Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready, reviewed by K. Bird Lincoln
5 of 5 stars!
Shade is the story of Aura, a young teenager whose boyfriend fronts an Irish rock band in Baltimore. More importantly, she is a post-shifter, a person born after a curious event 16 years ago causing all who were born afterwards to be able to see ghosts. The world is still working out the kinks of how to handle children who see ghosts, and adults who do not.
Shade hit all my buttons in a good way. Angst from Aura when her boyfriend becomes a ghost, espionage and secrets for her to delve into as she discovers circumstances surrounding her own birth that have greater implications for society, side characters who have their own problems, and tension-filled romance as she begins a school research project with a new guy at school, who just happens to be Scottish and hot.
One of the best things about this book for me, though, is that it delves into how the world might react to having ghosts visible to kids. "Translators" at court cases (kids who repeat what ghosts say), areas that are Blackboxed (covered in a thin layer of obsidian that keeps ghosts out), and whole generations of people who wear red all the time (red being an anti-ghost color.) It's apparent that this author has taken time to work out the implications of the world described here.
Another best thing, of course, is the Irish music references (Pogues, Flogging Molly, etc) and Aura's worship of the Scottish guy's accent. Great beginning to a series (and its obviously a series as it ends somewhat unresolved.)
This Book's Food Designation Rating: Beef Stew with soda bread for the just plain deliciousness of the relationships depicted here, topped off by the Foamy sweet bitterness of a perfectly-drawn Guinness for the angst and love
