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Shiftlight
When Cam and his mates discover a disused road just out of town, it doesn't take them long to hook up a night of car madness. But a hyped-up crowd of street racers, smoking up the tarmac in their wild rides, is bound to lead to trouble.
298 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
4 people are currently reading
348 people want to read
About the author
David Jubermann
4 books12 followersDavid Jubermann was born in Germany in 1982 and immigrated with his family to New Zealand in 1990. He has lived most of his life in New Zealand.
In 2006 he published his first book, Shiftlight, which is based in Christchurch. The story was prompted by his personal experiences and those of his friends. The book received many positive reviews.
His second book, Drift Race was published in April 2012. Based on drifting (a motorsport), it is a loose sequel to Shiftlight.
Just Us was published in September 2013. Set in New Zealand, it is a love story about two teenagers from very different backgrounds, who find that they have a lot in common.
His latest book, Hypercar, published in February 2015, follows on from Shiftlight and Drift Race and is the third book in this popular car-series.
Apart from writing, David has a keen interest in travelling, technology and performance cars.
Find out more about David Jubermann:
Visit
www.davidjubermann.com
www.facebook.com/davidjubermann
www.amazon.com/David-Jubermann/e/B007...
In 2006 he published his first book, Shiftlight, which is based in Christchurch. The story was prompted by his personal experiences and those of his friends. The book received many positive reviews.
His second book, Drift Race was published in April 2012. Based on drifting (a motorsport), it is a loose sequel to Shiftlight.
Just Us was published in September 2013. Set in New Zealand, it is a love story about two teenagers from very different backgrounds, who find that they have a lot in common.
His latest book, Hypercar, published in February 2015, follows on from Shiftlight and Drift Race and is the third book in this popular car-series.
Apart from writing, David has a keen interest in travelling, technology and performance cars.
Find out more about David Jubermann:
Visit
www.davidjubermann.com
www.facebook.com/davidjubermann
www.amazon.com/David-Jubermann/e/B007...
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 16, 2020
Credit is due for an effective portrayal of a world of home-garage sportscars and street racing. The setting New Zealand, but I imagine street racing culture is similar elsewhere.
Cam and his friends appear to be regular, working-class people whose main passion is performance cars. They're not criminals, drifters, or deranged adrenaline junkies. With strict attention to detail and mundane concerns about the price of replacement parts, they like to soup up cars and drive them fast. From that standpoint this book is probably more realistic than the glamorized Fast & Furious movie series.
A lot of the car jargon (or perhaps New Zealand slang) went over my head. But I felt the book was doing what novels should do, which is to take us to another place to experience something we never would in our own lives.
That being said, it was all a bit too slice-of-life and light on plot. Cam coordinates a great big race around the middle of the book, and then the story runs out of gas. Structurally or from a developmental editing standpoint, it would have been better for the book to lead up to and end with the big race. Or at least create a more definable plot, which was the biggest omission of the book.
Instead, Shiftlight was more like a sequence of vignettes--some happy, some sad, somewhat disconnected.
Cam and his friends appear to be regular, working-class people whose main passion is performance cars. They're not criminals, drifters, or deranged adrenaline junkies. With strict attention to detail and mundane concerns about the price of replacement parts, they like to soup up cars and drive them fast. From that standpoint this book is probably more realistic than the glamorized Fast & Furious movie series.
A lot of the car jargon (or perhaps New Zealand slang) went over my head. But I felt the book was doing what novels should do, which is to take us to another place to experience something we never would in our own lives.
That being said, it was all a bit too slice-of-life and light on plot. Cam coordinates a great big race around the middle of the book, and then the story runs out of gas. Structurally or from a developmental editing standpoint, it would have been better for the book to lead up to and end with the big race. Or at least create a more definable plot, which was the biggest omission of the book.
Instead, Shiftlight was more like a sequence of vignettes--some happy, some sad, somewhat disconnected.
March 24, 2021
Really good book but cuss words scattered throughout the book based around a young street racer named Cam and they race round the streets with their friends it’s just a shame that the end was a bit of a groaner
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2017
Shiftlight by David Jubermann is a book which features themes including; Redemption, guilt and acceptance. The book revolves around a group of friends who all participate in illegal street racing in Christchurch.
Although the characters in this story are typical but relatable "boy racer" youths all with jobs and a passion for their high powered cars, though they still endure hardships due to the consequences of the choices they make throughout the novel. The books includes thrilling and fast paced action with burglaries, police chases, and street races.
One of the main plot points in the book is about a damaged section of abandoned state highway which upon finding one the main characters uses his connections to the city council to repair the road in preparation for a racing tournament which would be held by the main characters. The dialogue in this book features some kiwi slang which is understood by the majority of the NZ population making it feel like a very local and understandable story for who may not especially be very knowledgeable of cars and all things car related.
Although the characters in this story are typical but relatable "boy racer" youths all with jobs and a passion for their high powered cars, though they still endure hardships due to the consequences of the choices they make throughout the novel. The books includes thrilling and fast paced action with burglaries, police chases, and street races.
One of the main plot points in the book is about a damaged section of abandoned state highway which upon finding one the main characters uses his connections to the city council to repair the road in preparation for a racing tournament which would be held by the main characters. The dialogue in this book features some kiwi slang which is understood by the majority of the NZ population making it feel like a very local and understandable story for who may not especially be very knowledgeable of cars and all things car related.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews