Review: SHADE by Jeri Smith-Ready

The SHADE series by Jeri Smith-Ready is one of my absolute favorites of ALL TIME, and I'd recommend it to anyone. And Jeri herself is one of my favorite authors, and one of the coolest, awesomest, most fantastical people I "know" (know being in quotes because I've only ever talked to her online ;D).


I've already reviewed the third book in her SHADE trilogy, SHINE, but I've decided I'll go back and review SHADE and SHIFT as well :D

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. Aura's always found her ability annoying--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 may have mentioned this before in other reviews, but I absolutely LOVE books with worlds that are our world--yet not. 


See, on one hand, you have books like Mortal Instruments and Hex Hall, where there's magic and other supernatural aspects, but they're hidden from "normal" people, and the world, on the outside, looks the same. And then you have fantasy books like Under the Never Sky or Hunger Games where everything is different. Then there's books like this--like SHADE, or like White Cat by Holly Black, where there's something that makes our world different, but it's matter-of-fact to the book's world. In this world, everyone born after a certain point in time--the Shift--can see ghosts. 


Aura's one of those people, which is both a curse--because, hello, the last thing a teenage girl needs is to be pestered by ghosts who refuse to move on--and a blessing--especially when her boyfriend, Logan dies...and hangs around as a ghost.


Intellectually, Aura knows that Logan's dead--that he isn't coming back. But when he's there with her, it can get hard to remember that he can't still be her boyfriend... Death doesn't kill love, after all. 


But then there's Zachary, the new guy at school and Aura's science partner. He's smart, sweet, and Scottish. And, of course, he's alive. 


SHADE is full of mystery, romance, and heartbreak, as well as humor and hilarity, and is that brilliant type of story that keeps you reading and reading, and thinking back on the story long after you finish :)


SHADE obviously, totally gets <*><*><*><*><*>


(:D)
~Mag

Review: SHINE by Jeri Smith-Ready

It's Shine, you guys!! SHINE! I was so excited when this book finally arrived at my door. I started reading it ASAP, and it totally met my sky-high expectations!!


{Usual disclaimer: SHINE is the third book in a series. THE SYNOPSIS AND MY REVIEW WILL HAVE SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST TWO BOOKS (But no SHINE spoilers, promise ;D)!!!


Also, my review is certain to have lots of CAPTIAL LETTERS, exclaimation points!!!!! and other forms of fangirl squealing. You've been warned.}

 

SHINE by Jeri Smith-Ready


In this dramatic conclusion to the Shade trilogy, Aura and Zachary’s relationship sizzles as the secrets of the Shift are revealed.
Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.


As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves...even if that means betraying her own heart.


------

Right after I finished Shine, I posted by immediate thoughts on Goodreads, and I'd like to start out my review by sharing those:

I really did intend to pace myself while reading this book to make it last as long as possible, but obviously that did not happen. But really, this book was INCREDIBLE/AMAZING/PERFECTION. It's one of those books that makes you think, "Goodreads really needs a magical and secret sixth star, because this book so deserves it."


A real, entire, full review will be coming sometime with in the next couple days, at whatever point I can turn my raw emotions from "!!!!!!!!! Asdkjahsdjfha holy cow omg asdfafsaehj <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 ZOGAN sdofixhj <3 <3 <3" into actual coherent thoughts that can be understood and hopefully get across the awesomeness that is SHINE.

All of that--still feeling it. This book was absolutely, totally, and entirely AWESOME. Full of action, romance, and definitely some laugh-out-loud moments, SHINE has it all, just like the first two books in the series. 


That isn't to say, however, that it wasn't sad as well. Logan may have passed on, but that doesn't mean everyone's going to forget him instantly, or be over his death. People are still suffering from his tragedy, his family especially.


Yet at the same time, he's given people hope--because he's proved shades can come back, that shades can come back and PASS ON. This changes everything the world knew about shades.


But really, this last installment in the SHADE trilogy isn't about Logan, not as much: It's about Aura and Zachary. (Oh, ZACHARY!! <3) Can they escape the demands of the DMP? Can they figure out the secrets of the Shift and the Shine and what really happened the day they were born? And most importantly (at least, to the romantics like me,) can they finally be together and stay together without any more DANG complications?? 


