Bridge

Shade #2.5

by Jeri Smith-Ready

Logan is barely seventeen, and barely dead. To find eternal rest, the ghost rock star must make peace with his brother Mickey, before his guilt over Logan’s death drives him to suicide.

Krista sees ghosts everywhere, but never the one she needs most. A chance boardwalk encounter with Logan turns her Senior Week party into a rescue mission. Can her own grief give her the strength to save Mickey’s life?

Loaded with bonus material, the “Bridge” ebook is the perfect introduction to the young-adult Shade trilogy—a tale of ghosts, music, and everlasting love.

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"Bridge" was originally published in the YA paranormal anthology Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions, edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong.

"Bridge" the ebook will include Lots o" Logan in one place:

•The story "Bridge"
•Lyrics to "Forever," the song he wrote and sang for Aura on the tear-jerkingest page of Shade (listed on GR as Shade #1.5)
•Logan's deleted interludes from Shift (listed on GR as Shade 2.1), including an EXCLUSIVE "Outro" that shows what Logan thought of Zachary when they met.
•BRAND NEW BONUS MATERIAL:
1. Heart-to-heart interview with Logan and his brother Mickey, the other major character in "Bridge." The brooding, tortured Mickey has never before spoken in public, and this interview will be EXCLUSIVELY available in this ebook.
2. Actual scanned images of Logan's songwriting journal as he was writing "Forever."

"Bridge" is the first in what has been dubbed the "SHADEboys Trifecta of Awesome," continuing with "Shattered" (Zachary's novella, listed on GR as Shade #3.5) in May 2013 and Martin's as-yet-untitled short story in August 2013 (listed on GR but not numbered yet).

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Novella, Romantic

ebook

First published September 19, 2011

About the author

Jeri Smith-Ready has been writing fiction since the night she had her first double espresso. A steady stream of caffeine has produced twelve published novels for teens and adults since 2001.

Jeri lives in Maryland with her husband and two cats, who often play tag-team "sit in the author's lap and keep her from writing." (The cats, that is, not the husband. Though, actually...)

Reviews

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that this was told in lyrical form, very Logan-esque! Loved getting to see him finally interact with Mickey. This was a heartfelt short story and a great addition to the trilogy. Any Logan fan will eat this up.

[Tez · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNINGS: Drug overdose, suicide ideation, grief

[Annie Brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment I started this, to the moment...well hell I'm still crying. It's been a while since I read this series, but I remember everything about it. Logan was a 17 year old rock star who was on his way to fame, but the night he and Aura, the love of his life decide to consummate their love, is the night that shit goes wrong.

And he dies.

Because of the record label people giving him fucking drugs because that's what all rock stars do, right? Yeah, well he only was taking this stuff to calm the overwhelming nervousness that both being a hot famous rock star with his band (who are his brothers, The Keely Brothers is the name of their band) and well, the night he gets signed, they throw a party and celebrate their success.

Awesome.

Aura and Logan go upstairs and get ready to have sex because they're in love and want this night to be special and what better way to end the awesome night than to make love to your beloved? Especially with being Logan? Yeah, no better way in my opinion.

Except, it never happened because before they could get that far, he'd taken the drugs...but they weren't what they were supposed to be. He didn't mean to take some hard core shit, only some stuff to help calm his nerves so he could relax and enjoy his Aura. But God damn drugs will fuck you up, no matter what they are.

Ugh, everyone finds him on the bathroom floor, dead as a door nail. And his spirit comes back, not realizing that he's not alive. He watches his loved ones cry and scream his name and he can't get their attention. It's the worst pain to experience and it sucked the whole book I sobbed my eyes out. I loved Logan and never wanted that to happen to him. Sure he was stupid for taking the drugs in the first place, but he was still a kid and he just wanted that night to be perfect. And God did it turn out to be the worst night EVER.

Well, he became a shade and only certain people are able to see them. They have to be born before a certain time. But Aura was able to see him and talk to him when he came back. Seeing her mourn for him was hard enough. But this little treat I found was a thousand times worse. It was like 65 pages too short, but I'm glad I found, bought and read it.

