When your average, 16-year old loser, Scott Tyler, meets the beautiful and mysterious Aubrey Jones, he learns he's not so average after all. He's a 'Shifter'. And that means he has the power to undo any decision he's ever made. At first, he thinks the power to shift is pretty cool. But as his world starts to unravel around him he realises that each time he uses his power, it has consequences; terrible unforeseen consequences. Shifting is going to get him killed. In a world where everything can change with a thought, Scott has to decide where he stands.
Shift (Strange Chemistry)
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Realistic British teens and a couple of completely creepy villains make this sci-fi thriller a must for genre fans" - Kirkus Reviews
"I thought that Shift was a fast-paced and highly enjoyable read with a thoroughly creative plot line" -- City Book Review
"It’s slick and quick with just the right amount of squick… and the central premise unfolds satisfyingly.” – Tom Pollock, author of The City’s Son
"This is a great blend of super-hero comic with equal parts futuristic thriller and murder mystery tossed in for good measure. There were even a few pages that completely freaked me out and got my heart pounding in fear as Scott got himself into some horrific and scary situations." - Manga Maniac Cafe
"Shift is a wonderful debut novel from Strange Chemistry: the exciting new YA imprint from Angry Robot. It’s a perfect book for fans of YA looking for something different, and I think it will be enjoyed equally by male and female readers." - Speculating on SpecFic
"I thought that Shift was a fast-paced and highly enjoyable read with a thoroughly creative plot line" -- City Book Review
"It’s slick and quick with just the right amount of squick… and the central premise unfolds satisfyingly.” – Tom Pollock, author of The City’s Son
"This is a great blend of super-hero comic with equal parts futuristic thriller and murder mystery tossed in for good measure. There were even a few pages that completely freaked me out and got my heart pounding in fear as Scott got himself into some horrific and scary situations." - Manga Maniac Cafe
"Shift is a wonderful debut novel from Strange Chemistry: the exciting new YA imprint from Angry Robot. It’s a perfect book for fans of YA looking for something different, and I think it will be enjoyed equally by male and female readers." - Speculating on SpecFic
About the Author
Kim Curran was born in Dublin and moved to London when she was seven. After studying Philosophy and Literature at Sussex University her plan of being paid big bucks to think deep thoughts never quite paid off. So she became an advertising copywriter instead, specializing in writing for videogames. She lives in SW London with her husband - if they're not both off travelling. When she's not writing she fences and plays guitar. Both very badly.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As soon as I started reading this, I couldn't put it down. The story just sucked me right in. I loved the male POV. Scott is a really likable character, and I really felt for him. His entire life changes in a second--or in a shift. He alters a choice he made and shifts the reality he's in, which alerts others like him to his location. A girl named Aubrey tries to help Scott stay under the radar and avoid the training he'll be forced to do because of his ability. But Scott makes the mistake of shifting again, and sends himself into an alternate reality that he's not willing to stay in because it means he'd be responsible for his sister's death.
Scott thinks turning himself over is the answer, so he trains and learns more about his abilities. But things aren't what they seem, and Scott learns about a secret experiment that is killing shifters. He'll have to uncover the truth, save the ones he loves, and try to get the girl.
This story is action-packed and a seriously great read. If you are looking for a good male POV, Scott is your MC.
Scott thinks turning himself over is the answer, so he trains and learns more about his abilities. But things aren't what they seem, and Scott learns about a secret experiment that is killing shifters. He'll have to uncover the truth, save the ones he loves, and try to get the girl.
This story is action-packed and a seriously great read. If you are looking for a good male POV, Scott is your MC.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Here's a new superpower to think about: what if you could go back and change any choice you made? Pick up the penny or just keep walking? Buy the moped or just ride your bike? Accept the dangerous dare or let common sense prevail? In Kim Curran's new novel Shift, a select group of people can change the course of their lives by altering choices they've made. A secret government agency trains shifters and works to keep their existence a secret while manipulating history, hopefully for the better.
Curran's hero, Scott, discovers his power to shift later in life than most shifters, but he quickly comes to learn that shifting potentially has terrible consequences that we did not anticipate. As he becomes more deeply involved with ARES, the Agency for the Regulation and Evaluation of Shifters, he learns that not all shifters want to use their power for good, and that some shifters he trusts may not be what they seem.
Shift follows a pretty standard story line: a teenager discovers he has a special power, he's conflicted about what that means for him and what he should do about it, he meets a girl who helps him understand his power, and he ends up in conflict with more powerful establishment figures on his way to becoming a hero. Curran provides enough action and plot twists to keep the story moving. She is a little weak on the science and the moral questions, but that's probably appropriate for her teen audience. There's probably some good material for deeper reflection here, if we stop and think about how the small choices we make every day have wider consequences than we ever imagine. But that's for another book. For a fast, fun read, Shift is a good choice.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary review copy!
Curran's hero, Scott, discovers his power to shift later in life than most shifters, but he quickly comes to learn that shifting potentially has terrible consequences that we did not anticipate. As he becomes more deeply involved with ARES, the Agency for the Regulation and Evaluation of Shifters, he learns that not all shifters want to use their power for good, and that some shifters he trusts may not be what they seem.
