Review: SHIFT by Kim Curran

Strange Chemistry (an imprint of Angry Robot) is continuing their incredible launch with another great book. I read SHIFT by Kim Curran over three nights, and had a hard time putting it down. It's a sci-fi, mind-bendy head trip that keeps your head spinning and your fingers turning the pages from beginning to end.

From Goodreads:

When your average, 16-year old loser, Scott Tyler, meets the beautiful and mysterious Aubrey Jones, he learns he’s not quite 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 quickly 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.

The pure concept: if you had the ability to have a do-over for any, and every decision you ever made, would you change anything? is intriguing. 

I've never really gotten the concept of "boy books", but this one could definitely appeal to the male reading audience. It's got action, gore, and all the other things that boys love. But girls will like it too, because it's not all about the action and the gore. It's mind-bending and constantly makes the reader question Scott's reality.

Scott was likable, and the pacing was perfect. Just look at that awesome cover. Yeah - that's pretty much the pacing of the book. 


I give SHIFT 5 stars for keeping me intrigued from beginning to end, and making me cringe and go "eww" more than once. :)

Definitely pick this book up when it comes out in September from Strange Chemistry. You won't be disappointed.