there’s a reason Jeri Smith-Ready is my favourite author. SHE BLOWS MY MIND.
As a huge fan of her WMVP Radio series, I knew that her first YA venture, “SHADE” would be made of awesome. Still, i went in with no expectations, because i wanted to be fair.
If i had expectations, they were far exceeded with “SHADE”. Once I opened the book and started reading, i couldn’t put it down. Jeri employs the same formula for her books that the early seasons of “24″ did; addictive like crack, so much so that you don’t want to stop untill you know how it ends.
SHADE is the story of Aura Salvatore, a sixteen year old girl who was born exactly one minute after the Shift – meaning she can see and talk to ghosts. Like most people who were born after the Shift, she’s not exactly happy about her abilities, working for her aunt in a law office that deals specially in wrongful-death suits to help the ghosts move on. But she deals with it. Besides, she’s got her boyfriend Logan’s birthday party to look forward to. But disaster strikes when Logan suddenly dies during the party, and becomes a ghost.
From the beginning to the end, SHADE had me in an almost ecstatic trance. I found myself laden with emotion all the way through, sparking tears at several moments. I fell in love with both Logan and Zachary, the male leads, in different ways. Logan was full of fire in life and death, the sort of boyfriend whose devotion to Aura even in death made me drool. Zachary was endearing with his Scottish brogue and his air of mystery.
It wasn’t so much the characters of the story that made me love it so much. It has that distinct Jeri Smith Ready voice, one that just makes every single one of her books magic. The literary voice i loved so much from the WVMP series was still present in SHADE; I was glad to see that even in her first YA venture, Jeri didn’t flinch at using profanity. I loved the way she introduced the idea of the DMP and the MI-X, government agencies dedicated to investigating ghosts. I loved how every single step of the story was woven together so brilliantly from one line to the next, how everything just fit right, how the story flows and just keeps you wanting more. She creates worlds I wish I could live in.
This review isn’t as good as it should be, but it’s because my brain is struck dumb by how awesome this read was. just go pick it up and read it, dammit! it’s fucking brilliant!
first off, my review of Jeri Smith Ready’s new novel, SHADE, will be up in the next few days. im reading it now and i can only say im completely engaged in it, just like everything else she’s ever written that i’ve loved.
the theme for today’s “Song for A Day” is Songs That Should Not Be Messed With Under Any Circumstances.
what does that mean?? well, everyone watches programs such as “American Idol”, or as we have here in England, “X-Factor” or “Britain’s Got Talent”. and on these shows, the contestants perform chosen songs each week. Last weekend, I was sitting with my husband, and we turned on a round of “American Idol”, where I was absolutely disgusted by a contestant’s complete and utter (and excuse my language) fuckery of a song I hold very sacred to myself, Coldplay’s “The Scientist”.
that is the beautiful original version (sorry for lack of official video, but EMI have strict copyright rules). here is the horrible botch job that happened on “American Idol” :
to me, you should atleast stay true to the original melody, and not go off re-writing something that was perfect in the first place.
so my question today, readers, is, what songs do you hold sacred to yourself, and think should NOT be messed with under any circumstances? my list could go on, and on, so i’ll just stay with “The Scientist” for now. but i’d love to hear what you guys think are songs that shouldn’t be allowed to be covered on a talent show.
today was an emotional day in the Cresswell household, so I don’t have much to say. today’s song is the song that I always dedicate to my husband, because every word is true. and even though it’s by Beyonce, i don’t mind.
so today, what song reminds you of the one person who makes your world complete?? lets hear it.
i was thinking about the earliest rock song i remember liking. and then this came to mind :
my father used to play this song for me and my brother, in the ripe old year of 1984. i was five years old, my brother two! we used to dance around with him in our living room and our dogs would bark. its one of my favourite memories of learning to love music. and while this is a book blogging site, it’s important to remember your other loves too. and really, the book-blogging part isn’t really coming untill i come back from the states with the right to properly marry my husband, so we’re focusing on music that influences you in your writing for now.
what is the song you first remember loving? or gives you a happy memory like mine? i’d love to hear
Today’s song is “Glycerine” by the now defunct Bush. this is a definite blast from the past for me; but when i was a 15 year old growing up in the southeastern bits of Wisconsin, between two large cities (Milwaukee and Chicago) i fell in love with alt-rock quite hard by listening to the likes of this band and others. This was, and has remained, one of my absolute favourite songs by them. it’s so mournful and beautiful. and who else sings about explosives as a way to pine for their lover????
this song idea came to me while thinking about the character of Shane from Jeri Smith-Ready’s WVMP series…. how he’s the only one of the vamps not trying to be “stuck” in his generation when he died…. because he’s from the same one i’m from! so thanks, Jeri, you spawned an awesome song day!
