Shift Paperback – 3 Apr 2012

Chris and his friend, Win(ston), decide to embark on a cross country bike trip after they graduate high school. Their plan is to ride from their home in West Virginia to Seattle, Washington, where Win has an uncle. But in the end, only Chris returns to West Virginia a few weeks before he is to start at Georgia Tech.Chris and Win have known each other since third grade and have been best friends since sixth grade. With the last names of Collins and Coggans, they were destined to know each other. But the bike trip might have been too much for the friendship to bear. Winston comes from a wealthy family where his father either ignores him or degrades him, and his mother is always off on some vacation or other. Win's father has pulled strings to ensure that Win has gained admittance to Dartmouth, the Alma Mater of generations of Coggans. Chris comes from a loving home where his father tells him to set a date to start the bike trip or he will forever regret not having done it.During the trip, Chris notices aspects of Win that he never saw before. Most surprising is the almost twenty-thousand dollars that Win has buried inside his bike panniers. Win never tells Chris about the money, and so, respecting Win's privacy, Chris never asks. But this is only one of many instances on the journey that Chris realizes Win is hiding more than he lets on.Upon return to normal life, Chris is visited by an FBI agent employed by Win's father. Threats are made by Mr. Coggans to find out where his son has gone. Everyone believes that Chris holds the answer to locating Win. But Chris is torn between what is expected of him and what he knows to be the right thing to do.Ms. Bradbury is one of the bright new authors in the Class of 2008. Her story is fresh and keeps the reader curious until the end. The story is told in alternating chapters: one in the present and one during the bike journey. The alternating chapters keep the story flowing and the tension building until the revelation of what Chris finds out about Win.Reviewed by: Jaglvr

My daughter was given this title for high school summer reading, I always read her summer book list and have come across some amazing books, this book rates as another great read! Enjoyed the theme of friendship and finding ones self. I loved the characters who felt like authentic teen boys , quick read, enjoyable

I bought this to read in a high school English class with students who are not noted for their love of reading. With this one, however, they are fascinated by the mystery of what happened and how it happened, and they're laughing aloud at the author's natural, sometimes breezy tone. I'd recommend it for teens as well as for teachers who work with teens and want contemporary literature to promote reading.

Excellent quality

Very teachable. I used it in class with advanced ESL students. I liked the contrast between the two main characters--we had some good discussions about differences in their families, their incomes, and their personalities. As a project, my students planned their own dream bike trip.

Muy bueno