Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Shade
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Published by Simon Pulse
Pages: 309
Shade #1
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Summary: (From 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 Review:
Holy crow. Holy moly. Shade was an excellent read that zapped me in immediatley. As soon as I started reading, from the second my eyes read the first word, I was gone. I read Shade in under a day, and it was highly addicting.

The idea of this novel was really what drew me in, and the ghost world that the author has made did not dissapoint. I was very immersed in Aura's world, and I loved reading and living in it. The plot really tied-in well with it, and I was always excited to find out what happend NEXT, NEXT, NEXT! Yeesh.....I got excited.

The characters were also amazing. I loved the way that they all had different personalities that all fit well together. Not only were they different, they were all very well thought-out and convincing characters. I loved Logan as a character, he was the fun, hilarious, more diva, yet surrounded by mysterey and darkness. I loved how Aura was a very balanced and logical character, and how both Logan and Zachary balanced her. Also, who couldn't have got a crush on Zachary? I know I did! He was an intriguing yet hot character, who I want to know a lot more about!

The only reason Shade is 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because there were a few times, especially near the end, that I wanted a bit more. When I first heard of this book, and read the summary, I was expecting it to be a little more of an explosive read, and with a killer climax. (There was a killer ending, though.....stupid but clever cliffhanger!) I just felt that though the idea was amazing, it lacked more of the explosive feel I was looking for. Not to say, though, that my little problem was probably just.....well, me.

Overall, Shade was a book that I am absolutely convinced is awesome. The second I finished this book, I thought, I NEED, (yes, physcially NEED,) book two! Book two, Shift, cannot come fast enough! I needed it like, last month!