Shift, by Kim Curran

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!