Monday, April 30, 2012

Review of Shine

I received a finished copy of Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready courtesy of its publisher, Simon & Schuster, in exchange for a fair and honest review. I'm more than happy to oblige!

For those of you that haven't started this series yet, go pick up Shade now! You will not regret it.

Goodreads Summary: "In this dramatic conclusion to the Shade trilogy, Aura and Zachary’s relationship sizzles as the secrets of the Shift are revealed.Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.     

As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves…even if that means betraying her own heart."

I don't think I've ever been more psyched to hear about a package on my doorstep. I remember it as if it was yesterday...Oh wait, it was! [I'm writing this review on April 12 to give you a reference point.] I had gotten a text message from my Mom saying that there was a package from Simon & Schuster sitting on the front doorstep. Say what?! I wasn't expecting anything from them. Of course I called her immediately to find out what was going on and being the awesome Mom that she is she offered to open it for me. I think I asked her about a dozen times to clarify, "Shine? Like, just Shine? By Jeri Smith-Ready? Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready?" Then proceeded to dance around the elevator and squeal like the crazy fangirl that I am.

Thank you so much Simon and Schuster for making my Wednesday!

The second I got home it was the first thing I went for. I swear I stared at it for at least ten minutes straight, admiring the cover, being in awe of the fact that it was in my hands and of course checking the acknowledgement in the back because I was included! Then I made the mistake of opening it. I was just going to read the first page, get a feel for the conclusion of what was the most amazing trilogy ever.

I finished the book that same night.

Which has made this review incredibly difficult to write, being a fangirl and all. I absolutely loved this book. I loved the maturity that the characters developed, the way that Jeri Smith-Ready had me keeping my fingers crossed the entire book that things would end up the way that I hoped, and the fact that despite it being the last book in the series it didn't feel like a wind-down. What I mean is it wasn't tired, there was no real rehashing. Shine kept me at the edge of my seat until the end, then a dreamy sigh of contentment and it was over.

I have only one complaint when it comes to this book and that would be Zach's packing capabilities. Shine needs more kilt, Zachary Moore!

Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready definitely lived up to the epicness of its predecessors and is totally deserving of a five out of five stars. This was an excellent conclusion to a much beloved series; Jeri managed to tie up all of the loose endings and close the curtain on some amazing characters without making me crave another book. [Unless it's about Zachary Moore and his incredible kilt.] Bravo!

No comments:

Post a Comment