These are the questions; SHINE has the answers. And you KNOW you want to know what they are!!


Another awesome thing about SHINE is the "supporting" characters. I use quotes around the word supporting because they're all so alive and have such depth they almost feel like main characters themselves. From the Keeleys (Dylan, Mickey and Siobhan) to Megan to Gina to Zachary's parents...even to people like Becca, I love reading about them all. Jeri Smith-Ready has created a world and a set of awesome characters that it's simply impossible not to fall in love with.


So go--go now. Get a copy of SHADE, or SHIFT, or SHINE, whichever one you haven't read, and READ LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT! You will NOT be sorry!! <3


Do I even have to clarify this? SHINE absolutely gets <*><*><*><*><*>


(:D)
~Mag

Teaser Tuesday: SHINE by Jeri Smith-Ready

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play, and the rules are simple:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

EEK! It's finally May 1st, release date of about a bajillion awesome books! I only preordered two physical books, SHINE and Insurgent, and if you follow me on Twitter you might have seen me livetweeting the wait for the UPS guy to show up.


Eventually, thankfully, he did.

(SHINE with my other new purchase, INSURGENT!!)

(ZOGAN chilling with Aura ;D)

But anyway, this post is about SHINE, because I'm reading it first. I'm 70-ish percent in, according to Goodreads, and I am LOVING IT! Anyway, here are my teasers :)

1.
     "Did you lose someone in the crash?" he asked softly. 

-Page 53

2.
     He froze. "Whoops."
     "What did Logan tell you?" 

-Page 92

LOVING LOVING LOVING LOVING LOVING THIS BOOK. Those are the only words I can think to describe it!


Seriously, people, go grab yourself a copy! Or if you haven't read SHADE and/or SHIFT, grab those AND SHINE and read them all!!


What are you reading this week? Leave me your TT links!!


(:D)
~Mag 

Teaser Tuesday: SHIFT by Jeri Smith-Ready

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play, and the rules are simple:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's Teaser comes from SHIFT, the second book in the awesome SHADE series by Jeri Smith-Ready! I just finished my reread today, but since I haven't started a new book yet I'll share from this one!!


(And yes, my Teasers WERE from SHADE last week!)

1.
     Zachary was waiting at my locker after class. I was grateful he hadn't tried to talk to me at my desk, where my babbling idiocy would've attracted attention. 

-page 90 

2.
     "Everything okay?"
     "I think so, but he says I need practice driving. Can't imagine why." 

-page 91

This book...this SERIES, you guys! I love it so muuuuuch! You must read it. Really.


So what are you reading this week?


(:D)
~Mag

Teaser Tuesday: SHADE by Jeri Smith-Ready

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play, and the rules are simple:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I finished re-reading SHADE today (I decided I wanted to re-read both SHADE and SHIFT before SHINE comes out May 1st), but since I haven't started another book yet, teasers from SHADE it is!!

1.
     She pressed on the hook to keep me from dialing. "What are you going to tell him?" she asked in a serious tone.
     "The truth." 

-Page 247 

2.
     "What did he do to you?" Zachary demanded. 

-Page 247

Seriously, you guys, if you haven't read this series before, you REALLY should. Because they ROCK!! SHINE comes out May 1st! Grab the countdown widget -->


#TeamKilt


(:D)
~Mag

Kilt and Keeley: SHINE Preorder Giveaway!!

Okay, first off: Do you love the SHADE series by Jeri Smith-Ready? 


Yeah, stupid question, right? Of course you do!!


Well, the fabulous folks over at Kilt and Keeley are hosting a giveaway to help encourage people to preorder the third (and final!) book in the series, SHINE!


They're putting together an awesome prize pack of swag and various SHADE-related items. All YOU have to do is preorder SHINE and send them a copy of your receipt or proof of purchase! All the details are on their blog, HERE!


If just the chance of an awesome prize isn't good enough incentive for you, how about the fact that EVERYONE who enters gets an exclusive ZOGAN trading card!!

Awesome, right?


And finally, the best part is that the more people that preorder SHINE, the bigger the prize pack gets! So go, now! Preorder!!


Don't forget, all the details for entering are HERE!


So go check it out, and PREORDER SHINE!!


(:D)
~Mag

SHINE Teaser Trailer!!

