Shift

by Cho yeeun, Yewon Jung (Translator)

Detective Yi Chang needs another miracle. Ten years ago his sister was healed of her deadly cancer by a mysterious cult leader, but now his young niece has inherited the same disease. The only lead Yi Chang has is the body of a murder victim found in an abandoned building in the Korean seaside. The man was stabbed repeatedly, but the knife found next to the body is covered with someone else's blood. Even stranger, the victim's face is covered with malignant melanoma, a disease he did not have. With time running short, Yi Chang must discover how this murder is related to the cult leader he so desperately seeks.

Award-winning Korean science fiction and fantasy sensation Cho Yeeun, author of the hit The New Seoul Park Jelly Massacre, is back with a haunting tale that explores the price we pay for miracles.

Genres: Mystery

194 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 29, 2026

Reviews

[eydis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually love this genre thriller/horror, and I'm not saying this story wasn't good, but there was something about it that just didn't really catch my attention, one chapter I was so connected with the characters and the next one I didn't really care what's going to happen to them, maybe the writing style is the reason, but overall it was good quick read with hints of mystery and horror.

3.75⭐️

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Investigator Yi Chang is tracking down the leader of a cult called The Church of the Heavenly Spirit, which disappeared in 2005. Back then, his family was part of the cult, and its leader was able to perform a miracle and heal Yi Chang’s sick sister. Now, Yi Chang needs to find this man again, as his 9-year-old niece inherited the same disease. The problem is that the deceased body of the cult leader is found in an abandoned building. He died of a stab wound, but his face was also covered with melanoma tumors. These tumors were not there two days before.

Set in a seaside town in Korea, the novel concerns itself with the ethics of transferring a person’s illness to someone else, thus healing the first person. It has a unique and intriguing premise, and the writing is accessible. Something about it just didn’t work for me, though. In the middle of the novel there is a flashback where we learn more about this healing power and how the cult exploited it. There is a good share of guilt, violence, and abuse in this section, and while I’m not usually sensitive, I didn’t anticipate it. It wasn’t any specific event that bothered me, but the overall negative atmosphere. I can’t say I enjoyed this novel, but I can see it suiting readers looking for something very dark.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

[Sussu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always a little apprehensive with translated fiction, especially Korean and Japanese books. Not because there's anything wrong with them, the original languages are just so different from English that it's often really difficult for me to not constantly stumble on the original language shining through, taking me completely out of the story. Having said all that, this translation was very smooth and the book completely sucked me in.

I found the plot very interesting, as well as the characters. I was especially happy about all the non-romantic relationships driving people's motivations. Whether it was siblings, nieces, or friends, I always appreciate a book that recognizes that romantic love isn't the only kind that can drive a person into desperate action.

Beyond that, I also really appreciated the question of ""what (or who) would you be willing to sacrifice for those you love?"" as well as the notion that there is no such thing as a free lunch, not when you're talking about food and definitely not when you're talking about miracles.

I really enjoyed this book, even though it wasn't the lightest read in parts, and I'd be interested to read more translated fiction from the author in the future.

I received a copy of the book for free from Netgalley.

[amy k · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of the book is good- there is a boy who can shift pain/ disease onto someone else, thereby making it look like a miracle. But it is a curse. great.

Now let’s get into the writing. More specifically the translation. I happened to listen to a sample of the Korean audiobook and it was wonderful, so descriptive and moving. the English translation is very lacking. there are too many sentences that end abruptly, some of the phrases are too direct of a translation, and at times I was doubting my own English. for instance, Koreans like to refer to our ancestors in a lot of saying, and there was a sentence that would not make sense at all to English speakers that mention ancestors coming to you in a dream. there are several typos also that I found, as well as something to do with “closing his eyelids” instead of maybe just “closing his eyes.”

Having said that, the story is pretty entertaining. Up until the very end, it was like watching a Korean limited series. I really enjoyed reading it, and thank you Netgalley and Honford Stars Ltd. for making this available for review.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The synopsis is a bit misleading. Detective Yi Chang is a supporting character. This is the story of a boy with a supernatural gift, his brother and the adults that exploit them. This is what happens when the “powerless” brother grows up. It is a heartbreaking story of what we are willing to do for love. Shift is a short book and I’m not even sure of its genre. I guess it’s a thriller with supernatural elements. Some parts are really very suspenseful. My problem was that the writing was odd and I wonder if it’s a translation issue. Not the translation itself, but converting Korean speech and mind patterns into English. Or maybe it was on purpose, but the plot goes back and forth and moves from one character to another, leaving things unexplained. All this said, I enjoyed the book, it kept me invested int he characters and their plight.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Honford Star Ltd.

[Jazmyn Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a sad read to me. Though the mystery/thriller and real-world horror elements were there, my heart just broke the character, Lan. I understand his pain, though I've never been through it, I felt it. I really enjoyed the structure of this one too. We're introduced to Yi Chang, and his turmoil, but I would say MOST of the book covered Lan's childhood, and growing up inside the cult the Han brothers created. And they created it because of Lan's brother Chang. Chang can make miracles happen, real miracles, but they do come with a price. A price desperate people are unaware of when they ask for help. Yi Chang IS desperate for help, his niece is sick with incurable disease, the same disease that his sister was cured of when visiting The Church of the Heavenly Spirit.

Cho Yeeun is becoming an auto buy author for me, her stories are so creative and unique. It being a translated work, some of the dialogue feels a bit stiff but it absolutely does not distract from the story.

[pagebypayje · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was NOT bad by any means, but I really just couldn't get into it.

I chose to read this based on the cover (Yes, I judge books by covers often. Yes, sometimes it comes back to bite me.) and the description of the book. I was really interested in the plot and to see how the author would develop it throughout the story.

Unfortunately, however, I think the translation has made reading this book feel very.. clunky. Dialogue and descriptions just felt incredibly disjointed, and I really wasn't able to connect with the characters as well as I might have liked to. It did, however, deliver in the 'Mystery' department. I had a lot of questions I needed answers to in the first few pages, which kept me reading through my earlier-mentioned issues.

I don't want to be too harsh, as I'm sure this book reads differently in it's original form. So three stars :)

[Nicki Markus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Shift. It has some of the body-horror aspects of The New Seoul Park Jelly Massacre, but at the same time it is more fantasy-thriller than fantasy-horror and poses questions around what lengths people would go to to cure illness and buy themselves more time. The narrative in three parts was compelling and held my interest throughout as we got the different perspectives from the two main characters. The ending felt satisfying, and the pacing throughout the book was good. At only about 200 pages, this was a short read but a thought-provoking one. I am giving it 4.5 stars.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

thanks to Honford Star and Net Galley for a copy of this ARC

Shift is a crime story with a bit of supernatural and a surprising amount of heart.

I don’t think o would have classified this as horror and think it will suit thriller or crime drama fans a bit more.

The cover not going to lie was a big factor on why I picked this book up and it didn’t have a whole lot to do with the text inside.

Its a quick read and I think that had a lit to do with why I rates it as high as I did. The pacing was a real highlight for me and kept me at the edge of my seat

Recommended for fans of Keith Rosson

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

The premise and cover caught my attention and overall, I think it was executed well. The reveal was a little predictable and I think the dialogue was a little too dry. I'm not sure if that is due to translation, but it made it a little less interesting at times.