Shift follows a pretty standard story line: a teenager discovers he has a special power, he's conflicted about what that means for him and what he should do about it, he meets a girl who helps him understand his power, and he ends up in conflict with more powerful establishment figures on his way to becoming a hero. Curran provides enough action and plot twists to keep the story moving. She is a little weak on the science and the moral questions, but that's probably appropriate for her teen audience. There's probably some good material for deeper reflection here, if we stop and think about how the small choices we make every day have wider consequences than we ever imagine. But that's for another book. For a fast, fun read, Shift is a good choice.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary review copy!
Format:Paperback
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
I honestly don't know how this book could have gone wrong, but I just couldn't get into it. The premise was fascinating and well executed and the plot was reliably fast-paced throughout the entire novel. Shift had the potential to be an absolutely amazing book, but it was the characters that fell flat for me.
Scott is your average YA protagonist: he accidentally stumbles upon his powers, is seen by someone with the same powers and is taken to a secret location to learn about them, only to discover that he is more powerful than most people with the same powers. Without spoiling much more of the plot, let's just say I could predict most of his actions throughout the novel, which I don't like to be able to do as characters should surprise readers once in a while. Of course, since it's a girl that finds him, you know that they're going to fall in love eventually. Aubrey is another cardboard cutout and the other characters in the novel really aren't much better.
However, I absolutely love the explanation for why and how shifting occurs. Kim Curran has actually taken the time to come up with a believable, scientific explanation rather than just saying that it's magic and leaving it at that. She also wrote a very fast-paced novel, which somewhat makes up for her poor characterization. If Shift had not been fast-paced, I never would have been able to finish it.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars for Amazon rating purposes.
I honestly don't know how this book could have gone wrong, but I just couldn't get into it. The premise was fascinating and well executed and the plot was reliably fast-paced throughout the entire novel. Shift had the potential to be an absolutely amazing book, but it was the characters that fell flat for me.
Scott is your average YA protagonist: he accidentally stumbles upon his powers, is seen by someone with the same powers and is taken to a secret location to learn about them, only to discover that he is more powerful than most people with the same powers. Without spoiling much more of the plot, let's just say I could predict most of his actions throughout the novel, which I don't like to be able to do as characters should surprise readers once in a while. Of course, since it's a girl that finds him, you know that they're going to fall in love eventually. Aubrey is another cardboard cutout and the other characters in the novel really aren't much better.
However, I absolutely love the explanation for why and how shifting occurs. Kim Curran has actually taken the time to come up with a believable, scientific explanation rather than just saying that it's magic and leaving it at that. She also wrote a very fast-paced novel, which somewhat makes up for her poor characterization. If Shift had not been fast-paced, I never would have been able to finish it.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars for Amazon rating purposes.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Push fans will enjoy
This book reminded me a great deal of the movie Push (until the ending). Fans of that movie will probably love this.
Published 6 months ago by J. Matters
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun Reality Bending YA
Reality bending novels, when done right, are pretty cool. I like exploring concepts like time travel, alternate realities, and the butterfly effect, so picking up a book like Shift... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Ryan
5.0 out of 5 stars
An interestins twist to the shifting concept :)
NOTE: I received this book to review from NetGalley.
When I read the title of this book, I thought I'd be reading just another animal type of shifter story. Read more
When I read the title of this book, I thought I'd be reading just another animal type of shifter story. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Vanya Petkova
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fast paced and fun read
Shift was a blast from the very beginning. It's YA at it's finest with a balanced combination action and suspense that kept me reading well into the night, keeping me turning pages... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Heng Y Chu
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fun and exciting debut
Scott was always average, hidden in the crowd, but that was until the day he met Aubrey Jones who tells him he's a Shifter, someone with the ability to alter decisions that they... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Cheree Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fast, Engaging Read
When I discovered that Angry Robot Books would be launching a YA imprint, I was excited to check out the Strange Chemistry line. Every book under this imprint looks good. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Julie
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fast-paced, exciting book!
I got this book quite a while ago but for some unknown reason I kept putting it off. Had I known how crazy-good it really was I would have moved it to the top of my TBR pile. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Katelyn Torrey
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very strong first novel
Shift is one of the launch titles for the new YA imprint for Angry Robot, Strange Chemistry. So this is a double debut, not just for the author, Kim Curran, but for the imprint as... Read more
Published 8 months ago by W.M.M. van der Salm-Pallada
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Blast of a Debut!
I love it when debut authors succeed out of the gate and craft such great reads! It's probably one of the most enjoyable things about reviewing books in fact. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Johnny Quest
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quick-Paced, Lots of Action & Great for Male Readers!
3.5 / 5
I feel like when I was reading this book, my experience was subjective to my surroundings and previous or upcoming reads. Read more
I feel like when I was reading this book, my experience was subjective to my surroundings and previous or upcoming reads. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Rachael Woohoo
