Review of Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Book:  Shade
Author:  Jeri Smith-Ready
Published By:  Simon Pulse
Pages:  309

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.

I had a really hard time getting into this book to start with, but after Logan's death I was hooked.  I'm still not sure about the whole ghost thing but the plot behind this book is unique and thought provoking.  It would be very hard to have to lose someone twice, first as their corporeal body and second as their spirit.  Would you want them to hang out for a while or would you want them to pass on immediately?  The writer took a serious issue such as death and gave the readers a whole new way to look at it.  I often felt this internal struggle while reading this book trying to decide what I would want or do in Aura's position.  So many people dealing with the death of a loved one just want another day with them or a chance to tell them something important.  In this world that Jeri Smith-Ready created they can, but what happens when the spirit is still around after a couple of days?  What happens to their soul with they are in this limbo stage and what happens when the people around them start to move on?  How would you feel if you were that spirit?  All of these questions were going through my mind when I was reading this book (often times through tears) and to tell you the truth, I still don't have any answers...only more questions. 

The writer did an amazing job examining each characters feelings relating to the circumstances surround Logan's death.  I loved the contrasting feelings of those pre-shift (Mickey, Siobhan, the parents, etc.) and those post-shift (Aura, Dylan, and Megan).  I thought that part of the book was amazing and I understood each person's feelings, especially Logan's.  The characters were really well developed and all of the situations and the emotions they experienced dealing with these situations were very realistic.  Once again though, the author leaves you with a cliffhanger in anticipation for the next book Shift.