SHIFT

Adrian Havoc knows that the world is out of whack. His father is presumed dead on a mission to the moon, his mother’s wrapped up in a hush-hush scientific project, his best friend has gone missing and his kid sister has visions that are scarily prescient. The government is in control of everyone and everything, and the state-approved religion’s not exactly reassuring in its predictions of the end of the world, called the “shift.” When he has the opportunity to throw away his identity card and get out of town, Adrian jumps at it. Accompanied by his sister Shriek, a girl from the zoo and a runaway penguin, Adrian takes control of his life as well as the potential fate of the world. This dystopic look at state-sponsored religion features a weak and confusing climax, but the story is otherwise well designed. Thought-provoking and readable, this novel of ideas makes up for its lack of credible detail with enough action to keep young readers involved. (Science fiction. 12 & up)