The Cat's Meow: Shine Series

 

This is my second series read of 2014! Sadly I'm getting so drawn into the new releasing books and I've gotten a couple ARCs.

Jeri's Shade series have been sitting in my TBR pile since early 2012, I can't recall how I came across hearing about her books or if someone recommended the books to me. I know I wasn't on twitter(at least I think) But I had gotten a chance to meet her . . . Way back in May 2013, I can't believe a whole year has gone by!

Jeri became my second official Author that I have met, I've met Andrea Cremer multiple times but it was nice to finally get to meet someone new.

SO onto about her Shade series, Shade was focused around where people that were born after the "SHIFT" could see and talk to ghost, and then there were others that was born before the "SHIFT" and were called Pre-Shift, not always able to communicate with the ghosts or see them.

Aura was one of those that could see and talk to ghosts, most time she chose to ignore it until they start screaming at her in the face and while she is trying to live as much of a normal life as she can, but Aura wanted so badly to not speak or see ghosts until . . . her boyfriend dies. Then it seems that she didn't lose him entirely but it was getting harder to face what was real and what wasn't real.

Aura's boyfriend Logan was the most cliche boyfriend I have ever read, the musician boyfriend . .. The pressure of becoming famous. Then it became hard for Aura to let go of Logan and facing the reality of real life and Zachary.

Did I mention that this is taken in Baltimore? No . . . Maybe? Well here are some photos I have from my trip to Baltimore.

Some of my Favorite scenes and passages,

SHADE

I love the day Zach and Aura spent together at the pier, it took me right back to my trip I had in Summer 2013 and I even did a tour of historical ships, the only one I miss was the lighthouse but we started getting some bad weather. I even love the part where they run and hide from the DWP and they share their first kiss only to get caught by Zach's dad.

SHIFT

Running from the DWP in the woods all by themselves, those scenes were sweet but also adventurous the very first time they ever spent alone for one night.

I love and hate the prom passage, first it was the most sweetest thing and then it became the most worst thing. First Aura couldn't decide if she could go to prom with Zachary when she still had envision going with Logan until he die. Of course Zach is heart broken, feeling that he's competing against a dead guy. Then aura wants to go to prom with Zach but is rejected and Zachary prom date was the girl Aura always had been bullied by and Zach's date had other plans and thought it would be nice to try and rubbed it in her face via phone dialing.

SHINE

Everything of their alone time in a castle bed & breakfast, and touring Ireland was my highlight of the book. I love when characters are sent to other places in the world and that makes it more intriguing to make me travel to those places like Ireland.

I love when Aura finally learns about her father since he was a missing piece of her and a missing piece to her mother. It gave Aura a peace of mind knowing who he is and what he was, realizing that he was the key to what made the SHIFT happens.

Overall thought on the series?

I like it because it was different, it didn't fall under the norm of what YA been bringing and I hope that more author might be interested in writing more YA ghost/paranormal/Spirits aspect. I think there could be more expansion of where ghosts and spirits can become YA or even NA. Can you imagine reading Aura and Zach in an NA genre? Would the theme and pace be different or would it ruin the whole innocence of the characters?