My Review Of “Shift” Book Two In The Shade Trilogy

Jeri Smith-Ready’s “Shift” is the second novel in the young adult trilogy “Shade”. The story continues the supernatural reality that is our world after a cosmic change makes ghosts common place. It follows the life of post Shifter Aura Salvatore. This second novel manages to grab that intensity and emotion that the first novel builds and carry it further into the complexity of a world fighting to deal with ghosts and young people as crucial aspects of a functioning society. After all only persons born after the shift-16 or 17 years in the trilogy’s time space can see the departed which makes them necessary to create a realistic melding of the dead into a living world. A story that could be a perfect metaphor for many of todays social issues that are under scrutiny. What adds to the suspense of “Shift” is the expanded story of the DMP and the British counter-part MI-X. The organization responsible for handling all affairs dealing with human/paranormal coexistence.

In this second installment the events that unfold create an atmosphere of darker, more surreal fears and outcomes for the heroine and those around her. There is more answers to fascinating questions brought up in the first novel that make the story seem eternally epic. However not enough to give the impression that the story can only go so far because as the novel propels the misadventures of Aura’s life forward even more questions and fears arise giving new blood to the characters and their situation. There are a few aspects of “Shift” that seem to lull with the stereotypical world of a teenager that for me personally as an adult seemed to make the story drag but this trilogy is intended for the young adult/teen audience. Incidentally it is the same frustrations I held toward “Twilight Saga”. I have to say that this does have any real impact on the novel because just as the story seems to wane in thrills from an ordinary teenage life the suspense soon rushes back into the book even stronger. Plus the climactic end that creates the epic cliffhanger moment for the reader is beyond intense. I actually gasped and felt a bit frustrated or was it appalled at the ending. Maybe it was simply devastation because the ending was big. Thankfully though third in this supernatural trilogy is already at my nightstand and ready for me to find out how the life of Aura Salvatore ends, whether it be tragic or triumphant I can not wait. I still stand with my argument that not all young adult/teen novels are only good for that group and hold well to an even greater audience appreciation. I love this story and I am invested in these kids welfare! Not to mention finally finding out the great revelations surrounding the “Shift”.