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42 ratings | 40 reviews | avg rating:4.95

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R.B. Shifman’s Followers (12)

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to-read (11)
currently-reading (41)
read (61)
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Jessica Christie

590 books | 97 friends

Kimberly Kenna

100 books | 8 friends

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83 books | 117 friends

Katy Nicholas

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Paul Georgulis

86 books | 3 friends

Mark S. Finkelstein

45 books | 1 friend

David Swisher

3,391 books | 299 friends

R.B. Shifman

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

https://rbshifmanauthor.com/

Twitter

rshifman

Genre

Young Adult, Fantasy, Horror

Member Since

November 2018

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Author R.B. Shifman writes dark, edgy YA stories that fight the power. His gritty YA novel, PAPER AIRPLANE, BROKEN BONES, inspired by an originator of the troubled teen industry, was a finalist for the 2025 Somerset Award for Literary Fiction, and his 2026 novels, WE WERE THE CUCKOO BEES and TAKING BACK AUGUST, respectively skewer theocracy and racism/white nationalism. R.B. writes speculative/horror short stories as Richard Shifman, including weird, corporate horror like “Mayo Monday,” which headlined Cosmic Horror Monthly, and “Such a Catch” in the Dread Mondays anthology. R.B. resides near Doylestown with his wife, his partner teaching ESL.

The SAVAGE SPELLS trilogy has been discontinued and is not currently available online.

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R.B. Shifman’s books

Average rating: 4.71 · 69 ratings · 52 reviews · 6 distinct works • Similar authors

	Paper Airplane, Broken Bones 4.60 avg rating — 20 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Taking Back August 4.94 avg rating — 17 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Everyone Leaves This Place (Savage Spells, #1) 4.71 avg rating — 14 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Love's Heavy Spell 4.63 avg rating — 8 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	We Were the Cuckoo Bees 4.63 avg rating — 8 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Still Running Deep (Savage Spells Book 3) 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by R.B. Shifman…

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R.B. Shifman is currently reading

Warm Bodies

by John Marrs (Goodreads Author)

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Oct 15, 2026 05:58PM

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Trust No One

by Mary Burton (Goodreads Author)

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Oct 05, 2026 04:54PM

R.B. Shifman is currently reading

The Black Orchid

by Loreth Anne White (Goodreads Author)

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Aug 05, 2026 07:49PM

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R.B.’s Recent Updates

R.B. Shifman rated a book it was amazing In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts by Gwendolyn Kiste (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Highly recommend. Top pick for 2026. THE GREAT GATSBY was, at its heart, a story about unfinished business. It begs for closure of some kind. IN THESE GILDED, GHOSTLY HEARTS could be Kiste’s most masterful work to date, and that’s no small claim. With ...more
Oct 25, 2026 11:10AM · like · see review
R.B. Shifman liked Monica Manolas's review of Taking Back August: "Great storyline, good pacing and lots of good plot twists and turns. Shifman is a great YA writer with many more stories to tell. This one is a quick read that will get you thinking about what family really means and the lengths we will go to protect" Read more of this review »
Oct 20, 2026 11:47AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Taking Back August by R.B. Shifman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Taking Back August by R.B. Shifman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
R.B. Shifman is currently reading Warm Bodies by John Marrs (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 15, 2026 05:58PM · like
R.B. Shifman rated a book it was amazing Only Monsters Remain by William J. Donahue (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The novel sucked me in, and its tentacles kept a burning grip on me to the very end! I read it in two days. If you enjoy post-apocalyptic and/or cosmic horror, this is the tale for you. Jillian is an interesting and sympathetic main character, and he ...more
Oct 11, 2026 03:50PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Only Monsters Remain by William J. Donahue. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Only Monsters Remain by William J. Donahue <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
R.B. Shifman liked Madison's review of Taking Back August: "A fantastic book, truly recommend the read! 😊"
Oct 09, 2026 05:14PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Taking Back August by R.B. Shifman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Taking Back August by R.B. Shifman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
R.B. Shifman has read The Woman I've Become by Debra Webb (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 06, 2026 11:37AM · like
R.B. Shifman liked Mark Finkelstein's review of Taking Back August: "Taking Back August is a coming-of-age story; it is a profound testament to the resilience of the human spirit. It is a book for anyone who has ever felt trapped by their circumstances, who has ever had to fight to own their own name, or who has known" Read more of this review »
Oct 06, 2026 11:32AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Taking Back August by R.B. Shifman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Taking Back August by R.B. Shifman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
R.B. Shifman is currently reading Trust No One by Mary Burton (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 05, 2026 04:54PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Trust No One by Mary Burton. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Trust No One by Mary Burton <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
R.B. Shifman rated a book it was amazing Gorman's House (Totally Freaked!) by T.T. Madden	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Gorman’s House is both a wild, fun, YA horror read and a thoughtful narrative that deftly conveys important truths about race, identity, and belonging. The creative metaphors used for the struggles the teens must actively overcome in the house are in ...more
Oct 05, 2026 01:56PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Gorman's House by T.T. Madden. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Gorman's House by T.T. Madden <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
R.B. Shifman rated a book it was amazing When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 20, 2026 07:09PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">