Shifter - Kim Curran

Scott is hanging out with his friends at an abandoned church.  To prove he is cool Scott decides to climb to the Pylon.  The Pylon used to supply electricity to the church and is supposedly turned off.  As Scott climbs it looks like he will make it and then his world goes black.  He is lying face up on the concrete outside the Pylon.  Aubrey is standing over him asking if he is a shifter.  He doesn't know what she's talking about.  Aubrey then takes him to a casino and explains he has the power to undo choices and create a new reality around him.  She tells Scott about the government agency in charge of the shifters called ARES.  She also tells him about the SLF, who thinks shifters should be allowed to do what they want and not be governed by rules.  When ARES shows up unannounced they head back to Aubrey's place.  As Scott falls asleep on her couch he thinks about choices he's made and wakes up on concrete.  He has shifted to a reality where his sister Katie was killed in a car accident.  He finds Aubrey in this reality and then ARES shows up looking for him.  They agree to help him undo the shift he's done as long as he agrees to join ARES.  Scott shifts again and everything goes back to the way it should be.  He explains to his parents that a special government program wants him in it.  He calls ARES and says he'll join.  He tells Aubrey he's joining ARES, and then tells his parents it is a fast track IT program.  The next day he heads to ARES headquarters to begin his training.  After the first day he is told he's one of the most powerful shifters to come through ARES.  Over the next few months his training continues.  One day on the way to the Tube he picks up a penny.  This decision leads him to be on the Tube when a bomb goes off.  He shifts to where he is on  the platform and not on the Tube when it explodes.  As Scott is recovering in the hospital the news is saying it was a suicide bomber.  ARES thinks the SLF are involved somehow.  As ARES tries to piece together what happened, Scott thinks there is more behind this than ARES is letting on. 

I enjoyed this book.  It was a fun read and reminded me of Fair Coin by E.C. Myers, which is also about different realities and choices that shape those realities.  This book is a really good story to start this series.  The second book in the series is called Control which came out in August of 2013.  There will be a third book called Delete, and the only information on the author's website says it is coming soon.  I look forward to reading the rest of the series. 

T.B.
12/19/13