Book Review: Shift

Written by: Jeri Smith-Ready

Published by: Simon Pulse

Release Date: May 3, 2011

Source: Purchased

Purchase: amazon | Barnes and Noble| IndieBound

4 stars - I really enjoyed it!

Synopsis: 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.

In Shift, we find out more about the origins of The Shift and Aura’s and Zachary’s roles in it. Jeri’s well established world-building skills are showcased in the how she weaves her ghostly mythology in and out of key points in their lives. As a reader, I delighted in turning a page only to discover a key element that made everything before it make even more sense.

And Jeri brings us not only a Love Triangle but a Love Square (of sorts). Without bringing in any spoilers, Aura’s decisions on prom dates set into a place a very believable, sometimes humorous and very heart- aching chain of events. This subplot made me happy and sad, at the same time. I understood the reasons behind Aura’s decisions but oh man, did they frustrate me. I kept thinking about my 16-year-old self and I think even she would find these decisions frustrating. But hey, that’s exactly what makes for a good read. My disagreements with Aura created enough of a conflict inside me that I had to finish the book as quickly as possible only to find out what-the-heck-happens-next.

Let me take a moment to talk about the fictional hotness of Zachary. Okay, yes, he wears a kilt to prom but that’s not what made him swoon-worthy to me (let’s not kid ourselves that part helped). It’s his poor decisions and recovery from them that made him a romantic hero. Aren’t those boys the best? They make awful mistakes but stay true to themselves. Yes, yes, I can hear the collective sighs of Mundie Moms everywhere.

If you love a ghostly world where one solved mystery only leads to another and a Hot Boy in a Kilt (okay, you knew I’d mention it again) who is frustrating, right and yet oh-so-very-very-wrong, then be sure to pick up the Shade series.