Bookworm Blogger #YA: Review: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:
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.

Review:
Its a rocky, torrid ride for Aura when Logan dies on THE night of a) making superstardom with his band and b) the night she and Logan would finally love under the sheets.
For Aura, a post-Shifter, a world of ghosts is an everyday occurence but for those pre-Shift, its a confusing time to live in. Luckily for Aura, her Aunt runs a legal firm which helps ghosts sue for unlawful death, and then pass over to the other side.
So seeing Logan in his violet ghost state is firstly a shock but not a complete surprise. Aura deals with the stupid events that were Logans last minutes, and then the aftermath and subsequent court case pursued by his parents.

Add to this a hot new boy from bonny Scotland, Zach, who seems to be keeping a whole lot of secrets from her, AND keeping her secrets from other people. Just what is going on?
Aura and Zach find out that they were born one minute apart. He was pre- and she was post-Shift. Actually he was the only baby born in the last minute just as she was the only baby born in the first minute.
A story unfolds of her mothers journey to Ireland and the events of a Winter Solstice at Newgrange which may be connected with the Shift.

Sound confusing so far? Yep. This is a great story with lots of avenues leading off to other areas of importance or relevance. In no way do we ever find out what exactly the Shift was or how it occurred. All we know is that Aura and Zach are involved in a big conspiracy, and certain authorities have been keeping an eye on them both. Lucky for Zach, his father turns out NOT to be the political science teacher that we thought he was.

In the final chapters Aura and Logans relationship changes, and Aura and Zachs alters. Both important in their own way but confusing Aura immensely on which way her heart should go.
I liked Logan hugely although in the end I did get the impression his character was a little too selfish for my liking. He enjoyed the limelight and stardom a little too much. Zach is definitely a better option, and he's alive for one thing. And Aura? I liked her relationship with her friends and the rest of the Keeley clan. I'm not sure I liked her greatly but I did feel sorry for her. Some parts of the book are very devastingly sad and she doesn't bounce back quickly which I liked.

Apart from all the doom and gloom (that's ghosts for you!) this is a wonderful read whoever side you're on!