Shift

Jennifer Bradbury's "Shift" is a truly engaging story that not only explores a puzzling mystery, but also serves as a brilliantly crafted coming-of age-tale that held my attention to the very end. The first person interchange between the narrator's present situation and his retelling of his journey offers a unique style that serves to move the plot at an exciting pace without sacrificing the development of characters that the reader grows to love. The gripping story is punctuated with suspense and beautiful details that really bring the characters and their struggles to life. This novel explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and the struggles of trying to live up to others' expectations while trying to remain true to oneself. It was a satisfying ride!

The transition from high school to college often brings a sense of freedom and release, but Chris' first few days on a universtiy campus were impacted by the arrival of an FBI agent full of questions about his best friend. Author Jennifer Bradbury does an exquisite job of seemlessly weaving past and present scenes into an intriguing, cohesive story as Chris struggles to decide what to do about his missing friend, Win,last seen at the end of their cross-country bike trip I felt the wind in my face, burni n my calves and sweat on my back. I look forward to Bradbury's next release!

"This land was made for you and me." -- Woody Guthrie "They've all gone to look for America." -- Paul Simon "'Remember those outlandish lies?' she said, arms crossed as she stared at me across the table. "'Mom, that was just Win goofing around--' "'He told that poor student tour guide that you'd been in a coma for three years!' "'Mom--' I tried to break in, but I could feel the smile pulling at the corners of my mouth. "'I'm not finished, Christopher,' she intoned. I shut up and let her continue. 'And he wasn't satisfied with just that lie, was he?' "I sat quietly, unsure if I was supposed to answer this question or not. "'Um, no, but--' "'He went on to tell her that he was an orphan refugee from--' She paused, waved her fingers toward me, beckoning the answer. "'I don't remember, Mom. One of the Stan countries, maybe?' "But it didn't matter. Now she only wanted to ensure this was as long and painful as possible. 'And,' she said, positively vibrating as she said the words, 'and he claimed to be your adopted brother who'd tutored you to make up for those years of high school you missed during your coma!' "My father laughed. 'It's not funny, Allen!' Mom said. 'Chris could have gotten a lot of scholarship money at Marshall. And then he would have been close to home instead of going all the way down to Atlanta.'" West Virginia high school senior Chris Collins has certainly never spent any time in a coma. His recent accomplishments include Eagle Scout, honor society vice president, and an acceptance letter from Georgia Tech. Chris has known goofball Win (Winston Coggins III) since third grade and the pair have been best friends for the past half dozen years. Win's high-powered, CEO-of-a-polluting-chemical-company father and disinterested mother are nightmare parents ("All Win knew he could do was disappoint them, so he made an art of it.") who have spent the past six years sending him to therapists ("They couldn't figure out what was wrong with their kid, but wouldn't bother to talk to him when they could pay someone else to."). Win's father has paid off all the right people and twisted all the right arms so that Win, with his mediocre high school grades, has been accepted for the fall into the same Ivy League school as Winston I and Winston II attended in their days. As high school graduation approaches -- and Chris' mom starts talking about his getting a summer job at Kmart -- Chris hatches a plan for Win and him to spend the summer bicycling across America. (They've both been entering biathlons since freshman year.) Chris' mom is horrified by the thought of her child taking off like that, but his father -- whose own teen on-the-road dream was left behind when he'd fallen for Chris' mom -- is supportive and insistent that Chris go for it. Win's father doesn't care what Win does, just as long as Win doesn't call for help when he fails. And so the two friends hit the road: "Come and take a walk with me through this green and growing

Two friends, Chris and Win, head out on the adventure of a lifetime. Their mission? To ride coast-to-coast on their bikes. Only it doesn't go exactly as planned. Because just one of them returns home. And no one knows for sure what happened. The author's writing is so strong, I felt as if I was on the bike ride with Chris and Win. The places they go and the people they meet along the way make for such an interesting story. The chapters alternate between flashbacks and Chris' present day situation where everyone, including an FBI agent, is pressing him to find out what happened to Win. Except he doesn't know. Or does he? A great book about cycling, friendship, and loyalty, SHIFT is one of my favorite reads so far of 2008!!

SHIFT is the kind of book that grips you from the first sentence and keeps you riveted until the last. A satisfying mystery, a journey of a road trip and a coming of age story, SHIFT is a beautifully written and well crafted story. Told in chapters that go from past to present, the story of Chris and Winn on their bike trip across the country, and the aftermath, unfold at a taut pace. Recommended for anyone who loves a good book!