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.

I went into this novel with no expectations. I had no idea what to expect. Not that I thought it was going to be horrible, but I wasn't hoping for something incredible either. However, what I got was pretty darn amazing.

What a great read! I was sucked into the plot immediately and introduced to Aura and the world she lives in. The world of pre Shifters and post Shifters, life and the after life. The author does an amazing job in creating the post shift world in which Aura lives. So much detail is given to what Aura and the other post Shifters see and what it means for them. What they wear, where they live and hangout, and how they interact with ghosts. However, the detail is not written in a way in which it takes away from the story or the reader becomes bored. It is blended into the plot in a way that allows you to gain the background information needed without feeling like you're being fed a long list of details. I loved absorbing every piece of information that I was given about the Shift and watching the mystery unfold while still more questions formed in my head. I was fascinated!

Not only did the story have an original and engaging plot, but the characters were likable and well rounded as well. The love triangle was a favorite aspect of mine, so different from most others I've read due to the fact that one of the love interests, Logan, is a ghost who Aura can see and talk to but cannot touch. In the beginning I was sure I was going to be team Logan but I soon became torn and was all about Zachary by the end.

Final thoughts: Shade is a novel with an original plot, engaging characters, a rich background, and a well developed setting. When the book was open I was immersed in the world that Ready created, swept up in the action and eager to watch the mystery unravel.

Final Grade: 5/5 stars!