Shine

Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready
4/5 stars
Simon Pulse, 2012
401 pages
YA Paranormal
Book #3

Source: Bought

After enjoying Shade and loving Shift, Shine moved to the top of my want to read list of 2012 so I was so happy when my copy finally arrived in the mail. I was pretty good about avoiding spoilers so that I could read this with little expectation beyond what Smith-Ready had promised throughout the earlier books. This review is more aimed at those who have already read the first two books and avoids spoilers for this book.

I was pretty happy to dive into this book and with the developments about the shift. We get answers to the questions we had about why Aura can see ghosts, why Zachary can repel them, about the powerful corporate and government interests and the lengths they will go, about the ancient Irish history, etc. Yay for answers from YA paranormal!

I appreciated that there was no more triangle. Logan passed on at the end of Shift and he does not return in this book. Although he will always have a little part of Aura's heart for the history they shared, his part is done and she can move forward to building a new life with Zachary, who goes through some hell in this book. While Zach and Aura move to new levels of trust with each other,  there is conflict from a dark situation experienced by him. Honestly I was a little frightened by him in some scenes but how could that not wreak havoc on a person?

But for whatever reason, this book didn't blow me away with awesome the way that the previous book Shift had. I don't know if it's because I had my expectations too high or if it's because I'm in a bit of a reading/reviewing funk. This was still a very enjoyable reading experience, well-written and fast paced (I flew through the book). There is character development for our leads and we get at least a glimpse of every character we've cared about from the previous books.

Content Warnings: Language and sexual situations-I feel like this series is definitely for the older end of YA.

Cover Rant: While I find the yellow more understandable now (in the context of what occurs in the books), I am seriously upset that the covers of my books no longer match. I actually bought this series as the books came out, expecting no changes and then there was. I also hate when the cover model is staring out at us-creeps me out!

Anticipating in May

So I guess this is kind of like Waiting on Wednesday, except on Sunday. I have two books to mention here, both of which I am reviewing later this month.

First up is the highly anticipated conclusion to Jeri Smith-Ready's paranormal Shade trilogy, Shine. I have passionate negative feelings about the design change (I loved the originals for Shade and Shift) but that should not affect my feelings of the actual contents. I should be receiving my copy this week and the review will be up May 15.

The other book is The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, the follow-up to The Girl in the Clockwork Corset, a surprise hit for me last year. That book has inspired me to check out more steampunk and I can't wait to find out what happens in this version. I have an e-ARC via Netgalley and will be posting my review on the official release date May 29.

Have you read either of these yet? Are you looking forward to either of them?

Shift

Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready
Simon Pulse, 2011
367 pages
YA; Paranormal
4.5/5 stars

Source: Received a free ARC via GalleyGrab in exchange for an honest review.

My review of the first book, Shade.

SPOILERS FROM SHADE.

I enjoyed the first book and thus was pretty excited to see it in GalleyGrab.  I was nervous because sometimes the middle book in a trilogy is just filler.  However I ended up liking this book even more as Smith-Ready just made everything better: more intense, higher stakes, faster paced.

The book opens with Aura still calling for Logan after he shaded at the end of the first book.  Finally he reappears as a ghost instead of a dangerous shade and for about fifteen minutes, he even solidifies, freaking them both out.  Unfortunately his reappearance throws some wrinkles into the budding relationship between Aura and Zachary (who I think got even hotter).  They had cautiously been negotiating something but with Logan back, there's conflict.

A lot more is revealed about the Shift, the abilities of Aura and Zach, and Aura's parents.  It is still not all explained but a lot more pieces have fallen into place. We receive a lot more information than I expected, which I think helped make this an exciting second book instead of just a place-holder.

I felt like this book is more tightly focused on the two of them (plus Logan), so while almost all of the secondary characters from the first book are back, none receive much more character development.  Some new characters are also introduced such as Nicola, from the DMP, who is trying to help repair their reputation by helping Logan in his new quest to form a band with and for post-Shifters.

The love triangle (which as a general plot device is still not a favorite of mine) becomes a sort of pentagon, when Aura and Zach make some hasty prom invitations.  There is also a lot of making-out (which I enjoyed when it was Aura and Zach, less so when it was Aura and a guy she should not be kissing) and discussion of sex, which I include as a warning to those who prefer a cleaner read.

The ending is a cliffhanger, promising one thing in the third book but probably going another way until everything's sorted out. Can't wait!

Overall: A second book better than the first with great pacing and some steamy times!

Cover: I don't like Aura's positioning and pose but the red around the title is great.

Shade

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Simon Pulse, 2010

309 pages

YA; Paranormal

First in series

Source: Won from Books Make Great Lovers

Summary: Aura is ready to celebrate her boyfriend's Logan 17th birthday-and it is going to rock! Except that he dies that very night. And because of some phenomenon, she and everyone her age and younger can see him and other ghosts. She was the First She had set out to explore why this is as well as keep Logan with her. There is also the mysterious Zachary, the last person not born with that ability, who is determined to help Aura remember to live.

Thoughts: I was psyched for a couple of things in this book. First off, both guys were pretty hot and neither were major tools like in a lot of paranormal fiction. I can see the appeal of both although, for me, the living guy always wins. I know that's not a popular choice in YA (um, Team Edward?) but it's just how I feel. I also got teary-eyed toward the end of this as she looked to say goodbye to Logan so he could pass on. Then it ends with a cliffhanger that will lead us in to the second book to explore what special powers Zachary and Aura have as well as why. There is a good mystery here and I'm formulating some theories, which will probably inevitably be wrong, but hey no harm in guessing.

I am a big proponent of strong female friendships in books (because I think that's super important to have in real-life whether it's with school friends or family or whatever) and this book lacked in that. Aura does have one pretty good friend but they don't interact as much as she does with Logan and Zachary.

I was a bit confused about how exactly shading and the ghosts work although I assume part of that is because the author is teasing us so that we continue reading (good job!) And sometimes the book was a bit slow but I didn't mind.

Content: Language (especially one scene at the end); sexual content; drugs and underage drinking. The drinking seemed accepted, making me wonder if I missed something or if in this alternate world, they have different laws.

Overall: Very curious to find out more about this world and what is going to happen next.

Cover: Very atmospheric; I love the dark purples and the red is a cool focus point. It is also relevant to the world of the story.