The Pace Review

Title: The Pace
Author: Shelena Shorts
Publisher: Lands Atlantic Publishing
Published: August 19, 2009
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
Pages: 302
Source: Personal Copy

Nineteen-year-old Weston has everything. He's super hot, mysterious, dangerous, sincere, and vulnerable. He’s also a one-of-a-kind evolution that will change the idea of immortality forever. Anyone would be drawn to him, even without fate's intervention, and when eighteen-year-old Sophie crashes into him, there's no turning back.

All that remains is figuring out who, or what, he is, and with a little perseverance, she'll find out the indelible truth—right along with a century-old secret...and a threat for which neither of them are prepared.

Intensely fascinating and rich with determination, The Pace brings together romance, mystery, and suspense in a compelling bond that will have readers asking for more.

Sophie knows that Weston has a secret. Somehow, he’s different from other boys his age, and she wants to know why. She’s new to California, and there’s something about Wes that resonates, and it’s something she’s drawn to discover. He’s attractive, yes, but there’s more. As Sophie gets to know Wes, she starts to realize that Wes doesn’t have a singular secret, but several. As Sophie discovers more about Wes, she grows closer to him, and a relationship begins to bloom, but the secrets might be too much to conquer. And time might be to twisted to keep their budding romance alive.

The Pace was completely and utterly refreshing in a sea of YA that is so formulaic. Usually, we get these “Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall madly in love. Boy and girl can’t live without one another.” Blah. Yawn. The Pace, however, took your average YA formula, turned it on its end, added two dynamic and powerful characters, and threw science, destiny, love and time into a beautiful and haunting story. Author Shelena Shorts has redeemed your YA love story with a rich plot, endearing characters and a powerful message that stays with you.

Sophie was truly a fantastic character. I loved that she was strong and independent, and she wasn’t the least bit wishy-washy! Her voice was honest and had hints of vulnerability, but she never seemed weak – just approachable. Wes was your handsome YA male, but he had depth (thank the Lord!). He had this honest demeanor despite his secrets, and I loved watching the actual relationship between the two characters develop. Most of all though, time was a character, and single action in The Pace had a legitimate reaction. I could actually see the first events in the novel lead to the last, twirling the characters on this mysterious and tumultuous roller-coaster ride.

I am absolutely blown away by The Pace. I expected a pretty good read from the premise, but I didn’t expect it to be that good, and the ending just killed me. I can’t wait to read book two, The Broken Lake. I give The Pace a 4.5 out of 5 (the only deduction being the mildly average premise), and I’d recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy fantasy and sci-fi.