Zach is in the picture and the last book he ends up with Aura so I'm not reading it. I never liked him from the first moment he entered the book in Shade. In Shift my opinion never changed. And I certainly won't read the last book just so I can curse him for getting Logan's happily ever after.

But this short story has extra information, like lyrics to his songs and there's an interview with him and Micky too at the end. I loved it. I wish so bad that he was able to stay corporeal for longer than he did in those times he changed. I'd rather be with Logan's dead spirit for the rest of my life than be with British butt munch Zachary who's alive. I don't care, I loved Logan and it broke my heart to see his pain.

This short story, Logan realizes Micky blames himself for his death. He's not living much, and for 233 days that Logan's been dead, he hadn't played or sang. It was just too difficult. But when Logan sees a girl who has the gift to see him, he asks for her help to talk to Micky because he knows he wants to kill himself. Ugh, -pause, wipes angry tears-

So when Krista walks up to Micky and says something Logan-like, he freaks out. But eventually, he listens. And with Krista translating, Logan tells him everything he hasn't been able to say.

GOD. My heart. Micky's remorse, sorrow, anguish, pain...was so palpable I felt it for both of them. Krista reveals something similar that happened to her in her life, so she's able to help Micky and Logan. With her help, Logan tells him how sorry he is for being stupid and hurting the family (they have 2 other brothers and a sister) because since he died, nothing had been the same.

Finally, he steers Micky away from the brink of death, and instead play at the beach,a song of theirs for their friends and family. Ugh, what an emotional short story. Logan hated not being able to touch or hear or cry or laugh or smile with the ones he loved anymore. All he could do was sit and watch them all do those things together, without him. It just didn't seem right. It wasn't right. It'll never be right again.

I thank the author for writing this from his POV and letting us see how he's dealing with his death. Or how he's dealt with it. Watching his family from afar. And of course the fact that Aura has moved on and that hurts like a son of a bitch. I know she has no choice, blah blah blah. But she needed time to grieve and heal, instead of move right onto Zach just because he's British and sexy blah blah blah. Accent or not, I never liked him. But that's life right? Too bad I won't get to see how it ends, because I did like this story and the take on shades was interesting. But with Logan not getting to be alive somehow, I just don't see the point.

I guess the pressure of being a musician takes its toll on some and it can f**k up your life and the life of those around you. Say no to drugs, no matter what they tell you. In the end, you'll be the one to suffer, leaving everyone behind. They're just not worth it.

[Kitlina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Logan was cut so soon out of life.
I can literally feel his whole life ahead cut short.
And that's the case for so many people out there.
I loved this short story about him and Mickey. And I think he would have had forever with Aura, had it not been for this tragic twist of fate.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I cried. And Laughed. I need a good hug now. Wonderful!

[Elyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

We finally get to see Mickey make peace with Logan and helping him move on.
Logan was my favorite character in the Shade series and I always like his personality. The song lyrics were a nice touch.

[Susie Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read short story in the "Shade" series!

[Kimberly Callegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as Enthralled hit my hands, I quickly turned to page 233. I’ve been longing to read Bridge, written in Logan Keeley’s point of view by Jeri Smith-Ready. You definitely should recognize his awesome, swoon-worthy character from Jeri’s Shade Series. (Pay attention, because there is a reason why Bridge started on page 233).

My stomach was in knots as soon as I read the title... Bridge. I was recommended by some of the #TeamKilt members who were able to read Bridge before it's release to have my kleenex ready. The tears started pouring from the corner of my eyes as soon as I read the second paragraph, last sentence. And from there, I read on in anticipation and sobbed… “Don’t Leave Me.” Oh Logan! *clutches chest* Bridge is beautifully written and is a short story about Logan trying to connect with and apologize to his older brother, Micky. I cried for Logan and his longing. I cried for Micky who is suffering over the loss of his brother and the blame he burdens himself with. Jeri introduces us to a new character, Krista, who helps Logan try to redeem himself with his brother and for Micky to have closure. She’s another character to love and to be thankful for, and to me, she is a heroin.

