Jeri Smith-Ready’s Shade was released in May of 2010 and is the first novel in the supernatural series. It is aimed at a young adult/teen demographic. My cousin asked me if I knew of the series and offered to send me a copy to read. I love to read and when the topics are centered in the same universe as my supernatural/sci-fi/horror obsessed world then it is like cotton candy on a sunny spring day at the amusement park! The story centers on a group of friends trying to cope with being teenagers, their future and friendships and life after “the shift” a time when the ghosts once only visible to a few mediums throughout the world now are visible to a growing majority making the spirits an active part of society. In return making the new breed of seers crucial and necessary tools for a proactive government. Ah for me this the quintessential issue that pulled me into this melancholy world as seen through the eyes of the teenager. Not that the book is depressive but the concept of a world where young people, the first generations after the shift are not only dealing with the intensity of hormonal not-yet-fully mature social awkwardness, but also forced to cope with a world flooded with the spirits of the departed. That doesn’t even begin the depth that this story idea unfolds with ease and mystification.As this book begins the characters read like any other young adult novel filled with adults who just don’t get it and kids on the verge of everything with an epic exhaustiveness. That is the typical teenager, filled with so much potential for awesome-ness and yet bound by a tragic sense of despair. Anyway back to the book. Ready takes on this world of new normality that has altered the way the world runs with a sweet, mindful appreciation pulling us into the story casually and seductively. You actually want to know these characters as they deal with daily affairs of school, rules, and a government flooded future forward propaganda on a global scale. In this world it is mostly the teenagers and children that are forced to really carry the burden of life surrounded by ghosts. Ghosts that are now secondary citizens with limited but accepted rights as most human beings. I am being elusive in my description of this plotline because I do not want to spoil it for any future readers. Anyway the novel is easy to read and relatable even to adults especially if you love supernatural drama storylines that both drift through your mind softly and take you to the brink of dark intensity in waves.
For me the novel manages to mesmerize with the ideas surrounding the concept of New Age practice displayed in a very scientifically grounded way that makes sense of the metaphysical world without over complicating or sounding to officially descriptive or explanative. It allows for questions to rush through your head as you begin to understand things like “shades”, “Black-boxed” areas, the power of red, and the beauty of violet. For me it held a soft sentimental and universally spiritual feel much like Ghost Whisperer brought to television. The similarities are very few though in only that both stories emphasize on the passing on of the departed as opposed to the angry spirit that transforms to something unrecognizable and dangerous. Don’t let this relaxed description of the story misguide you in any way. There are some dark and intense moments within Shade and the story is definitely a steady built to a more sinister story that is hinted to within these pages. All of which combine to create a great literary ride into a world that is truly supernatural. The first novel is only the tip of the mystical apex that will rise to a grandiosely metaphysical climax. The novel is easy to read and flows perfectly as you learn about the characters and what life is for them and how the world after “the shift” has evolved. I definitely enjoyed this novel and I am hooked on the lives and progression of these characters. Definitely read Shade if you haven’t yet. Now I am on to book two of the series- Shift.
Jeri Smith-Ready
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