Shift by Jennifer Bradbury

Summary:

Imagine you and your best friend head off on a cross-country bike trek.

Imagine that you get into a fight — the cheap s.o.b. won't kick in any cash.

Imagine you stop riding together.

Imagine you reach Seattle then come home alone, still p.o-ed.

Imagine the FBI is now at your college dorm.

Imagine finding out that your former best friend never made it home.

And imagine that he had actually been carrying over $20,000 in cash with him.

Imagine your world shifting....

A tour-de-force about biking, friendship, and the depths of loyalty by a debut novelist who has in fact biked cross country.

Chris comes back from a 2 month long trip riding his bike the whole way and he is now back for his first year in college. The first week he gets a surprise because an FBI agent comes to talk to him. What would an FBI agent want with him you ask. Well, the problem is his friend never came back for college. His friend actually ditched him while on the road with him because he did come with him riding his bike along with him the whole way through until he ditched him. Chris ended up giving up and on his friend and going to college like he was supposed to. Like they were both supposed to. So why would he be surprised that someone was asking question. But an FBI agent? It turns out that Winston (Win) never did come back even though after all the questioning his parents did stopped he assumed that he came back.

Win's father is this big time CEO. He is commanding and dominating. He is able to make even a Senator shake in his boots. His mother isn't really any better. All she does is travel and spend money. She always ends up giving Win money because she feels guilty. Why guilty? Probably because they never really there for him. Which is probably why he gets in to so much trouble and is the way he is. A smart alec would be one way to describe him but it's not really his fault...

On the other hand Chris's mother and father are exactly what Win needs. Win is really important to them. They have been friends for a decade. The book says that they feel like he's like another son to them but I really didn't say that. Anyways... his mother is really emotional and always protective. He's father is a quiet but seems to be a great man and father. Chris can always tell his father anything. Well almost... I'm not going to elaborate on that. You'll just have to see for yourself!

I really loved this book. Chris is such a likable character and I loved his narration. The books chapters are separated into two. It alternates between after he is gone and what Chris has to deal with when Win isn't there. Mainly his father. Well, actually all of it his father. Then it's a chapter of before Win left and then over and over again. This is a great book about friendship. A great book about finding yourself.