The day after reading Bridge, my husband was generous enough to read it to me. I closed my eyes and envisioned every word of Logan’s story. I embraced his story even more. Jeri makes it simple for her reader’s to visualize her writings… it’s why I love her work so much.

If you haven’t checked out the stunning lyrics to Logan’s Forever, do it now. Enthralled has sentimental value to me, not only because of Logan’s beautiful story, but because I have special inscriptions from both Jeri and Logan.

I give Bridge 5 beautiful, lingering stars that I’ll hold dear to my heart, forever.

Note to self: You have a green Keeley Bros. T-shirt, but must purchase yourself an army green one!

[Kait · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bridge is part of the Shade series which I didn’t know when I started it. I’ve only read the first book in the Shade trilogy and I felt like I was definitely missing some information. However, I still really enjoyed the story and the fact that it was written in verse made it awesome.

Bridge is the story of Logan and Mickey. Logan knows that Mickey blames himself for Logan’s death and he has a feeling that Mickey might hurt himself so he doesn’t have to deal with the guilt any longer. With the help of Krista, Logan finally talks to Mickey and tries to help him see that Logan’s death was not his fault.

There is a surprising amount of info in Bridge. It’s not only a short story, it’s also written in verse. For so few words, a lot is contained within them. Jeri Smith-Ready managed to get so much emotion into Bridge. Like I said, I’ve only read the first book in this trilogy but I still felt really connected to both Logan and Mickey. Bridge is the first short story in the Enthralled collection that really made me emotional.

Overall, Bridge seems like a wonderful addition to the Shade series and while it’s definitely not required for you to read, I would recommend it. It’s a short story that really packs a punch.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed Jeri Smith-Ready's "Shade" series and it made reading "Bridge" an obvious choice. While I enjoyed this very short story which fills in an important event that we didn't originally see on the pages of the trilogy because that series narrator Aura wasn't in it. "Bridge" tells of the meeting between dead Logan and his older brother Mickey. Mickey hasn't been the same since holding Logan as he died from an overdose in the first novel. He has held in guilt and bitterness over the tragedy. Here Logan and Mickey confront their issues through use of young woman who can communicate with Logan. This was a nice offering from Smith-Ready; she never fails to deliver a good story. For hardcore fans there a few other nice extras including lyrics to Logan's song to Aura and an interview with Mickey and Logan which brought a little levity after the serious story. The lyrical writing through me off at first but I found it very agreeable coming from Logan. It fit him well. I wish there would have been more to the actual story but really that is a compliment to the quality fo the short story. This isn't anything you have to read to enjoy the main trilogy but it is a nice addition.

[Jess M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this review on my blog! --> Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready

I’ve always known this story would be sad, which is probably the reason I put off reading it for so long, but I’m so glad I finally got to it. And it was sad, but it was also like exhaling. I felt like I could let go of some of my worry for Mickey, and I feel like I understand him so much better now. I didn’t know it was written in verse! That was such an awesome surprise! And it was the perfect way to tell this story, especially since it deals with Mickey and Logan, who totally know about verse. Their story flowed so perfectly and beautifully. I really can’t imagine it written a different way and having the same emotional effect. It’s seriously perfect, I tell you! Also, it only made me love Mickey more, hehe. Must read for any Shade series fan.

[Sue "DavinciKittie" Brown-Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up as a quick filler read to get a feel for Ms. Smith-Ready's style and was completely sucked in by her artistry. Without giving too much away, seeing as how this is a short story and uncovering the story nuances are half the experience, Bridge is a short story in the larger Shade universe about setting things right and not giving up on the people who matter. It's written song-style, as if it should be sung or read aloud to be fully enjoyed, which is something I've never seen before in this genre of literature (which, loosely, would be Young Adult edging toward New Adult) and it leaves behind a lingering poignancy and melancholia. I'm not usually one for ghost stories but I'm fairly certain I'll be seeing more of the Keeley Brothers in my TBR pile. Even if you don't normally enjoy YA (and I am right there with you!), give this a try and I bet you'll agree.