So, you guys. I have another awesome video to share with you! This one is a teaser trailer for the third book in the ~AMAZING~ SHADE series by Jeri Smith-Ready, SHINE! Jeri made this herself, and it is crazy awesome! (Jeri herself said you might want to watch it after reading the first chapter, which you can see HERE)





I know. I know. Oh my gosh, there aren't even words for that awesomeness! May 1st now seems both closer and infinitely farther away!!


One more thing: You can enter to win a SIGNED paperback copy of SHINE from Jeri herself, details HERE!


What do you think of the trailer? Leave me a comment! And don't forget to share the trailer and spread the AWESOME! Oh, and as long as you're freaking out over SHINE, you should grab a countdown widget for your blog. (You can get the code of the one on my sidebar, if you like!)


(:D)
~Mag

Novels 'n' Notes #7: Jet Lag by Simple Plan

Novels 'n' Notes is a weekly event I created here at Geek Chic to talk about songs that remind me of books. Feel free to make your own NN post! Just grab the logo (below) and don't forget to leave a link to your post in the comments so I can check it out!

Jet Lag (feat. Natasha Bedingfield) by Simple Plan: SHADE Series by Jeri Smith-Ready


So, I know I just did a SHADE-themed Novels 'n' Notes last week, but since that one was mainly about Logan and Aura, I decided to center this one on Zachary and Aura.


Like last week, this song is one of the ones that basically every line can be related to Zach and Aura, especially around SHIFT/SHINE time.


-" 'What time is it where you are?' 'I miss you more than anything.' 'I'm back at home you feel so far.' 'Waiting for the phone to ring.' "


Zachary and Aura are stuck in different countries, Aura in Baltimore and Zachary back home in Glasglow. And they miss each other. If that's not obvious.


-"You say good morning when it's midnight, going out of my head alone in this bed."


Same thing, Z + A separated and lonesome :(


-"I wake up to your sunset, and it's driving me mad, I miss you so bad."


And again. They're still apart. They still miss each other.


Here, listen yourself!

Please note that I do not own this song, the lyrics, or anything related to Simple Plan or Jet Lag. I also did not post this video, nor am I affiliated with "SammyJoe890", who did. *Insert other legal stuff here.* Also, this is quite possibly the prettiest lyric video I've ever seen :)


So, what do you think? Does Jet Lag make you think of Aura and Zachary? What other songs make you think of books?

You can tell me in the comments or your own NN post!

(:D)
~Mag 

Novels 'n' Notes #6: Like We Used To by A Rocket to the Moon

Novels ‘n’ Notes is a weekly event I created here at Geek Chic to talk about songs that remind me of books. Feel free to make your own NN post! Just grab the logo (below) and don't forget to leave the link to your post here so I can check it out!

Like We Used To by A Rocket to the Moon: Logan Keeley and Aura Salvatore from the Shade series by Jeri Smith-Ready
I absolutely love the Shade series. It's definitely one of my favorites. And even though I'm thoroughly Team Zachary, when I was listening to this song the other day, it suddenly hit me that this it's so totally an Aura-Logan song.


I'll list a few of the key lyrics like I usually do, but you've really got to listen to the whole thing, because the whole thing is perfect.


-"It should've been me inside that car...It should've been me instead of him in the dark."


Logan would give anything to be alive again, and to have another shot with Aura. But now Zachary's in the picture.


-"You're on my mind, love. (Oh, darling, I know that I'm not needed) And that happens all the time, love."


Aura is pretty much the only reason Logan's sticking around. But she's beginning to move on from him, because of Zach.


-"Will he love you like I loved you? Will he tell you every day? Will he make you feel like you're invincible with every word he'll say? Can you promise me if this was right, don't throw it all away. Can you do all these things? Will you do all these things like we used to?"


*Sniff, sniff*


But seriously, you must listen to this:

Please note that I do not own this song, the lyrics, or anything related to A Rocket to the Moon or Like We Used To. I also did not post this video, nor am I affiliated with "spongebob4713", who did. *Insert other legal stuff here.*

So, what do you think? Like We Used To make you think of Aura, Zach, Logan and Shade? What other songs make you think of books?

You can tell me in the comments or your own NN post!

(:D)
~Mag