Reviewed by: Laura

RATING: 6/10 – Good

GOODREADS:

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.

Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.

As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart.

REVIEW:

Jeri Smith-Ready has created a clever and different world in this series. Just over sixteen years ago, the ‘Shift’ happened and every child that has been born since can see and talk to ghosts. This has changed the world and created a divide between pre and post shifters. Imagine being able to testify in your own murder trial. Our lead character Aura is a post-shifter and tragically lost her boyfriend Logan at the beginning of the last novel.

‘Shift‘ takes off a few weeks after ‘Shade’ ended, with Aura trying to get on with her life, but unable to move on with the devastating knowledge that Logan has turned shade. At the centre of this book is perhaps a somewhat unusual love triangle, with Aura torn between the ghost of the boy she loved and her feelings for the very much alive Zachary.

The first part of this book is a mix of grief and painful teenage hormones at times with characters seemingly making frustrating decisions. Aura seems to be growing up and dealing with her grief slowly, but surely. Logan on the other hand seems to have grown entirely selfish with little thought for those around him, self-seeking the fame and notoriety he didn’t have enough time to reach in life. Even Zachary doesn’t quite behave as nobly as I wanted him to. Then there is a third unexpected character thrown into the mix who completely surprised me. All churning the painful hormone cocktail as each character tries to find his or her way.

Because of this swill of emotion, I didn’t feel like the book really started moving and come into it’s own until the final third of the story. It focused more on the relationships between each other and Aura’s gift with ghosts and I felt like I was waiting for things to get moving. But, then in the final third we finally get the action and insight into the mystery and Aura and Zachary’s birth that it felt like I’d been waiting the whole book for. But I wish that more of this mystery and pace had been woven into the early part of the book.

VERDICT:

This is a well written novel that deals with young adult issues of grief and relationships in a clever way. Aura is a heroine to look up to as she struggles and grows up through the experiences thrown at her. I would have liked a bit more of the broader storyline explored in more detail earlier in the book, but I would still definitely recommend it.

Books in series order:

1. Shade

2. Shift

3. Shine