[Step Into Fiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been just a little short while since I've read Shine, the last book in the Shade series. But reading this novella really made me remember how much I absolutely loved this series. Jeri Smith-Ready captures teenagers so well. She is amazing at writing teen dialogue. Our site owner Jessica and I have both said that her characters sound like everyday high school kids. And that's actually not very easy to capture. Some young adult authors aren't very good at writing current teen slang, but Jeri is really a master at it.

Read full review at Step Into Fiction

Review completed by: Sana

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shade is one of my favorite book series. This little short from Logan's POV is a great look at him, post death, interacting with his older brother... who was not handling Logan's death well. It is packed full of extras, including some deleted Shift snippets from Logan's POV. There is also an interview with Mickey and Logan, and Logan's song, "Forever" written for Aura, as well as his notes writing that story. Definitely a must read for fans of this series. I am a Zachary girl, but after reading this, I see Logan in a whole new light.

[Becs · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't what I was expecting - a short story told in verse. For me, it didn't work in this style although it's a bold move and ties in well with the lyrical themes of this series as a whole.

This short story will hold weight for fans of the Shade series, and should be read as book 2.5, as it captures a part of some of the key characters lives which we miss out on with the main series.

A tale of love and loss, with a cute whilst sad storyline with a musical twist. A good investment for fans, but this probably won't resonate with readers new to the Shade trilogy.

[Claire (Cem) · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Bridge' breaks my heart. I read it when it was originally released in the 'Enthralled' anthology, and it brought me to tears then, when I was in the middle of the series. Now it brought me to tears again, without my having read any of the other books recently.

I love the addition of the interview with Mickey and Logan at the end as well. Basically, utterly beautiful, and a must read for fans of the Shade trilogy. I recommend reading at least book 1 before reading this novella though!

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally read this novella in the anthology "Enthralled" but when I saw that there was an extended version with an interview, I had to read it again. Both times I've read this one it makes me teary eyed but I really live seeing the evolution of not only Logan but especially Mickey. He really goes thru realization and understanding in order to move on. I also really enjoyed the lyrics to "Forever".

[Joli · Rating 5 out of 5]

For any fan of the SHADE trilogy, this is a must read. When I read the series, I was all about Zach, but Logan has made me a fan. And now the only thing I want to do is reread the entire series from start to finish!

I love that it is written in verse because it lends to the story Logan is telling. And the bonus features are, well, a bonus! Loved it!!

[Penny Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I re-read this last night, and it made me sob just as hard as the first time I read it online. Smith-Ready sure has a way with words.

I'm enjoying this trend of getting the same story from a different character's point of view - in this case, bringing healing to someone who wasn't part of the original story, as well as pivotal characters.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

We waited and it arrived and it was all it had lived up to be. Emotional, heartbreaking, heart mending. Amazing. I loved the interview with Mickey and Logan. If you love the Shade books it's a must. If you,ve never read them then have a peep and then, devour the rest.

[Deena Graves · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is, I love Logan. BRIDGE is an awesome addition to the SHADE collection and a must-read for any die-hard Jeri fans. It will make you laugh, make you cry, laugh some more, cry harder, and then give you a huge hug. Thank you, Jeri!

[Christine Manzari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how this was written in poetry/lyrical style. A nice peek into the minds of the Keeley brothers. Also, I loved that this took place in Ocean City, MD...a place that my family and I visit every year.

[Lisa Kessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short, but if you love Jeri Smith-Ready's Shade trilogy, it's a MUST read... It's told from Logan's POV and gives you an insider's look into the world after he died.

Definitely worth reading! :)

[Nancy The book junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon!

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreakingly beautiful.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wait was totally worth it! so many feels! I just want to wrap Logan and Mickey in a bear hug and never let go! The interview with them was perfect! I need a hug :(

[Jovy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a bit confused...seems like a poem but it's an anthology...ghost talking to other ghosts??? Did not really got my attention to read the series.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous and heartbreaking!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grab a tissue!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome way to refresh my memory about the Shade trilogy. Loved it!