海角大神

Shift is a book you鈥檒l want to read twice. Or make that, need to read twice. At least I did. Because when you鈥檙e caught up in its breathless, brilliantly woven plot, it鈥檚 hard to stop and savor the nuances of what is also a lovely story of friendship, self-discovery, and coming-of-age.
To backpedal: 鈥淪hift鈥� 鈥� a debut novel from author Jennifer Bradbury 鈥� begins in the middle of a mystery. When we meet protagonist Christopher Collins, he鈥檚 busy trying to settle into his freshman year at Georgia Tech and put behind him whatever happened during the summer after graduation. Something to do with a bike. And his former best friend, Win.

There had been a cycling trip from West Virginia to Washington State, one that ultimately led to Win鈥檚 disappearance 鈥� and to Chris鈥檚 world being turned upside down.

That鈥檚 the essence of Chapter 1 鈥� and also much of the rest of the book, which alternates between chapters in the present, in which Chris is drawn into the search for Win, and chapters in the past, chronicling Chris鈥� and Win鈥檚 coast-to-coast odyssey.

In some ways, the boys are an unlikely duo. Not only for taking a cross-country cycling trip, but also as friends. Chris鈥檚 parents are hard-working, down-to-earth types, while Win鈥檚 alternate between detached and overbearing. Chris鈥檚 family is decidedly blue collar, while Win鈥檚 father uses his money (and lots of it) to get just about whatever he wants. While Chris seems smart, thoughtful, and likable, Win is difficult to embrace. Sometimes he comes across as impulsive and irresponsible. Mostly, he鈥檚 an enigma.

鈥淔riends by default,鈥� is how Chris describes their relationship. Which perhaps explains why, when Win disappears, even nine years of friendship aren鈥檛 enough for Chris to make sense of what happened. Where did Win go? And why?

But perhaps more pressing: Is Win even still alive?

What readers will come to appreciate as the pages fly by is not just the way Bradbury has so intelligently pieced together her story, but the way she never sacrifices plot for message, or vice versa. This is not to say that a well-plotted novel is categorically devoid of subtext, but Bradbury鈥檚 balancing act is one to be appreciated.

There鈥檚 plenty of action 鈥� and lots of juicy suspense. (Warning: Do not start this book unless you have time to finish it in one sitting; you won鈥檛 be able to think about anything else.) But there鈥檚 also lots to explore on the subject of identity 鈥� finding it, feeling at home in it 鈥� and about the nature of friendship.

And friendship, I might add, is another thing Bradbury can add to her list of accomplishments. There鈥檚 Chris鈥檚 and Win鈥檚, of course, which male and female readers alike will appreciate for its competitiveness, its goofiness, and ultimately, its fierce loyalty.

But Bradbury is also interested in friendship in general: How it can change a person, and how it can change when a person grows. These changes are the growing pains that both Chris and Win experience over the course of the narrative 鈥� a constant ache, not unlike the sore muscles that plague the boys at the beginning of their ride. But while their legs grow stronger (the ache fades) and as the duo put more miles behind them, the discomfort of a shifting friendship only increases as Seattle approaches. This, too, adds to the mystery: When and if Chris finds Win, can they ever be friends again?

In the end, it鈥檚 the where-do-we-go-from-here question that the story seems most interested in wrestling with. Of course, that鈥檚 the beauty of Chris鈥� and Win鈥檚 journey; it is, literally, a series of opportunities for the boys to choose. Which roads will they take? Which landmarks are worth seeing?

But as with everything else in this book, the where of their odyssey is metaphorical, too. How do you meet again when you鈥檝e taken separate roads? Or, to state it more mundanely: What happens to high school friendships after high school?

Without giving anything away, I can say that Bradbury鈥檚 novel answers this question most satisfactorily. Which is why, among other reasons, Chris鈥� and Win鈥檚 journey in 鈥淪hift鈥� is one well worth undertaking. And not just once, but many times over.

Jenny Sawyer regularly reviews children鈥檚 literature for the Monitor.