A Fab Read For You!

I don't do very many book reviews on my blog because I only want to point out books that are fan-freakin-tastic. I usually write a short review on all the books I read (see my Goodreads profile if you're interested), but I save blog posts for those books I want to tell the world about. And here's one of them:

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready (5 out of 5 stars!)

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.

The author's voice is fantastic and had me wishing I were a tenth as good. *unworthy* I loved the way she moved Aura through the grief of Logan's death while building the relationship with Zachary. I could feel the push and pull of wanting to be with both of them, the longing and the loss, and yet the book doesn't come across as heavy.

I could tell this was a 5-star book very early on and was worried the author wouldn't be able to sustain the awesome tempo and character development she established from the get go. My worries were unnecessary, as the book was brilliant through and through. I found myself torn between wanting to devour the pages and wanting to savor them.

The ending is a total cliff-hanger, so it's no surprise that I ran out and bought Shift right away.

I'd recommend this book for older teens and adults who love YA. You won't be disappointed!