me then be cautious:) lol
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Karen_McCormack

Posted August 20, 2011

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Must read ya/pnr

One of the best YA/PNR books EVER! The writing, characters, story - all outstanding! I need more ZACHARY & Logan! #KILTS! @kujo317
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Brooke_Lynn_G

Posted June 18, 2011

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MUST READ!

I could basically talk about this mind-blowing book for days because, "it's amazing and horrible and bizarre and beautiful."

This was my first supernatural ghost story and it left me speechless! (mostly because I was too busy crying!) With so many vampire & werewolf stories out there these days, I think Shade literally shines brighter than all of them. The storyline actually has MEANING and DEPTH to it, you can't help but love it once you read it. I could not recommend this book anymore. If you don't read it, you are truly missing out on one of THE best stories ever written!

I promise you will NOT be disappointed and if you are... well then... you can give me a virtual slap! (but that will NOT happen!)
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pagese

Posted June 6, 2011

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Book Review: Shade

I've been meaning to read this for awhile now (along with her other series). With the chance to review the sequel, I finally got to it! I should have read it sooner.

I instantly liked Aura. She seems level headed. She has a great boyfriend who you can tell adores her. But, it's not a perfect relationship and we know this because they're fighting when the story opens. I also liked the she has a life outside of her boyfriend and his music. I was most intrigued by the idea of the Shift and Aura's ability to see ghosts. I wasn't sure how this worked until after Logan died.

Aura seems to be different that must kids/teens who can see ghosts. Most seem to try and drown them out. Aura is actually known for helping them fulfill their purpose to move on. With some many people being able to see ghosts, people like Aura actually help ghosts testify at trials and voice their wishes for funerals. Very rarely, do the interact with Shades. Aura has only seen 3 in her life. Shades are ghosts that have left their anger take over them. The government tries to capture ghosts before they turn Shade. Aura attracts unwanted attention because of who she is and because Logan is displaying some very Shade like tenancies.

Enter in Zackary, the sexy guy with the Scottish accent. He was born right before the Shift so he can't see ghosts. But, he has an interesting effect on Aura. The governments is interested in him as well. The three of them together make for an interesting love triangle. Plus, they may hold the key to why the Shift occurred.
As things come to ahead, we learn some interesting thing about Zachary and Aura and their connection. Logan also has ultimatum placed on him. He has to move on or risk containment forever. Aura struggles with her love for Logan and helping him move on and her feelings for Zachary who is very much alive. It was wonderfully built story that had me in suspense. The love interests were wonderfully done and I fully felt the difficulty Aura had in making a choice. I can't wait to read the sequel!
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Nikkayme

Posted June 1, 2011

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I Also Recommend:

Dark, Sexy, and Addicting - A Must Read Series

4.5

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready was one of those books that I kind of wanted to read, but didn't think I'd adore. Boy was I wrong. Smith-Ready's take on ghosts is so far from the norm that I was instantly taken by it. Aura can see ghosts; she can talk to ghosts; she can even translate for ghosts. But so can everyone else born after her. After the Shift. The world that Aura lives in is exactly like our own, only filled with ghosts. These ghosts can be nice, mean, or go shade. Shade is a whole new level on a bad ghost spectrum. Shades get locked up, trapped by the government agency that wouldn't even know they existed without the younger generation telling them.

Aura is one of those characters that I couldn't help but love. She's funny, smart, caring, a bit of a spitfire, but not at all apologetic for being who she is. She loves her boyfriend Logan before and after he dies. She wants to be there for him, but realizes he can never really be there for her in his new ghostly state. Logan is a great guy too, despite his stupidity and resulting death. He and Aura make a good pair, but so do Aura and Zachary.

Zachary is a swoonworthy character, if I ever saw (or read) one. If an author wants to make her readers all swoony, do what Jeri Smith-Ready did and give them an accent. Zach is Scottish, with a Scottish accent and Scottish words and swoony behavior, but he's real too. He's what Logan can no longer be, but he's wary of that. Like Logan and Zach, all the secondary characters add something to the plot. Megan, Aura's best friend is someone I'd be friends with. Logan's family are the kind of people the reader can relate to and Aura's aunt is a wise and all about the ghost (not girl) power! Unfolding each bit of the plot was a pleasure and seeing how Aura's life as a Post-Shifter and Zachary's life as a Pre-Shifter tie together kept me turning the pages.

Shade is a dark story layered with well-developed characters, backed by an increasingly interesting plotline, and littered with music that is felt throughout the pages. Aura's determination to find out more about the Shift, keep Logan from going shade, and sort out her relationship with Zachary will keep the reader enthralled and turning the pages at breakneck speed. Be prepared to pick up Shift directly after finishing because you will NEED to know what happens next. I know I do.
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Reviewed by Andrea for TeensReadToo.com

Excuse me, you just walked through my boyfriend.

i give 4.5

Excellent concept & great heroine, but it's hard to sympathize with Logan

Loving Shade!

Loved It!

Hauntingly, Endearing Supernatural Novel!

Good quick read.

Read the house of nights

I would reccomend it to anyone

Shade!!!

Heart-Achingly Beautiful

Excellent read

Amazing

Such an interesting story line...

I hate this book

Must read ya/pnr

MUST READ!

Book Review: Shade

Dark, Sexy, and Addicting - A Must Read Series