Shade

Starred review from May 3, 2010
Sixteen-year-old Aura, the first child born after the “Shift,” is in the vanguard of a change in human perception. Ghosts are now visible, everyday creatures, but perceptible only to those born after the Shift, creating a subtly delineated schism between generations. What the Shift was and why it occurred are still mysteries—very personal ones for unwilling pioneers like Aura. The uncomfortable questions turn excruciating when her boyfriend, Logan, dies of an accidental overdose. His ghost can give Aura some comfort, but it can’t touch her or interact with the world the way the living Logan could—or the way a charming Scottish transfer student, Zachary, can. Though adult author Smith-Ready’s occasionally racy YA debut resolves almost none of the issues surrounding the Shift, leaving the door open for future books, it is a fully satisfying read on its own, with well-developed, believable characters. Aura’s grief, Logan’s rage, and Zachary’s wistfulness are expertly sketched. Perhaps even more impressive is the understatement of the paranormal premise—Smith-Ready changes the world completely by simply changing our ability to see. Ages 14–up.

August 1, 2010

Gr 8 Up-Aura and her boyfriend are anticipating a special evening: it's Logan's 17th birthday, his band is playing an important gig, and they have intimate plans for the after party. However, things go horribly wrong when Logan drinks heavily, takes the cocaine that a record label rep gave to him, and dies. Logan is gone, but not really. Aura, like everyone else aged 16 and younger, was born after the Shift and can see and talk to ghosts. This ability has long annoyed her, and she has yearned to find out why the phenomenon happened so that she can end it. Now, still very much in love, Aura is ecstatic to see and hear Logan's spirit, though they can't touch. Then Zachary, a new boy, enters the picture and he and Aura discover that they share a mysterious bond: they were born one minute apart (he the last one pre-Shift and she the first after). Meanwhile, Logan's parents decide to sue the record label for providing their son with drugs, hoping that Logan will pass on if they win. If he doesn't find peace, he risks becoming a shade, a violent emanation considered a public-safety threat. This complex novel has numerous subplots. Occasionally, the chapters seem to take sudden turns from one story line to another, making the first-person narrative somewhat confusing. Nevertheless, the characters are interesting, and so is the clearly developed alternative world. Filled with romance and featuring a strong protagonist, Shade is sure to attract teens.-Shannon Seglin, Patrick Henry Library, Vienna, VA

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2010
Grades 9-12 When Auras boyfriend, Logan, an up-and-coming musician, dies from a combination of alcohol and cocaine on his birthday, Aura is not as devastated as one might think. Fortunately, Aura is the first post-Shifter. She, like everyone born after her, can see and communicate with ghosts. While those Logan leaves behind begin to mourn him, and his parents assemble a lawsuit against the drug-pushing record company, Aura holds on to her connection to Logan, waiting for his nightly visits in her bedroom. Meanwhile, Aura focuses on finding a connection to her deceased mother, aided by (and later enamored of) a visiting Scottish student, the son of a Bond-esque government agent whose organization alternately stalks and protects Aura. Auras dilemmastay true to someone she can never be with, or move on with her lifemakes for an interesting romantic twist. This is the first in a promised series, and while there are many loose ends left dangling by the fairly abrupt ending, the novel works on its own and will pique the interest of supernatural-fantasy fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)