Shifter

by Zack Umstead

What if you could correct your past mistakes?Alex Peak is a normal high school student who messes up big time. When he's taken to the police station, he suddenly blacks out in a cell. Strangely enough, he comes to in his kitchen at the exact time he blacked out. And he hasn't been to the police station that day. As Alex finds out about his new power with the help of his friend Ben, he sees an opportunity to change the world for the better. But nothing, not even science-bending abilities, can prepare him for what happens next.Embark on a science fiction novel all-too-real as Alex fights petty crime, the laws of physics, and destiny in an action-packed story that contains surprises at every corner. Being a Shifter can be useful sometimes, but some situations can lead to a dead end...A novelette of approximately 9,500 words, Shifter is the first in a series.

47 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 12, 2011

Reviews

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shifter takes you on a journey to an alternate dimension, literally. You are taken on a thrill ride from the very first pages. Mr. Umstead is a young author with great potential and he’s not afraid to show it. This book is his prequel to a fabulous writing career. I’m sitting on pins and needles awaiting the next work of art.

[TL Jeffcoat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect from this. I knew it was a kid that wrote it. I bought the book when his dad mentioned it on Twitter and figured it couldn't hurt to see what Zack could do. I have to admit, I'm impressed. The story itself is pretty simple and basic, like the pilot episode of a Disney series. What did surprise me was the technical complexity of time travel and dimensional travel explained in layman's terms. I happen to be a fascinated with theoretical physics, I'm a fan of Einstein, Hawking, and Michio Kaku. The concept in the book is as believable as the butterfly effect. Which means the idea of multiple time streams is not impossible. That aside, the editing was well done, I only spotted one typo (a skipped word). The story was very simple, and I felt it really should have been a bit longer since the story sort of ended as it was really getting interesting. I look forward to the sequel.